What we wish we had known
Everything below comes from trips we actually made. Practical, tested and updated as we go.
Budget travel
Choose the place, that is where the money is
Flights swing with season and demand, and you can rarely control that. What you can control is the place. Food, accommodation, activities and transport are all decided by where you go. Outside Europe your daily budget can drop to a quarter, so the same money takes you five times further.
Skip what you do not need, gain another week
Cutting the unnecessary can buy you one or two extra weeks. And when you just want to rest without counting every krona, that is fine too. Where you go matters more than what you skip.
A real example: Thailand for 7 000 kr
One week in Thailand, return flights, food and accommodation, 7 000 kr in total. The flight was 3 000 kr and prices on the ground did the rest.
Set a daily number, not a trip budget
A per-day figure keeps you honest and makes it obvious when a city is worth an extra week.
Book the long haul, improvise the rest
Lock in the expensive flights early. Local buses and trains are almost always cheaper bought on the ground.
Packing
One bag, 40 litres
Just a vacuum backpack that fits under the seat. Bring clothes for one week, do laundry every week, and if you find something you want to buy along the way you can take it with you then. One pair of shoes and flip flops is enough. A small air mattress is a lifehack so you can rest anywhere. A power bank with solar cells is great when there is nowhere to charge.
Bring a dry bag
The cheapest insurance for electronics on boats, buses and unexpected storms.
Safety
Ask locals, not the internet
People who live there know which street to avoid tonight. Forums online tell you how it was in 2016. Trust your gut and the locals, they know best.
Split your money
Cards, cash and a backup card in three different places. Keep a photo of your passport offline. Your passport is the most important thing you carry. Get travel insurance.
Hidden gems
Go one town further
The place an hour past the famous one is usually half the price and twice as friendly.
Follow the local weekend
Ask where people go on their days off. That answer has never once let us down.
Food & restaurants
Eat where the queue is local
Our best meals have cost under fifty kronor and had no menu in English.
Eat the main meal at lunch
In most countries lunch is the big, cheap, proper meal. Dinner is where tourists overpay.
Want to try hitchhiking?
Why hitchhike?
You save a lot of money on transport. But above all you get to meet people you would never otherwise have met. Who knows, you might meet your future best friend in the car, or maybe even your future wife or husband.
Stand where cars can stop
Pick up a piece of cardboard you find along the road or ask for one at a restaurant or petrol station. Then head to a spot where there is only one road going the same way you are. Stand where a car can actually stop to pick you up. Good luck!
Leave early
Once it starts getting dark people will not want to pick you up. So start early, especially if you are hitchhiking long distances.
Safety when hitchhiking
Do not hitch with just anyone. Preferably ride with couples, families with children or people driving long distances for work. Only hitchhike while it is light out.