I’ll be flying into London, England on the 28th of May, 2012 and staying in the area for approximately six nights before cycling east toward Belgium and then heading north towards Amsterdam after that. See my current travel plans right here.

I am hoping to find a few people who would be kind enough to host me (and my bicycle) for a night or two in the London area (or anywhere within about 60 miles of London, England) between the dates of May 28th and June 2, 2012.

If you would be willing to help me out, please leave a comment below or use the form on this page to contact me.

Thanks so much!

Instead of writing up an answer to each of Danny’s questions and simply sending them back to him via email, I’ve decided (with Danny’s permission of course) to publish both Danny’s questions and my answers in this article. My hope by doing this is that you also might be asking yourself some of the same questions that Danny is asking… and that my answers might help you as well as you go about the process of planning and preparing for your upcoming bicycle touring adventure.

So, without further ado… here are Danny’s questions and my answers:

1. Basically, I have not biked at all much since I was 10 years old and now have to start all over again I got to used to driving all over the place. The problem I have is basically I am out of shape- whenever I peddle on my bike as hard as I can in the highest gears I get tired after going only about four or five miles and everyone else on the path zips right past me. For example, I went in a circle one time on my new bike about 30 miles round trip. The final 7 miles of the path were on an asphalt trail that was not completely flat- it must have went up at a very slight incline. And it took me an hour and five minutes just to go the final seven miles, I constantly had to stop and rest my legs were too tired to pedal. I could not go more than 9 mph at the very fastest and I must have averaged only about 7 mph. So how do I train my legs so I can cycle faster at a speed for a longer period of time without getting exhausted so quickly? My goal is to go at an average speed of 12-15 mph for several hours at a time, so I can travel about 100 miles per day, sleep, and then continue on the next day. But how do I make it so I can keep pedaling at a good 13 or 14 mph without slowing down after the first 20 minutes?

This is a two-part answer. The first part of the answer has to simply do with getting in shape and cycling with proper form. The getting in shape part takes some time, but it is relatively easy. Ride your bike as much as you possibly can… and you will get in better shape and riding your bike will become considerably easier. As for riding with proper form, there are probably a number of good books on this subject, but what I recommend you do is that you find someone in your area who knows a lot about cycling and ask him or her for assistance. When it comes to form, you can read about it all you want, but having someone there in person to help you make changes on your bike is the best way to improve.

The second part of my answer has to do with your expectation of consistently cycling 13 to 14 mph and traveling up to 100 miles per day. The problem with this expectation is that, for most people at least, it is entirely unrealistic. Under ideal weather conditions and on totally flat ground, 13 to 14 miles per hour is a realistic goal. But when you account for hills, traffic, wind, rain, navigation, etc… going 13 to 14 miles per hour isn’t always possible.

The same can be said for your plans of cycling 100 miles day after day. Most people who go on a long-distance bicycle tour travel about 50 to 60 miles in a single day, so right off the bat you are trying to double what most people tend to do. 100 miles is a long ways to travel on a bicycle and to cover that distance for several days on end takes an extreme amount of physical and mental power. If you are currently struggling to ride less than 30 miles on your bike, setting a goal to ride 100 miles day after day is just not realistic.

Like I recommend to all of my readers here at Bicycle Touring Pro, you’ve got to work your way up to those longer distances before you even begin thinking about them. Start out by cycling about 20 miles per day. Then 30. Then 40… and 50… and 60. Then, once you are comfortable with going at least 60 miles per day, then you can start thinking about tackling a 100 mile or longer course. And even after tackling that 100 mile day, you might think twice about doing another 100 mile ride the very next day. Your body is likely to be tired, sore, and in need of rest.

The problem with wanting to keep a consistent pace (13 – 14 mph) and traveling a certain distance each day (100 miles per day) is that for most people, this just simply is not realistic. And if you get it in your head that you have to be keeping that pace and covering those kinds of distances day after day… and you start out on day one and aren’t instantly keeping pace, your mind starts to think negatively and you give up on yourself and the rest of your bike tour.

I’ve seen this happen to dozens and dozens of people. They spend months planning their bicycle tour, they buy all this expensive equipment, but they get out there on day one with a bunch of unrealistic expectations, they find that riding their bicycle with a full load of gear is a whole lot hearder than they expected, they drop behind schedule, they begin thinking about all the miles they’ve got in front of them, and they give up right then and there.

