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Is your budget holding you back from traveling? Are you dreaming of full-time travel but worried about the cost? We get it.
When we started traveling the world in 2020, we had no income and had to stretch every dollar (or peso in our case, because we started in Mexico 🌮💃).
But guess what? We made it work – and you can too!
Traveling on a budget is easier than ever nowadays if you know the right hacks and sites to use. Trust me, if you know how to travel cheap you’ll be able to be on the road almost forever.
Since we hit the road in 2020, we are still traveling the world full-time, applying all the budget travel tips and hacks we will share with you today.
Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a long-term adventure, our 31 easy proven ways to travel cheap will let you explore the world without breaking the bank and missing out on amazing experiences!
Key Areas to Save Money on Travel
I have to admit: Over the last few years, finding ways to travel cheap has become a sport for us. It’s fun and addictive!
From finding the cheapest flights and free accommodation hacks to saving money on food, tours, equipment, services and transport – we’ve tested it all.
But to get the most out of your buck, I suggest you start by focusing on these 4 key areas that will make the biggest impact:
- Flights
- Accommodation
- Food
- Activities
If you have nailed those down you will be able to travel the world for as long as you want!
Plus, to the contrary believe, it doesn’t mean you will have to miss out on epic adventures. We find that we get even better local experiences by choosing budget-friendly options and avoiding pricey tourist traps.
BUDGET TRAVEL CHECKLIST
These are sites we love and use the most when it comes to saving money on the go. See our Travel Resources for all budget travel tips!
✈️ Find cheap flights on Kiwi.com
🏠 Get a free place to stay on TrustedHousesitters
🤩 Use Genius for hotel discounts on Booking.com
✌️ Book free walking tours with locals on GuruWalk
🚌 Book the cheapest buses and trains on Omio
📲 Grab cheap mobile data worldwide from Airlo
✅ Get affordable travel insurance with SafetyWing
💌 For budget travel tips sign up for our Newsletter
FLIGHTS & 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 more 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
- You will go off-the-beaten-path
The best way to travel cheap and slow is by choosing a low-budget travel country like Mexico that offers a 6-month tourist visa and has plenty to see and do. Then spend as much time as possible there.
We spent more than 2.5 years (oops! :)) traveling in Mexico and absolutely loved it. We realized that we enjoy spending a month in each city or town before moving on to the next.
This slow travel style allows us to fully soak in each place while also significantly reducing our transport and accommodation costs.
Almost every time, you can find weekly and monthly discounts on Airbnb. So often, you’ll even get an entire week for free when booking 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 best ways to get more bang for your buck while maximizing your experiences to the fullest.
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. 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 accommodation or flights, buses, and trains it is usually a lot cheaper if you book ahead of time.
By booking our flights from Los Angeles to New Zealand 8 months in advance we saved 500 USD per person one-way! That’s a crazy high saving! You just have to commit and stick to it.
Plus, it’s super exciting to know where you will head next year.
But in general, we find that most flights, trains, buses and rental cars are still cheaper when booked about 3 months in advance which is often more practical than booking further out.
Even booking transport only a few weeks in advance, can make all the difference. So make sure you plan ahead as much as you can.
You might wonder about last-minute deals? Whether it’s accommodation or transport, we’ve never found them to be as cheap as booking in advance.
Our favorite transport booking sites:
✈️ Kiwi.com
🚊 Trainline
🚌 Busbud
🚗 Rentalcars.com
📲 Omio (trains & buses)
Pro Tip: Flights are usually cheapest when booked on a Tuesday or Wednesday, about 1–3 months in advance for domestic travel and 3–6 months for international flights.
3. Be Flexible with Your Dates (Flight Hack)
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!
Many people will only check flights for their desired travel dates. But shifting your departure by just a few days earlier or later can save you hundreds of dollars, especially on long-distance flights.
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 and compare prices across different dates and airlines quickly.
Both sites show you a monthly calendar with the cheapest flight fare for each day. I then choose the date that works the best for me with the best price!
How to find the cheapest flight date? 🗓️
1. Go to Kiwi.com or Skyscanner
2. Choose “One-way” or “Return”
3. Fill in “From” and “To”
4. Click on “Departure” and select the month you want to travel in
5. Hit “Search” and you’ll see the cheapest flight days in the selected month for your destination!
Pro Tip: Fridays and Sundays are usually the most expensive days to fly and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the cheapest!
