Destinations - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

Pipe · 05-25-2003, 08:38 AM

Hi, im Sam or call me Pipe, dont mind. 17, England. Im thinking of going backpacking next summer. I got alot of good info from Tylers thread. Can u guys advise me on where to go and places to avoid? How much cash to start with, and getting more money if i need it. Thanks

**travelpunk** · 05-27-2003, 12:36 AM

Hey Pipe! Glad you can join us!

Where to start...I think first and foremost, get your travel expenses out of the way as that will be where most of your money will go to- plane, eurail or bus ticket. You will have to decide on how you will go from country to country. I dig the Eurail (Haven´t taken the bus yet) while Voyd swears by the bus (STRAY Travel or Busabout).
After you´ve set aside funds for that, I personally budget about $75 a day. This will include hostel/hotel, food, and entertainment. This figure is conservative and is really applied to Western Europe. Eastern Europe is much cheaper. now, you can get by with $50 a day no problem, but I have noticed that prices across the board have gone up since the inception of the Euro.

Places to avoid? Kinda depends on what you´re interests are or aren´t. Dealers choice on this one. I say it´s all good

Definitely get the big boys out of the way- Paris, London, Madrid, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Rome, Venice, etc...

Here´s a starting point. Try to get as many stamps from different countries on your passport as you can. You can do so at the airports (and maybe train stations too, but I´m not sure).

How to get more money? Do you mean working overseas? If you´re talking about ATM machines. They´re everywhere! F#*k the traveleres checks! bring you ATM and/or credit cards!

For a break down on the budget, go here- Travelpunk.com/budget

Check out the Eurail page too!
Hope it helps B) !

05-27-2003, 03:24 AM

cheers for the info, great help. I'll get back to u when i have something definate sorted out.

Pipe

**crionnacht** · 05-27-2003, 11:06 AM

pipe, welcome to the boards! i totally know what you are going through right now, planning your first trip. I'm 17 also, and am going over to europe in late february of 2004. as a female travelling solo, i've got concerns, but you can definitely find TONS of help on travelpunk.com. the gear page is really helpful. when you sort out where you are going, that's when you can start planning your budget. I am aiming for about $6000.00 by february, but that is because the canadian dollar is crap! but it is up to you to judge how much you think you'll spend for how long. the key is planning ahead, to an extent. you still want to keep it exciting! any more questions, you can email me at crionnacht@shaw.ca, and i'll do my best to answer them!

crion

**travelpunk** · 05-28-2003, 05:34 AM

Thanks Crion

, i totally agree with the planning- to an extent! I never have a solid itinerary, expect where I will be going and how long I will be there, but even then, I´m open for anything.

Check out this girls site Solbeam, she´s been everywhere and still going (with cool photo´s to prove it!). My goal is to someday backpack/travel to as many places as she´s gone to

!

Speaking of photo´s, I just added a new page to Travelpunk on- digital cameras

Keep saving folks, the euro keeps climbing higher, and higher, and higher...

05-28-2003, 08:29 AM

Me again, lol. 2 things;

Firstly, is South east asia a good place to travel, or should i stay clear (Barli bombing/SARS virus)?

Second, i can see this happening, that when i go off on my travels i will run out of money, yet still want to stay. Im still a full time student, so getting loads of cash will be difficult over the next year. Are the locals willing to give us short term jobs, maybe waitering or barstaff? or am i hoping for too much?

Pipe

**voyd** · 05-28-2003, 12:44 PM

Ok, I just wanted to plug the Canon Powershot s400 - it is simply awesome - and with the footprint of a credit card, an ideal traveler's choice. I got mine for under $500 and a 256 meg card for under $40. Not the cheapest option perhaps, but well worth it if you can afford it! Either way, any 2.1 meg minimum 3X zoom digital camera is still the way to go. I probably took ~400 shots and still had plenty of room left. No bad shots, bulky film rolls, developing - all you save are the keepers. I will never go back to film now - I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT! *aaahhhhh*

PS - Tone, sorry to inform you, but the only travel pix I've taken with a digital camera are from my latest 2003 trip, which I haven't posted yet. All the other travel photos I took on there were with a 35mm Olympus P&S. But, I'll have my dig pix up soon for comparison...er, I promise!

