book 50usd first chapter 2015

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How to How to Travel the World Travel the World

on $50 a Dayon $50 a Day

T R AV E L C H E A P E R , L O N G E R , S M A R T E R

Matt Kepnes

A Perigee Book

7T, EXU

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P R A I S E F O R

How to Travel the World on $50 a Day

Whether youre a savvy backpacker or just dreaming of getting a passport

and going overseas, Matts collection of easy-to-employ money-saving strat-

egies will open your eyes to the near-infi nite ways of seeing the world with-

out busting your budget.

Matt Gross, the original New York Times Frugal Traveler

If youve longed to travel the world but fi gured it was just an unattainable

pipe dream, take that pipe out of your mouth and read this book. Matt Kep-

nes does the math and shows you how to make this dream a reality, from

how to save for an extended trip, which credit card to get, and how to han-

dle banking on the road to a breakdown of how to save on accommoda-

tions, transportation, food, and activities. Matt proves that for most

Americans, traveling is cheaper than staying home.

Marilyn Terrell, National Geographic Traveler

A celeb in the travel blogging world, Matt is your go-to guy for all things

budget backpacker. Th is book is an awesome resource for any traveler look-

ing to maximize their adventures without maxing out their credit cards.

Julia Dimon, travel writer, Outside Television

Th ere are very few people in the world who have gathered as much fi rst-

hand knowledge about long-term world travel as Nomadic Matt. Th is book

will guide you from the fi rst exclamation of Im going traveling! through

the planning, takeoff , and navigation. Filled with insider strategies and re-

sources, its a valuable primer for your upcoming adventures.

Tim Leff el, author of Th e Worlds Cheapest Destinations

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1

Getting Over Your Fears

THE most diffi cult part about traveling the world isnt the logistics of the tripits fi nding the motivation to go. It takes a lot of cour-age to leave your life and journey into the unknown. Its the step that

most people never get past. For me, it took a trip to Th ailand to get

me to make the leap. For others, its a lot more diffi cult. Instead of the

nudge I required, some people require a full-on shove.

While most of this book will talk about the practical, fi nancial

side of travel, the fi rst thing I wanted to tell you is that you dont need

to be afraid of traveling the world. Its only natural to second-guess

yourself when making a big life change.

And this is a big change.

One of the most common emails I receive asks me whether or not

someone should travel the world. Do they quit their job and go for it?

Are they in the right stage of life? Will everything be OK if they leave?

Will they get a job when they return? Th ese emails are peppered with

nervous excitement over travels endless possibilities, but there is

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4 HOW TO TRAVEL THE WORLD ON $50 A DAY

also always one underlying tone to the emails: Matt, I want to go,

but Im also afraid. I need someone to tell me it will be all right.

In my meetings with strangers, they pepper me with questions

about my trip. People are curious about my travels, experience, and

how I got started doing this. Th ey dream of traveling the world. It

must be such the adventure, they tell me, I wish I could do it. And

when I ask them what stops them, they come up with a book full of

excuses as to why they cant:

I cant aff ord my trip.

I have too many responsibilities at home.

I wont be able to make friends on the road.

I dont want to be alone.

I have too many bills to pay.

Im not sure I could do it.

Im simply too scared.

With all that fear and doubt, its easier for someone to stay home

in his or her comfort zone than to break out and travel the world. As

the saying goes, People go with the devil they know over the devil

they dont. Home is our safe zone. We know it. We understand it. We

may not always like it, but we get it. In the end, held back by their

own fears, most people stay home, dreaming of that one perfect

day they will fi nally travel.

But you know what? Th at day never comes. It will never be

perfect.


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GETTING OVER YOUR FEARS 5

Tomorrow, youll still have bills.

Tomorrow, you still wont have just the right amount of money.

Tomorrow, there will still be someones wedding to attend or a

birthday party to go to.

Tomorrow, you will still second-guess yourself.

Tomorrow, youll fi nd another excuse as to why you cant go.