4. Be Flexible with Your Destination (Flight Hack)
Being flexible with your destination is another great way to travel cheap. This budget travel tip will allow you to save money by being adventurous and spontaneous.
But how exactly does it work?
On Kiwi.com and Skyscanner you can select “Anywhere” as your destination. Instead of showing you flights to a particular destination, you will see the cheapest flights to any destination leaving your selected departure city.
You will be surprised at how cheap you could go to an awesome location you may not have even considered yet!
For example, when we did a 6-month housesit in Grenada, we found one of the cheapest flights out was going to Bogotá, Colombia. This was our sign to spend 3 months in Colombia!
But this travel hack also works if you look up other transport options.
For example, when I was in Copenhagen, Denmark I was shocked to see that the cheapest buses or trains to interesting destinations nearby were around 80 USD.
So I looked up flights to “Anywhere” and found one to Belgrade, Serbia for 15 USD! I immediately booked it and had a great time in Belgrade.
But if it wasn’t for the super cheap flight I would have never gone there. So being flexible and adventurous can be super fun and save you money at the same time.
How to search to Anywhere? 🌎
1. Go to Kiwi.com or Skyscanner
2. Choose “One-way” or “Return”
3. Fill in “From”
4. Select “Anywhere” in the “To”-field
5. Select a departure date
6. Hit “Explore” and you’ll see the cheapest flight destinations for your departure city!
Pro Tip: Combine this travel hack with the previous one by looking up a monthly flight calendar instead of an exact travel date in the departure field. Anywhere + Anytime = Cashing!
5. Change Your Home Country (Flight Hack)
This is a travel flight hack 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 Mexico to see what happens and all prices got cheaper! 👀
You will have to play around and try different countries, preferably some with generally lower ticket prices like Asian or South American ones.
It doesn’t always work but if it does, it will save you some money. In my example, I saved 30 USD on my flight by just switching my country and currency settings to the local one!
30 bucks might not seem that much, but every dollar will add up over time and allow you to extend your travels.
How to change the country settings? ✈️
1. Go to Kiwi.com or 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. Try different countries and compare prices
5. Also play around with the Language and Currency Settings e.g. select “Spanish” and “Pesos” when looking for Mexican destinations
6. You may find the same flight cheaper!
Pro Tip: You can achieve the same result by using a VPN and switching the country from which you’re browsing.
6. Use Incognito Mode (Flight Hack)
You probably have noticed that when you return to flight booking sites, 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 when you return they raise the prices displayed on your browser.
They want you to worry that the prices will go up even further and you will buy the tickets straight away.
But if you switch to Incognito mode before your search they can’t store any cookies, track your search history and show you higher prices.
So always make sure to look up flights in incognito and clear your cache, cookies and browsing history regularly!
How to switch to Incognito in Google Chrome? 🕵️♀️
1. Click in your browers on the 3 vertical dots on the upper right-hand corner next to your profile picture
2. Click on “New Incognito Window” and go to Kiwi.com or Skyscanner
3. Search for the best flight deals without leaving any traces – works on the phone too!
Pro Tip: You can also use a VPN to avoid tracking histories by changing your virtual location to different countries every time you search for flights.
7. Avoid Peak Season
Flight and accommodation prices often skyrocket during a destination’s peak travel season. So travel smart and off-season!
Most travelers avoid the off-season because that’s often the “bad weather season”. But we have spent months in rainy seasons in Mexico and Asia and it was way sunnier and drier 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 or slow traveler there is no reason to be somewhere in peak season as you can usually move where and when you want.
So do a quick Google search for each destination you have in mind and try to travel there when it’s low or mid-season.
Find here: Best off-the-beaten-path destinations 🤫
8. Pack Light
Many people bring waaaay too much luggage on their trip. Even a 2-month trip can be done with only a carry-on if you get creative and pack smart.
My biggest packing tip for a long trip?
No matter how long you go, 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 of course.
Everything you haven’t used in 7 days on your trip can be removed from your luggage. Try it out!
But how does that save money?
Airlines charge as much as 50 USD one-way for 1 piece of check-in luggage. In Europe, it’s also common for trains and buses to charge for a second piece of 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 places and put less strain on your body. Plus, small luggage is easier to store and fit into tight spaces.
Tip: SafetyWing doesn’t just cover your long trips medically (it’s been covering us for years!), it also insures lost luggage, electronics and trip delays for a good price! Check out our experience and calculate your fee easily here 👇
9. Take 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 or Uber everywhere will get expensive very quickly in most countries, particularly from and to the airport!
