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Is your budget holding you back from traveling? We traveled the world for years without income or big savings. You just need to know how to travel cheap!
But don’t worry we will share all our top tips on how to travel cheap on a budget in this blog post. They are divided into 4 key areas that you can focus on to keep costs down:
- Transport 🚐
- Accommodation 🏠
- Food 🌮
- Activities 🥾
If you have nailed those down you will be able to travel the world for as long as you want! Sounds good? Let’s dive straight in!
TRANSPORT 🚐
1. Travel Slowly (Easiest Way to Travel Cheap!)
It may seem counteractive but the easiest way to travel cheap is to travel longer and slowly. Because if you aren’t moving then you are not spending money on expensive flights, trains, and buses. Makes sense, right?
Most travelers including us come to the conclusion that it is better and cheaper to travel slowly for multiple reasons once they travel for longer:
- It saves money
- You really get to know the place
- You will make friends with locals
A good way to travel cheap and slow is to find a low-budget travel country like Mexico that has a lot to see and do. Then spend as much time as possible there.
We spent 2 years working and moving around Mexico and found that we liked to spend 1 month in each destination. That way we cut down costs on transport and accommodation big times. Plus, Mexico offers a 6-month tourist visa!
Quite often you get weekly and monthly discounts on Airbnb, sometimes you get an entire week for free when booking for 4 instead of 3 weeks!
When you stay longer in a location you also get to know the language and culture better, where the cheapest food is, and how locals live. Traveling slowly is therefore one of the key tips you can do to get more bang for your buck.
Read also:
🇲🇽 13 Reasons to visit Mexico City for First-Timers
💃 18 Awesome Free Things to do in Mexico City
🧑💻 13 Best Cities in Mexico for Digital Nomads
2. Use Ride Sharing Apps
Depending on where you are in the world ride-sharing apps such as BlaBlaCar can be a great way to travel cheap without a car. It’s also the cheapest way to travel by car.
How it works? If someone is driving somewhere and they have a spare seat in the car they put an ad up. The ad will show the price for the ride, the departure time, and the pick-up point. You can pay via the app or at the pick-up point.
Ride-sharing can often be faster and cheaper than public transport plus you will spend time with locals or other travelers on board.
BlaBlaCar is a great option to travel cheap in Europe and Latin America. We used it many times in Mexico and it was usually faster and more comfortable than the bus. You just have to make sure your driver is trustworthy (check the reviews) and shows up.
3. Book in Advance
This is no secret but can’t be missed on a list of how to travel cheap. If you book in advance you follow the most cost-effective way to travel. Whether it’s booking flights, buses, or trains it is usually a lot cheaper if you book ahead of time.
By booking our flights to New Zealand 8 months in advance we saved at least 500 USD per person one-way! You just have to commit and stick to it.
Our favorite transport booking sites:
✈️ Kiwi.com
🚊 Trainline
🚌 Busbud
🚗 Rentalcars.com
🚲 Bikesbooking.com
📲 Omio (Transport Search Engine)
4. Be Flexible with your Dates
This is one of the biggest mistakes that I have seen people make when booking flights. If you want to get cheap flight tickets then being flexible with your date is one of the biggest money-saving hacks there is!
A lot of people will decide that they are going to fly out on a certain date and only check flights for this day. But especially on long-distance flights you can save hundreds if you are flexible and also look up flights a few days before or after your desired travel date.
That’s why whenever I am searching for flights I use the flight search engines Kiwi.com or Skyscanner as they allow me to search by month. You will be shown a calendar with the price for each date. Then I choose the date that works the best for me with the best price!
How to search per month? ✈️
1. Go to Kiwi.com or Skyscanner
2. Choose One-way or Return
3. Fill in From and To
4. Click on Departure
5. Click on the gray button above the calendar that states the month
6. Click on Set Dates and Explore and voilà you will get shown the cheapest flight days in the selected month for your destination!