Don’t be one of those people! Start slow. Don’t expect too much from yourself. And enjoy the ride rather than worrying about how fast you are going, how many miles you are covering, or when you are going to get to your final destination.

2. I am having a hard time picking out exactly the right bike. I know there are several brands that are most popular like Trek, Schwinn, Cannondale, Fuji, and Specialized. Right now, I have a TREK FX 7.2. But they told me at a large TREK store in the city of Highland Park, Illinois that the FX model of bikes is not recommended for long road trips- it is more for just going as fast as you can for a short time period as a form of exercise like jogging. So what would be the ideal model and brand of bike for going on longer distance, adventure types of trips for a week at a time? Is TREK a good brand or are there better brands you’d recommend? Another big problem is this: I cannot spend more than six or seven hundred dollars at the very most on a bike. So if I sell to someone the FX I got right now for a better road bike- a lot of the TREK road bikes cost like 2 or 3 thosand dollars its ridiculous. However, TREK also makes models like the 720 or the 7,200 that are only 350-500 dollars. Are the 720 and 7200 good models as well for long distance trips? If not, do you know of any model I can get as a road bike that is under 700 dollars? I am not spending 3000 dollars on a bicycle thats just ridiculous. I just need a bike that has good gear shifts, is one where I can hook up saddle bags and panears with clothing on them, and one that can take me about 90 to 100 miles per day for seven or eight days at a time.

As for what kind of touring bicycle you need in order to carry all your equipment and transport you several hundred miles across the country, yes, I can recommend a number of excellent touring bicycles for you – See Here. However, none of these bicycles sell for $600 – $700 when they are brand new. Most touring bicycles start at around $1,100 and go up from there.

The Trek 520, for example, which is an excellent little touring bike, sells for a little over $1,300 when it is brand new ( and that’s without tax factored in).

The cheapest touring bike I know of is the GT Peace Tour, which sells for about $850 off the shop floor. The Surly Long Haul Trucker and the Fuji Touring are also good, cheap choices.

If you only have $600 – $700 at your disposal, you are probably going to have to find a used touring bicycle… or you’re going to have to negotiate a major deal with one of your local bike shops. It may take some time to find a bike for that price, but it can be done.

3. My next question is about navigating and traveling on a bicycle. Like I said before, I am not looking for a super thin racing bike where people just go as fast as they can for exercising or racing. I plan on using a bike for long distance trips where I can explore a variety of national parks, state parks, forest preserves, and other protected areas. Now I know that each county- (mine is Cook County, Illinois) has a whole network of cycling trails and paths to go on. But the problem is the last time I tried to ride my bike from a Chicago suburb north to the Wisconsin borderline, I only got about 14 miles and then I could not find what happened to the trail. Sometimes you know a trail that is for biking will break up in a town or city and then you have to go down a city street to find it again. So then I only got about half way to Wisconsin and had to turn back. When your cycling like that, how do you figure out ahead of time where the trail is located exactly throughout its entire path so you don’t end up screwing up where your going? I mean the last thing I need is to go on a long distance trip from Chicago to Wisconsin and then wander off the path halfway. Are there any websites or people I can call that you know of that are responsible for maintaining bike trails? That way I can map it out ahead of time. Also, how do you find the maps for where your going on a path? I was trying to stay North last time and ended up veering west without even realizing it.

Again, I have to say that when you go on these long distance bike tours, you can’t have unrealistic expectations about keeping a certain pace or never losing your way. Especially in the cities! When you cycle in the countryside, it is easy sometimes to just put your head down and crank out the miles. But in the cities there is often times a huge amount of navigation work that needs to be done… and your distance per hour is certain to slow.

As for how to navigate the bicycle paths in your area, this is going to depend on where you live and how well the bike paths are maintained. For you there in Illinois, this website has a number of maps that you can purchase, which give you detailed information on the various routes that run throughout the state of Illinois. Many other states and countries have similar websites and maps if you simply take the time to seek them out.

Having a map with you (and knowing how to use it) is going to be a huge help when navigating your way across long distances on your bicycle. But don’t get upset if you take a wrong turn and go the wrong way. It happens to everyone – even me! When it happens, just recognize your mistake, turn around, and get yourself back on track. Also, don’t be afraid to ask strangers for assistance. Most people are usually more than happy to help you find your way – especially if they know the area well.

4. I want to keep track of the miles I travel on this bike- so are there like these bike calculators you can buy for doing that? I don’t want a fancy Garmin GPS for my bike I just need something that tells me the miles I have gone and the speed I am going at. What would be the right product for that that is cheap?

