Backpacking For Beginners – Essential Tips For Taking The Plunge

How to get started as a backpacker traveller

Travelling as a backpacker is one of the most accessible forms of tourism there is. Packing everything you need into a rucksack and seeking out some budget accommodation in a fantastic city like London is something that millions of people – especially younger people – do every single year.
Even if you book accommodation as fantastic as that offered by London Backpackers, the thought of backpacking for the first time can be a bit daunting. Luckily, we’ve been making backpackers happy for years, so we’re able to put together these simple tips for anyone tempted to give backpacking a go for the first time.

Travel Light

Pack your backpack including everything you think you’ll need. Then go through it and take half of it out. You’ll be carrying that backpack hundreds if not thousands of miles, and it’s best to only have to bear the weight of items that you genuinely need. Read a few blogs written by experienced backpackers who’ll tell you just how many t-shirts, socks and pairs of shorts you might need. Remember, if you’re staying in London Backpackers hostel, you’ll have access to full laundry facilities, so you can wash and dry your clothes as and when needed, rather than having to put something new on every day or so.

Choose a Smaller Backpack

There are several reasons to opt for a smaller backpack. In the first instance you’ll get more quality for the money you can spend if you downsize. In addition, it’ll be easier to carry and to get on and off places like trains, planes and boats. Finally, referring to the previous piece of advice, a smaller backpack will encourage you to cut down on the amount of stuff you try to cram in.

Keep Things Spontaneous

There’s a lot to be said for planning many parts of your trip in advance. Accommodation, travel and money should all be safely arranged before you set off, and plenty of research will enable you to make the most of staying in a city like London. Leave some room to be spontaneous, however, since you could meet fantastic people in your hostel who can recommend a few fantastic diversions, and it would be frustrating not to have the time to take advantage. In addition to this, you need to leave room for the kind of accidental discoveries – from shops and parks to museums and galleries – that you can make if you have the time to simply stroll the streets of London.

Choose Travelling Partners Carefully

The thought of travelling alone might be so daunting that you take the plunge and invite a friend along. Be careful, however, as there’s a big difference between having a laugh few hours a day at work and being together twenty-four seven, which can be a gruelling process. Making a journey from somewhere like Australia to London is a long, exhausting and probably stressful experience, and if it leads to you and your travelling companion starting to fall out, the rest of the trip could be extremely uncomfortable. A further advantage of staying in a London Backpackers hostel is that, even if you are on your own, you’ll be sharing your stay with like-minded travellers from all over the world, so seeking company out will never be an issue.

Buy a Local SIM Card

Purchasing a local SIM card for your phone rather than relying on roaming will save you a fortune, making sure that staying in touch with home and being able to contact local amenities will never be an issue.
If you stay at London Backpackers hostel then the fact that you’re enjoying budget accommodation doesn’t mean you have to put up with anything less than the highest standards. We’re located in the heart of London, every guest who stays with us is able to enjoy clean, comfortable and secure accommodation and, as if free linen and bag storage weren’t enough, we also throw in free Wi-Fi, a games room, laundry facilities, a kitchen and friendly staff happy to help you make the most of your stay.