**crionnacht** · 05-28-2003, 07:30 PM

pipe-- once again i really hear ya on the money saving issue. What I do, is promise myself that i will put at least $150 of each paycheck into my "travel account". As a current full time student, saving money is difficult. But what you have to do is put it into perspective --what do you want more? that new stereo? or an extra week in europe? What you can look at is a work visa. You can probably get one from the closest university, or an immigration office. These allow you to get (legal) work while travelling abroad. With a work visa, you can hold a job for a maximum of three months. Keep in mind though, you are a visitor and probably won't get the benefits you are used to right now. and don't forget travellers insurance!

crion

**travelpunk** · 05-28-2003, 10:54 PM

Voyd, since I put up a link to your site from my Travelpunk.com/digital-camera-for-backpacking/, you need to just go ahead and put up your all new digital pictures from your last Europe trip

.
We all want to see them anyways! hahaha :D

Canon rawks, as far as cameras are concerned. Remember guys, of all cameras out on the market, only a couple are EXCLUSIVELY camera companies like Canon. The rest are electonics companies that also make cameras.

Crion, you´re right on track to an awesome trip! Disciplining yourself like that is going to get you far in all aspects of life. You´re a very determined individual

Pipe, and anyone thats interested, what you can do to save on funds and at the same time, maybe, make some money, you can email hostels in advanced to whatever city that you´ll be traveling to, and ask if you can exchange work for accomodations or pay. Hopefully they´ll agree to give both

!
This hostel hires "friends" If you have a work visa(maybe even you don´t have one) http://www.edinburghbackpackers.com/hostel...osteljobs.shtml
But, I´m sure that you can get a job under the tabel at any hostel with a friendly owner or bar if you are friendly and show some serious desire and the need to earn money.

Not to scare anyone, but read this article that I just found missing backpacker

**crionnacht** · 05-29-2003, 08:55 PM

eep, creepy article, tone. guys, remember to stay safe out there, eh?

**travelpunk** · 05-30-2003, 02:43 PM

It´s been about three years after that article was printed, and yet no sign of her. Poor girl.

Trust your insticts and know your environment before you make go off into the super-unknown, like a rain forest or any variation there of.
Keep it real <_< !

**Diorama** · 05-31-2003, 07:51 PM

gee that articles scary.

yeah saving money has got to be one of the hardest things ever. I work 40-45 hours a week now and I'm still finding it hard to save money. I don't have enough discipline. i love going out for dinner and drinks and then dancing. I need some cheap fun. I think I'm going to start pimping myself out in order to get free dinner and drinks

Between my friends, co-workers, dating partner (not a boyfriend yet

), and family theres always someone going out and it's tough to say no. Any ideas on where to go for some cheap fun...<--hehe that sounded slightly bad, but ya know what I mean!

**travelpunk** · 06-01-2003, 03:43 AM

hey pimp´n yourself in Canada is legal! With a job like that you can work real hard every other month

and then take a backpacking trip to different countries on the off months

!

hahaha...

Hey, I´m with ya on the saving money part. Because it looks like we have the same type of life style of constant invitations to go out here and there. Only in LA, it´s all about sushi! And that means at leat $40 a shot, three times a week! Dóh!

SUGGESTION: There is a little old book that I highly suggest for all to read, that will help inspire you to save money. It´s called "The Richest Man in Babylon" by George Clason(the guy was a philanthropist and spent his life trying to teach people how to save money). This book taught me the secret to wealth, and that is- <span style='color:green'>"Of everything you earn, ten percent is yours to keep!"
What does that mean exactly? And why is that so powerful? Well, you must read this little book to find out. Get it! After I read that, I immediately set aside 20% a week into my 401k (maximum), and I was able to spend 13 months (got back a month ago) in Spain without working (still not working)! Well, I did teach english part time for almost 2 months- just to get out of the house! It´s hard doing nothing when you´ve worked all of your life

! The pay sucked, but I did it to meet a lot of people.

And for cheap fun? Don´t know why but going out to the lake with your honey and feeding the ducks with old bread was always a winner. I love sitting at Starbucks and observe people and their behavior (as method actors, we´re taught that). Take your mountain bikes for a spin- Vancouver´s perfect for that! Stanley Park rawks B) ! Go camping! Hiking!

How about learning how to build a website?! You will be addicted to it, I guarantee it! Especially when the visitors/customers start rolling in.

Your options are plentiful, girl

! </span>

**crionnacht** · 06-01-2003, 10:33 AM

that book sounds interesting tony, think i'll check it out.

crion

**Diorama** · 06-01-2003, 07:49 PM

wow you didn't work for 13 months.

Either your very rich, can get by on nothing (ie. noodles every single night) or your just insanely good at saving. how i envy you. Sounds like an interesting book though. i'll have to check it out.

so you think i should build a website huh. watch you ass I might just do that and give travelpunk a run for it's money. muhahhahaha

**travelpunk** · 06-02-2003, 12:13 AM

hahaha..okay, you build the site and we can agree to a collaboration of some sort-free link exchange/advertising etc...

Can´t we all git aloooonngggg

haha

Actually, let me ask you a question. Ten years from now, will we still have the internet? Yep. And guess where those backpackers will go for tips, hostels, a phat message board(I said in the future

) and such? Travelpunk will most definitely be a very well-oiled machine by then.