👉 Try it yourself 👈
5. Be Flexible with Your Destination
Being flexible with your destination is one of the best ways to travel cheap. This tip will allow you to save money by being adventurous and spontaneous.
On Kiwi.com and Skyscanner you can select “Anywhere” as your destination. If you do this for a particular date or month it will show you the cheapest places to go traveling leaving your departure city.
This way you may find some extremely cheap travel options you may not have considered. The first time I tried this I was in Copenhagen and the cheapest buses or trains to interesting destinations close by were around 80 USD.
But then I found a flight to Belgrade, Serbia for 15 USD! So I went to Belgrade and had a great time. If it wasn’t for the super cheap flight I never would have gone there. So being flexible and adventurous can be super fun and saving money at the same time.
How to search Anywhere? ✈️
1. Go to Kiwi.com or Skyscanner
2. Choose One-way or Return
3. Fill in From
4. Type “Anywhere” in the To field
5. Select departure (you can use the monthly hack as described above!)
6. Hit Explore and voilà you will see the cheapest flight destinations for your departure city
👉 Try it yourself 👈
6. Avoid Peak Season
The prices for flights and accommodation in the peak travel season of any destination often increase dramatically. So travel smart and off-seasonal!
Most travelers avoid the off-season because that’s often the “bad weather season”. But we have spent months in rainy seasons and it was way sunnier than people would expect.
Going to beach destinations outside the high season is not only cheaper but the experience is much better. There are usually far fewer people and a more relaxed atmosphere.
Particularly if you are a digital nomad there is no reason to be somewhere in peak season as you can move where and when you want. So do your research and try to travel as much as possible in low or mid seasons.
Read here: Best off-the-beaten-path destinations 🤫
7. Pack Light
Many people bring way too much luggage on their trip. But even a 2-month trip can be done with carry-on if you get creative and pack smart. Our tip is: Pack as if you would go on a 7-day trip. Just because you travel longer doesn’t mean you need more stuff or clothes.
After years of full-time traveling, we found that we don’t need much more on a 1-year trip than on a long weekend trip. Assuming you don’t go to super cold countries. Everything you haven’t used in 7 days on your trip can be removed from your luggage. Try it out!
Why? Airlines charge as much as 50 USD one-way for 1 piece of check-in luggage. We have even seen trains and buses charging for luggage. So if you take multiple trips a year saving that money per trip will help you cut down costs.
Traveling light will also free you up when moving around and put less strain on your body. Plus, without check-in luggage, you save time at the airport before and after departure.
Afraid of losing your luggage or want to insure your electronics? Check out SafetyWing travel insurance. It’s cheap! Read about our experience plus other options here 🎒 Or calculate your fee easily here 👇
8. Change Home Country on Skyscanner
This is a tip that I discovered by accident while using Skyscanner. While in Mexico the home country of my account was set to the UK. I randomly decided to change it to Germany to see what happened and the prices all became cheaper!
You will have to play around and try different countries. But it can quite often lead to saving a bit of money which adds up and allows you to travel cheap like a pro.
How to change the country on Skyscanner? ✈️
1. Go to Skyscanner
2. Click on the Earth symbol in the right-upper corner (next to Login)
3. Change the Country/Region and search for flights
4. Do this multiple times to compare prices
5. Optional: Play around with the Language and Currency Settings e.g. select “Spanish” and “Pesos” when looking for Mexican destinations
6. And voilà you may find the same flight 50 USD cheaper!
9. Use Incognito Mode when Booking Flights
You may have noticed that when you return to flight search engines such as Kiwi.com or Skyscanner a short time after you looked up flights there the prices have gone up!
This is because websites keep cookies when you visit the site and if you return they raise the prices on your browser. This is to make you worry that the prices will go up even further and you will buy the tickets straight away.
But if you switch to Incognito mode on Google Chrome you will find that the prices stay the same. Even better would be to use a VPN but Incognito mode helps on a basic level.
