Englishman Hugo Palmer and Frenchman Erwan Ferrieux have been missing for three nights, after their car and some possessions were found at the Shelly Beach boat ramp in Port Macquarie on Sunday.

Towels and other items were found on the beach, indicating they may have planned to swim.

Emergency services are still searching for the two backpackers, both aged 20, with police divers, Marine Rescue boats, police helicopters, trail bikes and SES volunteers scouring the area.

German travellers Aylin Eggers and Ines Schulze, who arrived in Port Macquarie this week said touring backpackers were taking more caution when swimming after hearing of the missing men.

"Everyone can feel it, backpacking is a community and you feel for other backpackers (travelling similar to you)," said Ms Eggers.

"You know how they (other backpackers) live, how they want to have fun and do crazy things.

"You can feel that this could be anyone."

Ms Schulze said going to the beach for a swim was often the first thing many travellers did when they arrived in a new Australian town.

"We would be careful but I would try to swim anywhere unless it was too rough, the water is too attractive and it's so hot in Australia," she said.

The pair from Germany had previously been spending each day they could on NSW coastal beaches, but were cautious of big waves and rocks in the water, said Ms Schulze.

"You have to be careful when in a new town... before coming (to Australia) I wasn't scared of the water but now I'm a little afraid of the beaches in Australia."

"We now go into the water slowly, close to shore because we want to be careful of the current underneath."

Mid North Coast Police Inspector Peter Neville said despite the passage of time, the operation to find the missing men is still a search and rescue.

"At the moment we will continue throughout today, during the day we will re-assess the results that we achieve through our search," he said.

"We will consult with our experts about search, survivability and those sorts of things and we will make assessments throughout the day.

"At this point of time we have not put a time frame on the conclusion of the search."

The families of Mr Palmer and Mr Ferrieux have been notified, while two friends of the missing men have come forward and are cooperating with police, according to Inspector Neville.

Police are appealing to anyone who might have seen the men or their silver Commodore Station wagon near the Shelly Beach car park or in the surrounding streets to contact them.

Mid North Coast Police District, Marine Rescue, SES, NSW Police Force Marine Area Command are all involved in the water, air and ground search.

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