This is easy. The cheaper alternative to the fancy electronic GPS device, that many bicyclists are now carrying, is the “bicycle computer“. These small devices cost about $20 – $100 USD and they measure the rate at which your wheels are spinning, which tells the computer exactly how fast you are going and how many miles you have covered. If you don’t want to get a GPS device and all you want is something that can measure how far you have gone and how fast you are going, then this is it! But be warned, staring at these things all day and focusing too much on the numbers can be emotionally draining – especially if your expectations are too high. Be sure to read my article on why you might consider cycling without one of these devices.

5. How do I sell the TREK bike I got right now? How do I ship it and what website do I go to to post the bid for it online?

I would try selling your current bicycle in your local area first. Try placing an ad on Craigslist.org (I’ve bought and sold bicycles from that website multiple times). If that doesn’t work, you may want to place an ad in your local newspaper, or simply take the bicycle to one of your local bike shops and ask them if they can sell your bike for you. If you take it to a bike shop, they’ll be able to tell you how much the bike can reasonably sell for (it might not be worth as much as you think) and they’ll take a commission (a percentage of the final sale price) if and when they do sell the bike. I wouldn’t try selling the bike online until you have done all these other things first.

6. What do you do if your riding on a trail in the middle of let’s say a 400 mile bike trip and then it starts to rain on you? Can a bike handle heavy rain? Also- should I keep the bike in the tightest gearshift as long as I can keep pedaling at that gear shift?

If you are out on your bike and it starts to rain, you have two choices. 1) You can continue to ride in it. Your bike should be fine in the rain. Just wipe your bike down as best you can once the rain stops, so as to protect it from rust and corrosion. Or 2) You can pull over and get under some protection of some kind and wait the rain storm out. The choice is up to you!

The second part of this question again has to do with how exactly you are supposed to ride a bicycle. You don’t necessarily want to be in the lowest gear possible all the time. That’s a good way to tire yourself out and blow out your knees prematurely. Like I said earlier, there are probably some good books on this subject, but the best thing for you to do might be to find a good cyclist in your area who can teach you the proper way to ride a bicycle.

7. If I start out on a long distance cycling trip that takes several days to complete- where do you sleep along the way? I mean there are plenty of forest preserves where I live in Glencoe, Illinois but your not allowed to sleep in them overnight. Are there special oases along the trails for bikers that you can sleep out in? How do I find where they are located? Also what about campsites- then how do I pack like a tent or sleeping bag on my bike?

Finding places to sleep each night is, for me at least, one of the most difficult and stressful parts of bicycle touring. In some parts of the world, finding a place to sleep at night is a total breeze. There may be campsites, hostels, and hotels for as far as the eye can see. But in other parts of the world, finding a place to sleep at night (especially a cheap place to sleep) is almost impossible. So it just depends on where you are and how much money you are willing to spend.

If you plan to camp on your bicycle tours and your tour is relatively short (less than a month in length) you can use the Internet to find and plot out all of the campgrounds along your route in advance. Then, once you hit the road, you’ll know exactly where each campground is located and how far you have to pedal that day in order to reach the next campground. See this article on route planning.

Some bicycle maps, like the ones produced by the Adventure Cycling Association for example, also contain detailed information on where exactly you can find lodging of all types along their various routes.

And as for how exactly you should carry your tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat on your bicycle, see these four articles/videos:

• How to pack your bicycle panniers.
• An inside look at packing your panniers.
• How to pack your bicycle for a long-distance bike tour.
• 7 Tips for packing your panniers.

Well Danny, I hope this helps. If not, these topics and a whole lot more are covered inside my book, The Bicycle Traveler’s Blueprint.

Good luck out there… and have fun! If I could give you any additional advice it would be this: Worry less about how fast you are going or how many miles you are covering… and do your best to simply enjoy the ride.

International travel is cheap!

I proved it in 2009  when I traveled through Europe on my bicycle for 9 months and came home from that trip with 70% more money in my bank account than when I left.

And I’m proving it again this year, as I’ve been traveling for the past three months through the South American country of Peru and living off an amount far less than what it takes for me to sit on my ass back home and do absolutely nothing.

But guess what? I’m not just sitting on my ass and doing nothing here in Peru. In fact, I’m doing a whole lot of amazing stuff… and it’s costing me a boatload less than what it costs for me to simply exist back at home in the United States.