How to switch to Incognito? 🕵️♀️
1. Click on the 3 vertical dots on the upper right-hand side of Google Chrome (next to your profile pic)
2. Click on “New Incognito Window” and voilá you can now go to Kiwi.com or Skyscanner and start comparing prices incognito – works on the phone too!
10. Take Cheap Public Transport
When you are in a new city it can be daunting to figure out the public transport system. Especially if you can’t speak the language. But taking taxis and Uber everywhere will get expensive very quickly in most countries.
I challenge you to take public transport at least once if it is safe. It’s the cheapest way to travel long distance and you get a better idea of what local life is like. In Latin America and Asia, a public transport ride in a city often costs less than 50 cents!
But in some areas such as Cape Town, Uber is so cheap it is by far the best and safest option, plus their public transport is terrible! So you will have to learn as you go but give public transport a go (especially to and from the airport!) whenever possible.
Read also: Best digital nomad destinations 🧑💻
11. Check Taxi Prices ahead of Time
If you are in a new country and you can’t book an Uber it is always good to know how much a taxi should cost before stepping into one. Taxis at airports are one of the most likely places for you to be ripped off.
Ask a local or at the hostel reception how much a ride should be or google ahead of time. This will save you money but also a lot of stress, especially after a long-distance flight.
ACCOMMODATION 🏠
12. Stay in Hostels
My number one tip to save money particularly if you are traveling solo is to stay in a hostel. Not only are dorm beds way cheaper but you have the chance to meet fellow travelers and make friends along the way.
Some people do not like to share a room with strangers and I won’t lie you will have to sacrifice some comforts. It is also highly likely you will have someone snoring next to you. But some of my greatest travel memories came from staying in hostels!
Also if you are traveling with someone else, a lot of hostels have private rooms that are often cheaper than hotels. Sometimes they are even cheaper than two bunk beds in a dorm. So depending on the hostel they can be a cheap way to travel as a couple.
We book most of our hostel stays on Hostelworld 👇
13. Check Multiple Booking Sites
I have always found that when booking accommodation prices can vary quite drastically between booking sites. So when trying to book a cheap hotel or a guest room, always check multiple sites including their own website!
For booking hostels I recommend Hostelworld and Booking.com. Sometimes it is cheaper on one or the other. Sometimes Booking.com will also have private rooms to rent in people’s homes, similar to Airbnb but cheaper.
Our favorite accommodation booking sites:
🏠 Booking.com (Hotels)
🏠 Hostelworld (Hostels)
🏠 Airbnb (Private rooms)
14. Use Airbnb right
Airbnb is one of the most used booking sites for finding a room or a whole place to stay. But if you don’t use it right it can quickly burn a hole in your wallet. We have 2 hacks we always use to find the cheapest price:
Hack #1
Always check and compare how much your stay would be if you booked for 1, 2 or 4 weeks instead of 5 or 10 nights for example. That way we got once 92% off! No kidding. In Antigua, Guatemala our Airbnb would have cost about 45 USD a night but since we booked for a month we got it for 120 USD in total!
That’s an incredible example and doesn’t happen often but almost every time we booked 1, 2 or 4 weeks instead of less we got up to 1 week stay for free! That’s because most hosts give weekly and monthly discounts. Off-season that can easily be up to 50%! Stays under 1 week are mostly the most expensive stays, so always try to round up.
Hack #2
When looking for the cheapest options use the Airbnb integrated map. But make sure you filter for the price, for example, max 30 USD a night. That will drastically reduce the search results and show only the cheapest accommodations.
You can play around with the price depending on the destination. Go for the lowest possible price per night and work your way up. We found that if you look on the map without this filter the cheapest places are often hidden by the more expensive ones and don’t even show up!
Extra Tip: Make sure you book an Airbnb with kitchen access so you can cook your own food and make a coffee – that will reduce your spending on food and coffee big times!
Read also: Cheap & healthy food hacks for travelers 🥑🤫
15. Do Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is a great option to get free accommodation if you are interested in meeting locals and don’t mind sharing a space with another person.