Tomorrow, people you know will still feed the seeds of doubt in

your head.

Tomorrow will come and youll say, Today isnt the right day.

Lets go tomorrow.

Dropping everything to travel takes a lot of courage, and while

many people claim real world responsibilities are the reason for

not traveling, I think fear of the unknown is really what holds people

back.

If you bought this book, you are probably already on the right

track. Taking a long-term trip is already on your mind. Maybe you

are already committed or still on the fence about it. But no matter

what side of the coin you fall on, know that even the most experi-

enced travelers had doubts when they began.

I want to reassure you that you are doing the right thing.

Right here. Right now.

You Arent the First Person to Travel Abroad

One of the things that comforted me when I began traveling was

knowing that lots of other people traveled the world before me and

ended up just fi ne. While long-term travel might not be popular in

the United States, it is a rite of passage for a lot of people around the

world. People as young as high school graduates head overseas in


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droves for long-term trips. As you read this paragraph right now,

millions of people are trekking around the world and discovering

foreign lands. And if millions of eighteen-year-olds on a round-the-

world trip came home in one piece, I realized there wasno reason I

wouldnteither. Th eres nothing I cant do that anyone else can do.

And the same goes for you.

You wont be the fi rst person to leave home and explore the jun-

gles of Asia. Th ere is a well-worn travel trail around the world where

youll be able to fi nd support and comfort from other travelers. Co-

lumbus had a reason to be afraid. He had no idea where he was going

and he was the fi rst person to go that way. He blazed a trail. Youre

going on a trail that has already been blazed. Th at realization helped

take away some of my fear because I knew there would be other trav-

elers on the road to comfort me.

You Are Just as Capable as Everyone Else

Im smart, Im capable, and I have common sense. If other people

could travel the world, why couldnt I? I realized there wasno rea-

sonI wouldnt be capable of making my way around the world. Im

just as good as everyone else. And so are you. Early in my travels, I

managed to turn up in Bangkok without knowing one person and

live and thrive there for close to a year. I made friends, I found a girl-

friend, had an apartment, and I even learned Th ai. It was sink or

swim, and I swam. I recently navigated my way through Ukraine, a

country where few people speak English and even fewer signs are

in the Roman alphabet, as they use the Cyrillic script there. Th en

there are little things like fi guring out a local subway, using a map


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tonavigate unknown streets, and making yourself understood with-

out learning the local language. I once went choo choo to a taxi

driver to make it understood I needed to go to the train station. It

worked. Nobody steps out into the world knowing it all. Th ey pick

itup along the way. Dont doubt yourself. You get by in your regular

life just fi ne. Th e same will be true when you travel.

The World Isnt as Dangerous as the Media Says

CNN, FOX News, and other major media outlets often make the

world outside our borders look like a pretty scary place, where youd

be crazy to leave the safety of the United States. Th ey paint a pic-

ture of a world fi lled with violence, anti-Americanism, rampant

natural disasters, and lots of crime. But in all my years of traveling,

I have never encountered any problem or suff ered from any anti-

Americanism. One of the main reasons why the world seems so dan-

gerous is because we have instant communication now. Whenever

anything happens, we can know about it right away through twenty-

four-hour news, Twitter, or Facebook. Earthquakes have always

happened, but we could never fi nd out about them instantaneously

through online media before.

My mother constantly tells me when I go anywhere in the world

to be careful, as if the world is a big scary place. Shell tell me how

nervous she is if I end up in a country that she once heard about in

the news... in 1975. I try to tell her that the world is not that scary

and I could get mugged just as easily in New York, Miami, or Houston

as I could in London, Beijing, or Brazil and sometimes shell agree,

stating I guess you have a point. Many of my old coworkers do the


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same. My friend was going to join me in Th ailand, and when she told

her coworkers that, they replied Why would you want to go there?

Hawaii has beaches and do they even have electricity in Th ailand?

