The Couchsurfing project keeps growing, with more than 904,000+ members in 230+ countries.

As part of the mission the project intends to “internationally network people and places” and “facilitate cultural understanding”, which I would say is pretty much in line with Flashpackers interests.

Is Couchsurfing a good solution for Flashpackers though? I’d like to hear what Flashpackers out there think. Have you ever tried it? Did it feel like “Backpacking with a Flash”? Here’s some points to get the discussion started.

Yes, Couchsurfing is for Flashpackers. After all Flashpackers are independent travellers, and love to really get to know the culture and lifestyle of the place they’re visiting. What better way to do that than a person living there showing you around, having you to sleep in their place and participate to their lifestyle?

Unlucky Couchsurfing or... Very Lucky Couchsurfing? Or is it luck at all?

Definitely not. Couchsurfing can limit your freedom and independence as a Flashpacker. First of all you need to plan your trip quite in advance rather than just hop from one place to another. Then in case you decide to stay longer in a certain destination you have to negotiate with your host or find another one. What if tonight you’d like to go to a place different from the one your host is suggesting? Wouldn’t it be bad to be stuck for dinner with your potential messy-chef host when you’re dying to visit that restaurant you read about?

Couchsurfing is the ultimate way to Flashpack! Instead of sleeping in hostels you get proper homes, the company of somebody who knows his/her way around the place and all this.. for free!!

No way! Sleeping on a couch? Being stuck in the house of somebody you don’t really know? Is that really travelling in style??

I haven’t been Couchsurfing, so I’m just brainstorming here, hoping to start a good discussion. Looking forward to hear from more experienced Couchsurfers and Flashpackers in the Comments section below!

Happy Flashpacking & Couchsurfing!

One of the things that strikes me most is that there are so many Flashpackers out there, but only few of them are aware of being one.

So often I meet travellers around the world and they tell me that yes, they do love travelling independently, and to travel for a long time they need to be on a budget, but still they don’t really want to sleep in a dorm with 20 other people.

They like to enjoy a good glass of wine, and try local delicacies. Having been on the road for a long time they met all kind of travellers, and now feel like running away when they see a big group from an organised tour, or when a cruise ship arrives on the island they’re staying.

And yes, they all have an mp3 player and a digital camera (but hey, who hasn’t nowadays?) and many do carry a laptop with them.

To me, they are Flashpackers. And when I mention the term to them they like it. They don’t feel they are Backpacking, but something close to it. They wouldn’t call themselves Backpackers but don’t have another term to describe the way they are travelling.

Let’s be clear here. We’re not trying to categorise or pigeon-hole travellers. But for all those people I met it was comforting to know that they are not they only ones travelling in that way, and that there are so many like them around the world, that a new phenomenon, with a proper name is now happening. And that proper name is Flashpacking.

Some unaware Flashpackers even felt bad about upgrading to a single room or having dinner in a nice restaurants, because that was not the Backpacker thing to do.

I hope then that The Tux in Backpack can help clarifying things a bit, and evangelise the Flashpacking phenomenon. Once Flashpacking is fully recognised hostels, hotels and all kind of tourist organisation will offer more options, customised for Flashpackers. Some of them already started, but there’s still a lot of work to be done there.

So enjoy being a full aware Flashpacker, and help spread the world!

Are you a Flashpacker?

Although we wouldn’t take the test literally it’s very entertaining and will give you a good idea; plus it was posted in 2006!! Way before the whole Flashpacking phenomenon exploded. So here it is, and check out the original post here as well.

1 – The bus doesn’t turn up and you’re trapped in an unfamiliar town. Do you …

a) check your Lonely Planet guidebook to see if any local hostels will accept friendship bracelets as payment
b) rant at your travel operator, then draw up a list of people to sue
c) walk your Mastercard straight to the front desk of the nearest Hilton

2 – You’re thinking of doing some trekking on your trip, but that means getting the right footwear …

a) those army surplus boots you wore for the Duke of Edinbugh award will be fine
b) if you really do have to schlep from the hotel to the bar, your pink strappy sandals will take the strain
c) the new Extreme Arctic Trekking Sandals might be £115, but you can’t compromise on these things

3 – You’ve just arrived in town, which restaurant catches your eye?

a) the one playing Basement Jaxx and offering all-you-can-eat banana pancakes
b) anywhere the tour guide takes you. I’ll have the menu in English, please
c) it’s a 20-minute cab ride away, but they say it serves the best snake soup on earth.

4 – You bought it last holiday, it’s cluttering up the spare room …

a) a didgeridoo — would you like to hear me play it?
b) a straw donkey — somehow, the irony rubbed off on the flight home
c) the deed to your 20 acres of protected equatorial rainforest

5 – Most of your dinner-party travel stories start like this …

a) “We started on the local beers, then something with no label on the bottle …”
b) “We found it on the internet, 14 nights for the price of seven …”
c) “We were actually the first white people the tribe had ever met …”

Now check your answers …

Mostly As: see you at the full-moon party — you’re pure backpacker.
Mostly Bs: there’s no shame in taking it easy — you’re all suitcase.
Mostly Cs: welcome to the new club, you’re most definitely a Flashpacker.

So which one are you? Would you agree with the test? Let us know your thoughts..

In the maze of Flashpacking definitions found online is refreshing to read something that doesn’t define the Flashpacker simply as someone backpacking on a bigger budget or with tech gadgets. While exploring the relationship between Thailand and Flashpacking the Thailand Musing post throws more light on the figure of the Flashpacker.

New elements appear, like for example the “fair trade” one: “Another inheritance from the backpacker ethos is a sense of responsibility, especially ‘fair trade’. Flashpackers tend to favor community operators and independent hotels over corporate chains.”

Moreover the Flashpacker is not only someone a bit older than a Flashpacker, but “often a veteran backpacker and very experience with independent travel”. That would explain how it is possible to Flashpack even if you don’t have a huge budget; the know-how, allowing you to book comfortable flights over bus rides and comfortable accommodations over dorms without spending much more. And speaking of which low-cost-no-frills airlines are mentioned as well as one of the main Flashpackers’ transportation.

Definitely one of the most objectives and complete definition of a Flashpacker. Check it out, you never know, it might get you in the mood to Flashpack in Thailand!