On the Couchsurfing website hosts will offer to sleep at their place for free. This will often be a couch, a mattress, or a spare bed. No strings attached!
But it is considered good manners to do something nice in return to the host like cook them some food or cover a drink but this is totally optional.
I used Couchsurfing in Norway as all accommodation prices were super expensive and it ended up being a great experience. So I can highly recommend it!
Read also: 5 Ways to get free accommodation 🏠
16. Volunteer on Workaway
Workaway is an online platform where you can get free accommodation in exchange for volunteer work. That can be farm work, animal care, hostel work, gardening, etc.
The accommodation can vary from a bed in a dorm room to your own studio with its own kitchen. But you will find all the details in the host’s ad.
We used this platform to travel around Mexico for several months and not pay for accommodation once. We would spend a minimum of 1 month with each host doing babysitting, artwork, and helping with rental properties and tours.
Workaway enables you to travel for free and get paid occasionally! Its main intention is to work without payment in exchange for a place to sleep but we earned some pocket money by doing extra work for our hosts. Try it out!
Read also: How to secure a gig on Workaway 💪
17. Do Pet sitting (Our Favorite Way to Travel Cheap!)
If you love pets then pet sitting is a great way to get free accommodation. In return for looking after the owner’s pets, you will get to stay at their house while they are away.
Of course, you should only do this if you love pets! The hosts are putting their trust in you so you should only apply if you truly like spending time with animals. Plus it can be quite a lot of work depending on the sit. But is also fun and rewarding, we love it.
There are several sites where homeowners look for pet sitters including Facebook. But after trying a few we found TrustedHouseSitters to be the best! No matter if you are traveling solo, as a couple or family, or with your own pet you will find a sit.
We find pet sitting is perfect for digital nomads who are looking for how to travel cheap on a budget. Through TrustedHouseSitters, we have had the chance to stay in amazing homes around the world for free: Caribbean, Mexico, Spain, London – just to name a few!
Sign up to Trusted House Sitters via this link for free + use code HAPPYHEALTHYNOMADS at checkout for a 25% discount on your yearly membership! 🐶 Read about our experiences here.
18. Use Facebook Marketplace
In any countries around the world like Latin America looking into Facebook groups can be a good place to find cheap accommodation, particularly for long-term rentals.
While in Mexico we saw that many people listed their properties for rent on Facebook marketplace. They were much cheaper than Airbnb as long as you want to stay long-term.
Facebook groups are also a great place to look for tips and advice when moving to a new city. If you are a digital nomad looking up the local Facebook page of a city is a helpful place to find the best areas to live, food tips, doctors and connect with other newbies.
Overall Facebook can be a great way to enrich your travel experience and allow you to travel cheap if you use it in the right way.
Want to share a meal with locals? Check out Eatwith where locals host a traditional meal in their home 🍽️ Not as cheap as cooking yourself but an experience.
FOOD 🌮
19. Cook on the Road
Enjoying the local cuisines is one of the best parts of traveling. But in most countries, you are going to save a lot of money by cooking your meals at home rather than eating out.
When we are looking for accommodation even if it is just for a few days we always make sure there is a kitchen to use. Then once we arrive we ask around and find out where the cheapest supermarket or local market is and load up on groceries.
Not only does this save you money but it ensures that you can cook fresh & healthy. Whereas if you are eating out it can be a lot harder to find healthy meals for a good price.
Tip: Master a few dishes, for example, a simple lentil pot with ingredients that are found everywhere in the world and don’t take too long. We always travel with a small bag of curry powder so we can cook a tasty meal no matter where we are.
Read also: 10 Easy Hacks to Eat Healthy & Cheap while Traveling 🥑
20. Make Coffee at Home
When I first started traveling I would always go out and grab a couple of coffees a day. But soon I realized that the cost of buying them daily quickly adds up. Plus, the coffee often wasn’t even that good and takeaway isn’t sustainable.
