How To Travel For Cheap? Our best tips
Thrill of wanderlust without having never-ending credit debt? This article proves that incredible adventures do not go hand in hand with an unreachable pricetag. So come along and discover the art of saving and travelling light, light in expenses!
My favourite childhood memory is my parents paying for my holidays.
1- Plan and book in advance
My first and potentially most important tip is to plan and book the trip in advance. As romantic, spontaneous and fun, coming up with a plan in the spur of the moment seams, it ultimately ends up with a rash and hasty trip, limited chances of incredible experiences, and a completely empty wallet that will take time to recover from. Instead, planning ahead enables you to really research the must-see places, what is less known and touristic, and what is more budget friendly. Importantly, the more you book in advance things like transportation, the cheaper. they will be. And to quote the very popular saying: the early bird gets the travel deals!
2- Research an alternative destination
This point follows my first tip, because if you don’t procrastinate your trip planning and research it enough, you might come across a cheaper and just as beautiful landscape and
scenery in another location. Some very touristic and expensive spots may look similar to lesser-known paradisiac areas, which might be worth it to visit instead. If you realize your dream location is over your budget, perhaps a similar area might be cheaper in the end, giving you the same adventure without a hole in your wallet. To conclude my point, why travel to Paris when your local power lines look just like the Eiffel tower?
3- Don’t be fancy!
My fourth lesson might be a hard one to hear, but planning a trip on a budget will not include a 5-star hotel, a limousine driving you around, and Michelin-star restaurants every day. In order to not go over a certain budget, you will have to take public transportation (which is very accessible and practical in certain countries), stay at an Airbnb or hostel (or even a more affordable hotel), and eat out at more local restaurants instead of the tourist traps (that cost double for half the quality). That being said, your vacation can be just as luxurious on a budget, the public transportation just as fast as a limo, your hostel bed just as comfy as any other, and the little restaurants even better than fancy ones.
4- Off-season travelling
My next tip is to travel off-season. The more tourists visit an area, the more transportation, accommodations, and activities will cost. Why travel to places in the peak tourism time, when you can go off-season where everything will be discounted. Not to mention the less people are venturing into the same destinations as you, the more authentic, calm, real and unique your experience will feel. And there will be less people to photoshop out of your pictures to post on Instagram!
5- Travelling with a group
My last tip is to travel with others. This means that accommodations cheaper, any activities, transportations, and food will be divided up between the group and hence be cheaper, and it will also be more fun as a group! You do not necessarily need to know that group either, as there are many planned trips between complete strangers that share the same hobbies. On top of that, some members of the group might not be new to the location, meaning that they may know hidden gems where no tourists would wander to.
Now all you have to do to plan your budget dreamcation is calibrate your economic compass, frugally navigate the seas of savings, and uncover the treasure of thriftiness. Your ideal destinations await, with only a little creativity to open doors to wonderful experiences.
If you need some more travel tips, let’s meet here!
Happy travel! J&T
