Perhaps someone should send Mark a copy of "Teach Yourself Esperanto"

A substantial body of speakers already exists and they have begun something called the "Pasporta Servo".This is a network of Esperanto speakers who provide free accommodation worldwide.

You must speak Esperanto however but a degree of fluency can be attained within a period of one year.

Brian Barker, London,

In every major french town there is an charity called the "restos du coeur" that gives enough food for the week to any poor person that goes there.
If he'd made a bit more of an effort he'd have got enough food to walk to belgium easily.

John Bland, Mondeville, France

spineless
I hitch hiked from Spittal field Market to Marbella in 1983 , without a penny in my pocket
took me 3 weeks ;-)
on my own , theres always something that turns up , Calais was a gold mine then , One French Housewife gave me a Wooley Jersey , another half a plate of chips ;-)
Old mateys Problem was he went Mob -Handed , one your own people will help you , but 3 of you !,
Just a Bunch of Scroungers

Papko, StANdrews, UK

After Colditz and the Great Escape I'm afraid Mr Boyle is frankly a little embarrassing for us plucky Brits.

Tony, London,

That's a really poor performance.
Perhaps it's best that he failed, otherwise it might have started a freeloader epidemic across Europe. (French people are pretty hospitable by the way.)

Michael, Belfast,

This 'freeconomics' thing must be one of the dumbest ideas yet. Money in its basest form is simply a medium of exchange, developed because the system of barter was too complex. Doing away with money totally just brings back all of those inconsistencies. Perhaps even more dumb is the idea that inequality in the world is the fault of money. Its the 'fault' of inequalities in terms of skills, luck, inheritance and simple selfishness; things that no matter what model of society you try to impose, you're going to get. The experiment of communism in many countries in the 20th century (and some, unfortunately in the 21st) shows that to be exactly the case. Don't blame money for societies ills, blame humans for doing what they do innately: looking after themselves.

gavin, london,

"Former businessman", "Head of an organic food company".. Will he now be able to add "Widely travelled" to his C.V. ?
LOL.

Barryboy, Bognor Regis, UK

how was he going to get back

knight, aberdeen, uk

Ha ha ha ha!! What a plonker. I hate money but can you buy me a meal. Good on the Frenchies. Perhaps when he got to India he could have persuaded the Indian government not to spend its money on nuclear weapons, while its own people starve, and then ask for international aid. Hypocrasy all around!

Nick, Perth, Australia

"they also see us as just a bunch of freeloading backpackers"

Which is odd, because one would expect anyone to willing surrender money they've worked hard for to these gentle folk, for their blameless quest to create peace by walking.

If only Bush and Blair had thought of walking to Iraq! Saddam would have instantly understood, and peace would have broken out everywhere.

How could the French not understand?

Bob, London, UK

Freeconomy movement? I haven't heard of this. Is is new?

I've often thought about the first person in history who ever charged somebody for something, and how that small transaction set a in motion a chain of events that have divided the world between the happy (rich) and miserable (those in poverty).

I'll agree that money is a source of great evil and all that, but I'd be very interested to hear what these 'Freeconomisers' (yes, that's what we're calling them) think we should be doing instead? It just sounds completely implausible and I imagine the only way it would work is if everything and everyone was wiped out and we had to start from scratch.

It's just not going to happen.

Any 'Freeconomics' (that's better actually) out there want to shed some light on the matter?

Tom Benfield, London,

Doesn't he realise that money is just a tool for society to structure and organise itself? It is a system of trade and exchange, whereby security, status are among many things that could be achieved.

There will always be disadvantages to any system. To 'help' others in return for food and shelter - is this not the same system but with different components? All that may make this seem better is that the word 'help' is used. It has almost glorified the situation too much.

To sincerely 'help' someone without asking anything in return is humanity.

Jilly, Hampshire, UK

Maybe he should have spent an hour learning how to say "I believe money is bad, so give me free stuff!" in a dozen languages. Then he would have a slim chance of getting a few km further on his "pilgrimage".

Or perhaps an hour's preparation, or indeed a rudimentary understanding of how people & businesses work, is incompatible with the well-intentioned myths of freeconomy.

bob rayner, ipswich, uk

' 28 years of knowing where my next meal's coming from and having a roof over my head ' . 2 1/2 yrs planning to see the world at other peoples' expense . Diddums. This guy is so misguided it's unbelievable. If he'd ever got to India (hehe) he would have met plenty of people who would have really struggled to understand his anti-materialistic-vibe-man. People who DO worry about where their next meal's coming from and DON'T have a roof over there head.