With that said, it’s that time when I sum up exactly what I’ve been doing for the past month in regards to my travels… and I share with you just how much my travel adventures have cost me.

My hope in sharing this information with you is that you’ll learn how much it costs to travel through these places that I’m currently traveling through. But more importantly, I hope that this summary of my travel expenses proves to you that you can travel the world… and that it can be done for a relatively small amount of money.

So, without further ado, here are my travel expenses for the month of February 2011:

Lodging: 630 PEN – $227.48 USD

My biggest expense this month was lodging. I spent the first part of the month in a hostel in Puno, I spent a few nights camping (which was free), and I spend the latter half of the month in Cuzco, Peru. I’m paying about 25 Soles (or PEN) per night for my lodging accommodations (about $9 USD), so while lodging was my largest expense this month, it is still only a fraction of what I pay for my lodging back home.

USB Internet Stick: 529 PEN – $191.01 USD

The Internet here in Peru is terrible. In fact, I’ve been having a really hard time finding hostels in Peru that have fast, reliable Internet. I got so fed up with the Internet situation after arriving in Cusco a few weeks back that I decided to spend a small boatload of money and purchase a USB Internet stick for my computer. The thing cost nearly $200 and comes with a 6-month contract, so it’s probably something I should have bought at the beginning of my trip instead of half-way through, but I bought the thing in hopes of being able to actually get some work done during my remaining three months in the country. Unfortunately, the Internet stick DOES work, but it is terribly slow and runs at only a fraction of the speed the company promised me it would run. I did the math on the speed of the Internet here in Peru compared to the Internet connection I have back at home… and my Internet connection back home is more than 1,000 times faster than what I’m working off of here in Peru. To say that the Internet here is slow would be an severe understatement…. and having a fast Internet connection is one of the top things I’m looking forward to once I return home.

Food & Drinks: 519.6 PEN – $187.62 USD

I spent a lot of money on food this month. But you know what? I ate out… A LOT. I probably ate out at restaurants at least 1 time each day this month… and that added a few extra Soles to my overall spending. But even eating out so frequently, I was still able to keep my food and drink expenses under $200 USD.

Tricycle: 250 PEN – $90.27 USD

Another major expense for me this month was the tricycle taxi cab I purchased in Puno, Peru. I bought the tricycle after seeing all the locals riding them around… and when I left Puno earlier this month… I left on the three-wheeled tricycle you see above. I rode the thing for two-days straight with plans of riding it all the way to Cuzco. But when I woke up on day 3, the tricycle was broken and I was unable to repair it. So I abandoned the tricycle and took a bus to Cusco from here. I may have wasted $90 on the tricycle, but the two-day experience of riding it through Southern Peru was more than worth the money spent.

Cusco Tourist Ticket: 130 PEN – $46.94 USD

Once in Cusco, I purchased the Boleto Turistico, which is an overpriced tourist ticket that gets you into 16 different sites in and around Cusco, Peru. The ticket is good for a number of museums and things inside the Cusco city center, but it’s also good for entrance to a number of Inca ruins that lie outside of Cusco itself. I visited many of these sites with my father (who flew down from California this past week to accompany me here in Peru), but I was unable to get to all of the sites included in the ticket… and therefore, it probably wasn’t worth the money that I spent.

Tricycle Parts & Repairs: 86 PEN – $31.05 USD

Jumping back a bit (I’ve listed the expenses here from greatest to smallest), when I purchased the tricycle taxi cab in Puno, I knew that before I took off on the thing I would need to make some repairs to it. Luckily, there was a place in Puno that was willing to help me get the trike all fixed up. Three hours and thirty-one dollars later, I had a new bottom bracket, a new front axle, a raised up seat post, new pedals, and a tricycle taxi cab that was still a complete piece of junk.

Souvenirs: 77 PEN – $27.80 USD

It’s difficult to travel through Peru and not be tempted to at least consider purchasing some of the Peruvian souvenirs. The stuff is everywhere… and it’s super, super cheap (especially if you know how to haggle). This month I purchased a couple souvenir items in Puno… and a few more items in Cusco.

Socks & Belt: 34.9 PEN – $12.60 USD

Besides the souvenirs that I purchased, I also purchased a few items for me to actually wear. I bought a belt (because I’ve lost a lot of weight and my pants no longer stay above my hips without some assistance) and I bought a couple new pairs of socks (because the ones I had were rock hard, dirty, and disgusting).

