What are the top things that people DON'T KNOW about backpacking?

[travelpunk]

Well, it's definitely easier than most people think.

What else?

[juliagulia]

You can be a backpacker and still be clean.

[travelpunk]

Originally Posted by juliagulia

You can be a backpacker and still be clean.

Haha...so true !

[maracle]

But you don't have to be clean either if you don't want :D

Hmm, i'd say it's much easier to meet people in a hostel than you'd ever think. Any social awkwarness about walking up to a stranger or someone different than you is pretty much gone because meeting strangers is the whole point!

[travelpunk]

That is a very good point. Thanks!

[Joker]

Originally Posted by juliagulia

You can be a backpacker and still be clean.

Horsepucky. :D

It's easier than it looks. Backpacking, that is. You have total freedom from itineraries and plans, unless you choose to make them.

[Elizabeth]

-Its not dangerous (depending on where you are).
-Its not dangerous (depending on where you are) for a female to go alone.
-You don't have to be rich.
-Hostels are not places where people go to die (OMG if someone makes that joke one more time...)
-The language barrier can be overcome.
-Its not a waste of time/money.

[joe7f]

This list is fairly Eurocentric but... (actually I was going to make a thread about the 10 most common misconceptions about backpacking in Europe when I saw this one)

People don't know:

-How easy it is!

For people used to traveling around the United States and Canada, we have a certain rhythms. Get a flight, rental car, hotel etc. When people go overseas they believe everything you know is wrong, or everything is the same. For example, you don't need, nor is it desirable, to have a rental car frequently. Most hostels allow online booking so you don't have to cross your fingers for available beds prior to arrival. Don't speak a lick of German? Kein problem, most Europeans learn English throughout their formative years. Naturally, learning the local language will endear you people you come across but you don't need to be a polyglot to travel the continent.

-How little paperwork/planning you need

For most North Americans, you only need your passport. You don't need a visa (UK), or if you do you can acquire it on the spot (Japan) for typical touristy stops.

-How inexpensive it is!

People who hear about your 100 day long trip quickly assume you have a budget of 20,000 USD. A typical round trip flight from North America to Europe ranges from $400 to $1500 depending on season and how far in advance you buy a ticket. If you fly into Asia, the price is between $800 to $1900. A decent hostel will be $20-$40 in larger Western European cities and about half of that in Eastern Europe. Eating at grocery stores and bakeries can give you a full stomach for 10 USD a day. Many people can travel in Western Europe for $70 reasonable comfortably, $50 in a pinch and $30 by really watching pennies or heading further east.

-How little importance should be placed on the flight cost

You are headed to Italy and find that the fares are an extra two hundred dollars more than they are to Frankfurt. Unless you want to check out Germany, you probably should pay the difference to get to Italy as a roundtrip flight / train will be more. By the same token if you save $50 bucks by going a day earlier, you will likely spend that much on your hostel, food and the like. The longer the trip the smaller percentage of the overall cost is contributed by the initial flight.

-How safe big cities can be

Almost every major city in Europe and Asia will be as safe or significantly safer than a similarly sized city in the US.

-That trains aren't always the cheapest way to go

If are going from London to Paris, the Eurostar link can be 2-3x as much as a flight purchased in advance. Europe's discount carriers like, Ryan Air, Easy Jet, Whiz Air, and Aer Lingus have great fares and driven the prices down among mainstays such as British Airways, Alitalia, Czech Air, and Lufthansa. Trains offer tremendous flexibility and if you aren't sure when you are traveling, you will probably find it to be a better choice (particularly during the high season) but air travel should at least be weighed when the option of a 30 hour train ride from Madrid to Naples is presents itself.

-That Europe doesn't end at the Iron Curtain

Not only does Eastern Europe have some spectacular sites but you can save a bundle. Don't limit your trip to London, Paris and Rome. See Budapest, Krakow, Prague, Dubrovnik along with smaller towns like Cesky Krumlov and Talinn.

-That things can go wrong

Almost every backpacker takes a certain masochistic joy in telling stories about how they ended up sleeping in an airport, train station, or homeless shelter (I can claim all three ). Be ready to change your plans at a moment's notice. I was once trying to get to Munich via Paris but missed the train. Knowing I was going to miss the last train out of Gare du Nord, I didn't care that I didn't have a reservation, I jumped on a train bound for Strasbourg arriving at 4a. From there to Munich is only 3 hours. Sure beats standing around a train station by yourself until 5am.

More later...

--Joey

[Elizabeth]

I wish people would still continue to believe the last one. Prague, Budapest and Krakow are already overrun as it is, esp in the summer.

[raoulduke]

People don't realize how easy it is to do, especially by yourself.

Also there isn't quite as much fucking going on as people think, unless I just stayed at the wrong places.

[joe7f]

Lizz did it seem like most of the tourists you have met in Ukraine, Poland, Czech etc were European?

My day trip into Budapest had me speaking a lot of Spanish (Spaniards and Argentinians mostly... along with a few Germans and Scandinavians).

--Joey

[Elizabeth]

OK here is my breakdown of everything:

Overall: met alot of Canadians (you all do say aboot ok? :D)

Warsaw (mid April): lots of Canadians, very unforgettable British stag party!!!!

Krakow (first time, mid to late April): mostly Canadians, some Americans, Aussies, not so many Europeans/Brits, did meet one guy from Brazil

Krakow (second time, late May): Totally overrun with people. Totally different atmosphere in the main square. Everything is booked to the max.

