Travel

As a student, if you’re looking to travel and see some of the world, a good way of doing this is backpacking.  Travelling this way is fairly cheap, and so you can travel for longer, as well as being able to do and see far more.  There are a few things that are worth remembering when you’re looking at backpacking as a student however, particularly if you’re looking to travel during the holidays, as some places may require you to plan ahead.

·         Will you need to have any jabs before visiting your chosen location?
Some jabs must be given a certain length of time before you travel, so check out what you’ll need for your chosen location well in advance of travelling. You may also need to take malaria tablets while you’re away, so talk to your GP about your plans and find out how long before and after you’ll need to take these.

·         Are you fit enough to back pack?
If you’re going to carry your world on your shoulders and walk a fair bit, then it’s worth getting in some practice for a few months before you travel otherwise you could find yourself not enjoying things so much.  There’s nothing worse than sore aching feet for spoiling things.

·         Getting There
One of the most expensive parts of a backpacking trip can be the travel costs. Round the world flights can offer great value for money if you are travelling for a long period of time across a number of countries. However do your research first as you can often get deals like cheap flights to Bangkok and Australia (Sydney) online and pay for internal flights once you get to the destination if you want to move about.  

·         Where will you stay?
There are quite a number of options in terms of where you can stay when you go on a backpacking trip.  You could look at camping, in which case you’ll be carrying all your bedding and tents as well.  Alternatively, you could look at staying in hostels.  There are plenty of these throughout Europe, and in some other countries of the world, and they can provide inexpensive places to stay as well as somewhere to have a shower and cook a hot meal.  Facilities are usually fairly basic, but clean and comfortable.  Many will provide options of dorms, shared rooms and even private rooms as well.

·         What should you take?
Obviously what you need to take will partly depend on where you’re going, how long you plan on staying away, and how you’re planning on travelling.  Generally speaking though, most back packers prefer to travel fairly lightly, so think carefully about weight and choose lighter options for things where possible.  Make sure you have good sturdy walking shoes that are comfortable and break them in before you start travelling.  Carry extra socks, if your feet become uncomfortable, you won’t be happy walking far.  If you have a mobile phone that will work abroad and can use apps on it, download some that may be useful such as a GPS route planner.  This way, your phone can double as a route finder, camera, phone, and so on.  Just remember it will need charging regularly, so it might also be worth investing in something like a solar charger so you can keep it charged easily even when you’re on the go.

Remember, backpacking should be fun, but it should also be safe, and by planning things and paying attention to the details in advance, you will have more time to enjoy things while you’re travelling.