Now I always make coffee in the morning wherever I am staying. I only head out to a cafe on special occasions or if I need a place to work. This way I enjoy it much more and save a bunch of money.
Also if you want to travel cheap stay away from Starbucks! Their coffees are expensive and not that great. If you are going out for coffee while traveling head to a local cafe, try some locally grown beans, and enjoy every sip.
We learned all about coffee in Latin America:
🧑🌾 From Tree to Cup: This is how Coffee is made!
☕️ 12 Best Cafes in Laureles, Medellin
☕️ 14 Best Cafes in Antigua, Guatemala
💛 Do you like our tips? Say thanks with a coffee here!
21. Travel with a Reusable Water Bottle (Sustainable Way to Travel Cheap)
This tip is both a sustainability tip and a money-saving tip. So often when I am traveling I see people buying multiple bottles of plastic water daily. Not only is this adding insane amounts of plastic waste into landfills but the cost adds up over time.
We always travel with reusable bottles that we fill up at our accommodation and carry with us. This is a cost-effective way to travel and you are being eco-friendly at the same time.
Tip: Get a 1l-water bottle from Nalgene. We always travel with one. They are cheap, durable, lightweight, and easy to carry on hikes 👌
22. Stay Away from Touristy Restaurants
The areas with the most tourists have generally the most expensive restaurants. The food is often also not that good and other tourists will surround you.
You will find that food prices drop dramatically by walking a couple of blocks away from the main tourist area. Look for places that are full of locals as they generally know where the best food is.
Also, don’t be afraid of street food! When people first go traveling they often stay away from it because they are afraid of getting sick. But street food is super cheap and delicious! Also in my experience, you are more likely to get sick in restaurants than from street food.
At street food stalls you can at least have a close look at the food storage and preparation method. Often you can watch them cook! Plus it’s the most authentic local experience you can get for a really cheap price.
Read also: Best cheap foodie destinations 🌮
23. Look for Free Breakfasts
When booking hostels it can often work out cheaper to book a hostel that is slightly more expensive if it comes with a free breakfast and coffee. It’s a cheap way to vacation.
Another bonus is that you save time by not having to make breakfast or end up spending a lot of money on it. Plus you get the opportunity to meet other travelers and may end up spending the whole day with them.
The only downside is that free breakfasts are usually made of super cheap unhealthy ingredients so make sure to fuel yourself the rest of the day with healthy food!
How to find free breakfasts? 🍳
1. Go to your booking site of preference e.g. Hostelworld
2. Choose your destination, dates and hit Search
3. Click on Filter and “Free Breakfast”
4. Voilá you will see all places with free breakfast
Try it yourself 👇
24. Bring Fruit & Nuts as Snacks
One of the hardest things to do on a long bus trip or while waiting at the airport is to resist buying snacks. Not only are they unhealthy but also expensive.
So avoid this money trap by planning ahead. We always bring local fruits, nuts and protein bars on our trip. And never ever buy food or drinks on airplanes!
It is a cheap way to travel and is far better for your health. Eating healthy while traveling can be a struggle but adding healthy snacks will make a big difference.
Read here: Tips for cheap healthy snacks 🍎
ACTIVITIES 🥾
25. Google Free Things to do
When I visit a new city I will always google free things to do there. Someone will have written a blog post (like us! ;)) about free things to do in nearly every touristy place around the world. They can have some awesome ideas that are totally free.
Another good idea is to google free events in the city you are in. There can often be festivals or cultural events that are free to visit and will make you feel like a local.
See here: All Free-Things-to-do articles we have written ✌️
26. Visit Museums Cheap or for Free
In a lot of countries, museums will have certain days when they are free to visit, often on Sundays. Just look up their website and go for free where possible. This way we have saved quite some money without missing out on cultural highlights.
If you are a student, always make sure to bring your student pass with you. Many museums offer university discounts making it a great way to travel cheap as a student.
