How Many Regions to Visit: I advise two to three regions for a trip of up to four weeks, and one or two for anything under two weeks. The reason is arithmetic more than taste. In the United States (USA), getting between regions often eats an entire day, and each extra region costs you roughly a day of transit plus a day of recovery. Four regions in three weeks leaves you with a lot of rental car interiors and very little else. Two or three regions give each place 5 to 8 days, enough to hike, eat, get lost once and still make the flight home.
Prioritizing by Kind of Region: Backpackers choosing between the wild interior, the coasts and the cities are really weighing time, money and comfort at once, and the best value depends on style. For nature-first travelers, the mountain and desert regions …
read more 👉 How Many Regions to Visit: I advise two to three regions for a trip of up to four weeks, and one or two for anything under two weeks. The reason is arithmetic more than taste. In the United States (USA), getting between regions often eats an entire day, and each extra region costs you roughly a day of transit plus a day of recovery. Four regions in three weeks leaves you with a lot of rental car interiors and very little else. Two or three regions give each place 5 to 8 days, enough to hike, eat, get lost once and still make the flight home.
Prioritizing by Kind of Region: Backpackers choosing between the wild interior, the coasts and the cities are really weighing time, money and comfort at once, and the best value depends on style. For nature-first travelers, the mountain and desert regions give the most, since national park entry is low relative to what you get: US$20 to 35 per vehicle or US$15 to 20 per person on foot, with the America the Beautiful annual pass at US$80 paying for itself after three or four parks. They cost time, because everything is far apart, and comfort is basic if you camp, but campsites at US$15 to 35 a night keep money pressure low. For culture and food, the Northeast and Pacific cities cost the most in money, with hostel dorms at US$40 to 80 and private rooms at US$120 to 250, but they save time because public transit works and you do not need a car. For slow, social travel, the South and Midwest are the cheapest on the ground, with motels at US$60 to 100, but you will need a car and patience. If I had to pick one for the most return on every dollar and day, it is a national park region with a rental car split between two or three travelers.
What It Costs Per Day: A shoestring backpacker camping and cooking can manage US$50 to 80 a day in the cheaper regions. A mid-range traveler using hostels, some restaurants and public transit should budget US$120 to 200 a day, and big cities push that to US$200 to 300. Eating out is a real line item: a casual meal runs US$15 to 25 before a 18 to 20 percent tip, which is not optional. A trip of three weeks across two or three regions realistically costs US$2,500 to 5,000 excluding international flights. Cars are the biggest decision. Rentals run US$50 to 100 a day plus fuel at roughly US$3 to 4.50 a gallon, and drivers under 25 pay a surcharge of about US$25 to 30 a day. Domestic flights between regions are US$80 to 300 if booked a few weeks ahead. Park shuttles, guided tours and permits add up: a guided day in a park is US$100 to 250, and backcountry permits are often US$6 to 30 plus a reservation fee.
Comfort and Convenience Choices: Camping saves the most money and costs you comfort in cold weather, so carry a bag rated to freezing even in summer in the mountains. Hostels are scarce outside major cities, so in rural regions the realistic choice is a motel or a tent. Booking ahead is mostly worth the stress in summer: popular parks fill lodging and campsites months ahead, and the walk-up option is a gamble that costs time and money when it fails.
Safety Considerations: The big risks are rarely crime. They are driving fatigue, heat and altitude, wildlife and water. In desert regions carry at least 1 gallon (4 liters) of water per person per day and start hikes at dawn. At elevations above 8,000 feet (2,400 m), headaches are common on day one, so go easy. Keep a safe distance from bears, bison and elk, at least 25 yards (23 m) from most animals and 100 yards (91 m) from bears and wolves, and store food as the park requires. Cell service disappears in many rural regions, so download offline maps. In cities, the usual awareness applies: keep valuables out of parked cars, where break-ins are common in some tourist areas. Emergency number is 911, and health care is excellent but very costly, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
Cultural Notes: Tipping is expected at 18 to 20 percent in restaurants and US$1 to 2 a drink at bars, because staff wages assume it. Prices on menus and shelves exclude sales tax, which varies from 0 to about 10 percent by state, so the total is higher at the register. Strangers tend to be chatty and friendly, and small talk is part of the transaction. Regions differ in politics and pace, so avoid opening with politics or guns and let people raise it. Public transit outside big cities is thin, and walking along rural roads is unusual and sometimes unsafe. Respect land rules, especially on tribal lands, where some areas need permits, and photography or access may be restricted.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.