For seasoned long-term travelers and bloggers on topics, our friend Matt Kepness’s Nomad Mat It is an indisputable authority. He is a travel media maven and we are honored that he spoke at his meetings, presented webinars to the nomadic network community, and invited us to write articles for his website. We believe in the transformational power of slow travel and the fact that this life-changing experience is not reserved for the wealthy. In fact, travelling at an affordable price is an insider strategy that not only saves money, but often leads to more local and immersive experiences. (More details on this and more about the Nomadic Matt interview below!))
Matt’s latest book, Learn how to learn the life of an epic travel experience without breaking the bank How to Travel the World for $75 a daya must-read. Second edition of this New York Times The bestselling book has done a great job of dealing with the massive changes to the travel industry in recent years, offering exciting ways to come. Highly relevant and packed with unique advice, 368 Pager is divided into three sections: travel planning, street costs and global travel by region. Reading it, we felt like we nodded our heads in full agreement and were also impressed by the clever hints and fresh resources it surfaced.
Nomad Mat Interview
There’s a ton of learning from this book and the author himself! That’s why we’re excited to share our Q&A with Matt Kepnes. How to Travel the World for $75 a daywhat you can learn from this important travel guide.
Before we enter your new book, let us know a little about yourself…
On my 2005 trip to Thailand, I was inspired by several backpackers and left my job and traveled for a year. I left in 2006, but instead of leaving for a year, I left for 18 months. When I returned in 2008, I started a blog, nomadicmatt.comAs a way to get freelance writing jobs so I can continue on my trip. Partly, not many people blog about how to travel long term on a budget and needed this hard-to-find information, so the website took off and one day I woke up and realized I had a career. I’ve been doing it for 17 years now.
Something that motivated me to update and create old books How to Travel the World for $75 a day?
The final edition was announced in 2017 and many things have changed around the world since due to Covid. The pandemic has forever changed the travel industry. Many businesses are shut down, old ways to save money are outdated, new ways are born, new companies are created, destinations change, and of course prices are rising significantly.
With travel changes so much, I wanted it to reflect the current situation people are facing when it comes to planning their trip, saving money, and navigating regions around the world. The way to become a smart budget traveler is very different from the 2017 version, so I wanted to make sure everyone has the latest updates on what it will look like.
What are the exciting updates for the new edition?
in How to Travel the World for $75 a dayyou will find a lot of new information. I rewrite about 80% of this book as many trips have changed. I thought it would be a simple update, but it turned out to be a major rewrite! Some important changes:
- New section on collecting and redemption of points and miles
- A fully updated resource section filled with companies and accommodations I love
- More on overtourism and how to become a responsible traveler
- Completely revised, updated and expanded destination sections, including new prices, ways to save money, places to eat, accommodation, transportation and activities
- New trips and tricks on how to save money before you go
- New ways to buy accommodation including how to get a free stay
- New ways to save on transportation with new information about transportation paths
I think a lot of people will only stay at $75...
They do – and they are both at the extremes of the spectrum! Some people think that is too much because they are “real travelers” and can make it cheaper (there are always people who want to prove they’re better travelers than someone else), or because they were told that travel is expensive, so the numbers aren’t enough.
In reality, mileage varies across travel around the world. Some people will do it to do it more, some will do it less. The destinations are different, so it depends heavily on where you go. However, this number is based on experiences of traveling around the world many times, running the standard “budget travel/backpacker” routes.
What about people who aren’t trying to travel around the world? How will this book be useful to them?
Don’t get caught up in the title. Even if you’re planning a long trip or taking a week’s holiday, we all fly on the same plane, so we have to find a way to find cheap flights… new zealand…How to find local food in Paris…The same situation and strategies apply to all of us. The only difference is that shorter trips can’t expand the cost as long trips. So you may not be able to get under $75 a day.
This book is about helping people find deals and show their readers the strategies and tactics they need to travel like a pro and save money.
What are your three biggest tips for travelers? (Without giving away all the secrets of the book!)
Here are three things people can do to achieve maximum victory with minimal effort:
1. Be flexible with your travel dates. Differences per day mean a difference of several hundred dollars. You’ll go to the cheapest locations for flights. Check out Google’s flight “Explore” option to see where the cheapest flights are and start there.
2. Travel as you live. You don’t eat out every day at home or spend a lot of money, so why do you do that on the road? Head to the local market, take public transport, stay in the bookstore, have an Airbnb experience and cook your own food. Don’t go to all the famous attractions and tourist restaurants.
3. Collect points and miles. Credit card points can come a long way to reduce travel costs. If you can pay back your invoices each month, there is no reason not to have a credit card to earn points. I explain this in detail in the book and in my website.
Given that a lot of information is available online for free, why is this book worth getting?
If anything, the fact that there is a fire station with information available online makes this book even more necessary. How do you know what information is true? What have been recently updated? Where do you start by searching and starting a process? In this book, we know that everything is fact-certified by a team of people. It’s up to date and has everything you need to get started. You don’t need to search infinitely on blogs, Tiktok, Instagram and have 1 million browser tabs open. I only need one book and am planning on going!
What kind of travel plans do you have this year?
good, I’m about to start a 3-week book tour (hopefully you can join me)! We also travelled to work in Oaxaca, Scandinavian summers, then Oman, China and the Caribbean! This year I want to take a short trip so I can continue exploring the world while still maintaining some of my roots at home!
Thank you for the interview, Nomad Matt! Be sure to pick up a copy of How to Travel the World for $75 a day I’ll leave a review. It means the world for our authors!
