Seeing the world, discovering new traditions, learning more about different cultures; that’s the dream! Before settling down, travelling the world can be a wonderful item to check off your bucket list. However, the financial aspects of travelling often seem to scare people away from the idea of leaving everything behind. Newsflash: Travelling does not have to be expensive! In this blog, we share practical tips on how to travel cheap.
#1 Get a travel credit card
A travel credit card is a must have for every long term traveller who wants to travel cheap. By using this credit card wherever you can during your trip, you can earn thousands of points in the reward programs of those credit cards. This may potentially save you thousands every single year while travelling.
#2 Research the cheapest flights
Another way to travel cheap around the world is to thoroughly research your flight options. You may be surprised to see how the prices differ per airline. A tool that many travellers use to research the cheapest flights is Google Flights, as it shows you how much money you could save by being flexible with regards to the dates.
#3 Travel to cheap destinations
Not being picky about where you want to go is another option to travel cheap. For example, by going to destinations where the cost of living is rather low, such as Thailand, Vietnam, India or Latin America, you may get more out of your money’s worth.
#4 Work abroad
Another way to see the world and travel cheap at the same time, is to work while travelling. There are thousands of (temporary) job offers available on the internet to browse through. Oftentimes, organisations offer you a free stay at their accommodation in exchange for your work. For example, have a look at the many different job offers from all over the world on our travel platform here.
#5 Carpooling or hitchhiking
Another cheap travel hack is to go carpooling or to hitchhike. You can potentially save thousands by thumbing kilometres. Moreover, you get to meet the most interesting people while doing it. However, remember to stay safe when choosing this option; not everyone you encounter on your trip may have good intentions. Therefore, consider turning on your Whatsapp live location when you are hitchhiking.
#6 Walk
Whenever you can, try to walk. Walking is for free and will save you hundreds every year. If your end destination is too far away, always choose public transport above taking a cab, as it is way cheaper to do so.
#7 Join the locals
While it may be tempting to go and see all the major tourist attractions on your trip, please remember that these attractions oftentimes are overpriced. If you’d like to get a taste of the culture, without spending too much money, try to join the locals. They will take you to the best pubs, happy hours, festivals and local fairs, which most likely are more authentic and cheaper travel experiences to indulge yourself in!
If you stay with one of our hosts, it is very easy for you to connect with the locals, since you will be working closely together with them.
#8 Avoid withdrawing money from an ATM
If you can, try to avoid withdrawing money from an ATM while travelling. Oftentimes, these ATM’s offer poor exchange rates and you will on top of that be charged a service fee. Unless you are in a country where you can’t pay with your credit card at many locations, stay away from ATM’s.
#9 Stay away from city centres
While visiting the city centre for sightseeing is a great idea, we recommend you to eat and sleep outside the city centre. Prices outside city centres oftentimes are significantly cheaper compared to in the city centre.
#10 Shop locally
Eating at a restaurant every night may be tempting, but it surely is not the best option when you want to travel cheap. Therefore, consider shopping locally at the supermarket and farmers market. Preparing your own food is cheaper and oftentimes healthier too.
Tip! If you stay with one of our hosts in exchange for your skills or help, meals sometimes even are included in the deal. You can check out our platform to find local hosts who also offer meals in exchange for your work.
#11 Travel off season
If you are free to travel throughout the entire year and not bound to specific seasons, try to travel off season. Flight rates and accommodations are significantly cheaper around off seasons.
#12 Research free activities
Many cities have a city pass where you get a bundled deal that allows you to join many fun activities around the city for a fixed price. Besides discounts to local attractions, it may also involve free public transport and food coupons. Perfect for those who want to travel cheap AND see many things around the city.
Cheap travel starts at FairestBnb
If you’d love to see the world but are struggling with the financial side of it, you may want to look into what FairestBnb has to offer. We connect people who want to volunteer with hosts who are willing to offer them a place to stay (and sometimes even food) in exchange for their help. The perfect way to see the world and at the same time give something in return. Here are a couple of our hosts who would love to welcome you at their stay.
