Backpacking - How To Travel Long-Term As A Couple
Ideal Age: 18+
Who For?
Any couple of any age. We went backpacking in South America and loved it. Ben’s parents went backpacking around India for their 50th birthdays and had an incredible time.
How Much?
(Based on approximate UK costs)
Visas: £100-200
Approx: £1000 per month if you’re savvy. It can definitely be done far cheaper than this if you cut out some once-in-a-lifetime experiences that can be quite expensive.
How Long?
1 month - 2+ years
Where?
Worldwide possibilities, but the popular routes are found within Europe, South America and South East Asia.
Backpacking - Travelling as a Couple
You’re a couple looking to travel together for longer than a quick weekend getaway, but you’re struggling to find a suitable option? We have you covered.
Welcome to a 3-part Blog Series that showcases the most viable options for couples who are looking to put the pandemic-dominated world behind them and have memories to last a lifetime.
In part one, we introduced Summer Camp as a long-term travel option for couples.
In stage two of the series, we highlighted how to travel long-term as a couple by working a ski season.
In this part, stage 3, we are going to be introducing backpacking as a brilliant way for couples to travel together for a longer period of time.
We shall introduce how to begin the process of backpacking, what you will need to research, and where the best places are to go backpacking with your partner.
Huacachina, Peru - during our South America backpacking trip
Backpacking for Couples
For those that aren’t familiar with backpacking, it is essentially a way of travelling that, as the name suggests, means you are living from a backpack while moving from location to location.
On a regular holiday or vacation, it is expected to stay in just one place. Whether it's a city break for a weekend or a 2-week stay in a luxury resort by the beach, you tend to base yourself in one location.
When it comes to backpacking, you continue to be on the move to search for the next adventure or destination.
Traditionally, backpacking means exploring one country in depth or the highlights of an entire region. You could opt for a 6-month backpacking trip around South East Asia, ensuring you hit as many destinations as possible - Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia etc.
Alternatively, you could go for the exploring one-country approach - spending 3 months backpacking around Colombia, getting to know the locals and learning Spanish along the way, perhaps.
When it comes to backpacking as a couple, there are endless possibilities. You have to be comfortable with travelling together. One of our tips on how to survive your next trip as a couple, which will certainly come in handy when backpacking as a couple, is to give the other person space occasionally. It’s only healthy to want a bit of downtime.
The brilliant thing about backpacking as a couple, which solo backpackers don’t immediately have, is that you automatically have somebody to share incredible memories with. Solo backpackers search for like-minded travellers around the globe to share their adventures with, whereas when you go backpacking as a couple, they are already by your side.
Which couples are suited to long-term backpacking?
If you have ever wondered how to travel long-term as a couple, then backpacking is probably for you.
If you’re a couple that wants to explore the world, then backpacking is for you. Perhaps you’re a couple that has seen their friends go backpacking before and fancy giving it a go yourselves? If you’re already considering it, nothing should be holding you back.
The wonderful thing about backpacking is that it can cater to any couple. As mentioned earlier, Ben’s parents spontaneously decided to backpack around India for a few weeks for their 50th birthday celebrations.
Using overnight buses and trains, they managed to backpack their way around the second most populous country on Earth. If they can backpack around India at 50, then we certainly think you could manage a backpacking trip as a couple, too.
Another significant aspect of backpacking is that it can be adapted for any length of itinerary. If one or both of you is a little hesitant to try backpacking and aren’t sure that it’s for you, then perhaps a 10-day backpacking trip in Europe would be a good starting point. Europe has brilliant infrastructure, is relatively safe, and is a wonderful introduction to backpacking. If you enjoy it, then you know you’ll be confident to go backpacking somewhere more adventurous next time around.
Nyhavn, Copenhagen - a great destination for European backpacking
Traditionally, backpacking favours couples who are looking to travel long-term together on a budget. You can spend as little money as possible while travelling to some incredible destinations worldwide.
Often, backpacking isn’t very glamorous. One moment, you’ll be navigating your way around the busy streets of a major city in search of the bus station, sweating in the humidity as you carry around your heavy backpack. Next, you’ll desperately be trying to sleep while 12 other people are snoring in your cramped little hostel room.
If we could give you one piece of advice on how to backpack successfully as a couple, it would be to learn some tips for surviving as a couple in a hostel. You’ll find yourself in hostels a lot while you backpack long-term, so it’s best to know some handy tips and hacks before you set off.
That’s not to say, however, that backpacking only suits couples looking to travel on a budget. It is certainly possible to go luxury backpacking as a couple, where you stay in a hotel each night and experience some crazy once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
This approach is just going to cost you far more money, but if this is the kind of long-term travelling approach that will best suit you as a couple, then that’s the approach you should take.
In short, backpacking can be tweaked and adapted to suit any couple. Whatever your motivation for long-term travel as a couple, backpacking will be able to feature somehow.
The less glamorous side of backpacking - sleeping on airport floors
How we backpacked as a couple:
Now that you’ve heard what backpacking as a couple entails and which couples are best suited to backpacking as a long-term travel option, we will explain how and when we went backpacking together briefly.
We had been on a number of mini trips together as a couple and had worked together at a summer camp in Upstate New York for a number of years.
Thankfully, this meant that we both knew we wanted to travel long-term together. We didn’t need to have any awkward conversations trying to convince the other to go backpacking. We both already knew it was something we wanted to do together.
The first stage of our backpacking adventure as a couple, which people tend to forget or don’t want to consider, was the saving money part.
To do this, we lived at Ben’s parents’ home in the UK and worked as nursing assistants in a secure mental health hospital. It was sometimes tough going, but overall, it was an incredible experience where we were able to help a number of vulnerable individuals as well as save up for our adventures a little further from home.
