Articles by "Backpack Traveler"
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Traveling solo is becoming much more common. In the past, vacationing alone meant huge expenses and having to save up for years beforehand. Nowadays, single travelers are becoming more financially savvy and learning how to cut costs. Here are tips on how to save money when you are on a vacation for one.

Accommodations Beyond Hotels

Don’t look only at hotels when considering potential accommodations. There are many options for travelers, and your solo trip ensures that you don’t require a travel partner’s permission to be as thrifty as possible. Hostels and “Bed and Breakfasts” are options that often have rooms available for single travelers.

Inquire If Accommodations Include Freebies

Whether you choose a hotel or another place to stay, find out what is included. If you pay slightly more for your room but get free breakfast and wi-fi, it might be worth it. By filling yourself up at a hotel’s free breakfast, you can skip lunch and eat a big meal at supper, thus saving cash. By staying somewhere that includes these extras, you can save money in the long run.

Avoid Single Supplements

Single supplements are one of the factors that have made solo travel a nuisance in the past. Many travel packages, hotels, and cruises assume there will be more than one traveler, and charge you a fee for traveling alone. There are certain cruises and travel companies that are beginning to work around this, so inquire and make sure you are not throwing money away unnecessarily.

Try to Negotiate

Hotels may claim they have a particular rate for a certain night or room type, but in reality, it fluctuates depending on who are you talking to. Try to negotiate a good deal, and be sure to bring up any travel club memberships you may have, with deals you might not be aware of.

If the person making your reservation is unwilling to lower the rate, ask to speak to a manager. A manager’s goal is generally to keep all potential guests happy, and they have more leeway on giving discounts.

Negotiating is something to remember with other purchases as well. Depending on where your travels take you, you may be able to find better deals than advertised, so just ask.

Eat Out at Lunch Instead of Supper

Many restaurants offer the same food at lunch as at supper, only in slightly smaller portions and at a lower cost. By eating out at lunch, you can try the food you wish and pay less. Save suppertime for making yourself a sandwich or another low-cost meal.

Be Flexible about Your Plans

The nice thing about traveling alone is you get to make all the decisions. If you had plans but you find a way to save money, you can cancel and do it your way. Look for things such as “one seat only” deals that are hard for airlines and other companies to get rid of. These types of deals usually need to be snapped up immediately, and work perfectly for the traveler who doesn’t need to run his or her plans by a travel partner. On vacation, keep your eyes open for deals on eating and other services that you can save money on.

Traveling solo has a reputation for being more expensive. But with a little creativity and a keen eye for a good deal, you can save money while enjoying a fabulous trip. The sky is the limit when it comes to saving money when you travel alone.

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Whether you're Euro-railing the Czech Republic, trekking the Amazon or spending a month in Peru, backpack travel is a great way to see the world. And here are the top 10 travel accessories to help backpack travelers stay lightweight, mobile and organized.

First: A Travel Backpack

Today's travel backpacks aren't your father's camping pack. Technology has made today's travel backpacks super lightweight and designed specifically for travel. They open like suitcases for easy access, offer media pockets, multiple ways to carry and other advantages for travelers. The old top-loading, drawstring packs were good for dad. But if you want to stay light, mobile and organized, a travel backpack is the way to go.

Second: A Travel Towel

You can definitely skip a shower or two while traveling. But eventually you'll want to clean up and dry off. Problem is conventional towels weigh a ton, take forever to dry and mildew if you pack them damp. Travel towels solve these problems. They're ultra-lightweight and fold to a fraction the size of regular towels. They're also ultra-fast drying and most fight fungus and mildew buildup.

Third: Travel Underwear

Everything that is true of conventional towels is also true of regular cotton underwear. They take a long time to dry and are bastions for fungus and odor. Quick-dry travel underwear dries in time to wear or pack by the next bus, fights odors and nasty bacteria and hold up to the rigors of daily wear on the road.

Fourth: Travel Soap Sheets

Soap sheets are among the lightest, most compact and efficient ways to stay clean while traveling. Soap sheets -- body, shampoo, shaving or other -- are roughly one inch, paper-thin sheets that lather up in water. They meet carry-on requirements, are a fraction the weight of liquids and take up much less room in your backpack or luggage.

Fifth: Packing Cubes

If you use packing cubes once, you won't even go away for a weekend again without them. They let you pack much more stuff into the same space and keep it all organized. Packing cubes are zippered nylon or mesh rectangles into which you pack and compress your gear and clothes before putting them into your backpack. If you bring only one thing from this list, these would be it.

Sixth: International Plug Adapters

It's still a diverse world, which is why we travel. But that also goes for each continent's electrical systems. So you'll need to bring the right adapter to plug into wall outlets in Europe, Africa, Asia and elsewhere. You can buy individual adapters for each location or universal kits letting you plug in no matter where you go.

Seventh: A Solar Charger

Going where few travelers have gone before is an amazing experience. And the more remote you go, the less infrastructure you'll find. In some areas you can actually get cell service, but not the electricity to power the phone. Solar charges are lightweight, compact and let you power your electronics no matter how off the beaten path you go.

Number 8: Travel or Luggage Locks

You spent a lot of time planning what to bring and it wouldn't be easy to get it all back while traveling. Travel or luggage locks are small compact locks that let you secure your pack's main compartment and exterior pockets while the pack is out of your sight or when you're in crowded places. Some locks also have flexible cables to secure your pack to fixed objects.

Number 9: A Money Belt

Replacing your passport, credit cards and even cash back in remote locations can be a major, time-eating endeavor. So you want to hang onto your most valuable items. Money belts are small, discreet pouches worn around your waist under your pants to conceal and safeguard your passport and cash. Most robbers don't have the time to check under everyone's clothes. So carry a false wallet and a few dollars to give them while your real stash is safely concealed.

Tenth: A Daypack

Most trips involve reaching a new town or village, locking your main pack in the hostel or hotel and heading out to explore. Overnight trips, urban trekking and remote hikes are part of the good time. And you'll need a lightweight daypack to carry the essentials. Most quality travel backpacks have removable daypacks integrated into their designs.

You'll bring lots of stuff on your trip and what to pack and how to pack it are endlessly debated by seasoned travel backpackers. But with these few key travel accessories, you'll be sure to stay lightweight, mobile and organized.

Author: Michael B Anderson
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