If you added ‘travel more’ to your list of 2019 resolutions, boy do we have some good news for you.
Have you ever scrolled through that one person’s Instagram or Facebook feed, seen hundreds of stunning travel pictures and wondered, “How do they do it? How can they possibly afford to spend every other month sunbathing on white sand beaches, sipping wine on the French Riviera, and exploring the fjords of Iceland?”
This post is for all prospective (or even veteran) globe trotters. Buckle up, buttercup, because we are about to divulge the most coveted tips and tricks that will allow you to traverse the globe for a fraction of the price and score enough travel pictures to make anyone green with envy.
For the next fifteen minutes, consider us your traveling guru as we present you with the cheapskate’s guide to traveling on a budget. Grab your pen and paper, or bookmark this link, because this is information is well worth noting.
Let’s start with the basics, travel off season.
You want to save the big bucks? The easiest way to do that is by moving your travel dates, or picking a certain location for your current traveling dates, that is not in its peak tourism season. By doing this, you can save hundreds on your flight, hotel, and activities. Basically, traveling during the off season will reduce the price tag on your ENTIRE trip. To see the high / low seasons of each country by month, click here. Doing your research and capitalizing on this first tip is the most important in reducing your expenses and will make the biggest differences.
Now that you’ve decided when and where to visit, it’s time to book your flights.
This might seem a little scary to a newbie traveler, but don’t worry! There are many sites that will do the work for you when it comes to finding the most reasonably priced flights. My favorite is Momondo because it will show you how the price changes depending on what day you’re flying, makes recommendations for the “best value” flight, shortest flight, and cheapest flight. Other options for flight finders include Skyscanner, Expedia, and Kayak. Visit this page for more information on the best sites to find your flights. The key here is to check more than one site. They will all contain different flight results and you might find a better deal on site than another.
Moving on to the topic of hotels.
I don’t like them. Some people enjoy hotels and have no problem spending 80$ a night on one. For me, this is slightly silly. If you’re looking for a more immersive travel experience, or really want to cut down on your bill, I suggest looking at hostels, Airbnbs, and work away programs BEFORE deciding to book a hotel. For those who are unaware, hostels as single (or shared) rooms where travelers congregate and stay. They are often cheaper, but less secure, than hotels. Airbnb allows people to rent their homes entirely, or just a single room, or even just their couch, to travelers. All transactions take place on the site and you definitely should book in advance. Work away programs are the cheapest options. The programs are more of a social contract where the traveler promises to do a certain amount of work for the host who provides a certain amount of amenities for free. You can check out the ads posted on this site for more information. You’ll notice that the ads disclose how much work is expected, what will be given in return (housing / food / wifi / etc.) and how long the arrangement will last.
Finally, enjoy as many FREE activities as possible before paying for them.
Avoid the ultra-tourist baiting activities because they will always be both gimmicky and overpriced. Look for small, family owned businesses in the area. Research the locations historical sites. Does it have any museums, libraries, hiking trails, preservations? Learn about the area and what is there before you arrive and you’ll be far less likely to jump on the first activity you see advertised.
Basically, traveling is about as cheap as you want to make it. If you don’t mind making small sacrifices, not staying in a Hilton, not eating at Michelin star restaurants, taking a layover or even two, then you can drastically reduce your travel expenses. For example, you could only pay for your flight and conversion fees if you participated in the right work away program. Conversely, you could get a travel agent, book a direct flight, and stay in the best rated hotel, spending your nights at the hottest bars and days out yachting. Your experience, and your bill, is entirely up to you! So consider what you want to get out of your travels, the trip your want to have, and do research accordingly.
With that, we bid all you jet-setters safe and cheap travel!