The Student Room Group

Backpacking alone

I am 18, love to travel and I travel quite a lot with family (I live half here and half in the US so i'm always going back and forth) I have wanted to go backpacking since forever but no one else seems to want to do it.

Is it something I can just go off and do alone? Is it easy to meet people doing the same thing when I'm out there? Anyone got any advice?

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travelling alone sounds like a great experience, ive seen people on their own while i’m on holiday and now i just wonder how they had the guts to do it. it’s definitely something i want to do but atm don’t have the confidence for, you should do some research first on how to stay safe when travelling alone but yeah you should do it!
Ive always considered doing it. Been wanting to travel for a looongggg time now, but like your scenario, no one seems to be up for. I guess you just need courage (and money lol). I wish you the best of luck; just make sure you prep properly- go through those travel blogs online as they always have the best tips. Budget accordingly and dont forget travel insurance! If i find a good site offering helpful advice, il post it. Good luck!
Reply 3
Original post by bubblegumcat
travelling alone sounds like a great experience, ive seen people on their own while i’m on holiday and now i just wonder how they had the guts to do it. it’s definitely something i want to do but atm don’t have the confidence for, you should do some research first on how to stay safe when travelling alone but yeah you should do it!


I know, I always wondered how they do it too. Backpacking isn't the same as a a usual holiday though and i will moving from place to place a lot. I will deffo do some research on it as i really haven't thought it through properly yet.

Thanks for the reply :smile:
Reply 4
Original post by Li0n
Ive always considered doing it. Been wanting to travel for a looongggg time now, but like your scenario, no one seems to be up for. I guess you just need courage (and money lol). I wish you the best of luck; just make sure you prep properly- go through those travel blogs online as they always have the best tips. Budget accordingly and dont forget travel insurance! If i find a good site offering helpful advice, il post it. Good luck!


Its crazy how not many people are up for it though.. I really think it will be one of the best experiences in my life. I will need a lot of preparation, I'll have a look on online blogs. I want to do it with as little money as possible as I think it will be very freeing. Definitely post if you see any good sites.

Thanks for the advice! :smile:
Ikr! Travelling is awesome. I mean life is too short to be trapped in this little bubble we disguise as 'home'. I wanna travel the world, meet new people, eat weird food, learn new yoga moves, go to places i cant even pronounce! But yeah, I understand its not everyones cup of tea; some people like staying in their own 'habitat'. And il definitely keep a lookout for any sites; maybe you should start a travel blog on TSR? Il definitely follow it!
Reply 6
Original post by Li0n
Ikr! Travelling is awesome. I mean life is too short to be trapped in this little bubble we disguise as 'home'. I wanna travel the world, meet new people, eat weird food, learn new yoga moves, go to places i cant even pronounce! But yeah, I understand its not everyones cup of tea; some people like staying in their own 'habitat'. And il definitely keep a lookout for any sites; maybe you should start a travel blog on TSR? Il definitely follow it!


Wow.. Thats exactly what I say. I wanna travel the world too and learn all about cultures, eat crazy food, I want only a backpack full of things I need. I swear I probably won't return! The blog idea sounds really cool. I only got TSR today so I'm still figuring it out and of course I haven't even planned my traveling yet but I think it is something I would be interested in doing even if you were my only follower, lol.
Okay check this link out.. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thebrokebackpacker.com/backacking-packing-list/amp/

The guys called 'The Broke Backpacker'- I think that ticks off your money-saving requirement lol. it basically contains a checklist of everything you need; Im not sure where exactly your going but it should cover most scenarios. And yeah lol im definitely gonna follow your blog (probably be your biggest fan!). And maybe when in finally ready for my solo adventure you can give me advice and tips.:smile:
Reply 8
Original post by Li0n
Okay check this link out.. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thebrokebackpacker.com/backacking-packing-list/amp/

The guys called 'The Broke Backpacker'- I think that ticks off your money-saving requirement lol. it basically contains a checklist of everything you need; Im not sure where exactly your going but it should cover most scenarios. And yeah lol im definitely gonna follow your blog (probably be your biggest fan!). And maybe when in finally ready for my solo adventure you can give me advice and tips.:smile:


