9 Tips for Traveling on a Budget
T R A V E L
We all dream of it. We all crave it.
In one way or another, each and every single one of us crave some form of travel. It could be a mini weekend vacation to Florida, or a 3 month long trek through South America. Whatever it is, we all desire travel.
I'm no travel agent. I'm not an expert on travel and can't provide you with all the information you would probably like, but I do know how to travel on a budget while still having an amazing travel experience. Over the past two years, I have travelled to countless countries and have lived abroad. During that time, I was working for a non-profit and didn't have much money. My organization required/recommended some international conferences for me to attend. With out much money and a few leaps of faith I started researching and learning about the options I had in regards to cheap travel. You see, travel doesn't have to be this big posh idea but instead can be a reasonable, affordable, and life changing reality!
Without further a-do, I give you my 9 tips for traveling on a budget.
1. Book a Flight in Advance
Some people will tell you to wait last minute before booking a flight and that the prices will miraculously be lower, but out of all my travels I've yet to see the truth to that statement. The best time to book is always 3 months in advance or possibly sooner! It really depends where you are flying and during what season. If you plan on a summer holiday, prices will probably be more expensive so you will want to book the tickets as soon as you can!
Another side note, check your surrounding airports! If you are flying to the country side, the flights might be more expensive if it's not a big airport. Often, the bigger the airport, the cheaper the flight.
2. Flights are cheaper on Monday-Wednesday
It's the oldest myth in the book, and it's one you can trust. Every time I plan a trip, I check my schedule to see if it's possible to fly from a Monday-Wednesday and stay till the next. Now, this can be annoying if you only want to fly and be away for 5 days or so. If that is the case, try to either arrive or leave on one of those weekdays. Try your hardest to avoid flying on the weekends! Saturdays and Sundays tend to be crazy expensive.
3. Skyscanner
Everyone will list off a bunch of booking sites that will save you money, but none can beat Skyscanner. Skyscanner is an absolute go to. I haven't booked through anything else! Every time I need to fly, Skyscanner always has the best deals and cheapest flights. The only downfall with finding a cheap flight is what I like to call "The Time Catch." There's always a reason why it's so cheap, most of the time being a super early morning flight, a really late arrival time, or several layovers. It's where they get you. When people fly for comfort, they tend to avoid those crazy times, relax, and not feel so stressed. However, if you want to travel cheaply, then prepare to wake up early, arrive late, have several unneeded layovers, or all three! In all honestly, it's not as bad as it sounds. If you give yourself one day to recover and relax then your body will be able to work around the funky times. If you don't mind the extra stops or lack of sleep then book those flights because it's so worth it!
Make sure you check out Skyscanner's mobile app before booking through a computer. Sometimes, Skyscanner does mobile deals where you can save 10-50 dollars simply by booking through your phone.
4. Book flights separately through connecting city.
Layovers! We all hate them. They're annoying especially if you have to go through border control. However, they're normally cheaper then direct flights so as much as we hate them, they are kind of worth it.
I've discovered that you can sometimes save money by booking separately through a connecting city! In the past, I have saved around 200-300 USD by booking through separate connecting cities vs booking the whole thing in one go. I don't advise this all the time as sometimes it can be quite a hassle and sometimes you don't save that much. It's a hit or miss but is always worth looking into before booking a flight with a connection.
Things to watch out for while doing this:
A. Baggage allowance
Each airline has different luggage allowances. Most provide at least one piece of hand luggage and a personal carry-on, but if you're going to be gone for a while and need a bigger suitcase to check in then you might have to pay extra. If you book separately through connecting flights, you might have to pay twice for luggage (not including return flight) where as booking the entire ticket in one go only charges you once. What my boyfriend and I have done in the past is pay for one piece of checked luggage and use it for the both of us. This is a great way to save money on checked luggage if you are traveling with a friend, relative, or partner.
On a side note: If you're booking separate your luggage won't go through to your main destination. Your luggage will only get as far as you layover. Therefore, you have to go to the luggage pick up, get your belongings and head back into your terminal.
B. Flight times
This is where booking separately gets tricky. There's an art to it and be prepared to have a lot of patience. When booking, you have to arrange the time between flights accurately. If you're flying from Boston to London Heathrow and are booking a separate flight from there to Berlin, then you need to make sure your times add up accordingly and that you give yourself plenty of time in between, especially if you have to pick up luggage or go through passport control.
C. Different Airports
Not only do you need to calculate time, but you also have to make sure you are flying into the same airport that your connecting flight is leaving from. For example, London has four airports which can cause confusion when booking, so be sure to double check all of your bookings as booking something wrong will cause stress and more money.
If you do decide to fly into one airport and out the other, make sure you have the transportation needed to get there along with having enough time in between.
D. Is the price worth it?
Make sure all the hassle is worth it and that you will actually be saving money. Sometimes, I've looked it up and realized I'm only saving around $50 or so dollars which isn't really worth the hassle all that much. If you have children, it can also be more stressful. Just make sure you plan well in advance and are well organized. Have all of your boarding passes on your phone and organize them in order for each flight so you don't get confused with gates or times.
5. Hostels > Hotels
One of the most pricy things we spend money on is accommodation. It's time to get out of your comfort zones, and throw out the idea of costly hotels. Now, there are hotel experts out there that can find amazing flight+hotel combos but I know nothing about that. Each time I travel, I ignore hotel offers and look at hostels.