Bicycle Pump, Lock, and Tools: 32 PEN – $11.55 USD

Back to my tricycle taxi cab. When I was preparing the trike for it’s long haul across the Peruvian Altiplano, I not only made some repairs to the thing, but I also purchased a lock for the trike, a pump, some spare tubes, and a wrench in case of an accident out there on the road. Unfortunately, I never used a single one of these items, because by the time the tricycle broke down, these items were no longer needed. In the end, I abandoned these items along with the trike. Nearly $12 wasted.

Puno Parade: 30 PEN – $10.83 USD

While in Puno there was a huge festival that took place to celebrate the Virgin of the Candelaria. This festival lasted several days, but the big event was a massive parade with more than 30,000 people from all over the area participating. In order to watch the parade, I had to pay 30 Soles for a bleacher seat… and that small expense was added to my total for the month.

DVDs: 28 PEN – $10.11 USD

Now, I’m not traveling all the time. In fact, I’m spending a lot of time indoors, by myself, with nothing to do. And because of this, I spent a few dollars this month on DVDs to watch on my laptop. I watched “The Black Swan,” “The Social Network,” and “Buried” (all of which I highly recommend). Back home, DVD’s cost about $10 – $20 USD to buy… and as little as $1.06 to rent from my local Red Box. But here in Peru, you can get Black Market DVD’s for as little as $0.72 each.

Bus Ride: 21 PEN – $7.58 USD

I only took one bus this month, but it was a long and interesting ride. I traveled from Juliaca in the south (near Puno) to Cusco in the north. The ride lasted about 8.5 hours, but it only cost me $7.58 (and that included the bus terminal tax). I dare you to find me an 8.5 hour bus ride anywhere in North America that costs less than $8 dollars.

Uros Floating Islands Boat: 20 PEN – $7.22 USD

One of the fun things I did this month is that I took a ride out to the floating islands on Lake Titicaca. These floating islands, made of reeds, are the homes of several thousand native Peruvian people. While the reed islands today are largely inauthentic tourist attractions, there are still parts of the islands where native people live in peace and go about their days just as their ancestors did several hundred years ago.

Taxi Rides: 20 PEN – $7.22 USD

I normally avoid taxis like the plague, but with my father visiting me in Cusco, Peru for a week, we took a few taxi cabs together… and I totaled on the cost for those short rides to my total expenses for the month. Note how narrow the streets are in Cusco. That’s my dad on the right and a taxi cab squeezing past him on the left.

Toiletries: 16.5 PEN – $5.96 USD

Yup! I had to buy toilet paper this month… and shampoo… and soap… and a few other personal items. That’s what happens when you travel for months on end. The toiletries you have on hand eventually run out and you have to resupply. Fortunately, the toiletry expenses I did rack up this month were far from substantial. I ended up paying less than six US Dollars for everything I needed.

Combi Rides: 14 PEN – $5.06 USD

February was the month of the Combi. As I mentioned in last month’s expense report, a “combi” is a shared van that picks people up and drops them off at various locations at super cheap prices. I probably took about 20 different combi buses this month, but the things are so cheap that the rides only cost me a tad bit more than $5 US Dollars.

Inca Museum: 10 PEN  – $3.61 USD

In Cusco my father and I were told that we had to see the Inca Museum. So we paid 10 Soles to get into the place, but I wasn’t at all impressed with what I saw there. It was just another boring museum with bone fragments, clay pots, arrowheads, etc. I’ve been to way too many museums on my travels.

Sillustani Entrance Fee: 6 PEN – $2.17 USD

While the Inca Museum was somewhat of a bust, one place that I went this month that was totally worth the money  (only $2.17 USD) was the Sillustani ruins – just outside of Puno. After ditching my tricycle, I backtracked on foot to these ruins and spent the night camped out on the tiny peninsula where the ruins are located. I had the entire place to myself and the views from my campsite over the nearby lake were absolutely spectacular.

Motor Taxi: 2 PEN – $0.72 USD

My last and smallest expense for the month was a single ride in a motor taxi through the streets of Juliaca. After taking one combi into the city, I jumped in the first motor taxi to come my way and asked that I be driven to the bus terminal. The ride only lasted a few minutes, but it cost me seventy-two cents… and I was on my way!

TOTAL: 2,456 PEN – $886.81 USD

In the end, this month cost me 2,456 Peruvian Soles (or $886.81 USD). It’s a bit more that the $480 some odd dollars I spent last month, but there were a few reasons for this:

1. I purchased a tricycle taxi cab this month and there were some additional expenses that went along with my short “tricycle touring” adventure.

