Backpacking through north america

I want to backpack through north america, possibly all of it.. im more interested in the natural elements and not things like vegas and touristy things.. does any one have any advice or tips for me? or know of any places i can visit? im the most keen for canada, alaska etc..

Hi there,

I don't know what your budget is, but after reading your post I would seriously suggest to rent a car. Small cars start a decent $25 if you search and it gives you maximum freedom. If possible: bring camping gear or otherwise rent it. It might cost you a bit, but you save on accommodation costs what you pay extra for a car. Otherwise, stay at hostels or cheap motels: they can be a good deal as well.

Otherwise, travelling around is mainly between cities or large towns after which you still have to go on a tour or something. This might not apply to every corner of North America, but basically it's the best way to get around and doesn't necessarily have to mean it is expensive.

Only have been to the northeastern corner, but I can seriously recommend Newfoundland!

Have fun!
Michael.

Quoting ronwyn

im the most keen for canada, alaska etc..

Have a look at the website of 'Westjet'.
They are a Canadian budget airline who do flights at OK prices (although nowhere near as cheap as in Europe) across Canada, the USA and Mexico, with connections to beyond within North America. Places like Yellowknife, Thunder Bay, Deer Lake and Honolulu are available on direct flights. They sometimes have seat sales that are worth looking at.
I've flown with them a few times. The service is very Ryanair (sloppy) and the planes aren't so clean, but for the price and the opportunity to see the worlds largest country within one continent, they're OK.
Renting a vehicle is good and cheap in N. America, but car hire and backpacking don't really go together.
I'd suggest a budget airline, a bus to some small village and camp out.
Beware with N. American flight prices, in fact N. American everything prices really (both Canada and the USA).... The price you see isn't the price you pay. There is tax added on to just about everything.

[ Edit: Edited on 06-Nov-2009, at 13:59 by BedouinLeo ]

Quoting Utrecht

Hi there,

I don't know what your budget is, but after reading your post I would seriously suggest to rent a car. Small cars start a decent $25 if you search and it gives you maximum freedom
.

$25 rent a car?? and one that you are going to tour N.America in??You'll have to send me the link to this place as most rent a car places are $100 per day plus mileage charges..

Actually, rates have dropped quite a bit on car rentals and $25 is now a normal rate. When I damaged my car last month (accident as a result of a major rainstorm), I rented a Volkswagen Jetta for a few weeks that ran $27 a day--and that included the tax.

Oh, and since you asked where to get these rates--mine was from Enterprise;--but I'm sure you can get equivalent rates from Hertz, Aviz, Budget, Alamo, National or Dollar Rent-a-Car.

I checked out an Enterprise near my parents place and prices run around $200ish a week,http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/branchDetails.do which is a whole lot less than i remember,think i rented a Chrysler Concorde 10yrs ago and it cost me $126 a day..
I'd definitely recommend anyone coming to N.America to get a car if possible or at least take a bus between cities then rent a car for local touring..

When you say back packing are you meaning hitch hiking?

[ Edit: Edited on 07-Nov-2009, at 02:41 by jambo101 ]

Thank you, i will definately look into it. If you can think of any other really beautiful places that i could visit just post them up! Again, thanks for the info guys!

Check out this interactive site for some nice scenic places to go, and if you look in the top left of the link it shows you how to get a free book
http://www.byways.org/

[ Edit: Edited on 08-Nov-2009, at 08:23 by jambo101 ]

[quote=jambo101]
$25 rent a car?? and one that you are going to tour N.America in??You'll have to send me the link to this place as most rent a car places are $100 per day plus mileage charges

I've rented many cars in the USA and Canada, for a lot less than $100 a day and never paid mileage.

[ Edit: Edited on 08-Nov-2009, at 13:55 by BedouinLeo ]