This site is new, and under a great deal of construction. If there's something you think I ought to cover but haven't, let me know.
You may already have a destination in mind. If this is the case, then I suggest only one further question: why do you want to go there? I can't tell you how many travelers have told me about how wonderful a place they've been is, and when I ask them why, they simply say "it was cheap!" Now, if you're traveling so that you can say you've done it, this may be a perfectly good reason to choose a destination. Personally, I have never been big into alcohol, so I can't really relate to travelers who only go places that are cheap, and then spend all their time and money drinking themselves silly. Why not save yourself the time and money and just drink yourself silly at home? Oh, well, to each his own.
So, assuming that being able to say "been there, done that" is not your ONLY objective, you will want to ask yourself about more than just prices (though price does play a part in most of our travel plans, as most of us are not infinitely wealthy). Do you know anything about your destination? Is there something in particular that interests you? Are you going for the music, the art, the crafts, or to meet people and explore new cultures? If your goal is to meet people and explore a new culture, do you speak the language of the region to which you plan to travel? If not, your "learning potential" in that region is severely limited. That's not to say that it's not worth going to a place where you don't speak the language (God knows I'm not fluent in Greek or Turkish, but I still had a good time there), but you will be limited to what you can see, hear and taste. When you can't ask questions, you can't get answers.
Particularly when your time is limited, you will want to ask yourself where are the best places to go to get what you want. If you're interested in art, for example, then when in Italy you would be better served to go to Florence (Firenze) than Venice (Venizia). If you're interested in Greek and Roman ruins, there are many better places in the world to go than Greece or Rome, ironically: Turkey, Jordan, Syria, and all kinds of other places that you might never think of. If you've taken a class in something which has made you want to travel, you might ask the instructor where he or she would go if given the opportunity. (Doing exactly that is what took me to Turkey, which was my favorite destination on my last trip.)
If you're not sure that you even want a travel partner, then check out my diatribe on traveling in a group or solo. Your choice can make the difference between having a great time or thinking about nothing other than how to kill your buddy. When you're standing in front of the most impressive piece of architecture that you've ever seen, and your travel partner is tapping his watch and asking you to stop wasting time looking at "old stuff," it can really ruin the moment. Here are some basic guidelines for picking a travel partner:
As you might have guessed by this point, my preferred method of transport is bicycle. In my opinion, it gives you the ultimate freedom: you can travel great distances completely without support (carry enough food and water and it is possible to go 200 miles or more without needing the products or services of anyone else). It allows you complete flexibility about your schedule and route: you're not slave to the train or bus tables. Instead of blasting by the countryside at 60mph, you take your time, taking in the scenery, waving to people as you pass, stopping whenever you want. Have you ever tried to get a train to stop so that you could take a picture? I haven't, either; I'm not into wasting my time on futile efforts.
Cycling is also a real money-saver, not only in that you don't pay for transportation (though you can put your bike on many buses and trains if you need or want to), but it increases your ability to free-camp. If you travel by bus or train, you will be going from city to city, which makes it somewhat difficult to find a place off the beaten path where you can throw your tent down for free. Finally (I'm sure I could think of other advantages of the bike, but you probably don't really care), cycle touring is perhaps the best way to lose weight that I've ever found. In fact, unless you're already very skinny, you will not be able to avoid losing weight. I eat like a complete pig when I'm touring: chocolate, potato chips (crisps), any kind of candy you can think of, fatty red meat, pastries, you name it. (Of course, I eat healthy foods on top of all that, but that's not the point.) I still lost about 35 pounds on my last tour (I was about 25 pounds overweight). OK, enough about cycling.