Lviv (here from late April to early June with a few interruptions): Again I'm mostly meeting our Canadian friends in the hostel. Then Americans and some Europeans. Did see what I'm guessing was a German tour group in a church once or twice. One group I'm sorry to say violated the "no camera" rule. Shows there's ugly travellers of every nationality unfortunately. No Aussies or Kiwis really since they need a visa except for Louse (travelling on a British passport) and this one other Aussie girl. On the streets you're not seeing apparent foreigners except for the people in the churches mentioned above.

Kyiv (early May): On the street you cannot see obvious "tourists" (except if you were looking at me of course! My clothes sucked. =P) Had to book worst hostel in town because there was a Ukranian national holiday so everything was booked, stayed 3 or 4 nights (I forget), first night was with two Swiss girls, other 2-3 nights was alone in the 3 bed dorm.

Odesa (early May): Black Sea Backpackers hostel was dead. Mostly Europeans and Brits I met here. Did meet a few older Americans. On the street you cannot see obvious "tourists" (Except if you were looking at me and the two older Americans I was with. Little kids came up to us and were begging for money...only time that happened.) This is a popular city for Russian and Ukranian holidaymakers but since they were all speaking Rusky it was impossible for me to tell.

Budapest (mid May): holy sh!t! English speaking central! On the streets I heard people speaking English so much you would think I was back in America. To be fair I had just left Ukraine which had barely any foreigners so it was like shock O.O. I did meet one Spanish speaking guy in Budapest (Argentinian if I remember correctly). I'm going to Budapest again and it will be in February so I will see if there is a difference.

I have not been to Prague yet but its legendary for how it used to be a cool cheap place where no one went except the "bohemians" and the beer flowed cheaply and plentifully (if thats a word haha). The women were beautiful and plentiful blah blah blah you know the deal. Now people are saying its overrun and overrated, rent is too high, yadda, yadda, yadda, and Krakow is "the new Prague" and Lviv is "the new Krakow." Hopefully I will be able to go to Prague this time around and I will give my verdict on whether Prague is overrated or not. I really hope not because I have been psyched about Prague since I saw it in Chasing Liberty (I'm such a dork right? lol =]). I believe other Tpunks have been to Prague and liked it though.

[lauren313]

Oooh, Joey is top of the class, giving all the answers!

The one I was going to say was that it doesn't have to cost a bomb... but that's already been covered!

[ChasinJason1313]

On the topic of safety: Ny number one story about this occured in London at about 3:30 in the morning after a bit of drunken dancing in SoHo. I was walking down a very empty street with my ex when we came upon two guys talking to each other and smoking. Late at night, dark street, now witnesses.... I put the ex on the other side of me so she'd be away from the guys and as we came up to them they said "Hey, need a taxi?" And that's it. Imagine that situation in New York or L.A. My point being that Americans have to realistically worry about murder. 99% of the worst things that would happen with the scenario I just gave in Europe would end up in getting your wallet stolen...... so what!? People in America have a very different mindset about safety than most of the people in Europe and backpackers should take this into account.

On the topic of what people don't know: It will change you in ways you didn't expect. And the biggest change you'll find is that you will learn that you can do things you didn't realize you could do. You'll find you can dig deeper than you thought. Much like the way playing sports will show you the "balls" you may not have thought you had. I know everyone says it will change your life but its often hard to say just how it will do so. That's the best way I can put it in such a limited amount of space.

[pinknic38]

Originally Posted by lizz

Now people are saying its overrun and overrated, rent is too high, yadda, yadda, yadda, and Krakow is "the new Prague" and Lviv is "the new Krakow."

Hopefully this isn't entirely the case, since I'm going to Prague AND Krakow in June. I was considering shit-canning Prague for more time in Germany or to head somewhere else like Vienna, and that makes me kind of want to more.

Anyway I wanted to add that I've noticed a lot of people tend to stick to the same hostels if they habitually visit the same place. In my experience, I've had a good time at once place and decided to stay there again on the next go and the whole scene was lame. I think sometimes, when hostels are concerned, variety is the spice of life. However, I think some hostels are notorious and will always have a flock of people there (like the Flying Pig hostels in A-dam... they seem like no matter when you go there's a party haha) but in general, luck of the draw.

And I'm with everyone else, traveling anywhere, does not have to deplete your life savings if you know how to budget and know all the tips and tricks.

[Canadian Bacon]

When backpacking alone, you are will only really be "alone" for short periods of time.

[Canadian Bacon]

On any place on the earth you will find: Canadians and Aussies

[Joker]

Originally Posted by Canadian Bacon

On any place on the earth you will find: Canadians and Aussies

I'll add Brits to that. Everywhere I went, there was at least one, most of which getting 'pissed.'

[Canadian Bacon]

Originally Posted by Joker

I'll add Brits to that. Everywhere I went, there was at least one, most of which getting 'pissed.'

True that. Also Japanese people... those are some brave backpackers

[worldwidemike]

1. That you will meet and make fast, immediate and deep friendships with people from all over the world. These people will be so much more like you than you could ever imagine.

2. That it is possible to see huge portions of the world and stay traveling for incredibly long periods of time for much less than they could imagine.

3. It is possible to get a job for awhile overseas, whether "under the table" or officially, and prolong your stay for as long as you want.

4. That you can be ANY AGE and backpack (did you read that, Joe? ).

5. That you're not alone in wanting to do this...you're not weird...that across the world, there are thousands of others who feel as you do and want to see the world like you do.

6. That you absolutely, positively, will NOT regret doing it.

How's that for a start, Tone...?

worldwidemike