Paul Cage, Brighton, UK

Linguistic naivete on a grand scale. How on earth do people expect to communicate complex ideas to people who don't speak their language? And what an insult to the inhabitants of other countries. If they had half a brain, they could have put an explanation of their basic ideas into about 200 words of English before starting out, got them translated into several languages which might be useful on the way, and printed them onto a few small cards (A5 or A6 size would have done). Then they would only have to show people the appropriate card, smile and hope for the best. Without even consulting a map, I'd guess if they did this in, say, French, German, Italian, Croatian/Serbian, Greek, Turkish, Persian, Arabic, Hindi, and as a last resort, Esperanto, they'd quite likely have made it to India. Watch out for these idiots coming to a town near you in Britain.

Steve C, Sydney, Australia

I think the point KW was trying to make is that even if the blog is free being online in the first place is not free and while he may not be paying for it himself someone is. I just don't buy free economy! It would be nice if the world were a perfect place but unfortunately in modern society it is just not going to happen. I applaud his idealism but I just don't think it could work.

AP, London,

Maybe this needs clarification.....you want to live in a world with out money....but whilst doing so rely on other peoples money......I have another word for it!!

Tim Dinch, london,

If you can't get fed in France you're not really trying. The French are lovely, hospitable people. I speak with more than 30 years experience of them.

Liz, BRistol,

Good intentions but very sad that this 'modern' greedy world is totally reliant on 'money' and thats the only thing which 'talks' one's way through the whole 'unfriendly' world

Arvin, London, GB

How hypocritical.

There's a French reality game show called Peking Express, currently in it 's third or fourth season. Contestants are in teams of two, traveling across South America this season (don't know why they kept the original name of the show).

Teams cannot spend any money whether for travel, accommodation or food, they have to rely on the kindness and understanding of local people. Some teams have a working knowledge of Spanish and /or Portuguese, others have absolutely no idea.

Maybe if Mr Boyle had been accompanied by a TV crew he would have been treated differently.

Mat, Canterbury,

Oh Dear. It looks like this character has finally woken up and smelt the coffee, au lait of course. 3 euros please.

S Nicholls, Fordingbridge, Dorset

Well, thanks for the free criticism of French, always nice to read... I'm very surprised he didn't find any english speaking french, he mustn't have looked very hard. Anyway, I'd like to know how a french guy coming to england and speaking only french would manage his tour...

muriel, Nantes, FRANCE

A noble plan, poorly executed

Brian, Greenock,

I never thought I would be congratulating the French on something, but well done mes amis.

Gareth, London,

Is it April1st already? He could have had flash cards made up before he left England explaining in French what he was doing. He'll need to learn a lot of languages to get from here to India. Quite sad really.

FR, Basingstoke,

There are days when I just know why I love the French

p robinson, Audierne, France

Another example of the arrogance of the English speaking world...

Elle, Swansea,

Ah well
C'est la Vie!

Steve Matthews, Newbury, UK

Well, perhaps tie for the British to realise that doing the most silly and irrational things for the good of "charity" cuts little ice in other countries. Stop looking for excuses and just come clean ;-)!

Manon, Glasgow,

OK, so now he's learning French. What happens when he hits the next linguistic border? Does he have any idea how many languages are spoken between the UK and India - and how many of those people don't speak English, and don't take kindly to being spoken to in English? What does he expect? Poor sod.

Roland Chesters, Surbiton, Surrey

Why are you two mocking? yeah it may be idealistic but the guy has a point...go back to checking your bank statements...i hope your wasted days are worth it...

William Telfer, Glasgow,

Bet you wish you had paid attention during French lessons now :-)

Chas, Dover, England

Naive?, perhaps, but the world needs people like Mr Boyle who are prepared to question our obsessions with finance, (in)security and consumerism and draw our attention to more important matters such as peace and what we can do for each other. Take a chance and offer floor space and food if the opportunity arises...

Dave, Newcastle, UK

Why didn't he just carry a leaflet in French explaining what he was doing?

Phil, London,

I dont understand how this man met so many problems. Every year at uni there is a competition called 'jailbreak' where you have to get as far away from a random village without spending any cash. so people blag and borrow their way, truck drivers are remarkably helpful apparently. my mates did it recently and got to east poland. the record is egypt...

sam, cambridge/bordeaux,

they told him to go away or they would taunt him a second time...silly English K-nig-hts

Mark N., Knoxville, TN

We really should make passing an IQ test an integral part of a passport application.
Then at least the people who have managed to avoid being justifiably sectioned are held on our islands.