This is by far the most common means of travel amongst young people, because, well, it's cheap. Backpackers usually stay in youth hostels or campgrounds, and avoid taxis whenever possible. Of course, backpacking has a number of other advantages, similar to cycling. It's flexible (you can hike off the beaten path, you can carry your luggage around reasonably easily, without the assistance of taxis, etc.), it allows you to meet more people than if you were on a package tour, etc. The biggest disadvantage, if you ask me, is that you have to carry all your gear on your back, which can be quite uncomfortable after a while (long-distance hikers would probably say that that's not necessary if you're properly geared and adjusted, but I think most people would agree that having 50 pounds of gear on your back is not fun). Of course, when you're backpacking, you have two main means of transportation: public transport (trains/buses) and hitchhiking.
I group these together because one cannot accurately compare the two. In some countries (Turkey is a great example), bus travel is very comfortable, clean and cheap, whereas the trains are dirty and uncomfortable (the latter I know only by hearsay, as I never took a train in Turkey). In many countries, being on a bus can be a harrowing experience, due to local driving habits. In others, train travel is simply too expensive. Eurorail (Interrail) passes can be ridiculously expensive; it is often cheaper to fly. If money is a big issue for you and you're traveling in Europe, do some research on Eurolines bus passes. A 60-day adult ticket is only $434 in high season, $379 in low season, for unlimited travel between 21 major European cities. (Eurolines Organization, Keizersgracht 317, 1016 EE Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS.)
If you're traveling in America, travel by train. Amtrak is incredibly comfortable, particularly when compared with the bus system, Greyhound. Greyhound is cramped, dirty, and the passengers... well, let's just say I've met some "interesting" people on Greyhound, to be euphemistic. Amtrak offers special rates for touring-style travel: you can buy a pass for 15, 30 or (I think) even 45 or 60 days, for any of several regions of the States. If I recall properly, you can get a 30-day pass for at least half of the States for about $350-400 (£200-230 Sterling). You can get on and off whenever you want, but you do have to make reservations; don't think you can go to New Orleans in the middle of Mardi Gras.
In general, I do not recommend hitchhiking, due to the inherent dangers of getting into a vehicle with a complete stranger. I've done it, and it can be just fine, but it only takes one nut to really ruin your day (or life). In some countries, however, "hitchhiking" is basically how the bus systems work. As I understand it (this is hearsay, as I haven't been there yet), most places in sub-Saharan Africa have very little in the way of buses, so you just flag down the first car or truck that you can, and if they can cram you in (which I hear they generally do, regardless of how many people are already suffocating in the cramped vehicle), you just pay the driver what you would pay for a bus for the same distance.
Of course, if you've got the money, you can always just fly everywhere. The biggest advantage is time; you could probably fly to every major city in the world in a month. The disadvantage is that you don't see a damn thing. You don't see the scenery, you don't meet anybody (except the snoring grandpa to your right and the crying baby to your left)... okay, I'm exaggerating, obviously. You could fly around and use the time you'd save to walk around town and meet people. This method can also be combined with renting a car to allow you more flexibility.
Not only are we talking big-time serious money, but driving in most countries is not something I recommend to anybody who's used to the sensible driving habits of the U.S., Canada or northern Europe. In many places, there are no "rules of the road." No, I take that back, there is one: "Might Makes Right-of-way." Personally, I find riding in a car to be scary enough in any place south of France. I wouldn't even consider driving one. Nevertheless, car rental companies exist in most major cities in the world, so it IS possible. Remember, though (especially if you're from the US) that if you get permanently maimed in an accident abroad, unless you have really amazing insurance back home, you won't be able to sue anybody; the authorities abroad will just say "bummer, dude, I guess you're screwed" (or the equivalent in their language).