I challenge you to take public transport at least once if it is considered safe. It’s the cheapest way to travel 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!
For example, we love taking the metro in Mexico City. It’s super cheap (0,20 USD!), fast and an experience.
But in some cities like Cape Town, Uber is by far the best and safest option. Plus their public transport is terrible.
So you will have to do a bit of research before you go. But if you want to travel cheap, choose public transport whenever possible and most importantly to and from the airport!
Read also: Best digital nomad destinations 🧑💻
10. Check Taxi Prices Ahead of Time
If public transport isn’t an option, your second best bet is Uber.
They are usually cheaper, safer and easier to handle than normal taxis. Plus, you have a fixed price upfront. So always opt for ride-hailing apps rather than normal taxis.
We try to avoid normal taxis at all costs, but sometimes these are the only options.
So 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 your accommodation 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.
Tip: Nearly every country has its own version of Uber, like Bolt, DiDi, Lyft or Grab. Before you go, google which ride-hailing apps are popular at your destination to find more options and better prices. Connect your credit card, so you don’t need to deal with cash 🚗
11. Use Car Pooling for Long-distance
Using ridesharing apps like Uber is no travel secret. But did you know that you can also book a seat in someone’s car for long-distance journeys?
The most popular carpooling app we use and love is BlaBlaCar. It’s often the cheapest way to travel between major cities and long-distance, often cheaper than trains or buses!
We have used BlablaCar in Europe and Mexico where it so often was a faster and cheaper alternative to taking a bus. We particularly found it to be a cheap way to travel in Europe.
How it works?
Drivers list empty seats in their cars for a trip they’re going to make. You search for available rides, book a seat and coordinate pickup with the driver through the app.
It’s a genius way of helping drivers to split fuel costs and for you a comfortable and budget-friendly way to travel. Plus, you will spend time with locals or other travelers on board.
You just have to make sure your driver is trustworthy (check the reviews) and shows up!
ACCOMMODATION
12. Do Housesitting (Our Favorite Way to Travel Cheap!)
If you love pets then housesitting is a great way to get free accommodation and keep your travel costs super low. After all, accommodation is often the biggest expense when traveling!
In exchange for looking after the owner’s pet, plants and home, you will get to stay at their house for free while they are away.
Of course, you should only do this if you love pets! The hosts are putting their trust in you and it can be quite a lot of work depending on the sit. But it’s also fun and rewarding – we love it!
There are several sites where homeowners look for house or 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 in pretty much every location you can dream of.
We find housesitting particularly perfect for digital nomads like us who are working from home and are looking for budget-friendly ways to travel.
Through TrustedHousesitters, we have had the chance to stay in amazing homes around the world for free: Grenada, Mexico, Spain, London – just to name a few!
Tip: Sign up for TrustedHousesitters for free + get 25% off any membership with code HAPPYHEALTHYNOMADS. Read here about our experiences.
13. Use Airbnb Right (3 Hacks)
Airbnb is one of the most popular booking platforms for finding a private room or an apartment in someone’s home.
But if you don’t use it right it can quickly burn a hole in your wallet. We always do these 3 hacks to find the cheapest prices:
Airbnb 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 whole month we got it for 130 USD in total! 🤯
That’s an amazing deal and doesn’t happen often. But almost every time we book for 1, 2, or 4 weeks instead of a shorter stay, we end up getting up to a week 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 usually the most expensive stays. So always try to stay exactly 1, 2 or 4 weeks to get that discount and avoid “in between stays” like 5 or 10 nights.
Airbnb Hack #2
When looking for the cheapest options available on Airbnb, use their integrated map. But make sure you set a maximum price in the filter first! For example, max 30 USD a night.
That will drastically reduce the number of homes available and show only the cheapest accommodations.
Play around with the maximum price depending on the destination. Go for the lowest possible price per night first 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!
Airbnb Hack #3
This is a pro budget travel tip: Always book an Airbnb with kitchen access so you can cook your own food, prepare some snacks and make a coffee.
This will reduce your spending on food and coffee big times!
While it’s great to have your own kitchen, this often comes with a price tag. So if you don’t mind sharing, just book a cheaper option, like a private room, where you can use the host’s one.
Read also: Cheap & healthy food hacks for travelers 🥑
14. Check Multiple Booking Sites (2 Hacks)
Prices can vary a lot between booking platforms, so don’t rely on just one! We always compare sites like Booking.com, Hostelworld and Airbnb to find the best deal.
