Nomadic Matt Interview

When it comes to seasoned long-term travelers and bloggers on the topic, our friend Matt Kepnes of Nomadic Matt is an undisputed authority. He’s a travel media maven, and we’re honored he’s invited us to speak at his conferences, give webinars to the Nomadic Network community, and write articles for his website. We share a belief in the transformative power of slow travel and that this life-changing experience is not reserved for the wealthy. In fact, traveling affordably is an insider strategy that not only saves money, but often leads to more local and immersive experiences…and that, my friends, is where the magic happens! (More on this in our Nomadic Matt interview, below!)

To learn how to have a lifetime of epic travel experiences without breaking the bank, Matt’s latest book, How to Travel the World on $75 a Day, is a must-read. The second edition of this New York Times bestselling book does an excellent job of addressing the massive changes to the travel industry in recent years and offers an inspiring way forward. Packed with relevant and hyper-specific advice, the 368-pager is broken down into three sections: trip planning, on-the-road expenses, and world travel by region. Reading through it, we felt ourselves nodding our heads in total agreement and also impressed by the clever tips and fresh resources it surfaced.

NOMADIC MATT INTERVIEW

There is a ton to be learned from this book and the author himself! Which is why we are excited to share our Q&A with Matt Kepnes, from what led him to a life of travel, his inspiration for How to Travel the World on $75 a Day, to what you can learn from this essential travel guide.

Before we get into your new book, tell us a bit about yourself…

On a trip to Thailand in 2005, I got inspired by some backpackers to quit my job and travel for one year. I left in 2006, but instead of being gone for a year, I ended up being away for 18 months. When I came back in 2008, I started my blog, nomadicmatt.com, as a way to get freelance writing jobs so I could keep traveling. Partly because there weren’t many people blogging about how to travel long-term on a budget and there was a need for this hard-to-find info, the website took off, and one day I woke up and realized that I had a career! I’ve been doing it now for 17 years.

What motivated you to update your old book and create How to Travel the World on $75 a Day?

The last edition came out in 2017, and since then, a lot has changed in the world due to COVID. The pandemic forever altered the travel industry. A lot of businesses closed, old methods of saving money became obsolete, new methods came into being, new companies have been created, destinations have changed, and, of course, prices have gone up a lot.

Since travel has changed so much, I wanted my book to reflect the current conditions people face when it comes to planning a trip, saving money, and navigating regions around the world. How to be a smart budget traveler is very different from what it was in 2017, so I wanted to make sure everyone had up-to-date info on how to be one!

What are some of the exciting updates to the new edition?

In How to Travel the World on $75 a Day, you’ll find a lot of new information. I ended up rewriting about 80% of this book because so much of travel has changed. I thought it would be a simple update, but it turned out to be a major rewrite! Some key changes:

• A new section on collecting and redeeming points and miles
• A completely updated resource section filled with companies and accommodations I love 
• More information on overtourism and how to be a responsible traveler
• Completely revised, updated, and expanded destination sections that include new prices, ways to save, tips on where to eat, accommodation, transportation, and activities
• New trips and tricks on how to save money before you go
• New ways to afford accommodation, including ways to get free stays
• New ways to save on transportation, with new information on transit passes

I bet a lot of people get stuck on the $75 number...

They do – and they are both at the extreme ends of the spectrum! There are people who think that’s too much because they are “a real traveler” and can do it cheaper (there are always people who like to prove they are a better traveler than someone else) or people who think that the number doesn’t seem like it’s enough because they’ve been told travel is expensive. 

In reality, your mileage will vary for a round-the-world trip. Some people will do it for more, some people will do it for less. Destinations vary too, so it depends a lot on where you go. But the number is based on my experience traveling the world many times over, doing the standard “budget travel/backpacker” route. 

What about people who aren’t looking to do an around-the-world trip? How could this book be helpful to them? 

Don’t get caught up in the title. No matter if you are planning a long-term trip or going on a week-long vacation, we all fly on the same planes, so we have to figure out how to find a cheap flight…how to save money on attractions in New Zealand…how to find local food in Paris…the same situations and strategies apply to us all. The only difference is that a shorter trip can’t spread out the costs as much as a longer trip, so you might not be able to get it under $75 per day. 

This book is really about helping people find deals and showing readers the strategies and tactics they need to travel like a pro and save money, regardless of how long they go away for. 

What are your three biggest tips for travelers? (Without giving away all the secrets in the book!)

Three things people can do to get the biggest wins for the least amount of effort are:

1. Be flexible with your travel dates. The difference of a day can mean the difference of hundreds of dollars. Go where the flights are the cheapest. Check out Google’s Flights “Explore” option to see where the cheapest flights are and start there.

2. Travel as you live. You don’t eat out or spend a lot of money every day at home, so why do it on the road? Head to the local markets, take public transportation, linger at a bookstore, do some Airbnb experiences, and cook your own food. Don’t go to all the big-name attractions or touristy restaurants. 

3. Collect points and miles. Credit card points can go a long, long way to reducing the cost of travel. If you can pay off your bill each month, there’s no reason not to have a credit card that earns points. I cover this in detail in the book and on my website.

Given that so much information is available online for free, why is it worth getting this book?

If anything, the fact that there is a firehose of information available online makes this book even more necessary. How do you know what info is true? What has been updated recently? Where do you even begin to search or start the process? With this book, you know that everything has been fact-checked by a team of people, it’s up to date, and has all you need to get started. There’s no need to endlessly search blogs, TikTok, Instagram, and have a million browser tabs open. You just need one book, and you are set to go!

What travel plans do you have this year? 

Well, I’m about to start a three-week book tour (hope you can join me)! I’ve also got trips in the works for Oaxaca, summer in Scandinavia, then Oman, China, and the Caribbean! This year, I want to take shorter trips so I can maintain some roots at home, while continuing to explore the world!

Thanks for the interview, Nomadic Matt! Be sure to pick up a copy of How to Travel the World on $75 a Day and leave a review; it means the world to us authors!