2. I purchased a USB Internet stick for my computer.

3. I didn’t get a free place to stay this month like I did last month when I was in Arequipa.

All in all, February was one hell of a month. I did a lot, I spent a little, and I created some memories I’ll surely remember for the rest of my life.

It’s that time of the month again! The time of month when I round up my monthly travel expenses and share with you just how much it REALLY costs to travel in various places around the world.

This month I’m in Peru… and it’s definitely been one eventful month.

During the first 31 days of the year I…

• Rang in the New Year in Peru’s largest city
• Toured the Santa Catalina Convent
• Scored a free apartment in Arequipa
• Saw giant condors fly across Peru’s famous Colca Canyon
• Spent 3 days climbing a 19,101 foot Volcano
• Witnessed a massive Folk Festival in Puno, Peru
• And found the Gateway to the Gods near the shores of Lake Titicaca

Along the way I’ve been keeping track of every cent I spent… so if you’re curious to learn just how much it costs to travel through Peru for one month’s time, this write up should be of some interest to you.

Food & Drinks: 493.75 Soles ($178.26 USD)

My largest expense this month was food – not lodging. About one-third of my food and drink expenses this month went toward buying bottled water… another third went toward eating out (I probably ate out at restaurants about 15 different times)… and the remaining third went toward food and drinks that I purchased at the supermarket or smaller stores for consumption as either my breakfast, lunch or dinner.

One a side note, I’m having a really difficult time with the food here in Peru. As a vegetarian, there isn’t a whole lot to eat in Peru and the meals that I have eaten at restaurants have been far from stellar for the most part.

There was one new food that I discovered this month that I really, really like. It’s called an Api Moreno (the drink pictured above); it’s made from corn, rice and I’m not sure what else; and it sells for about 1 Sole in several small restaurants in Puno, Peru (and hopefully other cities in Peru as well). It’s a warm drink with a sweet taste and a thick filling texture. For an additional Sole you can get an empanada to go along with your drink (also shown above). If you’re ever in Peru, you should certainly give this drink a try.

Lodging: 250 Soles ($90.26 USD)

My lodging expenses were particularly low this month because of the free apartment I was able to secure in Arequipa – Peru’s second largest city. That deal, and the fact that I spent two nights sleeping in my tent, helped to keep my lodging costs down. I only had to pay for 10 nights in a hostel this month (25 Soles each night)… and that’s why this month’s lodging expenses are less than $100 US Dollars.

Gifts: 245 Soles ($88.45 USD)

One of this month’s biggest expenses were the gifts and souvenirs that I bought for myself and my family back home. I bought a large Peruvian rug (shown above), some small handbags for my sister and mom, a large white llama hair hat, and some other small Peruvian trinkets. Individually, these items were quite inexpensive, but I wanted to buy a lot of stuff because I knew that I’d be shipping it all back home… and the more stuff I could fit in the box – the better!

Postage: 119.40 Soles ($43.11 USD)

Speaking of shipping, the cost to mail home my Peruvian souvenirs set me back nearly $50 bucks. Worst of all, the process of mailing my things home was quite an experience… and even though it’s been more than three weeks since I sent my gifts back to the United States, they have yet to arrive there. My fingers are crossed that my package actually makes it.

Bus Rides: 52 Soles ($18.77 USD)

Traveling by bus is easy in Peru. There are a ton of different bus companies and they go to a number of different locations. This month I took three different buses (2 to get to Colca Canyon and back… and 1 to get from Arequipa to Puno, Peru). The bus rides were long, but the scenery along the way was spectacular and the price was certainly not a bank-buster.

Taxi Rides: 41.5 Soles ($14.98 USD)

I hate traveling in taxis, but here in Peru the taxi cab is one of the basic ways of getting from point A to point B. My longest taxi ride this month was the ride from downtown Arequipa to a small farming village near the base of the El Misti Volcano. That one ride set me back an incredible 30 Soles (more than $10 USD), but the other few taxi rides I took this month were much less expensive.

Santa Catalina Convent Entrance Fee: 35 Soles ($12.64 USD)

In addition to the free things I did this month (like climbing Arequipa’s nearby volcano), I also went to some places where I had to pay a small entrance fee. The most expensive of these places was Arequipa’s Santa Catalina Convent. While the price was high, the place was spectacular and totally worth the money.

