How to organize a first backpacking trip?

How to organize a first backpacking trip?

backpacking tripYou have dreamed of it since childhood. Discover the world, unknown lands with your only backpack. Your dream will soon come true. Obviously to the apprehension of starting this great journey, will be added the happiness of no longer depending only on oneself to discover one or more countries that you have been thinking about for a long time. Discover all our tips for organizing your very first backpacking trip.

Why a backpack?

Going with your only backpack is a whole philosophy, the simplest way to travel by taking the bare minimum with you. Of course, for a first trip, you will ask yourself lots of questions about what is good to take, and everything you will have to leave. The choices are very often difficult to make and it is only with experience that you can immediately realize what it is really essential to take with you.

Going on a backpack is above all the pleasure of traveling light. If you manage that your bag does not exceed the weight and dimensions of cabin luggage, you will quickly realize that many problems will disappear:

– Your package in the morning will be done much faster and you will be able to leave your hotel in all lightness.

– In transport, you will no longer have to queue to put your suitcase in the luggage compartment and the same to retrieve it.

– At the airport, you will no longer have to wait at the baggage carousel, and you will go through the customs counter first.

– Finally, no more anxiety wondering if your luggage has arrived and if you will have to wait for the next flight from the same origin to recover your property.

Choose your destination carefully

When choosing your destination, do not forget to pay close attention to the weather during the time of your departure. Your vacation may be compromised if you decide to visit Asia or India during the rainy or monsoon season. Likewise, be aware if you go in winter, that you sometimes risk encountering cold and snow if you go to Tokyo or Athens.

For a first backpacking trip, it is always difficult to establish a provisional budget. The first point is to determine the approximate cost of living in the country you plan to visit. Then, everything will depend on the type of accommodation you choose, hotel or hostel, and your meals, sandwich or restaurant. It goes without saying of course that for the amount you spend spending a week in New York, you will be able to live a month in Cambodia or Vietnam without having to deprive yourself.

Language is also a factor to consider. If you are going on a trip to South America and you only speak English, everyday life may be a bit complicated. It may be smart in this case to get a guide where you will find translated a few ready-made phrases that can save you the day if necessary.

The culture of the country you are going to is also something to be concerned about. Once again, a good tourist guide will help you familiarize yourself with the habits and customs of the country visited, and will help you avoid making too many mistakes. You will thus apprehend everyday life from sometimes very different angles, and your trip will become all the more captivating.

Some essentials

The passport: Check early enough that it is still valid, because it takes some time if you have to renew it. Everything you need to know about the passport is here!

The visa: You should know that 75 countries out of 190 require a visa (all nationalities combined). For some countries, the visa can be obtained directly at the border but for others, it must be requested in advance. This is the case of China or India. The lead time can vary from 10 to 15 days. It should also be noted that some visas are chargeable. This is the case for example of Cameroon which will ask you 115 euros for its establishment. To find out more about visas and how to obtain them, see our dedicated article.

 

 Vaccines: It is also important to find out if any vaccines are required by your destination country. Some vaccines are recommended but others are mandatory. You should also plan well in advance, as some vaccines require a booster and you must be vaccinated 10 days before departure. For example, the yellow fever vaccine is recommended throughout central Africa and northern South America. Its cost is 57 euros. Find our complete guide to travel vaccines.

The medicine kit: To put it simply, you can find ready-made medicine kits on the market for a cost of 10 euros. You can add your own medications and some essential medications (such as an anti-diarrheal or an anti-constipation, for example). Find here an example of a complete travel medicine kit.

Travel insurance for a first backpacking trip

Everything is ready and you will now have to take care of the travel insurance. Whether for flu, gastro or a serious accident, it is important to be well insured, especially when you go to the other side of the world. Indeed, the cost of medicine is not the same as in your country of origin! The United States, for example, holds the record for the most expensive treatments in the world. A simple consultation with a general practitioner costs 80 or 100 euros and hospitalization can cost a few tens of thousands of euros if it is a surgical operation.

But you should know that in the rest of the planet, hospitals or clinics with competent doctors and appropriate equipment are also far from cheap.

Here are, for example, two hospitalizations that we were given to cover for policyholders in Southeast Asia:

– 2 days of hospitalization for gastroenteritis in Phnom Penh: 1,000 USD

– Motorcycle accident with numerous fractures in Bangkok: 150,000 USD

Taking out travel insurance for your backpacking stay is therefore a necessity!

The repatriation guarantee is also an essential guarantee of the insurance contract. Indeed, if the necessary care cannot be given to you on site, you must be able to be redirected to another hospital, or repatriated to your country of origin to be taken care of there.

Our Globe Partner contract is a very comprehensive insurance contract. In addition to being the best value for money contract on the market, it is also practical because the same contract can be taken out for the whole world. Discover all the details and information about this product.