Everyone deserves to travel and see the world, but not everyone gets that opportunity, and that’s usually due to not having the money or feeling like they don’t have enough to travel. However, travel is good for the soul and so if you need some advice on how you can make travel work for you, here’s how to do it on a budget.
Go For Accommodation That’s Cheap
Accommodation is usually one of the more expensive parts of a trip, and although many of us will naturally go towards a hotel, there are certainly a lot of cheaper options available. When picking accommodations, you want to find somewhere that’s fairly cheap, but just because it’s cheaper, you don’t want to be going for places that might not be the safest option. Thanks to the power of the internet, a lot of individuals across the globe are using sites like Airbnb to host their homes or vacation properties to those who are traveling to their country or city and want somewhere more affordable. Sure it doesn’t necessarily have the hotel food and quality comfort, but for some, they try to provide whatever they can. To help with your decision on where to book, look at what’s currently out there and focus on reviews to see what other customers thought. Google and Trip Advisor can usually provide good and honest reviews on certain accommodations that you might be looking at. Think about hostels and perhaps self-catering lodges too, as these can be fairly cheap to hire for a week or a few days, depending on how long you’re there for.
Plan Ahead Of Time Where You Want To Go
Whether you’re heading to the South of France for a long weekend or planning around the world trip, planning ahead is always recommended. This is because certain destinations might be fairly popular around the time that you’re booking or you might be missing out on really good and affordable deals that some accommodations will offer and also if you’re booking with a travel agent, they usually have a lot to offer in terms of discounts and paying in advance so that you can pay it all over in easy installments. So when you want to travel, figure out where it is that you want to go exactly and perhaps have one or two back-up options. That way, you’ve got a few alternatives to lean back on if you’re struggling to get the right deal or to find the place you want to stay in your first choice. Having some idea of where you’re flying to and from and other various details for a vacation is important to do too. That way, you’re fully prepared to search and then book the vacation there and then.
Use Flight Apps To Track Cheapest Time To Buy
Flight apps are a great way to get the best value for your money and to track is best to book the flights to the destination you’re thinking about. Some can help figure out the best option if you wanted the cheapest available or whether you wanted the quickest flight, which is usually the ones that go directly to the destination. Be wary about taking multiple flights because this poses a risk to your travel luggage getting lost in the process but also that you may have some lengthy stop over time. So whether you use flight apps while searching on your home PC or download them onto your phone, these are certainly worth using and taking advantage of to be alerted of the best deals out there.
Travel Out Of Season
There are more expensive times of the year than others. Some might have typical high peaks in their country, and some may have times where they’re less busy. Obviously, places like Florida where Disney is will be constantly busy all year round but if you don’t have children, you can afford to travel to destinations outside of school vacation. Also as a tip, it’s always good to check when it’s the high season and low season for a country or specific destination. That’s because when it’s low season, it will be significantly less busy and that might be what you want in order to have more relaxing vacation, where you’re not treading on other people’s toes.
Only Pack The Necessities
Buying vacation clothes can be an added expense when you’re traveling, and although it can feel like you need to buy a whole new wardrobe, you don’t. Think about where you’re traveling to, whether that’s a cold destination or a hot one and only pack what is really necessary. Don’t think that you need a new outfit both in the day and in night. Take outfits that you can chop and change, maybe wearing the same tops or bottoms for more than just one day.
Walk As Much As You Can
Walking is free, and it’s also very healthy for you. When traveling on a budget, saving money where you can is important, and one of the ways to do this is by walking as much as you can and whenever you’re able to. Of course, some destinations won’t cater for walking, perhaps because everything is all stretched far out, but it’s definitely worth opting to walk to as many places as possible.
Earn While You Travel
And finally, if you consider yourself to be a bit of an entrepreneur, how about you try to earn some money while traveling. Doing videos, writing blog content and helping out the locals are just a few ways where you can earn your keep and have more money to spend on your trip away. Try to find these opportunities wherever you can, and you may find that through social media, you can create yourself the opportunity to earn while you travel.
Traveling on a budget is difficult, but it can certainly be done. Cut back to just the necessities, skip pricey transport where possible and plan ahead.
Bonnie is always on the road with some amazing adventures ahead. Her favorite continent is South America and she’s passionate about culture-focused traveling and ethical and sustainable tourism. During her time in university as a research assistant for a sociology professor, she realized she can’t fully understand cultures from a safe distance. She quit her job to become a full-time “voluntourist,” which brings her to places where she can immerse in local communities and support their causes. On top of writing, one of Bonnie’s priorities is offering women advice on how to stay safe while solo backpacking.