How to Backpack the U.S. on $75 a Day

Europe’s got the rail passes. Southeast Asia’s got the street food.

But the U.S.? It’s got... a reputation for being expensive.

Spoiler alert: you can still travel here on the cheap - you just have to hostel hard and travel smart.

🛏️ Stay: Hostels Over Hotels

• Dorm rooms for $35–$50/night

• Kitchens = major savings (you’ll live off pasta, eggs, and hostel coffee)

  Bonus: new friends = fewer Uber rides
  

🚐 Move: Ride Shares, Buses, Trains

• Use platforms like Poparide, Craigslist Rideshare, or just… the hostel bulletin board

• Megabus and Amtrak are your friends (when timed right)

  Bonus: road tripping with strangers is how stories happen
  

🍳 Eat: Cook at the Hostel

• Most hostels have shared kitchens—use them.

• Split groceries with bunkmates. $15 can feed 3.

  Bonus: Many hostels offer free breakfast, pancake nights, or “whatever’s in the fridge” communism