Hostels are cheap, comfortable, cozy, and affordable! They're very popular in Europe and they're great for meeting people. Hostels tend to have themes, bars, and even cafes inside as well. There is always some type of hostel that can fit your needs and comfort.
The price of staying in a hostel varies. The cheapest option is to stay in a dorm room. Most dorm rooms I've stayed in weren't completely full but could accommodate 5-15+ people. Most of the time they are mixed gender but if that makes you uncomfortable, there's normally a same sex option. Another thing to look into is the safety. Majority of hostels I've stayed at have had some form of security for personal belongings like my computer or camera. Every hostel is different, some will have personal lockers or a luggage room. It really just depends.
The most important thing to do before booking a hostel is to check the reviews. In Europe and most of the world, TripAdvisor is your best friend! Look up the hostel you want and read up. I always check the star rating first, then read the best comments and the worst. Someone always has something to complain about, so as long as the complaint doesn't have anything to do with thievery, bed bugs, cleanliness, or rude staff I'd book that hostel!
6. Couchsurfing
If you're really on a budget or if you really want to meet locals then I highly recommend Couchsurfing! Don't let the name of it freak you out. I've Couchsurfed quite a few times and haven't felt uncomfortable once. I met some amazing people, was blessed with a lovely couch or sometimes a separate room to sleep in! I actually prefer Courchsurfing to AirBnB or Hostels mainly because of the people you meet and the fact it's completely free!
All you have to do is make a profile and fill it out really well! Make sure you clarify why you're Couchsurfing and what you hope to get out of it. The interests column is good as well so people can see if you will relate at all. Every Couchsurfer has a review section that is good to read. Some people have over 100 reviews or some have only 10. As long as the reviews seem well and the person you are interested in seems kind and trustworthy, then it's worth sending them a request to stay on their couch.
Advantages of Couchsurfing:
. It's Free
. You meet some amazing people.
. They are normally locals who know the city best.
. The more you Couchsurf, the better your profile.
. You'll have great memories.
Disadvantages of Couchsurfing:
. If you're an introvert, know that you might have to socialize with your host.
. It might be sketchy for solo females to stay with a male host. It really just depends. Read up on their reviews just to be safe. If you're still uncomfortable with it, request a women to stay with. Please note, I've never had a bad experience and neither have any of my friends.
. You might get a really awkward host.
7. Local Transport
If you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing within your destination, then I recommend looking up the local transportation. When I visited Helsinki, the local transport was not only cheap but very reliable! Some cities allow you to buy a local transport card that can be good for Subways or Buses. It's worth looking into every small detail before traveling in order to budget accordingly.
In some places, renting a car is cheaper. In Dublin, we found that renting a car for four days was much cheaper then relying on the local transport. Our car was only 21 pounds for 4 days which is absolutely incredible. If you do decide to book a car, the basic insurance they offer will not normally cover what's known as "excess". Excess is the amount you are expected to pay towards car repairs for the hire car if you have an accident which is your fault. The excess insurance they offer you will normally be very expensive. Instead, make sure to buy your excess insurance separately through an excess insurance company such as http://www.carhireexcess.co.uk as it will nearly always be much cheaper then the rental place.
The best way to see a city though is by foot or by bike. If you're going to stay in the city and the places you wish to see aren't too far out, then walk. You will see more of the city that way, can take photos, and might even stumble upon some interesting places.
8. Cook Home Meals
I understand that you're on vacation and the last thing you want to do is cook, but just keep in mind that restaurants in well developed countries are very pricy. What I've done during my travels before is to prep a big meal after shopping at the local grocery store and make enough to last 2-4 days. That way, I can just reheat the meal without wasting time cooking. Not only will you save money but you'll be eating much more healthier.
If you do wish to eat out, I normally look up cheap eats on TripAdvisor to see what's available. You will almost always find a cheap pizza place, kebab shop, or bakery that makes sandwiches. Before the end of my trip, I like to treat myself by going to one local sit down restaurant and enjoying a decent/fancy meal.
9. Research Locally
What I hate the most about tourism is the lack of information or research people do before traveling. If you plan on going to a new country then you must do research! Look up local activities or cheap eats. It's always good to do a little historical research as well.
Research is a great way to find local activities or events taking place in the city. You can find the best places for music, beer, coffee, food, parks, museums, and must sees. One of my favorite things to do is to discover that "hole in the wall" you know, that place that normally looks really sketchy with the possibility of graffiti on the door and what not. Inside though it's amazing, delicious, and is a place you realize all the locals go to! I love discovering those hidden gems and feeling like a local. You'll look well travelled and you might possible make some new friends that live in the area. You can also google where the "artsy" part of town is. There is normally a hipster/urban culture in a city, you just have to know where to find it.
Research, sacrifice, and budgeting is the best advice I can give anyone in regards to cheap travel. I normally spend a good amount of time looking up the must sees within a city as suggested by locals, not just the tourist industry.
Traveling cheap is really just a matter of time. If you are willing to spend the time researching, budgeting, and just pricing all your options then I can guarantee that you will spend less money and have an amazing experience in any country/city you visit. Just be prepared to spend slightly more then you planned because lets face it, we all like to spoil ourselves a little while traveling ;)
If you are planning a trip soon or have travelled quite a bit, please leave me some input on what you think works, frustrations, or any recommendations! What advice can you offer? I would love to hear people's advice and also any crazy travel stories people may have such as an awkward host, weird customer service, culture differences etc. What say you?