Sometimes, a room in a hotel or a hostel is cheaper than on Airbnb or visa versa. It really depends on the destination.
That way we not only find the best value for money but also get a feeling for the destination.
When we find a place we like, we ALWAYS search its name on Google. That’s for 2 reasons:
- So often the hotel or hostel is cheaper when booked directly through their website
- We can double-check their reviews outside the booking platform. You’d be surprised how much they can differ sometimes!
That way you ensure you got the cheapest price plus that the place is legit and holds up to its expectations.
Our favorite accommodation booking sites:
🏨 Booking.com for hotels
🛌 Hostelworld for hostels
🏠 Airbnb for private rooms & apartments worldwide
🏠 Vrbo for private rooms & appartments in the US, Canada & Europe
Booking.com Tip: Sign up for their Genius loyalty program for free and get discounts or free breakfasts every time you make a booking! You can also filter for “kitchen facilities” under Filter by > Meals.
Pro Tip: Many hacks we use to score cheap flights also apply when finding cheap accommodation: Be flexible with your dates, avoid peak seasons, and book in advance!
15. Stay in Hostels Solo or As A Couple
If you’re traveling solo, one of the best ways to travel cheap is by staying in a hostel.
Not only are dorm beds much more affordable, but you also get the chance to meet fellow travelers and make new friends along the way.
Katharina and I actually met in a hostel in Mexico, where our journey as full-time travelers began, So I can definitely vouch for staying in hostels! 😉
Of course, hostels aren’t for everyone. Some people don’t like sharing a room with strangers, and I won’t lie you may have to sacrifice some comforts.
There’s also a good chance you’ll have someone snoring next to you. But honestly, some of my greatest travel memories come from hostel stays!
If you’re traveling with a friend or partner, consider booking a private room in a hostel. They’re often cheaper than hotel rooms – and sometimes even more affordable than two dorm beds!
This way, you get the best of both worlds: a private space for a great price while still having plenty of opportunities to meet other travelers.
That’s why private hostel rooms are an excellent budget-friendly option for couples or friends on the road – an option that is often overlooked in my experience.
We book all our hostel stays on Hostelworld 🛌
16. Try Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is a great option to cut down costs on travel by getting free accommodation. Especially if you are interested in meeting locals and don’t mind sharing a space with a stranger.
On the Couchsurfing website hosts will offer a couch, mattress or spare bed at their place for free. No strings attached!
But it is considered good manners to do something nice in return like cook a meal for the host or take them out for 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!
Katharina also only had positive couchsurfing experiences in Vietnam and Uganda. While I only did it solo, she only did it with a friend.
So both options are possible! Just make sure you contact hosts that already have a positive review record.
Read also: 5 Ways to Get Free Accommodation 🤩
17. Volunteer on Workaway
Workaway is another online platform where you can get free accommodation in exchange for volunteer work. That can be farm work, animal care, hostel work, gardening, and much more.
The accommodation can vary from a bed in a dorm room to having your own space. But you will find all the details in the host’s ad.
We used Workaway for several months to travel around Mexico rent-free. We would spend a minimum of 1 month with each host doing babysitting, artwork, and helping with rental properties and tours.
Occasionally you even can get paid on Workaway! Its main intention is to work without payment in exchange for a place to stay but we earned some pocket money by doing extra work for our hosts.
So if you are up for some work, definitely give it a go!
Read also: How to secure a gig on Workaway 💪
18. Use Facebook Groups
In countries like Latin America, 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 or in Facebook groups. They were much cheaper than Airbnb as long as you want to stay for a few months.
Facebook groups are also a great place to look for tips and advice when traveling to a new destination. Just go to Facebook and search for the name of your new destination.
You will find plenty of groups named “Expats in X”, “Backpackers in X” or “Solo Travelers in X” – full of helpful recent information on safety, rentals and general travel advice.
For example, when we went to Medellin for 2 months, we would join its most active Facebook group to see which areas people recommend to stay or which events are on.
We would also find recommendations for English-speaking doctors there, which were VERY helpful when we needed to find a dentist asap.
It’s also a great place to connect with other city newbies or join a free meetup, especially if you travel solo or as a digital nomad.
Overall we found Facebook groups to be a helpful way to enrich our travel experiences and find many free or cheap hidden gems in there.
FOOD & DRINKS
19. Cook Your Own Meals
To me, 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 some of your meals at home rather than eating out all the time.
