Frequently asked questions

You have questions and we have answers. Find answers to frequently asked questions from like minded guests below.

About Backpacker College

What is Backpacker College?

Backpacker College is the go-to marketplace for safe, well-located and more affordable accommodation, stories and experiences in every college and university community around the world. Trusted. Affordable. Guaranteed.

What does Backpacker College do?

It’s our goal to make traveling affordably both fun and simple.

How does Backpacker do it?

We bring together a collaboration of the internet’s largest and most recognized accommodation providers in the world.

We then curate the best trusted and affordable rooms, using software to make finding and booking this accommodation directly on our platform even easier.

Why does Backpacker College exist?

Our founder fell in love with traveling as a student. He wants to remove or minimize barriers to travel such as fear and cost, to make travel more accessible for everyone.

We discovered people spend way too much time looking for where they feel comfortable sleeping, and finding the right contact details, at a place they can’t afford.

Even after they booked, they still had many challenges like picking up their keys, arriving onsite and ensuring the host or front desk staff had their details.

How do I contact Backpacker College?

For travel requests or questions about travel and accommodation, please use Backpacker Concierge

For partnership enquiries please email marketing@backpackercollege

For support, feel free to contact support@backpackercollege with any questions regarding booking or your stay.How to work for Backpacker College?

For individual travelers, students, and/or social media influencers looking to collaborate with Backpacker College. Please complete the application form here and upload your resume. If you want to support and learn more about us, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and consider sharing your story with us.

We are grateful for your interest in working with Backpacker College and we try our very best to respond to all application submissions.

Your patience is appreciated.

Who can use Backpacker College?

Everyone.

Backpacker College users and members are stakeholders of academic communities including students, graduates, faculty, staff, alumni, select colleges, universities and some of the most recognized accommodation providers across the world.

Backpacker College services

What are the benefits for guests and travellers using Backpacker College?

For guests and travelers, location, quality and price. We provide more affordable accommodation and fun things to do, available from all major sources online, centered as close to campus as possible.

Our room recommendations come from a vetting, exclusion and inclusion process, and we allow you to select only the best. We feel that your needs are hospitality, rather than a real estate transaction.

We also include both room and price guarantees. So if there’s a major issue, you always have someone helping you 24×7 and are certain to have a trusted room, at an affordable price. Always.

What is the benefit for a college, university or accommodation provider?

We are a marketplace created for you, with the most experienced booking platforms and accommodation providers in the world.

Backpacker College is the new industry best practice, and is a collaboration with your peers.

Unlike others, we are purpose built around your needs. The solutions are for on-campus and near-campus providers, perfect for seasonal, short-term or daily availability, marketed all year.

What is Backpacker Concierge and who is it for?

Backpacker Concierge is a service we provide all types of travelers, designed to find them the best well-located and affordable accommodation.

Coming soon: All guests and travelers will receive Backpacker Travel Points for all bookings through our services. Just sit back and relax, we’ll do the searching and booking for you.

What are Backpacker Experiences™?

Life changing travel stories from people just like you.

How it works

Overview of how it works

Backpacker College provides safe, well-located and more affordable accommodation in every college and university community around the world.

We offer both on-campus and near-campus accommodation that can be booked seasonally or year-round and on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. This is done by connecting major booking websites such as Booking.com, Expedia.ca and Airbnb, all on one convenient and easy to use platform.

The accommodation we offer is specifically curated for the different types of today’s travelers. However, our center focus is to find and provide accommodation options that are more affordable than what else is offered.

This applies to both our on-campus and near-campus accommodations.

On-campus and near-campus properties, what’s the difference?

We offer two types of accommodation that can be booked on a daily, weekly or monthly (up to four months) basis. This accommodation is categorized by being either on-campus or near-campus.

On-campus referring to accommodation that is directly on college or university properties and managed by the school’s residence staff.

Near-campus accommodation refers to accommodation that is nearby local universities or colleges, in great locations and typically are hotels or hostels.

Payment methods

We use stripe as our primary payment processor, which means you can securely book a room and pay via Mastercard, Discover, American Express or Visa.

How do I book a room?

Booking a room shouldn’t be stressful or mundane, it should be fun and simple.

To book a room, you can star there and use our accommodation map to find you or your friends and family a place to stay.

Just type in a city, college or university destination and once you’ve found a room you’d like to book, you’ll be redirected to our partners websites where you can securely checkout and finish the room booking process.

If you require assistance during this process or you would like for us to find you, your family or group a place to stay, use Backpacker Concierge and let us do the work for you.

Things to know about your stay

What to do when you get to the campus?

Once you arrive on campus, head to the residence you will be staying at and look for the front-desk. The front-desk is typically located at the front of the residence building, and a residence staff member will be there to get you checked-in and settled.

Where to check-in and out?

Checking in and out of an on-campus property is simple, and just like a hotel, resort or hostel.

You will check in and out directly at the front desk of the residence you’ve booked your room in. The residence is professionally managed and a trained staff member will be there ready and available from the beginning to the end of your stay.

About the front desk and staff at the residences

Residences are professionally managed by trained faculty members of the schools. They will answer any of your questions and be available to you when you’re seeking assistance or looking for insight on the local area.

Will my room be shared?

In short, no.

Unless you book a shared room or a private room with a shared bathroom, your room will be completely private with a lock and key that only you have for the duration of your stay.

Will my bathroom be shared?

It depends on the room.

Check the room description, as it will specify the bathroom facilities that are associated with that room. Some rooms have private baths, others have baths that are semi-private, meaning that they are shared but are used by only one person at a time. Finally, there are certainly residences that utilize common shared bathrooms.

Will I have access to dining halls, cafeteria, café or onsite food?

Yes, if it’s included by your accommodation provider, college or university. Just be sure to double check with the front desk staff, security or fellow backpackers for recommendations.

Will I be able to utilize the gym, pool, or other campus athletic/recreational facilities?

Yes, if it’s included by your accommodation provider, college or university. Just be sure to double check with the front desk staff, security or fellow backpackers for recommendations.

Who do I call if I have a problem during my stay?

For any onsite issues, always speak to your accommodation provider or their security first.

For urgent or safety issues, speak with police authorities or your accommodation provider staff and they will do their best to resolve any onsite or safety matter.

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