Awesome! Thanks so much. I feel so motivated now and I'm really excited.... eek. Haha, my biggest and ONLY fan... lol. The blogging does seem super cool for real though and i'd like to think I could help inspire other people to do it too. Definitely will pass on all my advice and tips that I pick up on the way. :smile:
Haha- aww that made me smile :smile:. If you ever need anything just let me know- Im sure your gonna have a wonderful time; you seem to be an amazing person and amazing people deserve an amazing time! And dont worry- im sure you'll gain more fans along the way!
Reply 10
Original post by Li0n
Haha- aww that made me smile :smile:. If you ever need anything just let me know- Im sure your gonna have a wonderful time; you seem to be an amazing person and amazing people deserve an amazing time! And dont worry- im sure you'll gain more fans along the way!


:smile: I really appreciate that, same goes for you. You seem like a lovely person yourself and I hope when its your time to go travelling you have the BEST time!
Reply 11
Easily, tonnes of people do.
I did it back in the day and still do when i find some spare money :smile:
Reply 12
Original post by Napp
Easily, tonnes of people do.
I did it back in the day and still do when i find some spare money :smile:


Okay awesome. My main worry is if its easy to make new friends whilst i'm out there or if people are already in their own groups or whatever.
Original post by iamarock
Okay awesome. My main worry is if its easy to make new friends whilst i'm out there or if people are already in their own groups or whatever.


Its much easier to make friends if you are alone. You just have to strike up conversations with people you meet - whether they are in a group themselves or not most travellers are keen to meet new people.

If you've got a bit of spare time, are into hiking and want somewhere with loads of lone travellers, the Camino de Santiago is my recommendation.
Reply 14
Original post by nexttime
Its much easier to make friends if you are alone. You just have to strike up conversations with people you meet - whether they are in a group themselves or not most travellers are keen to meet new people.

If you've got a bit of spare time, are into hiking and want somewhere with loads of lone travellers, the Camino de Santiago is my recommendation.


Thats great to know, thanks. I absolutely love hiking and often hike in the Catskills, NY so i'll deffo keep the Camino de Santiago in mind.
Original post by iamarock
I am 18, love to travel and I travel quite a lot with family (I live half here and half in the US so i'm always going back and forth) I have wanted to go backpacking since forever but no one else seems to want to do it.

Is it something I can just go off and do alone? Is it easy to meet people doing the same thing when I'm out there? Anyone got any advice?


I personally love travelling alone.
Having friends and partners with you can be great but the freedom that comes from being able to walk around freely and a little selfishly is great too.

Sort of depends on how happy you are with your own company but there's certainly no reason why you can't. Stay safe though! :smile:
Original post by iamarock
I am 18, love to travel and I travel quite a lot with family (I live half here and half in the US so i'm always going back and forth) I have wanted to go backpacking since forever but no one else seems to want to do it.

Is it something I can just go off and do alone? Is it easy to meet people doing the same thing when I'm out there? Anyone got any advice?


Yeah people definitely do it. It helps if you're already confident traveling and dealing with any problems. If you stay in youth hostels, you can definitely meet and chat with people in the common areas/dorms, and usually there will be some others traveling alone. Don't be afraid to approach groups as well- they may not even know each other that well! I think you do have to be willing to make the first move, if you want to make friends, though.

A few tips for traveling alone:
-Keep your emergency contact details written somewhere e.g. in a purse so people can find it if the worst happens.
-Keep your travel insurance somewhere easy to find e.g. in a rucksack, so that someone else could find it easily in an emergency.
-Try not to arrive in new places after dark, and have somewhere booked at least for the first night (it's easy to book hostels online).
-Keep some of your cash separate and hidden for emergencies.

You could try a shorter solo trip e.g. in Europe for a weekend before committing to spending months backpacking alone.
If ur up for it, ill come with you.
Hey! I travelled/backpacked to Japan on my own last year. I did it purely for the challenge of navigating through foreign lands and experiencing the culture on my own. The freedom you get from it has been incredible and you get the chance to meet people from all walks of life which you wouldn't do if you were with a partner/group. Feel free to ask me any questions! I'd love to share all aspects of my trip. :smile:
Do plenty of research so you can stay safe then sure, ez

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