Ian, Solihull, UK

You go with no money, or any other method of support, but don't consider yourselves to be 'freeloading backapckers'. What, exactly, are you then?

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

Typical bloody English (and I'm one!). Not only thick enough not to have thought that one through, but expecting the French to speak to him in English. Made me laugh though.

Toni Summers Hargis, Chicago, USA

Seriously? I had friends at university who 'bummed it' across Europe for charity, making it through 'perilous' France within a matter of hours. It seems like Mr Boyle lacked know-how rather than language skills.

Jenni Marsh, Leeds, UK

All you need is love...

Roo, London,

Maybe whilst walking round Britain Mr Boyle could also listen to a "teach yourself French" tape, surely in a few months he'll be good enough to head towards India again.

G. Skinner, Aberdeen , UK

Sarah, I think that man sounds amazing - bravo for the real travelers. I knew a guy like him some years back, a Cockney, then in his 60s, who worked as a kitchen porter in a London cafe I waitressed in, who'd been around the world more times than the QEII and - after some persuasion - used to tell me the most incredible and, more amazingly, true stories about his travels which started when he stowed away on a ship to Russia, aged 15 - not boasting, just talking about what he'd done. Last time I heard from him was when I received a card from Colombia, where he'd hitched a ride, working his passage as a cook, on a freighter - aged 72. He intended to travel on to Chile, then Bolivia and Peru - bet he did too.

I think the difference between them and the Mark Boyles is that the former aren't pontificating to anyone or expecting to be viewed as morally superior - or, just as irritating, having a 'gap year experience' - they're the real deal, the true, endlessly curious adventurers.

Rose , Glasgow , Scotland

money talks.

c'est la vie

stuart, horsham,

C'est la vie.

Sam Davies, Meitingen, Bavaria

"I noticed he stated that he wrote on "his blog" when he got back home to the UK,.. ..., or does he blag someone else to foot his bill for internet time ?" KW, Wirral, UK

There's such things as http://wordpress.com and many social networking sites that offer free blogs. So KW, you need the reality check. And this is just precisely the thing this guy set out to prove.

Leo, London,

I'm pretty unimpressed with the speed that he decided to let go off his dream. About ten years ago in Hanoi, Vietnam, I met an Indian man aged about 45. I could tell that he was a lovely man and I was curious about him and gratefully accepted the offer of a home cooked curry, with him, in his hostel room. A curry! So I went along and while he toiled away on his little stove he spent the evening telling me about his life and ... WOW what a life it had been. He left home at 17 with a few rupees in his pocket and a sit up and beg bike and in those many intervening years he had never gone home and had travelled to over 200 countries; he showed me a stack of passports full of visas to prove it; he had enormous boxes strapped to his bike full of letters from princes, the famous and the more ordinary person; and in all that time he paid for nothing; not for visas, flights, post, hostels... I mean nothing...

Sarah Mackenzie, Montcaret, France

Cont.... Some may think of a person like that as a freeloader but, in fact, what he gave of himself was way more than was given him; he simply offered his friendship and - cynic though I am - love; and people did love him. The most amazing person that I have ever encountered. I wonder where he is now.

Sarah Mackenzie, Montcaret, France

So its the fault of the french that this guy gave up having covered about 1% of his journey? That's sounds like a cop out to me, and just plain anti-french to boot.

Plenty of people have walked 170km and more relying on their wits, sounds like these guys just didn't fancy any hardship.

If you ask me he either didn't think this through or he gave up way too easily, how does one get 'stuck' in Calais for a month...he could have walked clear across France in that time.

Murray, Dublin, Ireland

150 years after our tete a tete with Napoleon the French are still the stumbling block !!!

Ian Payne, WALSALL,

I noticed he stated that he wrote on "his blog" when he got back home to the UK, could he tell us how if he hates money he manages that, or does he blag someone else to foot his bill for internet time ?
Really should get back to reality.

KW, Wirral, UK

I've been all over france form paris to lyon, nice to dijon. People we fine speaking english every bit of the way. I reckon they just didnt like the look of them! :-D

jaime, london,

Not so impressive. A typical beggar I knew got further than that without speaking foreign. He didn't like the gendarmes though, so I think he hitch-hiked through to the netherlands and stayed there.

