Plan a Backpacking Trip: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide
To plan a Backpacking Trip can feel overwhelming at first. Where should you go? How much should you save? How do you find the perfect route? And so on…
This guide will walk you through how to plan a backpacking trip step by step. From choosing your destination and setting your budget to organizing your route and getting ready for departure. Whether you’re heading out for a few weeks or several months, this is your go-to checklist for every backpacking adventure.
Let’s turn your travel dream into a well-prepared reality!
Overview:
- Where do I want to travel?
- When do I want to travel?
- How much money do I need? / What is my budget?
- Write a to-do list
- Which places do I want to see?
- What could a possible route look like?
- Determine the costs of the trip
- Research travel tips
- What else do I need?
- Important to-dos shortly before departure
About 6 months before departure:
Where do I want to travel?
Before you start planning a trip, of course you need to know where you want to go. Usually, you already have a destination in mind for a while. You’ve either been inspired by social media or have been dreaming about it for a long time. In that case, the planning can start right away.
But what if you don’t yet know where you want to go? First, you should figure out what you want to see and experience. Do you want to go to the sea or into nature? Do you prefer to relax or be active?
Think about which cultures interest you and how far you are willing to travel (which of course also depends on your budget). As you answer all these questions, you’ll likely start getting some ideas about what kinds of places might interest you.
Naturally, you should also consider how much time you have available. For example, it doesn’t make much sense to fly halfway around the world if you only have 3 – 4 weeks.
Once you’ve answered all these questions and have a few ideas about possible travel destinations, look up these places on social media. Check out pictures, see what other travelers post about those locations. You might even discover nearby places that are even more beautiful… Just do a little exploring and let yourself be inspired.
When do I want to travel?
It’s also important to determine when you want to travel, as not every country is suitable to visit at any time of the year.
Now that you know where you’d like to go, you should check whether the weather allows for a trip during that time. If your planned trip falls during the rainy season in that country or if temperatures are expected to exceed 35°C, you should consider rescheduling your trip or choosing a different destination.
In general, extreme weather conditions aren’t necessarily a problem. The rainy season, in particular, can even have its advantages. It’s best to research how much the weather might affect your experience by reading travel reports and personal experiences from other travelers.
For example, I traveled through Southeast Asia during the rainy season. Sure, there were occasional limitations due to bad weather, but those were really just a few exceptions. So I’d still say it’s absolutely possible to travel in Southeast Asia during the rainy season.
How much money do you need / What is your budget?
Once you know where you’re going and how long you plan to be away, you should start by calculating a rough travel budget. If you’re just trying to figure out how much you need to save, a rough estimate is enough for now.
To do this, I first look at the major expenses:
- How much does the round-trip flight cost?
- How much does travel insurance cost?
- Do I have any other major expenses beforehand? For example, a camera, a new backpack, hiking boots, etc.
- Do I have any smaller expenses beforehand? For example, new clothes, a phone tripod, packing cubes, etc.
- How much do flights, buses, trains, or ferries between countries cost?
- How much money do you need per day in a particular country? You can find this out quickly through blog posts, Instagram Reels, TikToks, or by asking ChatGPT.
Once you’ve calculated a rough budget for your trip, it’s a good idea to add a few hundred euros more. There are always more expenses than expected. Then it’s time to start working and saving!
Write a To-Do List
A few months before departure, it’s definitely a good idea to start writing your initial to-do list. This is where you note down everything you’ll need for your trip and everything you need to take care of in advance.
Major purchases, like a backpack or a new camera, shouldn’t be left until a week before you leave. It’s better to handle these things several weeks beforehand.
Writing to-do lists and packing lists early on makes sense because over time you’ll think of more important things to add to them.
In addition to a list of all purchases, you should also start taking care of things like vaccinations, insurance, and credit cards well in advance. This includes:
- Taking out international travel insurance
- Talking to your doctor about necessary vaccinations and getting them done
- Applying for an international driver’s license (it’s always good to have one)
- Applying for at least two credit cards and informing your bank about your time abroad (so your card doesn’t get blocked due to unusual transactions)
Around 2 months before departure
Which places do I want to see?
By this point, I already know where I’m going, but of course, I also need a rough route for the country I’ll be visiting. I usually start by looking up the most beautiful places I’d like to visit. Typically, before I even start actively planning, I’ve already saved a few Reels or TikToks about the country or seen some spots in the highlights of creators on social media and I mark those places on Google Maps.
Tip: Mark all the places you’d like to see with a pin on Google Maps. That way, you’ll have all your locations and a rough route at a glance.
When I actively start planning my trip, I take a closer look at which places are really worth visiting. I usually check the Instagram Story Highlights of creators I trust, especially those who travel in a similar style to me (like backpacking) and who share a lot of useful info from their trips. In the highlights of good creators, you’ll often find hostel recommendations, general tips, restaurants, and even hidden gems.
I also read several blog articles where travel bloggers share their must-see places. I either search on Google using keywords like “Must See Places in [your country]” or visit the blogs of writers I already enjoy reading.