Colca Canyon Entrance Fee: 35 Soles ($12.64 USD)

While traveling to Colca Canyon was essentially free, my travel partners and I were hit up or a 35 Sole fee once we arrived at the Condor look-out point, which is located somewhere near the middle of Colca Canyon. We tried to dodge the fee for a while, but eventually the ticket takers there tracked us down and we were forced to cough up the dough so we could see Peru’s largest flying bird.

Clothing: 24.50 Soles ($8.85 USD)

I also spoiled myself a little this month and spent a couple bucks buying a few llama and alpaca hair clothing articles. I bought a part of rainbow colored socks (shown above), a set of fingerless gloves, and a reversible beanie.

Combi Rides: 12 Soles ($4.33 USD)

In case you don’t know, a “combi” is a small passenger van that is used to transport people in Peru both short and long distances. They’re usually very cheap and very, very crowded.

This month I became an expert on traveling in a combi. I took several combi rides to get to the Gateway of the Gods, and I took several more on the way back. At one point, our small van (which is meant to hold no more than 11 people) had 21 different people and all of their belongings inside the van. It was hot, smelly, and one hell of an experience. I’m sure I’ll have a lot more combi rides to come in future months.

Toilet Paper: 6.5 Soles ($2.35 USD)

In Peru it is important to always have a little bit of toilet paper on you. Most restrooms do not supply toilet paper of any kind, so if you need to use the bathroom, you need to have your own paper. And this month I spent a couple bucks buying a large supply of toilet paper. What a fun expense, right?

Gateway To The Gods Entrance Fee: 5 Soles ($1.81 USD)

One of my major highlights this month was traveling to the Gateway to the Gods (aka “la Puerta de Hayu Marka”). The Gateway to the Gods is a large door-like structure that has been carved into some massive rocks in Southern Peru. I had learned about this place several months before arriving in Peru and it was one of the few places in Peru I absolutely knew I wanted to visit. The trip there was an exciting one, the location was incredible, but I was forced to pay a small 5 Sole entrance fee upon arrival.

Bicycle Taxi Ride: 5 Soles ($1.81 USD)

Tricycle taxi cabs are extremely popular in Puno, Peru. Tricycles are used to transport people from one side of the city to another, to haul goods across town, and as a place on which to cook and prepare local street food.

I wanted to see what it was like to ride one of these impressive tricycle taxis, so I paid a taxi owner 5 Soles to let me ride the trike myself while he sat in the passenger seat. It was a fun experience and certainly worth the small price paid.

Camera Strap: 2 Soles ($0.72 USD)

Another small expense this month was the camera strap I bought for my expensive Canon T2i Digital SLR camera. I met a couple from Belgium while I was traveling in Colca Canyon this month and they told me about how their expensive SLR camera had been ripped out of their hands by someone driving past on a motorcycle and how they had been unable to get their camera back. Their story made me realize that the same thing could very easily happy to me if I didn’t take some safety precautions, so I spent 2 Soles to purchase a small camera strap that I can attach to my wrist whenever the camera is in use. That way, if someone tries to rip the camera from my hands, the strap will ensure that the camera goes nowhere – and that it stays in my possession.

Internet: 0.50 Soles ($0.18 USD)

Finally, I paid a small fee this month for Internet. After spending three days hiking up the 19,101 foot volcano just outside of Arequipa, Peru, I wanted to email my parents and let them know that I had made it down the mountain safely. So after descending down the impressive volcano I crawled inside an Arequipa Internet shop and fired off a quick email to my parents, updated my Facebook account, and paid less than a quarter dollar for my time on the computer.

TOTAL EXPENSES: 1,331.65 Soles ($480.77 USD)

In the end, the first month of the year cost me only $480.77 US Dollars. I traveled to several Peruvian cities, saw some incredible sites, met some extraordinary people, and had some adventures I will surely remember for a very long time. And the fact that I did it all for less than $500 USD makes it all that much more impressive.

I’ll do another wrap up like this next month (I’ll still be in Peru), but in the meantime, let me know if you have any questions. Feel free to ask me about the cost of travel here in Peru, what it’s like to stay in a Peruvian hostel, how to catch a ride on a combi, or anything else you would like to know. Leave a comment below, ask a question, or just say hello.

But before I tell you how to go about receiving free hotel rooms, apartments, condos, camping sites and more using this “not-so-secret” strategy, let me tell you how I was able to recently use this technique for myself and save hundreds of dollars by securing a totally free apartment in the city of Arequipa, Peru.