I've never been on a package tour, that I can recall. It doesn't appeal to me at all. Nevertheless, if you are on a limited schedule as far as time, then it may be the best way to go in order to pack everything in. If you've saved your pennies for the last 20 years, and you only have 3 weeks off from work, then I can understand why you'd want to see as much as possible, and a package tour is probably the way to go. Everything is organized for you, transportation and all, your schedule is fixed, everything goes as planned (you hope). If you planned the same trip on your own, you would be guaranteed difficulties, as it can be extremely difficult to make arrangements for such things from home, and you won't have anybody blowing a whistle at you or waving a flag to indicate that if you don't leave now, you'll miss the bus. In fact, I don't really see anything at all wrong with package tours, for somebody with a very limited schedule. The problem I have with package tours are the people who tend to take them: they generally have no respect for the cultures they visit, they are extraordinarily demanding (especially the Americans and Germans), and they throw around more money than most of the local people have seen in their lives. If you are a polite person with a basic respect for other people and cultures, and a limited amount of time, then a package tour may be the thing for you. They can actually be quite affordable sometimes, for what you get. Contact a travel agent near you (shop around!!).
Most of us have to make a basic budget for our travels. But how much should you budget? How much is it going to cost for transportation, food, accommodation, souvenirs, postcards, museum tickets, film, etc.? In general, northern Europe is one of the most expensive places in the world. Australia would probably be next (from what I hear), then North America. The south of Europe can be very cheap or extremely expensive, depending on your tastes. Most of the rest of the world is incredibly cheap by comparison.
A lot of this depends on your style of travel, of course. I've talked to travelers who say that you can travel through Africa on less than $10/day, and then I've read books in which the authors rack up hundreds of dollars in totally bizarre, outrageous expenses. (Usually, I end up thinking that the author is just a sucker.) I spent a month in Turkey for $600, all-inclusive. Some people spend ten times that for two weeks. In China, you can spend $0.50 for a tasty, healthy meal or $20 at some ridiculously fancy tourist restaurant.
I originally titled this section "estimating expenses," but then it occurred to me that this it would be essentially impossible for me to give general estimates for every place in the world. I can, however, offer some helpful hints on how to save money:
If you have any other good money-saving hints, drop me a line.
Whatever you do, I highly recommend that you DO NOT use a company known as "AirHitch," otherwise known as "Whole Earth Travel." I believe that, while they do offer a service and are a "legitimate" business, their advertising is highly deceptive and -- if your experience is anything like mine was -- their representatives will flat out lie to keep you from getting your money back. For a description of their scam-like tactics, read my dispute letter which I wrote to US Bank in an attempt to get back my money after discovering that not only did their service not work as promised, but they lied to me regarding my eligibility for a refund and delayed responding to my refund request until I could no longer dispute the charge on my visa (I believe that they did this on purpose, though I have no hard evidence).
If you can possibly avoid this, do. It can be a hassle, it can get you in trouble (if you try to work without a permit, which can be very difficult or impossible to obtain) and it often won't help you any. I can't tell you how many times I met people who were working in bars or youth hostels who barely made enough money to pay for their subsistence. I met two girls in a youth hostel in Greece who were working about 10-12 hours a day for a room, one meal a day and about $10-13US/day. Needless to say, it would take a while for you to make $600 for a plane ticket at this rate.
On the other hand, I have met people -- particularly Australians (who can do this easily because they're part of the Commonwealth) -- who work in the U.K. and make wages roughly a third higher than they would back home. That, combined with the current strength of the British pound, makes for a great opportunity to travel and make money at the same time.
Of course, the best time to stop and work is when you find someplace you really like. If you find someplace you think you'd be happy to stay for a month or two, then it certainly can't hurt to try and find a job; even if you don't make much money, you should at least make enough to stay someplace you enjoy!
Personally, the only work I have done abroad is as a scuba instructor or English teacher. In Egypt, I had two kinds of job: working on a boat, I didn't get paid anything, but I got free accommodation and food, and I had the priviledge of being able to experience some of the best diving on the Red Sea. Working in a dive shop, I had more responsibility and less "fun time," but I also got paid, albeit not much by US standards. In China, working as an English teacher, I got paid only about $200/month, but it was an enjoyable experience and provided me with more than enough to live on. None of these jobs allowed me to actually save any travel money, but they all allowed me to stay someplace and have an interesting experience without drawing from my bank account at all.
