In every backpacker’s hostel I have stayed at, there have always been some characters that appear regularly throughout them all. Although most backpackers I meet are not at all like this, I do find it funny the more I come across these types of characters while on the road, and so I’ve decided to list some of them for your and my amusement!

The Backpacker Who Never Left – In every hostel there is always at least one backpacker who got there and then never left. This guy usually arrived in the country, checked in at the hostel and then stayed there ever since without moving on. One good thing about the backpacker who never left however it that they are usually a good resource for what’s going on in and around the hostel, and nearby backpacker bars.

The Chav – For some reason the chav backpacker is almost always a guy and from England. I used to think these types of travellers stuck to package holiday resorts like Malaga or Tenerife; however it seems they also go backpacking too. You will usually find them travelling with a bunch of other guy mates, and p*ssing all their money away on booze.

The American Tourist – I’ve met many nice, well educated Americans in my time, but every time I go travelling I almost always bump into someone who really lives up to the stereotype of the American Tourist! They are almost always loud, make some really general or obvious comments, and are usually in a large group of equally annoying friends.

The Middle Aged Backpacker – In most hostels I have been to there is usually one lone middle aged backpacker. They have usually decided to quit their job and travel the world like they have always wanted to but never had the courage until now. Either that or they are just a hippy who is still going. Either way, good on them I say!

The Irish – Every single hostel I have ever been to there is almost always at least one person from Ireland – usually a lot more! They are usually up for good night out, and are generally good craic! The Irish love a party, and there are some hostels I have been to where the percentage of Irish to any other nationality is about 80:1!

There were a lot of other backpacker stereotypes I wanted to list here, but decided to condense them into five. If you have any you’d like to share however, please feel free to leave a comment!

(I should also note that these are just very general observations and only meant as a bit of fun! Most people I meet on the road are not at all like this. 🙂 )