Let’s be real with one another: there are thousands of articles out there about how to save money on traveling the world.
There’s a good reason: in a world where everything has its price, we want to know if our dreams of traveling the world can become a reality. Especially when our pockets tend to be empty more often than full of cash… it’s easy to feel like we will never be able to afford to travel the world.
The good news is that the world is always changing, and you no longer need to be wealthy to travel — you just need to know how to make the cash you do have work harder for you! For example, by pinpointing the hidden travel costs you can avoid to save money, you’ll quickly discover how easy it can be to travel on a budget. By the end of this article, you’ll be perfectly prepared to plan a wonderful trip that won’t cost you your entire life savings!
These are my very own budget travel tips, gained over the past nine+ years that I’ve been traveling, and the nine countries I’ve visited — with family, friends, and on my own. Some of these might be considered “travel hacks to save money” — I like to call it “good planning!”
You won’t always be able to do everything on this list… that’s okay. Use each trick when it suits your needs, and you’ll quickly shave off some of the expenses that come your way!
Here are my top five budget travel hacks to save money and find the best prices on transportation.
- Travel in the “off” season
Most destinations have “off” seasons, or times of the year when there is much less tourism.
There are many reasons for this, but it is usually weather-related: people who are only going to be on vacation for one week tend to want to travel when they know they will have the best weather, so they can squeeze all of their activities into the short time they have.
If you travel to your chosen destination in the season when less people are going on vacation there, everything will be cheaper, from souvenirs to accommodation — that includes plane tickets!
- Be flexible with your flights
Some of my favorite airlines, like NorwegianAir, offer excellent discount fares that are hundreds of Euros less on certain days of the week, or in certain months (such as those of the off-season).
If you don’t need to leave or come back on specific days, this gives you the freedom to search for flights using the “Low Fare Calendar” search features that many airlines offer, which show you the cheapest days to fly.
I’ve gotten roundtrip tickets from California, U.S.A. to popular cities like London for $650 USD total — and if I’d been able to leave and come home on different dates, I could have done it for less than $400! Letting price determine the days on which you fly can be a huge budget-saver!
- Fly strategically
In many cases, the lowest-priced flights are flights that people don’t want to have to take. They’re those hopper flights that take you 15+ hours to get to your destination because they have ridiculous layovers.
Not many people enjoy flights that aren’t direct, where they are forced to change planes multiple times or to spend hours in airports waiting for their next flight — but if that’s all you can afford, you can make it work for you! Look for those flights with layovers in places that you are interested in seeing, and choose the ones that will give you five+ hours to explore!
I got to explore Athens for a day on my way home from Israel by choosing a flight with an 11-hour layover! Renting a locker for my luggage at the airport was no trouble, and exploring an “extra” city was lovely!
In some cases, it can also be cheaper to purchase separate, indirect flights to your destination — when I fly to Europe, I can often get cheaper flights to Oslo on Norwegian Air, then fly from Oslo to my actual destination.
Check out your options and play around with flights out of different cities, and you may find a great price! Be careful, though — if your first flight gets canceled or delayed, you don’t want to be stuck paying for a ticket you can’t use!
- Skip the extra fees!
If you don’t mind being assigned a random seat, don’t pay to choose your own! This goes for on-flight meals, too — it’s better to bring your own snacks and water, or to purchase something in the airport before you board the flight.
Another big money-saver: only fly with a carry-on bag! This not only ensures that your luggage will never end up in a different city than you, but also means you can skip paying checked baggage fees for every flight you take! If you have multiple flights on your trip, those savings add up.
By the way, if you travel with only one bag, you will be less inclined to buy too many souvenirs as they won’t fit into your suitcase! That alone might save you a significant amount of money!
- Fly “less”
What does that mean, exactly? I’m referring to the principle of staying longer in one country or region, rather than jet-setting to as many places as possible during your trip!
Instead of packing your trip with a whirlwind of flights to different places and spending all of your money on airfare, choose just a couple of destinations and spend more time there.
Not only will you save money, but you’ll be able to enjoy those places more and really get a feel for them. This can also help you save money on food and lodging… but more on that later!
Alright, now you know how to score a cheap flight and you’re ready to go! But getting a good price on your plane tickets won’t be the only thing you need to do in order to travel on a budget… that’s where saving on accommodation comes in!
One Mile At A Time 