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| Millennium Park, Chicago, USA |
I was a university student who worked two waitressing jobs
and did casual bar work at music festivals, and for each job I was paid cold
hard cash every week, and I remember so well sitting in my car after work every
Saturday afternoon counting out my money, allocating $30 of it to petrol for my
car (god bless having a tiny Ford Laser with a miniscule fuel tank!), giving
myself ten or twenty bucks to treat myself to a movie or something nice to eat
during the week and then depositing the remainder of it in the bank on my way
home. I was usually able to deposit between $300 and $400 a week depending on
how many hours I’d worked, and the rush I got from seeing the total go up all
the time was the best rush I’d ever had. When I hit $10,000 I nearly fainted
with happiness, imagining how far I could travel with that much money. And I
kept on saving. I can’t remember the total I had in my bank account when I
finally set off in April 2009 bound for three months of American and European
adventures, but I think it was somewhere in the vicinity of $35,000. Of course
I was never going to blow all of that on my holiday – but growing up my family
did not have a lot of money, so as a result I have always been a worrier when
it comes to money, and I am always very careful with it – so I wanted to be
able to go away on my trip and not have to worry about having enough money in
the bank or running out. I just wanted to draw funds when I needed them and feel
safe in knowing I would always have enough. I am so glad I did it this way. It
meant I could buy myself a beautiful piece of jewellery at the Swarovski store
on the Champs Elysees when I was in Paris, and on my final city stop I could
stay for a few nights in a nice hotel.
Despite having this money sitting in the bank, I was still
planning on backpacking and that is what I did. I wanted to spend money on
experiences rather than fancy hotels and Michelin star restaurants and taxis
everywhere. So I stayed in hostels and caught buses, ferries and trains where I
could, and after three months of this I felt like I had become quite the savvy
traveller who could do things on a budget when necessary. So here are a few
travel tips from someone who has been there, done that (and read all the Lonely
Planets and all the travel tips on online forums!)…
1.
Save hard. It will be SO worth it when you are
standing in front of the Eiffel Tower and seeing it with your own eyes. All
those parties and new clothes and other new things you felt like you missed out
on by not going or not buying because you were saving your money to travel will
feel totally insignificant when you are standing in front of a landmark as
famous as this, a million miles away from your home. You are lucky to be there,
but you are lucky because you worked hard and earnt your way there.
2.
Pack light. No seriously, lighter. No, even
lighter than that. You will never need as much as you think. Some things stayed
in my suitcase for the entire three months, never worn. What a waste of space!
As they say, halve the clothes, double the money! Take just the basics. You
will buy stuff (oh boy will you buy stuff!), and you can always wash your
clothes on the road. And if you can’t, as a backpacker you get used to wearing
the same pair of jeans for three days straight.
3.
Get yourself some TSA locks for your luggage.
This makes travelling in the USA much easier, as the TSA officials at the
airport won’t have to break the lock on your suitcase to open your bag. If you
have a TSA one they can open it without breaking it and you will still have a
padlock on your case when it comes out on the baggage carousel.
4.
Make sure this lock is also large so that you
can use it on hostel lockers too!
5.
Ask the flight attendants on your flight over
for a few pairs of ear plugs – these will be a god send on overnight plane and
train rides, and especially in hostels (where there is ALWAYS a loud snorer in
your dorm room!) |
| Notting Hill, England |
6.
While you’re at it might as well ask them for
some socks and a sleeping eye mask too. Go the whole hog. These things are
almost always free and you only have to ask.
7.
If you have space in your suitcase/backpack,
roll up a sarong or some kind of thin towel or blanket that you can use in the
hostel for privacy. If you can snag a bottom bunk in a dorm, tuck the blanket
under the top bunk mattress so that it hangs down, giving you majority darkness
and privacy in the dorm. Paired with your ear plugs you won’t be so bothered
when someone comes into the dorm at 4am and turns on all the lights!
8.
Always carry spare undies. It is amazing how
when you’re without all your stuff a fresh pair of underwear and a brush of
your teeth will make you feel so much cleaner and fresher and will hold you out
until you can get to a shower. Tuck a pair into a little pocket that you never
go into in your carry on or day/handbag and leave them there for desperate
times (like after 16 hours of plane travel!). This little trick will leave you
feeling much less grimy and gross.
9.
Keep your passport in a ziplock bag – this way
it is safe from water/sweat/anything else that could damage it.
10.
Don’t take things like hairdryers and laptops –
you just don’t need them. A good hostel will have computers and hairdryers you
can use or rent (I’ve even stayed at one hostel that rented out hair
straighteners! You paid $20 for it and when you returned it at the end of your
stay you got your $20 back. How good is that?!), most people have their iphones
permanently attached to their hands anyway and there is wifi in more places by
the minute these days. You will be grateful to not lug these kinds of bulky
things around – especially when you are travelling for weeks or months on end.
And besides, travelling is about getting out there and seeing what the world
has to offer, not sitting indoors and checking your facebook status. Leave it
at home.
Stay tuned for more travel tips next entry!
Jorgs
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| Hawaii, USA |
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