Do you want to explore the world without spending too much money on traveling expenses? That’s totally possible. You just need to be a little bit more provident, smart about your choices and acquire a couple of budget travelling skills that will help you wonder around the globe or just your favorite places without throwing money in the air.
Have you always wondered how experienced budget travelers manage to have enough money to visit so many amazing places? Well, here’re a couple of tips on how to travel on a budget they use to tick off more and more sites on their wish maps and save a decent amount of money on travelling.
It’s all about the destinations
Obviously, real travelers can’t skip the most tourist attractive countries like the UK, Italy, France, Spain, Brazil, Japan, etc…
However, there’re numerous amazing and historically rich countries that will gift you win an unbelievable cultural experience without breaking your budget.
Eastern European countries, Southern Asia, Central Africa, smaller South American and Caribbean countries are the ones budget travellers should concentrate on.
I’d suggest learning more about different parts of the world, their attractions, cultural heritage of various countries and checking their exchange rates.
Might sound ridiculous, but that’s the way to find real budget travelling destination jewels.
Travel off-season
That’s the way to save a ton of money on hotels and flights, as well as experience different places when they’re less crowded with tourists from all over the world.
Cool pictures in front of the actual sites, but not a ton of people gazing at them come as a nice bonus.
When you’re planning a beach (or a skiing) holiday, which needs to be done within a certain season, try to stick to its end.
Usually, it’s the time when different hotels and airways offer huge discounts.
Save money on flights
Follow the deals and book flights when they’re the least expensive. Use different websites and mobile apps to compare the prices of the same flights of different airlines to find the most affordable tickets.
Be aware of such extra costs as food and drinks, extra luggage weight (which aren’t included in budget tickets) and transfer to and from the airport to plan your budget correctly.
Make the most out of travel credit cards. You may collect bonuses in form of ‘miles’ and hotel points for the money you spend using one of them.
When you manage to collect the necessary number of miles, you’ll be able to get a plain ticket for free. Isn’t that great?
Considering the fact that those cards often have quite a significant preferential period, you may learn how to manage your credit card without paying any extra loan money and still get those desired mile points.
Take advantage of all-inclusive last minute trip offers
All inclusive trips various agencies have will save you some money on food and activities, as well as provide you with a well-planned trip and tour guides.
When they try to sell the last places in the ‘going to …” group, they often offer significant discounts.
How to find a cheap place to stay
Accommodation is the second most expensive part of travelling. Comfortable hotel rooms with amazing views and room service don’t go with budget travelling too well.
Hostels are a little bit better, but you still have to pay for your tiny little bed and share the room with sometimes up to 10 people.
The most budget friendly way to find the place to stay in a foreign country or even within the US is to use couch surfing. It’s a cool service all budget travellers swear by. You just sing up for it and find people who offer free ‘bed’ in their houses for travelers who need a place to sleep and spend the night.
Couch surfing not only provides an opportunity for people with lower travelling budget to save lots of money on accommodation but also become friends with local people and experience their culture.
Finding people to swap houses for holidays is always a fun experience too. However, you need to be extra cautious to make sure that the person you’re going to trust your home with is reliable and honest.
Sites and attractions
Save money on different excursions and find cheap activities on the Internet.
Look up the most worthy places to visit on TripAdvisor.com and conduct your own research about them. You’ll remember a lot more than while listening to a tour guide.
Remember that many travel-popular cities offer tourist cards. Those will give you significant discounts to visit different attractions.
Even the most expensive museums and activities will cost a lot cheaper for the tourist card owner. Cheaper public transport might be included as well. The money you’ll save will definitely exceed the card’s cost (sometimes by several times).
You still have to eat, right?
Those ridiculously expensive restaurants and cafes in tourist-crowded areas is something you should definitely avoid. “We speak English” places don’t speak English for free either.
So, try to walk around and go further into smaller streets and neighborhoods to find less tourist-popular cafes and buffet-type restaurants. You’ll surely be able to find someone who’ll help you figure out the menu and make an order. And, you’ll get to experience real local food and eat in the company of friendly local people.
The restaurant bill will be a lot budget friendlier as well.
Finally, if you’re fortunate enough to stay somewhere where you can cook yourself, please, don’t be lazy to do your grocery shopping and cooking even while travelling. It will be a lot cheaper than eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner out.
Budget friendly transportation
The rent price of a car or a motorcycle might seem disadvantageous for a beginning budget traveler.
But, sit down and calculate how many times you’ll have to use taxis or public transport to get to the sites and different places of interest, which are located far away from each other.
You’ll see that travelling on your own (well, rented) transport will be a lot cheaper than paying for every single time you’ll use public transportation. And, don’t forget about bikes – the cheapest and the most health-beneficial transport ever.
I can say these tips are spot on! Planning ahead and being flexible with your travel dates really can save you a lot of money. I’ve also found that staying in local accommodations and eating where the locals do not only cuts costs but also gives you a more authentic experience. Budget travel doesn’t mean missing out; it’s about being smart with your choices so you can explore more while spending less. Great advice for anyone looking to see the world without breaking the bank!