I must also note that while its common to associate travel and affluence, its imperative to remember, for our own benefit, the abundant resources we have in this age of technology that allow us to travel in a way that is less expensive and more engaging. The tools and links below have aided us in making our 7+ month travels a reality, even with our student-sized budget.
Flights
Liz found the magnificent AirTreks to book our flights through. This company specializes in round the world airfare, so if you have multiple destination around the globe this is definitely a site to check out. Their trip planner lets you play with your route online and gives you instant cost estimates. When you're getting ready to book flights, you can talk to a travel consultant that, in our experience, becomes a knowledgeable contact and serves as a liaison while you're abroad. Booking flights with AirTreks also comes with one year of travel (and other) insurance, a handsome deal considering the prices you could pay for travel insurance by itself. There are lots of plus sides and bonuses to going through AirTreks - would recommend them as of now!
Another note - in places like Europe it is often cheaper to fly between destinations than it is to take a long train or bus ride. Sites like Ryanair offer inexpensive flights that could come in handy when the magic of land travel wears off.
Accommodations/Activities
The beauty of traveling for less, I've concluded, is this: how much you spend on lodging is inversely related to how close you are to the culture of where you're visiting and the traveling community on the whole. Take, for example, a hotel, a hostel, and a homestay (the three H's!). The hotel is the most expensive and you will be guaranteed a private space (usually). The hostel will most likely have you in close quarters with other travelers and be cheaper than the hotel. Finally, the homestay can be found for free with the help of sites supported by fellow travelers, and features sharing the home of someone who actually lives in the area you are exploring. If close contact and cultural exchange is not your cup of tea, that's okay. You can still travel for cheap, just don't forget your sleeping bag and tent.Accommodations/Activities
Since Liz and I are seeking the former, the following sites and organizations have been premium. Here goes.
Couchsurfing is the ultimate backpacker/traveler site for the culture-hungry and the budgeting. Hosts offer spare bedrooms, pull out couches, the floor, etc., to surfers passing through. You will hear time and again, though, do not join because you want a free stay. Take heed. Do it for the opportunity to meet cool people, build up your network of friends across the world, and for the additional resources they have to offer besides couch surfing, like group forums for European carpools, trip tips, and more.
HelpX is a work exchange website where hosts exchange food and accommodations, usually in their home, for several hours work each day from their helpers. Expectations, tasks, and length of stay vary greatly from host to host. Many past helpers claim that in the time they spent with their hosting family they got very close to one another, a definite bonus. What I like about HelpX is that, unlike Wwoofing, there is only one registration fee that gives you access to hosts all over the world.
staydu
New websites that attempt to make travel more accessible are emerging. One that I've recently been experiment with is staydu, a site that features three ways to stay - 1) for free, a la couch surfing, 2) for a specified amount of money, or 3) in exchange for work. Both hosts and travelers chose which options they prefer and match up accordingly. This site has a nice aesthetic, a points rewards system, and, apparently, a friendly following, since I've already been contacted by someone in India who invited me to stay in their home. Like HelpX, you do have a pay a registration fee in order to get in touch with hosts. If you're into this site, use my coupon when you pay your registration! Enter the code 3638KW when you activate your membership for a discount. Those wishing to become hosts enter 3638HOST.
Other organization I'm not currently using but have heard good things about are WWOOF and Volunteers for Peace. WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is a network that exchanges room and board for volunteer work, usually on (wait for it!) organic farms. With wwoofing, you chose the country you would like to register with before you pay you fee.
My sister Casey has been involved with the organization Volunteers for Peace for several years now. Organization and individuals from around the world are consolidated on the VFP website, and volunteers typically pay their own airfare and small fee to live and work with children, the environment, village development, animals, you name it. She has had great experiences with her hosts and co-volunteers in places like Haiti and Costa Rica. Read more on her Words of a Wanderer blog.
Hostels
I'm no hostel expert, but from what I gather, they are a critical intersection for the young traveling community, where open individuals from all over can converge, talk, go out, share a dormitory, etc. I've come across one traveler blogger who swears by http://www.hostelworld.com/. Others say that the cheapest hostels won't be found online (more true for developing countries). Guess we'll find out.
