Don’t overplan
Part of the beauty of backpacking is the opportunity to be spontaneous. If you’ve booked every flight, train ride, hostel, and tour down to the last minute, you’ll have no time for random adventures – which are usually the best part. This isn’t to say that you should just throw some things in a bag and stick out your thumb, but there is definitely something to be said for a schedule with more than a little wiggle room. You can often find crazy-cheap deals last second. Airlines are always looking to fill their seats, and you could luck out with a great deal!

Look into all options for transportation
Whether you’re exploring the Outback in Australia or hitting all major European cities, there are a ton of different options for transportation. If you’re sticking in one general area like Northern Europe or Asia, check out train passes that allow travel within certain countries for an extended period. Prepaid deals like that can end up saving you a ton of money! If you’re going somewhere a bit more remote, it might be worth looking into buying a car. It sounds crazy, but there are actually backpacker car marts where you can pick up a cheap but reliable ride for your trip, then sell it back to a like-minded individual when your time’s up!

GET INSURANCE!
Get all kinds of insurance – it will save you major headaches down the line. If you decide to go the car route, make sure you’re insured to drive abroad just in case anything happens. Also, most airlines offer travel insurance, meaning that if you end up having to change flights last-minute, it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. But more importantly – make sure you have health insurance! If anything should go wrong on your trip, you want to be able to take advantage of local hospitals and emergency measures without worrying about it bankrupting you. Most international health care policies will include everything from quick doctor visits to things like emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains (YIKES!) – they sound scary, but are definitely things you want covering you.

Keep a budget
It’s not glamorous, and it’s a pain in the butt, but it may save you in the end. You don’t want to be halfway through a six-month journey around the globe, only to find that your wallet is empty. If you make sure you know how much you have setting out, and how much you’re willing to spend, (it’s not always the best idea to run down your entire life savings, even if it is in the name of adventure) you’ll be much happier setting a livable daily allowance. That’s not to say you won’t splurge from time to time – after all, bungee jumping is expensive – but tracking things down will keep you in line.

Look into work opportunities
No matter how great the budget, we all run out of money at some point. A lot of countries offer working holiday visas that are fairly easy to come by, and will allow you to work legally part time while you travel. It’ll help you prolong your trip, and will also help you meet more people in the area. Even if you’re not looking to make the big bucks, there are tons of opportunities to work for room and board, such as on organic farms (check out WOOFing!) or helping to clean in a hostel.

Pack light
It’s true that no matter what you pack, you won’t end up using half of it. So take out the third swimsuit and 10th pair of jeans and lighten your load – you’ll avoid crazy-expensive airline fees for overweight bags, and it’ll make it easier for you to sprint through the station as your train pulls away from the platform. Also, it’ll give you more room to bring back souvenirs.

Stay somewhere with a kitchen
Usually this means a hostel, but you can also check out places to stay on CouchSurfer or Air BnB. You’ll save a ton of money by not eating in restaurants every night, and you’ll usually meet some cool travelers while you’re cooking in a shared kitchen space. Or if you’re staying somewhere for a prolonged period, it’s a great way to host a dinner party (or potluck – hello, budget traveling!) for all your new international friends.

Buy a multi-country adapter
There is nothing that kills a vibe faster than having your electronics die out on you, and having no way to get them going again. It’s definitely worth investing in a power adapter that works in more than one place so you won’t be stuck in the most beautiful place on Earth with no way to take a picture (or, more realistically, at a bar somewhere with no way to call your friends to see where they are). A lot of hostels and hotels will offer these things, but there’s often no guarantee, so it’s best to BYO.

Get a cheap international phone
While more cell phone companies will offer you deals so you can use your phone abroad, these are usually packed with hidden fees. Plus, if you’ve got your regular phone in hand, you’re much more likely to rack up minutes calling and texting people back home – draining your wallet and taking you away from the moment. Get a cheap phone before you leave that you can just pop international SIM cards into – some countries will have their own, while others can be used in more than one (such as in the European Union) – and be on your way. You can “top up” when you need more minutes, and it’s always good to have some kind of communication handy in case of an emergency.

Go solo
It can be intimidating, for sure. But traveling alone makes you step outside your comfort zone and make connections with people you might not otherwise make. It gives you the freedom to do exactly what you want to do and see exactly what you want to see, and meet some really cool travelers along the way with the same idea. Plus, if you’re trying to squeeze in on a last-minute train ride or hostel bed, the smaller the number, the greater chance you have on snagging it. Most importantly, if you travel alone, there’s nobody to contradict you when you get home on exactly how big that shark was that you fought.