Carl, London, UK

"without spending a penny in order to prove it. " But since food and bedding both cost money who did he expect to pay for his trip? The people he met on the street? Isn't this the ultimate definition of a freeloader? Also plenty of people have undertaken voyages of similar magnitude but have always at least tried to learn the local language(s) first. Not doing likewise was simply idiotic.

Louise, Madrid,

It was about doing work for food instead of money - nothing wrong with that. It's certainly not a case of freeloading.

Personally, I think he's about right. I just think it's a shame that the French would willingly destroy such an effort just because someone can't speak the language - he was passing through, not going there to live. To get to India, if the French attitude of "you're not worthy if you don't speak french" were applied, he'd have to learn French, German, either italian or slovakian, and a whole host of other languages - it would be an achievement for most people to learn 1 language they didn't grow up with, let alone 5 or more.

krissie, kenfig hill, UK

Incredibly naive.

Money is just a proxy to barter our labours for other goods and services. Once we decided we could trade our labours or output, concepts were developed to make that easier not harder.

The notion that he was going to trade labour for food also assumed he had something worthwhile to offer.

The only true alternative is subsistence living, were each individual grows all he eats, makes all he owns, etc. Which might have worked when the world population was small but cannot possibly work now.

Besides, how does one trade labour to build a Nuclear Power Station to provide the electricity we use, etc?

Above all, this is an affront to Ghandi. Using Ghandi's name and the image of Ghandi, who had a plan, who had a will and commitment beyond anything this character had, to publicise his own wonky ideals. The first obstacle and this guy caved in.

Perhaps he ought to have read about Ghandi and truly understood what he went through before abusing his great name.

Paul, Toronto, Canada

Yes for you young man the dream is over! You are either pretty rich or a freeloader, now let me think? How anyone can expect to travel the world for free, or expect to take two and a half years out of work or social security, I'll never know. You may try to educate people in your home town but I don't think they will listen. Get a job mate, then when you've leaned something, teach it to others!

Ray Baker, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Where do people like Mr Boyle get these mind-bogglingly moronic ideas?

Money is at its root a simple-to-understand and universally acceptable enabler of interchange among people; indeed, money liberates people all over the world to be able to live creatively, invent, and accomplish, instead of wasting the better part of their lives haggling, bartering, and laboriously carting around heavy goods on their backs.

This soft-head wants to project his own personal anxieties about "insecurity" and "fear" on all the rest of us, and in so doing, foist upon us a world in which any remaining smidgen of efficiency in both local and international trade is obliterated. Somebody please re-train this poor fellow and move him past the Pleistocene Age.

Ed, Santa Barbara, USA / California

Money talks (French)!

Graeme, London, UK

"also see us as just a bunch of freeloading backpackers"

Let's see now. No money, no jobs, reliant on handouts and "good will". In what way are you not a bunch of freeloading backpackers (btw having a dream isn't the right answer).

WS, Manchester,

What a shame. It was such a refreshing and interesting idea. Perhaps a bit more planning was needed and he could try again in the future, maybe trying it out in the UK first.
http://frugal-life.spaces.live.com

Piper Terrett, Essex, Essex

I rather suspect more people will be asking him, "Can I help you?". Sorry, vagrant young males are just not the people you want coming up to you asking for anything, let alone working for you or at your home. They're also setting themselves up as potential victims. Stay home and work, pay your taxes if you want to help. Volunteer at the Red Cross or something. The days of living without money died in the Dark Ages.

Carol, Clinton, USA/Illinois

What a Nutjob !! I was down in the dumps and this has really cheered me up ! Pass the lentils and hug a tree someone !! ha ha ha.

Paul, Swindon,

"just a bunch of freeloading backpackers, which is the complete opposite of what the pilgrimage is really about."
Really? Isn't that exactly what it was about?

Drew, Portland, USA

Yes, it is false to think that everybody in the world speak English. If you want to understand and discover countries and peolpe, you must start to learn to speak other language...
Why we should all speak English?

Flav, Lyon, France

as he walked in the front door his mum said: "That was quick! Shall I put on the kettle?"

GK, Calgary, Canada

I find some people's definition of the "real" world very sad and their smugness even sadder.

Hannah, West Sussex, England

Welcome to the real world Mr Do gooder!

Simon Cross, Nottingham, England

What was the name of that movie again? Oh yeah...'Reality Bites'.

Eric, Ottawa, Canada

Ha ha ha, I wonder if a taste of the "real" world will change his opinion and outlook.

Phil, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.