How to travel

I quit my job about 5 months ago, encouraged by all the travelers whom I've hosted and met in Mexico. Of course I had many questions, mostly regarding how much money would I need, what's the best way to move around, how difficult is it to get there, and so on. Now I'm at the receiving end of the Questionnaire on How to travel, I can only tell you one answer JUST DO IT (not getting any commission from Nike for spreading the word). There are many tips I can give you (coming up, just keep reading), but you won't truly believe me until you've experienced it yourself. So pack up and get it over with...

Getting there...
There are many options, I haven't explore them all, my plane ticket was bought with mile points from my dad (thanks dad for being my number one sponsor), but for those who don't have any sort of sponsorship you can also go for Comparative Sites such as Skyscanner, Opodo or many others. If you don't have an agenda it will be easier just to get a one way ticket to any country with a great ticket discount and start exploring.

Ferry trip from France to UK

Accommodation...
This part will be the greatest challenge of all. It all comes down to what are you willing to pay in order to get some. Note that I did't write how much are you willing to pay, meaning that the money is not the issue here. Of course you can get into hotels or hostels by a monetary transaction, but even though we live in modern ages, we can't discard the trading payment method. You can also go for the AirBnb option and get a room, apartment or house in the area.

Maybe you got friends or family in this location, they might be able to host you for some nights. Of course you don't want to be a pain in the ass, so there are some things you'll do to help out and most importantly, don't overstay with them. If you have no acquaintance in your destination you can use sites like CouchSurfing, BeWelcome or Hospitality Club. Just remember it's like staying over at friends' or family and there are certain "rules" you will need to follow.

CouchSurfing in Rabat, Morocco.

Staying at someone's place isn't exactly a trading payment method. It's more about friends visiting friends, so much people won't be welcoming you for long periods of stay. That's where sites like Woofing or Workaway come in handy.

Workaway in Berlin.

This sites will ask you for a payment to register as a member, but afterwards you won't pay a thing. You arrange with a host your stay, they'll tell you what you're expected to do. Usually it's an easy job for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. Jobs might include cleaning, from toilets to bedrooms, painting, gardening, pet care, aupair, cooking... Name it, there's a job for you. I've heard you can also negotiate with your host some extra hours so you can get some money out of it.

Work as a painter...

Another option I have yet to try is camping or sleeping out. This might be rough, and won't be your first option. It's all about what are you willing to do to keep traveling. Camping is easy, usually done outside the city. For sleeping out you need to consider it might get cold, it might rain and people may disturb your sleep. You can look for train or bus stations, fire stations, churches, or some open building. I haven't had to recur to this, hope you won't as well.

Food...
As part of Workaway and Woofing, you'll get some food as well. Most places will feed you as well as give you accommodation, but not all of them. You can also try some Dumpsterdiving, but it might not be easy since there are some regulations about this in certain countries.

Cooking at a Hostel in Essaouira, Morocco.

If you're couchsurfing, I'll recommend to go to a Supermarket and get some food to share with your host, or you can also just get some food for yourself. I prefer to share, it's also a nice time to get to know the person you're staying with.

Moving around...
So far I've traveled by almost every means of transportation: train, plane, bus, ferry... Most of them have been paid deals, but there's also the free option if you're up to do some hitchhiking. Here are some tips to decide which is your best choice.

Flying. I've used Ryanair so far. It's been ok, can't complain. My backpack isn't that big though every time I check-in I'm very nervous about being charged for it being too big or too heavy. Cheap airlines will find a way to charge you for the air you're breathing. Keep this in mind while booking, read the conditions.

Bus services. It might take you longer but at least you won't pay extra for oversize luggage (unless it's REALLY big). For traveling within Europe there are many cheap options, specially if you book in advance.

• Ecolines. Mainly used in EastEurope, cheap line. Internet access on board.
• Eurolines. Part of National Express, it's not very cheap but it's comfortable. Internet access on board.
• Megabus. West Europe, this can be from £1/€1 if booked in advanced. Haven't had the opportunity to get it this cheap, but you can try.
• MeinFernBus. German coach service. I've also used the one for Finland.

CarSharing. This option is about people sharing their car while traveling to point A to point B. It's about agreeing with someone about a time and place to meet, then travel, and arrange a dropping spot. It's easy, sometimes cheap and very safe. The most popular site now is Blablacar, where you create a profile and can receive and give references to keep the site safe.

HitchHiking or Autostop. I've recently used it, but it was just once. It consists on standing up near the road and put your finger out to ask for a free ride. The safety it's in your gut feeling, if you don't feel safe, don't get in the car. You can find some tips on HitchWiki, where you can also update the information to help more travelers get by.

HitchHiking to Leipzig from Berlin.

Final thoughts...
As written above, the main thing is that you get out there. Remember that everything comes with a cost, not necessarily monetary. If you plan on getting around by being a parasite to society, you must at least have money to give back (there are All-Inclusive Hotels which will take you for the right amount of money). Remember that traveling is about sharing experiences, meeting new people and being open to new cultures and ways of life. It's all about hard-working, being dedicated and passionate towards life.

Cooking food with other volunteers.

Working in an Organic Farm, feeding the pigs.