Travel Blog

1. Invest in a good backpack

Choose a backpack with 40-50 liters capacity, preferably with a hip belt that transfers weight from your back to your hips. At your age, health and comfort are more important than ever.

2. Learn the art of minimalism

Pack so that you have 10-20% free space - for souvenirs, food on the road, or sudden repacking. Rule: if you think about an item for more than 5 seconds - don't pack it.

3. Choose comfortable accommodation

Backpacking doesn't mean sleeping on the floor. Many hostels have private rooms with bathrooms, often cheaper than hotels, while giving you the opportunity to meet other travelers.

4. Prepare your body

Start with regular walks. If you're planning trekking, strengthen your legs and back. This way you'll avoid soreness, injuries, and... unnecessary curses on the first day of sightseeing in Rome or Prague.

5. Get health and travel insurance

Don't risk it. Falls, sprains, or food poisoning happen to even the best travelers. And after 40, recovery can take longer.

6. Ensure financial security

Have cash reserves, a credit card, and a multi-currency card (Revolut, Wise). Independence in travel also means financial independence.

1. Avoid places near major attractions

Eating 50 meters from the Trevi Fountain will be expensive and poor quality. Walk two streets away and pay half the price for a pizza you'll remember forever. Eat where you see locals, not tourists!

2. Book tickets online in advance

For the Colosseum, Alhambra, or Eiffel Tower. You'll not only avoid the lines, but often save a few euros. (PS. In many cases, you'll also find multi-ticket packages or City Passes for all attractions – often more cost-effective than buying them separately, especially on-site.)

3. Check free admission days/hours to museums

Most major European museums and other attractions, such as castles, have at least one day a week or month when admission is free or reduced.

4. Use public transport

Don't be fooled by the €35-a-day hop-on hop-off bus. The metro, tram, and your own feet are the best way to explore a city and its people. And if you strike up a conversation with a local, they'll tell you how to avoid even more tourist traps!

5. Ask locals for recommendations

The hostel receptionist or apartment owner knows the best places for cheap and good food. I often even asked at a café where they recommended lunch, and at lunch, I'd even chat up the next table where to go for dinner.

6. Check local holidays

During major holidays, accommodation prices double, and crowds can make sightseeing difficult. I ran into this problem in Vietnam, where I usually booked my hostel on the same day. During their holiday weekend, there were almost no rooms available three days in advance, and the prices weren't asia-like at all.

7. Trust your intuition and research (or let me reaserch for you!)

If something looks like a tourist trap... it probably is ;).

1. Eat where the locals eat

Choose a restaurant where the menu isn't translated into five languages and where families with children are seated – that's the best recommendation.

2. Sign up for local craft workshops

Ceramics in Spain, pad thai cooking in Thailand, flamenco dancing in Andalusia – these are experiences that will stay with you forever. You'll return not only with new memories, but also learn something new!

3. Use public transportation

While traveling by bus or metro, you'll get a glimpse into the real lives of locals, their daily routines, interactions, and rituals. Maybe you'll even pick up a few phrases in their language? And here comes my favorite trick:

4. Learn a few words in the local language

"Good morning," "thank you," and "sorry" will open people's hearts and earn you a smile in every country.

5. Respect the culture and customs

Dress appropriately for places of worship, don't take photos where prohibited, and don't touch exhibits in temples.

6. Don't treat locals like tourist attractions

Don't photograph people without their consent, don't enter private backyards, and don't be a "zoo tourist."