In big cities, like Chicago, London, or New York it can often be worth it to get city passes that give you discounts on many attractions and save you time queuing. Sometimes you may get as much as 50% off admission!
Our favorite ticket websites:
🎟️ GetYourGuide (entrances)
🎟️ Tiqets (attractions)
🎟️ GoCity (passes)
🎟️ Ticketmaster (events)
27. Join Free Walking Tours
Free walking tours are available in most major cities around the world. They are often hosted by a local guide who can give a brief history of the place and interesting facts.
I have done an uncountable number of free walking tours worldwide and besides one or two I found them to be a great and cheap way of getting to know a new place.
While they are not really free as the guides work for tips it is up to you how much you tip. So those on a bigger budget can choose to tip more, and if you are strapped for cash, you can tip less.
Our favorite tour guide sites:
🤠 Google “Free Walking Tour + City you are in”
🤠 GetYourGuide
🤠 Viator
28. Go on Self-Guided Walking Tours
One of my favorite things to do when I arrive in a new place is to just go for a walk without any destination in mind. A good idea is to google a few nice areas and download them on Google Maps offline before starting to walk.
That way you will discover interesting parts of the city you would never have seen if you had just stuck to the main tourist attractions. Plus it’s completely free!
Our favorite self-guided sites:
🗺️ Google Maps (works offline)
🗺️ Maps.me (works offline)
🎧 WeGoTrip (Audio Tours)
29. Avoid Pricey Tours
Try to avoid organized tours when going to major tourist attractions. Frequently I see overpriced tours offered that don’t include little more than transport.
So often it is so much cheaper to take public transport to the attraction yourself. Plus you can take your time at the sites and not have to rush or stick to the schedule of the tour.
Of course in some situations, tours can work out to be cheaper or better, especially as a solo traveler. But it always pays to compare the price of a tour vs doing it on your own.
Our favorite tour websites:
🤠 Viator
🤠 GetYourGuide
🤠 Tripadvisor
30. Go Hiking (Healthy Way to Travel Cheap)
Going for a hike is an activity that is mostly free and has the added benefit of staying in shape and getting into nature. It is easy to get stuck in big cities while traveling.
Especially as a digital nomad you may be living in exotic locations but glued to your laptop all day. Hiking is a good way to escape the city and your laptop and see more of the natural beauty of a country.
There are plenty of free hiking sites out there that will show you hundreds of cool hikes for all fitness levels nearby. Often with trails away from tourist crowds.
Tip: In countries where safety is an issue, always make sure to check the hike reviews on the sites or on Google Maps (filter by lowest) to see if incidents on the trail have happened in the last few months. That way we stayed away from some doggy hikes in Colombia.
Our favorite free hiking sites:
🥾 AllTrails
🥾 WikiLoc
See also: All hikes we have blogged about 🌎
31. Work Out for Free
While traveling it is very easy to slip out of your workout routine and become unfit. Also in many countries day passes to gyms can be very expensive.
That’s why the best idea is to learn workout routines that require no equipment and can be done anywhere. There are thousands of videos on YouTube with routines that you can follow anywhere simply with your body weight.
My favorite way to workout is to go for a run or do calisthenics as there are free calisthenics parks in almost any city in the world. It can also be a great idea to buy some cheap workout equipment you can travel with.
For example, we travel with a lightweight yoga mat, resistance bands, and a skipping rope that you can get a great workout with and easily fit inside your luggage.
Read here: Best Free Workout Tips for Travelers 💪
Now you know how to travel cheap, yeah!
Everyone has different wants and needs, especially when it comes to traveling. Someone might not want to sacrifice certain things. But even if you only incorporate a few of the tips on this list you should be able to get more bang for your buck.
So much of travel is learning by doing and finding out what works for you! I hope this list helps you save money and enables you to extend your travels so you can spend more time doing what you love 🙌
If you have any more tips on how to travel cheap let us know in the comments below! We would love to hear them.
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