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 our hosts where the nearest 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, don’t take too long to cook and are cheap.
We always travel with a small bag of curry powder so we can cook up a tasty simple cheap meal no matter where we are.
Read also: 10 Easy Hacks to Eat Healthy & Cheap while Traveling 🥑
20. Avoid 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!
Imagine going to Mexico and not eating tacos! Or going to Bangkok and not trying its Chinatown street food! 😱
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!
Use the same rule as with picking a restaurant: Choose a food stall that locals eat at so you know it’s tasty, cheap and won’t make you sick.
Plus it’s the most authentic local experience you can get for a really cheap price!
Read also: Best Local Places to Eat Cheap 🌮
21. Score Free Breakfasts
When booking hostels it can often work out cheaper to book a hostel that slightly costs more if it comes with a free breakfast and coffee.
Another bonus is that you save time by not having to make breakfast or end up spending a lot of money in a restaurant on it.
Plus you get the opportunity to meet other travelers and may end up spending the whole day with them.
Katharina and I met at breakfast in a hostel in Mexico City – so I can highly recommend joining those! 😉
The only downside is that free breakfasts are usually made of super cheap unhealthy ingredients like cereals. So make sure to fuel yourself the rest of the day with healthy high-quality food!
How to find free breakfasts? 🍳
1. Go to Hostelworld
2. Choose your destination, dates and hit “Search”
3. Click on “Filter” and “Free Breakfast”
4. Now you will see all hostels serving free breakfast!
Pro Tip: On Booking.com you can also filter for “breakfast included” under Filter by > Meals. Sign up for their free Genius loyalty program which often rewards you with free breakfasts!
22. 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 really expensive for what you get.
So avoid this money trap by planning ahead!
We always bring local fruits, dried fruits, nuts or 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.
The same goes for when you go on a hike or day trip. Come prepared and throw an apple or müsli bar in your bag before you go!
Read here: 10 Tips for Cheap Healthy Snacks 🍎
23. Skip Coffee To Go
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 cups aren’t sustainable.
Now I always make a cup of coffee in the morning wherever I am staying. Another perk of making sure you book accommodation with at least a kettle to use.
I only head out to a cafe if I need a place to work or a break from sightseeing. This way I enjoy my cup much more and save a bunch of money along the way.
Also if you want to travel cheap, stay away from Starbucks or other coffee chains! Their coffees are expensive, no matter where you are, and not that great.
If you are going out for coffee while traveling head to a local cafe with locally grown beans and a great atmosphere and enjoy every sip!
We learned all about coffee in Latin America:
🧑🌾 From Tree to Cup: This is how Coffee is made!
☕️ Find the Best Local Cafes around the World
💛 Do you like our tips? Say thanks with a coffee!
24. Bring A Reusable Water Bottle (A Sustainable Way to Travel Cheap)
This budget travel tip is both a money-saving and sustainability tip. So often I see people buying multiple plastic bottles of water daily when traveling.
Not only is this adding insane amounts of plastic waste into landfills but the cost of each bottle, like with coffee, adds up over time.
We always travel with a reusable water bottle that we fill up at our accommodation before we leave the house.
Many hostels or Airbns offer filtered water for free in countries where you can’t drink tap water. So no matter where you are, make sure to always bring your bottle along.
This is a cost-effective way to travel and you are being eco-friendly at the same time. Win-win!
Tip: We travel with this 1l-water bottle from Nalgene. They are cheap, durable, lightweight, and easy to carry on hikes 👌 But any will do.
TOURS & ACTIVITIES
25. Search Free Things To Do
When I visit a new city I 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.
It’s such an easy way to find hidden gems and free activities, but I find not enough people taking advantage of this.
Especially locals can have some awesome ideas on what to do that are totally free or at least cheap.
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 For Free
I think we haven’t paid for a museum entrance in over 3 years! Not because we don’t visit them, but because we always make sure we take advantage of free entrances.
In many countries, museums offer free entry on certain days, like the first Sunday of a month. Making it a cheap way to travel in European cities for example.
But we have also visited tons of museums on their free-entrance-days in Mexico for example. In some cities, like London, the most amazing museums are always free!
Just look up their website or google “free museums + city” and go on the days with free entrance whenever possible.
This way we have saved quite some money over the years without missing out on cultural highlights.
If you are a student, always make sure to bring your student pass with you. Many museums offer big 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! So make sure to do a quick Google search before heading into a museum and calculate the costs of what you want to see upfront.
