NOTE: Our guidelines for guest posts are for travel bloggers, writers, authors, and adventurers only. If you are a business or SEO consultant trying to place an advertorial for commercial purposes, please see our advertising page.
I appreciate your interest in contributing to Go Backpacking. As one of the top independent travel blogs, we regularly receive pitches from potential contributors.
Please read on to better understand the kind of content we like to publish and improve your chances of acceptance and long-term views.
What We're Looking For
Articles should provide practical travel advice based on the author's personal experience. Include personal observations, specific examples, and at least one photo showing the author in the destination.
We recommend you check out the most popular content on the home page and review stories published in the archives in the last few months.
We're currently interested in (but not limited to) the following topics:
- U.S. National Parks
- Van or RV travel
- Destination-specific articles for Mexico and the Caribbean.
- Stories about countries we've previously covered (see the "Destinations" drop-down menu at the top of the website or search the site by country name).
- Money-saving tips: the more expensive the destination, the better (How to Travel Norway on a Budget, How to Travel Japan on $10 a Day or Less).
- Guides that are based on living in a place for an extended period (Medellin City Guide).
- One, two, or three-day city guides (One Day in Milan, 48 Hours in Denver).
- "How To" articles (How to Choose the Best Seat on a Bus).
- "Top 10" pieces (Top 10 Things to Do in San Diego).
- Women's travel advice
A Brief History
Go Backpacking was one of the first independent travel websites to promote budget travel online.
The site was created in 1999 by Dave Lee in his spare time to share his experiences from a backpacking trip to Europe. In 2007, it became a WordPress blog and grew in popularity.
Benefits of Guest Posting
Since 2010, Go Backpacking has featured the writing and advice of hundreds of guest contributors worldwide.
Today's benefits include:
- Two do-follow contextual links: a specific post/page on your site and to your home page.
- Author bio: link to your home page, plus any links to social media, newsletter, book, etc.
- The byline on a recognized and trusted travel site.
- Article promo through our email newsletter.
Terms
All submissions must:
- Provide useful advice based on the author's firsthand experience.
- Be written and submitted by an identifiable human author who takes responsibility for the work.
- Be original and submitted exclusively to Go Backpacking.
- Respect all copyrights. You must own or have permission to use the text and images.
Go Backpacking does not accept article pitches or submissions created and sent autonomously by AI agents. AI-assisted submissions may be considered, but generic or substantially AI-generated articles without genuine firsthand experience or original expertise will not be accepted.
Word Count: Articles must be between 1,000 and 2,000 words.
Photos: Please provide one high-quality photo for approximately every 250-300 words. At least one photo must show you in the destination.
You must own the photos or have permission to use them. If someone else took a photo, provide the photographer's name and any required credit.
Images should be at least 1,500 pixels wide and no larger than 1 MB. We welcome both horizontal and vertical photos.
Editing: We review and edit all submissions for proper English grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting, and SEO.
The cleaner your content, the faster we can schedule your article. If the article needs more significant structural changes, the author will receive feedback on how to improve it.
Advertising Disclosure
Go Backpacking is supported by advertising. As a long-time member of the Mediavine Travel Network, we display ads in almost all content.
We also reserve the right to add a limited number of relevant affiliate links for the same reason.
How to Pitch Your Story Ideas
Email your pitch to dave@gobackpacking.com. Use "Submission" as the subject line.
Please include:
- A short introduction
- A link to your blog or website
- Three to five story ideas
- A brief explanation of your firsthand experience with each topic
- An explanation of why each story would be useful to Go Backpacking readers
Please do not send a completed article unless I have accepted the idea first.
Questions are welcome at the same email address.
