Posted on Monday, 29 December 2014

Taking a holiday is not always cheap – especially if that holiday lasts for two years. One UK adventurer called Daniel Beaumont had his sights set on such a protracted vacation – but sadly his budget didn't run to covering comfortable hotels and decent restaurants for the entire trip.

And so he turned to the Internet to cut his costs – and more specifically, the Tinder dating app.

Beaumont started his journey by hitchhiking across the USA in order to attend a wedding in British Columbia, Canada.

Afterwards he continued travelling, but found that hitching a lift was trickier than he had expected.

And so he hit upon the idea of using Tinder to make his way across the USA.

"After a bit of playing around on the app, I noticed I was getting quite a few matches. I put two and two together, made four, and my most creative moment of the trip so far hit me: Why don't I use Tinder to get rides (car rides) across America?"

He re-wrote his profile to reflect his epic adventure: "Nomadic traveler of 2 years from Britain. Currently hitchhiking 12,000 miles across North America."

He added: "Trying to get by through the generosity of wonderful people. Need to reach New York City by early November. Can you help me get there?"

Beaumont used the app to connect with women who could give him a lift. In total he set up 32 ‘hitch hike dates', which helped him on his 7,500 mile trip from the Canadian west coast to New York on the eastern seaboard.

Tinder wasn't developed for hitch-hikers, but the 24-year-old from Kendal, Cumbria, proved the app could be used effectively as such. However, in an interview with the Daily Mail, Beaumont did say there was "some romance" – although declined to elaborate.

The resourceful traveller also used couchsurfing.com and Craigslist to find like-minded people who could give him a place to stay.

While the nomadic Brit might seem like the famous Spanish lover Don Juan, a fairer comparison is probably with Mr Phileas Fogg, who attempted to travel Around the World in 80 Days as in the famous Jules Verne novel. Beaumont would get straight to the point when exchanging messages on Tinder, asking those he spoke to if they could get him a little further on his way.

In return for the women's help Beaumont would "cook ... adventure with them, make them laugh, and inspire many to change some part of their life, big or small."

While Beaumont's story – covered by several newspapers – has captured the imagination of many would-be travellers, using such methods to travel may not appeal to everyone. Female travellers in particular might not feel so secure embarking on such a journey.

Planning a North America Trip Soon?

While Beaumont's approach to travel won't suit everyone, his desire for adventure may well inspire many of our annual travel insurance customers to take a North American break. Along with a tour of Hollywood and a west coast camping trip, he also enjoyed a trip to the Grand Canyon.

If you're heading to the USA, check out starttravel.co.uk's affordable travel cover today.

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