Packing
So far, this is the most helpful and comprehensive list I've seen of what to bring when you go backpacking. (Internet find credit to Liz.) Its long. If your trip will be too, take the time to read it. After that, don't run to your nearest REI, unless you have a bottomless budget. Research your favorite and needed items online, where they are often cheaper. Altrec has lots of discounted products and extremely fast shipping. Then weigh whether you would like to contribute to globalization by shopping online instead of locally, if you can live with yourself considering how un-environmentally friendly shipping items right to your doorstep is, and whether your trip budget can spare you bringing these factors into account. Someone's been having internal consumer conflicts...
I'm not hatin' on REI. They have a great return policy, reallllly helpful staff, and a worthwhile membership program.
More discussion of backpacking items to ensue, I'm sure.
Budgeting
In conclusion, I hope this preliminary list is informative for those who need it and moderately interesting to inspiring for those who don't. Obviously, we won't know the extent and quality of the services listed above until we are in the thick of it, but that is precisely what this blog is for - keeping y'all updated while we're in the thick of it. Stay tuned for other cool products and services, we learn something new everyday.
Love,
Alexis
staydu
New websites that attempt to make travel more accessible are emerging. One that I've recently been experiment with is staydu, a site that features three ways to stay - 1) for free, a la couch surfing, 2) for a specified amount of money, or 3) in exchange for work. Both hosts and travelers chose which options they prefer and match up accordingly. This site has a nice aesthetic, a points rewards system, and, apparently, a friendly following, since I've already been contacted by someone in India who invited me to stay in their home. Like HelpX, you do have a pay a registration fee in order to get in touch with hosts. If you're into this site, use my coupon when you pay your registration! Enter the code 3638KW when you activate your membership for a discount. Those wishing to become hosts enter 3638HOST.
Other organization I'm not currently using but have heard good things about are WWOOF and Volunteers for Peace. WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is a network that exchanges room and board for volunteer work, usually on (wait for it!) organic farms. With wwoofing, you chose the country you would like to register with before you pay you fee.
My sister Casey has been involved with the organization Volunteers for Peace for several years now. Organization and individuals from around the world are consolidated on the VFP website, and volunteers typically pay their own airfare and small fee to live and work with children, the environment, village development, animals, you name it. She has had great experiences with her hosts and co-volunteers in places like Haiti and Costa Rica. Read more on her Words of a Wanderer blog.
Hostels
I'm no hostel expert, but from what I gather, they are a critical intersection for the young traveling community, where open individuals from all over can converge, talk, go out, share a dormitory, etc. I've come across one traveler blogger who swears by http://www.hostelworld.com/. Others say that the cheapest hostels won't be found online (more true for developing countries). Guess we'll find out.
Packing
So far, this is the most helpful and comprehensive list I've seen of what to bring when you go backpacking. (Internet find credit to Liz.) Its long. If your trip will be too, take the time to read it. After that, don't run to your nearest REI, unless you have a bottomless budget. Research your favorite and needed items online, where they are often cheaper. Altrec has lots of discounted products and extremely fast shipping. Then weigh whether you would like to contribute to globalization by shopping online instead of locally, if you can live with yourself considering how un-environmentally friendly shipping items right to your doorstep is, and whether your trip budget can spare you bringing these factors into account. Someone's been having internal consumer conflicts...
I'm not hatin' on REI. They have a great return policy, reallllly helpful staff, and a worthwhile membership program.
More discussion of backpacking items to ensue, I'm sure.
Budgeting
Ah, the dreaded budget. I avoided it for a long time. Enter Europe budget man. There's a handy little budget calculator for Europe on his website, and he's not lying when he says he will email you back if you have any questions. He says plan on about $1,000 per month spent in Western Europe, but there are always ways to cut this estimate down, i.e., stop partying and use the links above. Wish I could speak more to the budget, but math is not my forte...where's Liz when you need her...
We've accepted that eventually we will run out of money, at which point we will have to return home. We've equally accepted that there are ways to travel that cut down on expenses and get us closer to the cultures we're in. YOU CAN'T BUDGET LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE said the liberal arts student.
In conclusion, I hope this preliminary list is informative for those who need it and moderately interesting to inspiring for those who don't. Obviously, we won't know the extent and quality of the services listed above until we are in the thick of it, but that is precisely what this blog is for - keeping y'all updated while we're in the thick of it. Stay tuned for other cool products and services, we learn something new everyday.
Love,
Alexis
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