Backpacking is one thing, but city backpacking is another experience altogether. The vibes, culture, people – everything about travelling through cities and being immersed in their way of life is incredible.
Here are five reasons to include city stops in your backpacking route.
Cultural immersion
There’s so much culture in cities. Cities are cultural centres with vibrant mixtures of history, art, and local customs.
Head to cities like Alicante or Murcia in Spain, for example, and it’s impossible to avoid the typical Spanish culture that many people consider the best thing about Spain. The ‘No pasa nada’ way of life will suck tourists in until they never want to leave. And it’s the same in every city. Maybe not to the extent of the Spanish culture, but each city in each country has its own version.
For example, visiting Paris, Rome, or Tokyo opens doors to explore world-famous art collections, architectural wonders, and historical monuments that cannot be found in beach or rural destinations.
Cities also always have cultural events like festivals and random celebrations that bring the city to life.
Diverse culinary experiences
Most travellers would be lying if they said they didn’t start backpacking to experience the different culinary delights. For foodies, it might be the sole reason to start travelling. While there’s nothing wrong with culinary experiences outside of cities, urban areas expose travellers to a new world of food. It’s impossible for travellers to not find something they’ll want to eat over and over again.
Cities such as Bangkok, New York, and Barcelona are popular for their street food scenes, which provide cheap, mouth-watering choices.
Convenient amenities and services
After spending days or weeks trekking across isolated regions, taking a break in a city can bring much-needed relaxation including comfortable accommodation facilities and other daily amenities.
Yes, amenities and services in cities can be a little more expensive, especially accommodation. Still, cities tend to accommodate different budgets, ranging from budget hostels to luxury hotels, where travellers can have a good night’s sleep and start the next day fresh. They’ll also easily find places to do laundry, access the internet, and visit pharmacies.
Networking and social opportunities
Cities are invariably crowded with people, so there are chances to meet other tourists and backpackers. Those solo backpacking will definitely be interested in this. They can easily approach any traveller at hostels or cafés for conversation about backpacking tips – just an idea for a conversation starter.
Travellers can look for resources specific to the areas they’re travelling in to get the ‘insider information’. The Broke Backpacker is a great digital destination for travellers in the US, for instance – it goes city by city, and even covers locations that aren’t typically geared-up toward backpackers (like Vegas). Travellers can save the virtual casino for when they’re not standing on the strip, halfway between the Bellagio and Treasure Island.
More generally, backpackers could also look for language exchange meetings, travel events, and community gatherings in cities. Joining these activities can enhance the travel experience by helping travellers connect with other people.
Unique shopping experiences
This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but city breaks definitely have some great shopping experiences. A city stop provides unique shopping experiences not found in the countryside. In towns and cities, there will be busy markets, fashionable boutiques, and large shopping centres filled with everything ranging from local crafts to upscale fashion.
Some cities have specialty shops and bookstores where tourists can get hold of travel gear, books, etc. We’d recommend locations like Milan, Paris, and Madrid for shopping.
Convinced to add a city stop to a backpacking route? There are so many more benefits, but we’ve picked five of the best. The question is, what city location will be the most popular for the next backpacking route?