And as far as my money...the well is drying up slowly

and the casinos here aren´t making things any easier for me! I´m working on a couple of real estate deals right now (for rental property). I have to get very creative with the offers as in "nothing down." Yes, getting property nothing down is real and people do it every day, you just have to know how to do it!

Another book I highly recommend, to open up that creative spirit in you, is called "Nothing Down for the 90`s (in the real estate investment section. Here´s a visual for you)." After you read this book, you´ll see that your options in all aspects of life are endless...And who knows, you just might make some serious cash buying houses/condos nothing down!

PhilBill · 08-18-2003, 01:54 PM

It's hard to beat S.E. Asia for a great region to explore as a backpacker but in or near Europe I'd say either the Balkans/ Turkey region or sothern Spain, the Algarve in Portugal and Morrocco; all three regions will introduce you to fantastic geographical beauty, many other travelers "on the road" and allow you to travel on a fairly reasonable budget from U$20 to U$40 / day plus transportation.

The airfare deals out of London are among the best in the world but if possible try to book in the last part of May to get the lowest fares.

We loved Turkey and found the Turkish having a great sense of humor as they try to sell you a carpet, once you get passed the hustlers in Morrocco it's an amazing country and of course S.E. Asia with Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia may introduce you to some island paradise and tempt you to overstay your planned summer holidays until you're flat broke many months later.

**Sijuki** · 10-29-2003, 11:34 PM

TP,
you seem to have quite a wide array of money making schemes. I also have been interested in getting into the Real Estate biz. I currently only have vacant land, but have been looking into Rental Properties, even took a class on landlord/tenant rights. I have read a couple books on the whole no money down idea, have you had any luck in it? If I could rent out property to people, I could spend my whole life traveling. :D

-- Rob

**travelpunk** · 10-31-2003, 06:00 AM

Hey Bro, yes I have tried the nothing down thing and it does work. But again, nothing down doesn't mean "no money down" just means "none of your own money down." I borrowed money (just a small sum) and used it for a down payment, and rented it out. Through the rent, I paid the monthly mortgage, dues, and paid monthly installments to the person that I borrowed the money from for the next two years.
Once you realize that "money is attracted to good deals," than you can find financing for anything, provided that you have a good deal.

Example: If I found a property worth 1.8 million dollars, but I negotiated a price of 1.1 million and the seller accepted the offer, than it would be easy to find that money without having a penny in my savings account. How would I find the money? I live by the 20/80 rule. That is to say in this case, 20% of the people that you know, have 80% of the financing(or connections to the financing) that you need. Even if I had to go door to door to find a financial partner. Share Equity. I find the deal you put the money, we sell it and split the profit. Make sense?

Heck, you don't even have to find a partner, just put an add in the paper for "1.5 million" sell it, cash out the original seller (1.1 million) and walk away with $400,000 profit. So many options, bro. That's just one example out of many. It's just a matter of finding a good deal, and or being able to negotiate a good win/win deal.

Deals like this happen daily. It's just a matter of putting in time and effort. "Everything is worthless until you know value." Once you learn value, than you'll know if you've got a good deal on your hands, and that goes for everything in life

.

You, having vacant land, can refinance or put a new first mortgage on the land (or a portion of it), use the funds as a down payment on a house or multi unit property, rent it out for a positive cash flow, then pay off both mortgages with the rent. That could be another example of "nothing down" as you used the banks money and not your own.

Leverage is the key. Using little or none of your own money as a down payment, puts you in the least amount of risk.

Got a friend(who encouraged me to learn this) who owns about 100 properties all over Seattle (houses, apartments, stores, duplexes, four plexes, taverns, you name it) and worth $$$$$$$$'s still buys properties NOTHING DOWN! He has people calling him saying "Do you need money for any of your investments?" And sometimes, he doesn't have any good properties to jump on so he has no use for their money. He guarantees them a percentage on their investment, say...8% return a year. Not bad, considering that a savings account will only get them 3% a year, if that. Out of the monthly rent of whatever property he would buy wih their money, he would pay the monthly mortgage, and pay them a monthly payment for however long they agreed upon. And after paying out all that, he still walks away with positive cashflow each month. The guys a genius.

I would recommend that you get the book "Nothing Down" or "Nothing Down for the 90's" by Robert Allen, since you've already got a piece of property- you're ahead of the game. Once you read that, you will see that your opportunities are ENDLESS. And this goes for EVERYONE, whether you have property or not! This book will rock your creative world!
But once you make the big duckies using the knowledge gained from that book, you must donate some of that to the Tpunk boards(we'll use it for upcoming contests, etc

...)!

Most millionaires made their riches from real estate, than any other investment- including the stock market.