After that, I do a cross-check using TikTok and ChatGPT. I ask both for “Must See Places in [your country]” and “[your country] hidden gems.” Usually, most of the places they suggest are already on my list.
I wouldn’t recommend relying only on TikTok or ChatGPT, because unless you dig deeper, you’ll mostly be shown the most popular tourist spots, meaning you’ll end up doing what everyone else does and miss out on a more personal or unique experience. It’s also important to consider what kind of creators are recommending those places. For example, if you’re a backpacker getting inspiration from a luxury travel creator, you’ll quickly notice that most of their suggestions just don’t fit your budget.
All the places I discover and that interest me, I mark on Google Maps with a pin. If I already come across good hostels, accommodations, or restaurants, I pin those too just using a different color. In the end, I also write down all the places I want to see and all the tips I’ve found in a document in my Notes app.
Tip: Try to look up these places early on, so by the time you actually go, you’ve already “forgotten” what they look like, which gives you a much stronger wow-effect when you finally see them in real life.
What could a possible route look like?
Once I have all the places I want to see figured out, I create a rough route. First, I look at how to best connect the different countries to spend as little money as possible. In other words: Is a flight worth it? Or can I cross the border by bus, train, or ferry? If possible, I try to avoid flights as much as I can. Flights are bad for the environment, usually more expensive, and less adventurous.
Sometimes I’ve already seen the route on Instagram from creators who took a similar trip to the one I want to do, or I ask ChatGPT about the cheapest ways to connect the countries. Then I start comparing and experimenting. You often have to research a few options and compare different providers and possibilities to find the cheapest way.
If I come across websites where I can book buses, trains, or ferries during my research, I save those links in my Notes app for the trip.
After I know how to connect the countries, I look into how to connect the individual places within each country. It’s helpful to mark the places on Google Maps so you can better see how to link them.
Then I research buses, trains, ferries, and depending on the country, flights within the country. This is usually easier since there are typically only one or two possible routes. If I’ve taken inspiration from a creator on Instagram, their Story Highlights usually show the order in which they visited the places.
Determining the costs of the trip
While planning my travel route, I always keep track of how much money I need to budget. First, I research the costs for flights, buses, trains, and ferries. Then I check how much visas for the respective countries cost.
I also occasionally do spot checks (not for every single place I want to visit) to see how much hostels cost in that country and how expensive major activities are. You don’t need to research the cost of every single temple or attraction, since those prices vary anyway. The goal is simply to get a rough overview of the expenses you should expect.
However, you should always budget a few hundred to a thousand euros extra. Flight prices fluctuate, some bus lines charge extra fees for your luggage on-site, or a hostel might have to levy tourist taxes, etc. You can’t research all of this in advance, and none of these are huge expenses individually, but over time they add up.
Sometimes it’s enough to check TikTok, Instagram, or blogs to see how much creators have spent on a trip. This is easy to research by searching for expenses or costs related to your destination. Otherwise, don’t hesitate to reach out to creators or people you know who have already been to that country for a rough estimate.
Researching travel tips
Afterwards, I research travel tips for each country. In particular, I look for safety tips for women, cultural advice, and since I own a drone, I also check the drone regulations.
Often, I come across many tips during my general research, but I always look more closely. I usually search blogs for tips, ask ChatGPT, or look on Instagram and TikTok for “travel tips [your country]” or “safety tips for women in [your country].” If I have a specific question I can’t find an answer to, I like to reach out to people who have already been to those places and probably know the answer.
What do I need?
Shortly before your trip, you should make a list of all the little things you need for your journey. Items like a backpack or camera should already be ready by this time. But also things like new clothes, microfiber towels, packing cubes, medication, cosmetics, contact lenses, a fanny pack, etc., are important for the trip. It’s usually enough to buy these shortly before departure. Amazon usually works best for this.
1–2 weeks before departure
Shortly before departure, the last important things need to be taken care of:
- Your flight should be booked.
- If required, apply for a visa for your destination. Make sure to check at least 14 days before entry, as it can sometimes take up to 7 days for your visa to be issued.
- Cancel any ongoing subscriptions (ideally as early as possible, as some may have cancellation periods. You don’t want to have unnecessary expenses while abroad).
- Make copies of all your important documents (passport, vaccination card, driver’s license, etc.), scan them, and email them to yourself (in case anything gets lost).
- Set up an eSIM and a VPN access if you think you might need them.
- Download useful apps you may need. You can find suggestions for good travel apps here 15 Must -Have Travel Apps for Backpackers in 2025 (coming soon).
- Download offline maps so you can navigate even without internet access.
- Book accommodation for your first two nights.
I would advise against booking more than your outbound flight and accommodation for the first two nights before departure. Once you’re on-site, you’ll get a much better feel for everything: you’ll hear first-hand tips about which bus lines are safest, whether a particular region is currently experiencing bad weather (which might change your plans), and so on.
Your plans will change a lot while traveling, so try to plan (only have ideas where you want to go) and book as little as possible in advance. Otherwise, you might just end up wasting money.