We believe what we hear on TV so easily because we dont hear

otherwise. I remember watching Th e Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and

he often did a sketch called Jay Walking in which he would ask

Americans questions about foreign leaders or countries, and most

people were stumped. According to the Pew Research Centers State

of the Media 2010, only 10.5 percent of news coverage is related to

international aff airs. Th at is shockingly low. Its no surprise to me

that so many people know so little about the world, when they are

exposed to such little information.

However, realize that everyone around the world wants the same

things that you want. Th ey all have jobs, families, and things to do.

Th ey want their kids to be safe, earn money, and be allowed to live

life. Th ey want to be left alone. Th ey arent looking for trouble. Travel-

ers from all corners of the world are crossing paths every day with-

outany problems. In any city in the world, use your street smarts to

avoid dodgy situations, and you will be fi ne. Parts of New York City

can be just as unsafe as other parts of the world.

As a whole, the world is no more or less safe than any part of the

United States. Using common sense, you will not encounter any

problems you cant fi nd in an American city.

You Will Make Friends

People always ask me how to make friends on the road. Th ey tell me

theyre not very social and that its hard from them to meet and talk

to strangers. After all, not everyone can walk up to a stranger and say


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hello. You might spend the fi rst few days traveling by yourself, afraid

of making the fi rst contact. I was really shy when I hit the road. I

could talk my friends ears off , but when meeting a stranger, I grew

silent. Now I have no problems talking to people, and I can thank

travel for learning that skill.

Th e good news is that when you travel, you are never alone.

Th ereare many solo travelers making their way across the world who

are in the same boat as you. Th ey want companionship. Th ey want

friends. Youll fi nd people who will come up and talk to you out of

theblue. When people see me sitting alone in a hostel, they walk up

to me and ask if Id like to join them. I was recently having a beer

inBangkok, and another guest at my hostel came up to me and we

struck up a conversation. Two of my best friends were met because I

said hello in a guesthouse in Vietnam. I have attended the weddings

of friends I met while asking to join their Frisbee game on the beach.

After a while, it becomes normal to strike up a conversation with a

complete stranger.

Travelers are friendly people who want to make friends. And one

of those friends is you.

You Are Never Too Old

Budget travel, backpacking, round-the-world tripsthese trips

arent just for the young. While I was in Poland, I met a sixty-fi ve-

year-old American in my hostel. He was traveling around Europe

before heading to India. And people were talking to him. He was

sharing stories from his youth and drinking a few beers with the

younger backpackers. He was never an outcast. My friend once saw

a man in his seventies making a big trip around the world because,


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as he said, he didnt have much time left and wanted to see the world.

It was now or never. And he had a number of ailments and carried

many prescriptions, but he still went.

Ive seen families with their children on buses in Southeast Asia

and retirees camping in Australia. Th e point is that you are never

too old to go. Some of my favorite encounters on the road have

beenwith older travelers, as they always have the best stories. Like

they say, you are only as old as you feel.

You Can Always Come Back

If you make it three months into your trip and decide that long-term

travel isnt for you, its perfectly OK to return home. Ive met a few

travelers who, months into their trip, realized that they really liked

being at home and missed it terribly. Th ey missed their friends,

family, and signifi cant others. So they cut their trip short and went

home.

Th eres no shame in doing that. Th eres no such thing as failure in

the world of travel. Your trip is your own. You went away for yourself

not for other people. And, in the end, you only need worry about

yourself. Getting up and going is more than most people do, and if

traveling isnt for you, at least youtried it. Th at in itself is a major

accomplishment. Whether you are gone for one day, one month, or

one year, you still will have learned and grown from your adventure.

If there is anything Ive learned over the years, its that these

fears, like all fears, are unfounded, because in the end, life works

out. Your bills disappear when you cancel your cable, phone, and

Internet.

Walking away was easy for me, but I understand that not every-


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one can just cut loose as quickly as I did. Some of us have mortgages,

parents to take care of, or children. But that doesnt mean its impos-

sible to travel.

