A “flashpacker” is the term for a traveler who enjoys both traveling on a whim while also being comfortable in the process. While a flashpacker has the attitude and spirit of a traditional backpacker in the sense that they prioritize adventure over extravagance, they also value convenience and comfortability more than the average backpacker. Flashpackers also frequently look for the best deals on flights and are flexible, packing up and leaving on a whim if they see a good deal.
Rick Steves’ son, Andy Steves, has no shortage of travel experience since he grew up exploring Europe and other countries with his dad. However, he also realized that there are different types of travelers and learned about fellow students and Millennials wanting to see the world by backpacking through Europe. Andy Steves started creating travel content for budget and first-time travelers and focused on how people can make the most out of their time and money while abroad.
Among some of his other tips for flashpackers, he has shared ideal tips for when and how to book flights on his website. Since flashpackers look for last-minute deals and flights, he recommends utilizing different apps and websites to send price notifications for major cities in Europe. Even though someone may want to visit a more obscure city, he still suggests focusing search efforts on major cities, because they’re often more price efficient and offer more options. From there, flashpackers can look into getting to their final destination via different transportation or by city-hopping across Europe by train.
How to effectively find flashpacker flights
While flashpackers are still looking to immerse themselves in the local culture, they’re also scouring the web for good last-minute deals. According to a 2018 post called “Andy Steves Travel Tips Series: Part 1,” Steves explains that flashpackers plan their trips by “flight availability and price first rather than dates.” Therefore, there are certain tools flashpackers can use to maximize their plans.
Andy Steves recommends that flashpackers download the Hopper app and use Google Flights to set up price alerts based on location, rather than dates. He specifically points out that Google Flights lets travelers browse flight prices for entire continents, so if you are flexible with where you fly, you can plan your trip around a cheaper flight. Steves suggests that flashpackers should have a flexible lifestyle, where they can book a flight first and request off of work second. You also should try to avoid searching for direct flights to smaller destinations, because search engines may remember that and focus on only showing longer, pricier connecting flights. Instead, you should look for convenient flights to airline hubs.
After a flashpacker finds a long-haul flight they’re happy with, they can base the rest of their itinerary on that city. For instance, if you want to visit a beach town along the U.K.’s coast, you could search for flights to London — not the town itself. From there, you can book separate connecting flights or find alternate transportation to your ideal final destination.
Andy Steves says that flashpackers also need to look into seasonality