Our favorite ticket websites:
🎟️ GetYourGuide for skip-the-line
🎟️ Tiqets for general attractions
🎟️ GoCity for city passes
🎟️ Ticketmaster for events
27. Join Free Walking Tours
We love joining free walking tours! It’s pretty much one of the first activities we do when arriving in a new city.
They are available in most major cities worldwide and are often led by a local guide who provides a great overview of the area and highlights details you might otherwise miss.
I have done an uncountable number of free walking tours worldwide and besides one or two I found them always 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.
Just make sure you plan in at least 5 USD for it, as this is usually the minimum expected, considering that you liked the tour of course.
How to find free walking tours:
☀️ Check out GuruWalk
☀️ Google “Free Walking Tour + City” you are in
28. Create Your Own Walking Tour
One of my favorite things to do when I arrive in a new place is to simply go for a walk and wander the streets with no particular destination in mind.
A good and safe approach is to research a few nice areas beforehand and pin them on Google Maps. That way, you won’t end up too lost or in an unsafe area.
We always download offline maps of the country we’re in on both Maps.me and Google Maps. So we can navigate any city for free, even without an internet connection.
This way, you’ll stumble upon cool parts of the city you might never have seen if you had just stuck to the main tourist attractions or a guided tour. Plus, it doesn’t cost a thing!
Tip: Bookmark our free budget city itineraries including walking routes, free maps and lots of “where to get lost”-budget travel tips for your next adventure!
29. Compare Tour Prices
Try to avoid organized tours when going to major tourist attractions that you can visit on your own. Frequently I see overpriced tours offered that don’t include little more than transport to the sight.
So often it is so much cheaper to take public transport and walk around there 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 add tons of value, especially if you are a solo traveler and want to visit a sight in a remote location.
But it always pays to compare the price of a tour vs doing it on your own!
Usually tours offered in hostels are cheaper than booking at agencies, so if you are staying in hostels, check out the acitivities board at reception.
Where we book most guided tours:
🤠 Hostel receptions
🤠 GetYourGuide (worldwide)
🤠 Tripadvisor & Viator (worldwide)
🤠 Bookme (Australia, Fiji & New Zealand)
🤠 Klook (Asia)
Pro Tip: While Viator belongs to Tripadvisor and has most tours, we find them often cheaper on GetYourGuide which is our favorite go-to tour booking site. So always compare both sites!
30. Go Hiking (A 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 like us, you may be living in exotic locations but be glued to your laptop all day 🫣
Hiking is a good way to escape the city 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.
Over the years, we have been on so many trails with breathtaking views away from tourist crowds.
Our favorite free hiking sites:
🥾 AllTrails
🥾 WikiLoc
🥾 All hikes we have written about
Tip: In countries where safety is an issue, always make sure to check the hike reviews (filter by lowest) to see if incidents on the trail have happened in the last few months.
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 way to cut down costs on exercising is to learn workout routines that require no equipment and can be done anywhere.
There are thousands of videos on YouTube that will show you simple workout routines with only using 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 light-weight workout equipment you can travel with.
For example, we travel with resistance bands and a skipping rope that take up no space in our luggage and you can get a great workout with no matter where you are.
Read here: Best Free Workout Tips for Travelers 💪
BUDGET TRAVEL CHECKLIST
These are sites we love and use the most when it comes to saving money on the go. See our Travel Resources for all budget travel tips!
✈️ Find cheap flights on Kiwi.com
🏠 Get a free place to stay on TrustedHousesitters
🤩 Use Genius for hotel discounts on Booking.com
✌️ Book free walking tours with locals on GuruWalk
🚌 Book the cheapest buses and trains on Omio
📲 Grab cheap mobile data worldwide from Airlo
✅ Get affordable travel insurance with SafetyWing
💌 For budget travel tips sign up for our Newsletter
Now you know how to travel cheap, yeah!
Everyone has different wants and needs, especially when it comes to traveling.
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 our top-budget travel tips help you save money and enable you to extend your travels.
More importantly, I hope that they have shown you, that no matter how much money you have, you are ready to hit the road!
If you have any more tips on how to travel cheap let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear and try them.
READ ALSO
- Affordable Travel Insurance for Longer Trips
- 5 Ways to Get Free Accommodation for Travel
- 10 Hacks to Eat Cheap & Healthy While Traveling
- 7 Cheap & Easy Tips to Stay Fit on the Road
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