People think that once they have children, they cant travel. But

every year, families set off to travel the world. Having children didnt

stop the James family. Craig and Dani James of thewidewideworld

.com took their two children on a yearlong trip around the world

in2008. As Dani (the mom) puts it, the James children would soon

be on their way to adulthood. We were rapidly approaching our

lastchance to do something really special together as a familyto

do something that would impact the way we thought of ourselves,

individually and as a family.

Th e Jameses saw an opportunity to travel as a family. Th ey

wanted it and went for it, but it wasnt always easy. Taking your

kidsout of school can be a real concern too. To which the Jameses

said, You can minimize any disruption to schooling with some

careful planning. Conor was missing sixth grade and Caroline,

ninth. Conors middle school was excited about his adventure and

confi dent he could handle seventh grade when we returned. For

Caroline, it was slightly more complicated because there are state

requirements for high school graduation. We needed, at a minimum,

to get Caroline through English 9 while we traveled, to keep her on

grade level. To keep Caroline on track we enrolled her in an online

homeschool program accredited by Montgomery County. Th is way,

she had a professional teacher available via Internet and we would

get a transcript, making reentry into the school system easier. We

had no trouble getting either kid enrolled with their peers in the fall.

I had worried a lot about the high school credits being easily ac-

cepted. It turned out not to be a problem.


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Having a family doesnt need to be a barrier to world travel. Th e

James family did what thousands of other families had done before

them and have done since. Dont believe having a family means end-

ing your travels.

Moreover, owning a house doesnt need to be a hindrance to your

travels. Sean and Dawn Lynch of wanderingwhy.com had a house

before they went away. As Dawn put it, Being a homeowner is only

an excuse if you make it one. Sure, it was something we had to fi gure

out how to handle while we were gone, but it is really not all that dif-

fi cult. Decide if you are selling or renting, take action, and goyoull

have no regrets.

Having a home creates many questions, such as what do you do

with your home and your stuff ? As Sean said, Look into a reputable

property management company to watch after your home while

youre away. For 5 to 10 percent of the rent, they should run a com-

plete background check on any potential tenants and have the

means to handle the property maintenance while you are away.

Th eobjective was not to turn a profi t on our home, but to hit the

pause button while we were away.

Th e James family also had to do something with their house.

Dani recounts, A friend of ours needed to rent a house near Wash-

ington, DC, for a year, so our house in the Maryland suburbs was

a great fi t. It was a fortunate circumstanceour friend needed a

furnished house, so we didnt have to put any furniture in storage.

We had no worries about our house or our belongingswe knew

they were in good hands.

For every excuse, there is a solution.

As people in your life off er both praise and criticism of your trip,

you may be nervous and wonder if you are doing the right thing. Its


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normal to have these fears. Just remember the above tips, calm your

nerves, and ease your fears.

Your future may hold mouthwatering meals in foreign countries,

tropical beaches you only thought existed in a postcard, winding

alleyways in European cities that throw you back into the Middle

Ages, or jungles so dense and teeming with wildlife youll feel like

you are living in an issue of National Geographic magazine.


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keef Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my book. You can find the whole book on my site here: http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-tips/how-to-travel-the-world-on-50-usd/ Also check out my blog for even more travel tips: http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-tips/

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A B OU T T HE AU T HOR

Matt Kepnes didnt take his fi rst trip overseas until he was twenty-

three. It was a trip to Costa Rica that got him hooked on traveling. But

like most Americans, he only had two weeks of vacation per year and

didnt know any of the genius ways to save money and travel longer.

Th en, in 2005 on a trip to Th ailand, everything changed. He met fi ve

backpackers who showed him that he didnt have to be tied down to his

job and that he didnt need to be rich to travel.

After that trip, he came home, quit his job, fi nished graduate school,

and in July 2006, embarked on a year-long trip around the world. Hes

still going today and showing how other people can do the same. He is

deathly afraid of heights and, ironically, a really nervous fl ier. When he

isnt traveling, he resides in New York City, where he likes to eat lots of

sushi, catch up with friends, and enjoy the fact that movie theaters are

open at 11 p.m.

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