Do you need a map? If not, then you probably don't need a guidebook, either. It all depends on what you want to get out of your trip. If you are only going to Florence, Italy, and you know that you want to visit the Duomo, the Uffizi gallery and the Palazzo Pitti, then you probably don't need a guidebook. If you're going to Istanbul and you have no idea what there is to see there, or how to get to it, then you'd be a fool not to take a guidebook. Most have basic (though generally inadequate) city maps, cost estimates for that particular area, a bit about local customs, recommendations for places to stay, and all kinds of information on local attractions.
That said, I have begun to rely less and less on my guidebooks the longer I've travelled. I still carry one with me, but I give its reviews less credence, and I'm more likely to bargain with a hostel tout at a bus station than I am to just call up something listed in the Lonely Planet. This depends tremendously, however, upon what country I'm in. In my experience, guidebooks are much more useful in first world countries, where finding cheap food and accommodation can be much more difficult, and tourist sites abound. In less developed nations, I find the guidebooks most useful simply for getting an overview of the major attractions in the area; everything else I can handle on my own.
This is actually a subject of much debate among travelers, so I can't offer a definitive answer. I have heard it said that some of the guides do well for some countries, others better for other countries. In my experience, the Lonely Planet guidebooks are excellent. I have compared them with other guidebooks and I continue to use Lonely Planet. (I am generally unimpressed with their website, however.) I don't know who publishes it, but I believe there is a series for the Mediterranean (I know they have one for Greece) called something like the Blue Guide or the Blue Book, which is extremely thorough but is incredibly dry reading.
What do you want to do? Where are you going? Equipment lists may vary dramatically based on the answers to those two simple questions (if you're not going to take pictures, you don't need a camera, and if you're going to Antarctica, you probably don't need a bikini), but it's amazing how many people don't think about the answers when they're planning what gear to pack. I have a number of pieces of equipment which I think are really great, but not what I would call "necessary." Here is a fundamental list of equipment that I think every traveler should have:
The simple answer is "Everything Else." Basically, anything you don't use is just dead weight, which you have to carry around. Big make-up kits, hairdryers, book collections (books are heavy! If you must carry them, keep them to a minimum; many youth hostels have book exchange shelves where you can just leave one you've already read and pick up another, though they're usually not great literature), extra credit cards, etc. (One credit card is a good idea for emergencies, but why take extras? What if you lose them? You can't dial the 1-800 number to cancel them!) Some "optional" gear is much more reasonable to carry when you're traveling in a group: cooking equipment is incredibly bulky and heavy for the solo traveler, but when you can divide up your gear (camping gear with one person, cooking gear with another), it's not so bad.
If you travel more than once, you'll start to get the hang of it. I talked to a Canadian cyclist once who gave me this gem of advice: "When you get home, unpack your bags and lay everything out on the floor. Set aside everything that you didn't use, and next time, don't bring it."
Remember, too, that almost anything you might need will be available for purchase in most regions of the world. You could probably just get on a plane with a pile of traveler's cheques, otherwise empty-handed, and buy everything you need when you arrive (though I don't particularly recommend that approach).
If you must have a curling iron or hairdryer (which makes me roll my eyes and shake my head just thinking about it), make sure you find out what kind of adapters you need before you go, as the electrical systems in different countries can blow apart an appliance which is not built for the local system, which (duh) can be quite dangerous.
One thing that many travelers (if not most) carry with them, which I recommend you find an alternative to, is denim jeans. Jeans are incredibly heavy and bulky in comparison to many other fabrics. Jeans are a pain in the butt to wash while you're on the road, because they dry very, very slowly. Just about any other fabric is preferable. The only major advantage of jeans is that they're very durable, so if you're climbing around on rocks and whatnot, you're less likely to tear a pair of jeans.
I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of anything else at the moment. Check out my equipment list and my equipment reviews for more info.