Backpacking sounds like the ultimate adventure, but it’s definitely not for everyone.
While a recent survey found that roughly 93% of Brits say they’ve gone backpacking at some point in their lives, not all of them loved the experience. That’s why it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into ahead of time—fewer surprises means you’re more likely to create the kind of trip that works for you. Between the freedom and the less-glamorous realities, it’s worth weighing the pros and cons before you zip up your pack and go.
1. You get complete freedom to travel on your terms.
One of the biggest perks of backpacking is being able to go wherever you want, whenever you want. No strict itineraries, no group tours—you can decide to stay longer somewhere or leave the next morning. That sense of freedom is hard to beat, especially if you’re craving something spontaneous and off the beaten path.
It gives you the chance to travel based on feeling rather than planning. If a place doesn’t vibe with you, you move on. If it surprises you, you stay. There’s no pressure to tick off every landmark—just space to follow your own rhythm.
2. Budget travel is totally doable.
Source: Unsplash Backpacking is one of the most affordable ways to travel. You learn to stretch your money—hostels, street food, free walking tours, and night buses become your best friends. With a bit of planning and flexibility, you can travel for weeks (or months) on a fraction of what a luxury holiday would cost.
It’s not always glamorous, but it’s surprisingly rewarding. You start to realise you don’t need much to have a good time—just a place to crash, good shoes, and a bit of adventure in you.
3. Living out of a backpack forces you to travel light.
At first, the idea of packing everything into one bag feels impossible. However, once you actually do it, it’s liberating. You stop lugging around “just in case” items and only carry what you actually need. Every item has a purpose, and that simplicity feels surprisingly good. You move faster, make fewer decisions, and spend less time worrying about stuff. It also teaches you what you can live without. Spoiler: it’s more than you think.
4. You meet people from all over the world.
Backpacking puts you right in the middle of a global community. Hostels, buses, volunteer gigs—they’re full of people doing the same thing as you. It’s easy to strike up conversations, make plans together, or just share stories over cheap drinks.
Some connections last a few hours, others turn into travel buddies or even lifelong friendships. It’s one of the most unexpected but rewarding parts of the backpacking experience because you rarely feel alone.
5. Things don’t always go as planned.
Backpacking is unpredictable. Trains get delayed, hostels get overbooked, weather flips in five minutes. If you like things to run smoothly, this might be a challenge. You’ve got to roll with it, or risk losing your mind over a missed connection.
It tests your patience and flexibility more than once. However, if you can learn to let go of needing control all the time, it also makes you way more adaptable. Sometimes the plan falling apart leads to a better one.
6. You learn to problem-solve quickly.
When you’re backpacking, you’re your own travel agent, translator, and personal assistant. You figure things out on the fly, like finding your way when signs aren’t in English, or sorting out where to sleep when everything’s booked. It can be stressful, but it builds serious confidence. You start to trust yourself in ways you didn’t before. And once you’ve handled your own minor travel disasters, real life feels a bit easier by comparison.
7. Comfort takes a back seat—literally.
Backpacking isn’t exactly luxury travel. Think shared dorms, cold showers, overnight buses, and beds that creak every time someone breathes. If comfort is your top priority, this might wear you down fast. However, for some people, the trade-off is worth it. You get access to beautiful places, unexpected adventures, and an authentic kind of experience that you don’t always get from resorts and room service.
8. You become more self-reliant.
There’s something powerful about knowing you can get yourself from A to B, navigate a new city, and handle things when they go sideways. Backpacking pushes you into situations where you don’t have a safety net, and that builds resilience. It’s not about doing everything alone; it’s about realising you can if you have to. That quiet kind of self-trust stays with you long after the trip ends.
9. It’s hard to maintain routines on the road.
If you like having a morning routine, a regular gym schedule, or your favourite coffee shop every day, backpacking might shake that up. You’re in a new bed every few days, eating random meals at odd hours, and trying to remember what day it is. It can feel disorienting, especially over time. But some people find the unpredictability exciting. It all depends on how well you handle change, and whether routine helps or hinders you.
10. You get closer to the culture (if you make the effort).
When you’re not tied to strict tours or hotel packages, you get the chance to engage with local culture more freely. You might eat where the locals eat, take public transport, or stumble into a festival that wasn’t on any itinerary. Of course, it’s up to you to step into those moments. Backpacking opens the door, but you still have to walk through it—ask questions, show respect, and be open to learning from the places you’re in.
11. You start to value experiences over stuff.
With no room for souvenirs or shopping sprees, your memories become the most valuable thing you collect. Sunsets, hikes, conversations with strangers—that’s what sticks with you, not what you packed in your bag. Backpacking often shifts your mindset. You realise how much value lives in experience, not possessions. That’s a perspective that tends to stay with you long after you get home.
12. It gives you stories you’ll tell for years.
Whether it’s something funny, weird, embarrassing, or unexpectedly beautiful, backpacking gives you stories that stick. You’ll remember the hostel kitchen chaos, the random local who helped you out, or the night you slept on a train station bench.
It’s not always glamorous, but it’s memorable. And often, the less-perfect moments make the best stories. You walk away with more than just photos—you come back with a collection of experiences that no one else has in quite the same way.
