10 Ways to Save Money While Traveling
February 24, 2019
If you want to travel a lot and don’t have heaps of money, you need to get creative about travelling on a budget. The following 10 tips can help you save loads of money when you travel!
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1. USE COUCHSURFING/AIRBNB
At www.couchsurfing.org you’ll find people all over the world offering their couch (or an extra bed) to travellers. Apart from being a unique experience, it saves you money on a place to stay! Couchsurfing shouldn’t be seen as a free hotel, it’s mainly meant to offer you a different experience. If you’re lucky, your host will have time to show you around their hometown and you’ll see things you would never have found as a tourist! If Couchsurfing is a bit too adventurous for you, choose Airbnb, where you can rent a privately owned house or apartment, ranging from basic to very luxurious
2. EAT STREET FOOD
You can find street food all over the world. Choose the food stand with the most locals and watch the food being prepared so you can judge the level of hygiene for yourself. Of course, the safest option is to not choose meat or fish, but even this isn’t a problem in many countries. Most street food stands specialize in one particular dish, ensuring you’ll have a delicious meal for a fraction of the price you would pay in a restaurant!
3. LUNCH AT A BAKERY/STAND
If you have lunch in a restaurant, you’ll actually be eating out twice a day and take a big chunk out of your travel budget. It’s often much cheaper to find a bakery for lunch and buy something there. Just ask an employee what he/she likes best out of what’s for sale: success guaranteed.
4. SET YOURSELF A BUDGET & COMPENSATE
Make an estimate beforehand of how much you would like to spend on your trip and what that leaves you to spend each day. If you plan to do something expensive one day, also plan a day where you compensate by choosing a less luxurious meal or place to stay. You can also balance an expensive activity with a free event, such as a beautiful nature hike. This way you avoid reaching the end of your trip with nothing left to spend! The book ‘The best things in life are free’is als very helpfull with tips for free or cheap activities for all over the world.
5. BOOK AHEAD OF TIME
Play around with the departure and return flight dates and check whether ticket prices vary on different days of the week. When booking long flights, it often pays to keep an eye on special offers and sales.
6. MAKE USE OF FREE TOURS
So-called Free Tours are up and coming in large cities. Besides being free, they’re often a lot more creative and fun than standard tours. Well, free…….of course the tour guide will appreciate a tip at the end of the tour! You can usually find the free tours by simply Googling ‘Free tour Berlin’ or ‘Free tour Krakow’, for example.
7. PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Travelling by public transport is not always the most comfortable or cleanest option, but it is often the most fun and cheapest. The train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Thailand, for example, is a party in and of itself! You can plan your public transport ahead of time.
8. TRAVEL WITH HAND LUGGAGE ONLY
It may be a bit of a squeeze, but in the end everything you truly need (for short trips) fits in a carry-on bag or suitcase. Pack a simple cotton bag in your carry-on so you can take only the minimum on daytrips too. By using Packing cubes, you save space as well.
9. GET TO KNOW THE LOCAL DELICACIES
Locals usually eat the cheapest things, so pay attention during your trip, have a look on the Internet or in a guide book to find out about the local food beforehand. This way you’ll not only be eating something different and unusual each time, it will be cheap too. It’s also a good idea to find out what is produced locally, for example coffee, wine or fruit. These products will always be cheaper than imported products.
10. SHARE WITH OTHER TRAVELLERS
There are usually a few sights everyone wants to visit in a country. Try to form a group to go sightseeing, or ask to join a group, especially when travelling alone. This way you’ll get a better price for a tour.