Embarking on our backpacking adventure
Once we had saved up enough money, we flew to the US to work another summer at Timber Lake West.
One of the reasons why you should work at a summer camp at some point in your life is the opportunity it gives you to go travelling after you’ve finished working. Whether you fancy a road trip around the National Parks of the US or, as we did, using it as a base for backpacking through South America, summer camp work can be the springboard for long-term travel as a couple.
Finally, we were ready to embark on our 6-week backpacking itinerary in South America. We were travelling with a friend, so we wanted to pack in as much as possible into our adventure before we had to part ways. This meant that we went for the approach of exploring as many different destinations as possible rather than slowing down and exploring one region/country in detail.
We flew to Bogota, Colombia, and quickly set about researching the incredible things to do in Colombia. From exploring the colonial city of Cartagena to ascending the 740 steps of El Peñón de Guatapé, we tried to do as much as possible in Colombia.
El Peñón de Guatapé
The next step on our couples backpacking trip was to explore the highlights of Peru. There are plenty of unmissable sights when backpacking Peru, so we wanted to make sure we visited as many as possible in the short time we had. Visiting Huacachina, a desert oasis, and going buggying over the dunes was an experience we will forever cherish.
One of the primary motivations for travelling long-term as a couple for us is to see some of the most incredible places in the world. Backpacking through South America allowed us to do this, and never was it more apparent than when we visited Machu Picchu in a day. We promise that no matter how experienced of a traveller you are, the feeling of seeing Machu Picchu for the first time will be hard to match.
We parted ways with our friend at this point and headed to Bolivia, our next destination on our backpacking trip as a couple. This leg of the backpacking adventure started incredibly well by visiting the Bolivian Pampas and coming face-to-face with alligators and pink river dolphins. However, the trip took an unexpected turn when we ended up in hospital.
Our Bolivian Hospital stay
How not to end up in a Bolivian hospital, was not one of the things we had given much thought to before embarking on our 6-week South America backpacking excursion. Perhaps next time, we will remember to follow everybody else’s advice.
The final stop on our couples backpacking trip was Brazil. A whistle-stop tour of Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro followed before flying North to Canada for the winter and working a ski season as a couple in Lake Louise.
The thing to take from our adventures is that travelling long-term as a couple can look different to any couple you speak to. Some might travel in one country for a few years, whereas others might fly to every continent over 6 months, but one thing remains pretty constant - backpacking is a great long-term travel option for any couple.
Guatapé Town, Colombia
First steps you should take towards backpacking as a couple:
You’ve now read about backpacking for couples, which couples are suited to backpacking, and how we travelled long-term as a couple by backpacking through South America. We hope this has convinced you and your partner to consider backpacking together.
In this section, we walk you through the rough first steps you should take when contemplating backpacking as a couple.
Step 1 - researching where you would want to go backpacking as a couple
We like to call this stage the dreaming phase. Nice and simply, this step is designed so that you can find the ideal destination or region for your backpacking adventure as a couple.
Perhaps you are new to the idea of long-term travel and fancy a relatively calm backpacking experience around Europe. Maybe you are a couple that wants to go backpacking for as long as possible, as cheaply as possible - South East Asia would probably be suited for you.
Vietnamese Rice Fields - great destination for South East Asia backpacking
Maybe you’re a couple that loves adventure sports and adrenaline rushes - in this case, a 3-month backpacking trip from the very tip of the North Island of New Zealand to the very bottom of the South Island would be ideal.
Researching where you want to go backpacking as a couple doesn’t unfortunately mean idly reading blog posts on the most incredible things to do in a country. Obviously, this part of the step is the most fun and lets you dream, but you also need to consider a few logistics.
Namely, where you want to visit, a rough idea of how to get from place to place, what time of year to visit, any visas you will need, etc.
You don’t necessarily have to have an exact itinerary or plan, but doing a little research beforehand is also helpful.
Jet-boating near Huka, New Zealand
Step 2 - financing and budgeting your backpacking trip as a couple
Once you have a rough idea of where you want to go backpacking as a couple, and how long you want to travel for, you will need to plan the financial aspect of the trip.
We can’t really sit here and tell you exactly how much you will need for your own trip. If you are planning on backpacking for an entire year on a budget, then some estimates suggest you will need to save between £10000-150000 to comfortably enjoy your year away.
If you’re planning on backpacking in a relatively cheaper region of the world, like Central America, and only plan to be away for 3-4 weeks, then you’re going to need to save significantly less than the above figure.
Remember that there are always workaway options when travelling or picking up the odd hostel job to fund your backpacking. So even if you haven’t saved enough, it doesn’t necessarily mean your trip has to end immediately.
In essence, work out how much money you want to save and support each other through the saving process.
Backpacking planning stage
Step 3: booking your flights to begin your long-term travel as a couple
This is, of course, the most fun step when travelling long-term as a couple. The stage when you actually get to book your flights and begin your adventure. This is the phase where you are going to need some pretty handy long-term travel packing tips.
Who knows, you may go backpacking as a couple and one day find yourselves writing a travel blog about your experiences?
There we have it, folks, our conclusive round-up of how backpacking is the answer to the question - how to travel long-term as a couple?
We have been fortunate enough to have some pretty amazing experiences while travelling as a couple, and backpacking has certainly provided us with many of them.
We hope this guide inspires you to consider backpacking as a long-term travel option for couples.
We are going to introduce you to some of the best packing tips for long-term travel that we have found throughout the years. We will guide through what to pack, how to pack, and how much you need to pack for long-term travel.