Travel Myths

Here I want to debunk some common travel myths or reasons that prevent people from traveling.

I Want toTravel, but I Don't Want to Travel Alone

This is the biggest hurdle for many would-be-travelers, especially women. The hard reality for many is if we don' t travel alone, we aren't going traveling. You have to be lucky to have a travel partner with similar goals, time, and money as yourself. Traveling alone will force you to meet other people, and will probably expose you much more to the real experiences of travel. I have traveled with others and on my own. The experiences I have with each option are totally different. If I travel with others then I find that I am not as approachable as when I am by myself by both locals and other travelers. When traveling alone you often hook up with other travelers. I have traveled with dozens of other travelers for periods long and short--from a few months to a few weeks, a few days, even a few hours. Some have become good friends and after fifteen years we still keep in touch. It's fun, and you can go off on your own again whenever you must.

Is it safe for Women to travel alone?

There are many women all over the world traveling alone. Of course many join up with other women some time during their journey. Everyone knows there's safety in numbers, and it's fun to share experiences.

Some countries are more threatening than others. Australia and Western European countries are similar to North America with respect to expectations and security. Some countries such as Italy has a reputation for pickpocketers and scams which are targeted towards any tourist.

Women traveling in developing countries must understand western status does not make them immune to the sexual comeons. Indeed, in some countries the woman traveler is a prized sexual target for local men. This usually means nothing more than an uninvited man sitting at your table and asking pointed questions while you're trying to eat.

Rape is sadly common in some parts of the world--notably certain macho areas of Latin America. While this affects local women far more than western travelers, it indicates prevailing attitudes. Women can travel safer in these areas by wearing clothing that hides curves and covers skin. They should also avoid going out alone at night in seedy areas. There are some areas that I will not stay if I am on my own.

In some countries such as India it is good to avoid eye contact. Good defenses for a man who sits at your table and won't take no for answer include pretending to read something, and making a scene by slamming your fist down and angrily exclaiming for all to hear, "Get out!"

I don't think I'm a budget traveler/backpacker/independent traveler

Most North Americans don't think they're the backpacker type, but perhaps you aren't sure what the backpacker type is. North Americans really don't do much traveling compared to Germans, English, French, Italians, Danes and Australians. We take brief vacations, sign up for tours and cruises. Many people in Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Denmark, and Australia--including teachers, architects, engineers, secretaries, mechanics, farmers, and students--consider themselves backpacker types, and travel on their own all over the world. They have an intellectual interest in other cultures, and it is the greatest fun for them to make their own way through.

Is it Safe to travel?

The last thing I want is for someone to read this book and then naïvely get hurt traveling. There are risks to travel, as there are in everything you do.

The first determinant of risk is largely geographical. For example, pickpockets are currently a greater plague in Managua than London. Backpackers in Central America, however, are a self-selected group who are overall more worldly than average backpackers in Europe or Australia. They know to keep money in a hidden money belt, and are wary with wallets and packs. These travelers mostly navigate Managua without great incident.

But there are plenty of pickpockets in London, and backpackers can be just as run-over there as in any developing world city. Indeed I consider myself at a greater risk in left-side-driving Great Britain than proper-side-driving Nicaragua--it's easy to forget where you are when you're having so much fun.

The other determinant is you. Your risks skyrocket if you don't wear a seat belt, if you don't take proper health precautions, or if you walk alone at night in dangerous areas of medieval countries in a miniskirt. If you are sensible, like most backpackers, your risks are reduced wherever you travel.

As with everything, you must weigh benefits against risks.

I should take a tour for my first time?

First, stop thinking negatively about yourself. You simply have the natural fear everyone has before their first trip. Set aside the amount of time and get a couple of guide books to determine where you want to go and then you can find out where to stay and how to move between your selected cities.

1. Visit a bookstore and look through guidebooks. Then select a city to begin your adventure. London, Edinburgh, and Dublin are fantastic capital cities that speak English. This is where I started.

2. Select a hotel from your guidebook that sounds reasonable, then make a reservation for several nights.

3. There is a tourist office in, or very near, the main train station in every major city in Europe. You just wait in line and an English speaking clerk will find a room for you. Do try to arrive earlier in the day rather than later, though.

But I don't speak their Language.

You do speak the most international language there has ever been. Indeed, many backpackers from all over the world mostly speak English while traveling. Of course not everyone speaks English--and in some places hardly anyone does--but you can still get along. You know what a hotel looks like. You know what food looks like. You know what airports and train stations and taxis look like. You can always make sounds like a train, hold out your arms and swoosh like a plane, point to your mouth, or go to McDonald's.

Europe is easy for monolingual Americans. China, on the other hand, is difficult for independent travelers who don't speak Chinese. You can stare forever at characters in your guidebook and on a neon sign and still not know if you're looking at a hotel or a laundry. Until you go inside and make your hands into a pillow--and they try to press your shirt.

What if something happens?

When something unplanned happens--which must be expected and even desired in backpacker travel--you are the one to deal with it and reap the benefits. Being thrown into new, accidental situations is what backpacker travel is all about, and one reason why it is much more interesting than group travel.

When the chicken train inexplicably rumbles by leaving you and twenty others with tickets to turn in, you can either sulk or begin thinking about alternative transport like everyone else. Something will come up, there will be a way around your predicament. The fellow you've been chatting with may say, "Hey gringo, my brother has a truck. You want to ride?"

What if I become Sick or injured?

You could also crack your skull in the bathtub tomorrow. But take good health recommendations, and before venturing into the developing world seek professional advice and immunizations from a travel clinic. In Western Europe and other developed countries medical care is excellent, and in the developing world you should be able to afford the best doctor in town. Some travel insurance policies include emergency transport back home.

I wish I had traveled when I was younger, but I'm so Old now I don't think I'll fit in.

Ridiculous. There are many backpackers over 30, 40, 50, and 60, and I even met an 81-year-old American lady on her first hostelling tour of Europe. She got discounts. So visit your doctor, strap on a backpack, and see some of the world before...

I've Never been without a car before. Won't using public transportation be terrible?

In most of the world public transportation is more convenient than in most of the U.S. For many travelers it's a highlight of their journeys.