26-year-old reveals how they solo travelled 5,000 miles without spending a penny

A 26-year-old solo female traveller has managed to travel 5,000 miles from China to Russia for free, and this is after she made it from Bath in the UK to Cape Town, South Africa, for £15. This is how she did it.

It's no secret that travelling is filled with numerous hidden costs and pitfalls.

Sure, a last minute seat on a budget airline may cost as little as £22, but once you factor in things such as accommodation, food and drink and, getting around, things begin to add up very quickly.

However for traveller Courtney Allan, she was able to save herself thousands while visiting numerous countries across Africa by choosing to not travel in style.

In fact, the 26-year-old was able to travel through the continent by spending just £15 on transport.

Which, considering the fact that Africa is 11.7 million square miles and consists of 54 different nations, is extremely impressive.

The Canadian's ambitious trips don't end their either, as she has since travelled 5,000 miles through China, Mongolia and Russia without 'spending a penny'.

So how was Courtney able to pull this off?

The 26-year-old started hitchhiking in late 2023 (PA Real Life)

Anyone who's looking to recreate her budget-savvy travel days better get used to standing at the side of the road and sticking their thumb out.

That's right, Courtney gets from destination to destination by hitchhiking.

Courtney's wild travel journey began back in late 2023, when she decided to take a three-week trip to the UK.

However upon arrival, she realised the cost of public transport over here would make her holiday a pricey one.

Unwilling to pay the extortionate fees for British trains, Courtney then decided to hitchhike, catching her first ride from Bath.

"My first lift was with a Welsh woman," she recalled.

"She was so bubbly and she tried to give me money. That happened a lot in the UK!"

Courtney then hitchhiked through the UK and Europe, before travelling to Morocco.

From there, she utilised her hitchhiking skills to take 400 rides through 16 countries across Africa, with her final destination being Cape Town.

She has since travelled through 16 countries in Africa, spending just £15 on transport (PA Real Life)

"Anyone can travel through Africa with lots of money but you’re in a bubble," she said.

"When you’re hitchhiking, you’re with the people who live in that country. You get a much more intimate experience.

"It’s such a good way to meet local people and get the best things to do in a place."

She revealed a personal highlight was train hopping in Mauritania and sharing a lift with a woman in Guinea.

Meanwhile her favourite destination to hitchhike was Ireland, which Courtney describing the rides as 'super quick' and the riders being 'mostly older women'.

She is now completing another major hitchhiking trip, travelling from Guangzhou in China back to South Africa.

5,000 miles into the trip and she is currently in central Russia.

"I think this will be my last big hitchhiking trip, although I think I will always hitch. I’d love to get into bike-packing though," she said.

Courtney revealed she'd only left physically unsafe once, while using a taxi (PA Real Life)

Revealing that she'd only felt physically unsafe 'once' while travelling in a taxi, Courtney advised anyone looking to recreate her trip to trust their 'intuition'.

"The first three seconds you can gauge the situation," she said.

"People are looking for a finite answer on how to keep themselves safe but there isn’t one.

"I think the world is generally safe and many people will look out for you if you are a solo woman hitchhiking."