Backpacking can be a very rewarding and affordable way to travel around a variety of diverse countries, and offers a wonderful sense of freedom to go where you please and stop whenever you want to admire the scenery and local culture.

It is a good idea to make some basic plans before you leave on your trip, to ensure you have a good idea of how to get around and what places there are to dine and stay at during your trip that will meet your budget demands.

One of the first things you will need to decide is your destination.  You could choose to start in one area and then make you way across to another destination, and this could be a leisurely coast to coast trip in one country, or an epic trek across a continent, and this will give you some structure to your trip.

When choosing your destination you should consider some important factors such as safety and climate, so if you are going to an area with any kind of political instability check it is safe to travel before you leave, and also look out for monsoon seasons which can make travel very hot, humid and uncomfortable and can also cause delays with transport networks.:)

In the hectic pace of modern life it can sometimes be difficult to make enough time to spend just enjoying your loved ones company, and so a romantic getaway is the perfect opportunity to devote time to focusing on your relationship, and reaffirming your love for one another.

Duration

Romantic getaways can be any duration, but if you do have a busy schedule or other family commitments a couple of days away can be perfect, and there are many destinations that cater specifically to romantic weekend breaks such the Pergolese Hotel in Paris which is located just a few steps from the stunning Champs Elysees area, full of chic shops, cafes and restaurants.

Activities

You may want to just stay in your hotel and enjoy leisurely meals and gentle walks around the local area, or you may want to arrange some fun activities on your romantic break such as hot air balloon trips, sleigh rides or boat tours around nearby lakes, rivers or harbours.  Discuss with your partner first and make sure you both agree on how you would like to spend your precious times away together.

Although it is not a legal requirement to have travel insurance when you go aboard on holiday, accidents can happen and insurance can protect you and your family against cancellations, injuries, illness or lost luggage and money.  Therefore you should try and include travel insurance as a standard part of your budget when booking any holiday, and there are some affordable policies around which can provide good cover for those with limited funds available.

If you travel abroad more than once a year it is often cheaper to get annual travel insurance policies rather than taking out separate policies on each individual trip.  This will also normally cover you for trips in your home country as well.

Remember that if you are going on an adventure holiday you need to make sure you get adequate insurance to cover those more active entertainments such as skiing, white water rafting etc.  Also some carriers will charge premiums for covering extreme sports such as skydiving or bungee jumping, or indeed may refuse to cover you for these high risk activities at all.