This Is How I Did It:

After a 10 hour bus ride, I pulled into the city of Arequipa, Peru – the second largest city in the country. Once in Arequipa, I set out to find a place to stay for the next few weeks. You see, I’m traveling and working at the same time, so my plan was to find an apartment in Arequipa where I could simply plug in my computer and get some serious work done before heading off to my next location within the country.

So, just a few minutes after arriving in the city, I happened to run across a guy who owns one of the hostels here in town. 1) We got to talking and I told him about my desire to find a place to stay for the next few weeks. 2) He then told me he was leaving town for the next three weeks and that he was in need of a new website for his business. 3) I soon thereafter explained to the man that I design websites for a living!

As you can probably guess, this was when the magic happened.

After exchanging all of this information, a deal was quickly formed. I agreed to make the hostel owner a new website for his business… and in return he would let me stay in his apartment in downtown Arequipa while he was out of the country.

In other words: In less than 5 minutes I had met a complete stranger off the street and exchanged my web design skills for his apartment in the city center.

In the end, I’ll spend just a few hours designing this man his new website… and I’ll save hundreds of dollars because I’m not paying a single cent for my lodging over the next three weeks.

Pretty cool, right?

But now I’m guessing you want to know how you can use this same strategy to obtain free hotel rooms and apartments for yourself.

This Is How YOU Do It:

The secret to obtaining free accommodations in this case is to simply trade one of your skills or services with a lodging owner. In other words, you simply trade a valuable skill that you possess for accommodations with another individual.

Now, you might not be a web designer who can create websites and work from anywhere in the world as long as there is an Internet connection. But maybe you are a massage therapist who could massage an entire hotel staff in exchange for a week-long stay in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Or maybe you are a plumber who could go in and repair a bed and breakfast’s leaky old basement pipe in exchange for a free night’s stay in Prague, Czech Republic?

Or maybe you are an accountant who could trade your bookkeeping services for an entire month’s stay in a high-rise hotel in Tokyo, Japan?

The possibilities here are endless. The trick is for your to simply determine whether or not you have any skills that you might be able to trade for free accommodations.

The Advantage Of Trading Your Skills For Free Lodging:

Whether you know it or not, this is just one of the strategies I talk about inside my guide to free lodging, and it’s a powerful one that many people overlook.

If you paid close attention to everything written above, you will have noticed that I traded my skills as a web designer for a free 3-weeks stay in the city of Arequipa, Peru.

What you may have not really thought about, however, is just how much money I saved by doing this. And more importantly, you may have not realized just how much money YOU CAN SAVE  by taking this same approach while on your travels or in your every-day life.

Consider this: I spend (on average) about $1,000 USD per month for my lodging expenses. With 30 days in a month, this breaks down to about $33 dollars per night.

With my free 3-weeks stay in Arequipa, that essentially knocks off 21 days within the 30-day month where I do not have to pay for a place to sleep.

So, if I multiply $33 dollars per night x 21 free nights in Arequipa, the end result is that I saved myself approximately $693 USD.

To some people, that may not be a whole lot of money, but I bet that most of you reading this now would agree that you could do a lot with an extra $693 in your bank account.

This is the power of free lodging, and it’s why I’m so obsessed with getting free places to stay whenever I possibly can.

For most people in the world, lodging is their #1 monthly expense. And for many people (myself included), their monthly lodging costs make up as much as 66% or more of their monthly expenditures.

Now, imagine using this technique that I’ve shared with you today to drastically reduce or even eliminate your lodging costs.

What would you do with all that extra money? Would you travel to a far off place? Extend your family vacation? Buy a new gadget or toy of some kind? Take a class you’ve always dreamt of taking? The options here are endless.

Now Here’s My Challenge To You:

Get creative, think outside the box, and determine which skills or services you possess that you could possibly trade for free (or deeply discounted) accommodations. Then, once you’ve determined the skills or services you can trade for free hotel rooms, campsites, apartments or whatever, go out and find a lodging owner willing to give you a free night’s stay in exchange for your unique skills or services.

Start by trading your skills or services for just a single night and then work your way up from there.

Give it a try… and let me know what kind of results you receive.

And if you’d like more tips like this for obtaining free accommodations while on your travels, be sure to check out The Ultimate Guide To Free Lodging, my 101-page resource chalk full of ideas just like this to help you save hundreds (or maybe even thousands) of dollars on your lodging expenses.