Is this man the world's oldest backpacker? (+video)

Ninety-five-year-old Keith Wright is a big fan of independent travel and will embark on a two-month trip around Europe this year, staying in backpacker hostels along the way. Photo / Screengrab from Network Ten

Keith Wright might be on the wrong side of 90 but the Queenslander is not letting that stop him from backpacking around the world.

"I have had itchy feet all my life," said the 95-year-old, who started travelling a decade ago when his wife Barbara passed away.

The World War II veteran from Burleigh Heads says he's not afraid to navigate the less beaten paths alone.

"I have hitched a ride on the back of a scooter in San Sebastian... and seen things that most tourists haven't seen because I have walked the back streets and taken the train or bus to a nearby town for the day."

Keith will stay in hostels during a two-month European odyssey he's embarking on later this month, fly economy class and take several rail journeys.

He says most people he meets on his travels are surprised when they discover his age and that he has come all the way from Australia.

"Wherever I go I wear my Australia cap, which gets me a lot of attention from the locals."

Travel agent Flight Centre says it has paid to upgrade Keith's economy-class flights to business class so he has more room to stretch out.

"Every booking I have made for him has been an inspiration to me," said Flight Centre's Christina Kerr, who has booked many of Keith's holidays since he first visited her store in 2002.

"I like to tell his story to other travellers, particularly those who may have thought themselves too old to travel overseas."

- AAP