Not everyone can afford to spend a lot of money on vacations or travel. If you want to travel extensively around the world, to exotic destinations or even expensive European countries, it’s advisable to travel on a budget. If you’re not constrained by time but rather by finances, a simple rule applies: the more I save, the longer I can travel. Here are some tips for beginner travelers on how to save on the road and minimize major expenses.
Transportation
Transportation is one of the most expensive parts of a trip, whether it’s getting to the destination or moving around it. However, transportation costs can be reduced. It’s essential to gather as much information as possible about the destination and know the most cost-effective mode of transportation (trains and buses in some places, scooters in others).
Plane, Cheap Flights
Nowadays, you can find cheap flights within Europe and worldwide thanks to low-cost airlines or erroneous tariffs.
Cheap Flight Search Engines
If you don’t have time to wait for a favorable ticket three days before departure and want to secure it a bit earlier, use flight search engines such as Skyscanner.com, Momondo.com, or Kiwi.com. These search engines compare airline ticket prices and find the cheapest combinations. They can even combine flights from different airlines to minimize the overall cost. If you find a route to your destination through one of these search engines, verify the price directly on the airline’s website for the same flight. Sometimes prices through search engines may be higher, but the search engine helps you find the cheapest option, which you can potentially purchase elsewhere (directly from the airline). However, this is not always the case, so comparing different search engines is advisable, as each may show a different price for the same flight.
On Skyscanner, you can search for flight prices for the entire month. If you’re not tied to specific departure and arrival dates, click on the departure field in the search engine and choose “whole month” at the top of the table instead of a specific date. Do the same for the return. This way, you’ll see a table with prices for each day of the month, making it easy to find the best deal. The difference of just one day can represent a significantly higher or lower price. If you’re relatively flexible about your destination, you can enter “anywhere” instead of a specific destination. This will show you all destinations from the cheapest to the most expensive, which can vary daily. For example, you can easily find that it’s cheapest to fly to Bali in March, while in April, Thailand is cheaper than tropical destinations. If you want to go to Thailand and are looking for the most affordable option, enter Thailand in the search engine (instead of a specific place like Phuket or Krabi), and the search engine will find the cheapest flight to that country. You can then easily reach your destination with a domestic low-cost flight.
Kiwi allows you to search for routes from multiple destinations to multiple destinations. Since flights from Germany, Poland, or Vienna can be several times cheaper than from Prague, it’s worth entering surrounding airports. You can quickly get to these airports by train or bus (Student Agency, FlixBus). Furthermore, Kiwi has an interactive map showing flights to different destinations and their prices.
Low-Cost Airlines
If you can’t find an exceptionally advantageous flight, you can always take advantage of low-cost flights. The most affordable option in Europe is often Ryanair.com (flights are usually cheaper from Germany than from Prague), followed by Norwegian.com, Volotea.com, WizzAir.com, or EasyJet.com. Even outside Europe, you can use low-cost carriers such as Eurowings.com (for flights from Germany), Flyscoot.com (for flights to Asia with a layover in Singapore), Norwegian.com, FlyDubai.com (with a layover in Dubai), or ChinaEasternAirlines.com (with a layover in China). You can use airlines like AirAsia.com, LionAir, and other local carriers to travel within Asia.
How to Travel with a Low-Cost Carrier?
It is ideal to purchase these tickets 3 – 1 month before departure. Don’t expect much service on board. Some airlines offer water, while others don’t (even on a 12-hour flight). Since enduring a whole day on a plane without food and water is impossible, and food at the airport and on the plane is expensive, bring your snacks. You can easily take a bag full of food for several days (during layovers) if you comply with baggage limits. You can carry almost anything (fruit, vegetables, bread, chicken thighs, rice, salami and cheese, or even a breakfast cake). The issue is with liquids. Each person can carry a maximum of one liter of liquids in containers no more significant than 100ml, stored in a unique resealable bag. This limit is usually filled with creams, sunscreens, or deodorants. Bring a bottle or several bottles of water. You can fill them with water after passing the baggage check. You can fill water in the bathroom in countries with drinkable tap water (Germany, Sweden, Norway, Czech Republic, etc.) with water. In most countries, even outside Europe, water fountains are designated for this purpose (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore).
Since checked baggage is not included in the introductory ticket price for low-cost airlines, it’s ideal to fly without it. Any additional service is usually subject to additional fees with these airlines. If you’re taking a more extended flight outside Europe, the baggage included in the ticket price is of reasonable size. You can quickly fly with a small backpack and sometimes even a carry-on without additional charges. When traveling to the destination, you will appreciate having a smaller bag. Short flights within Europe can be problematic. For example, Ryanair has reduced the size of the free carry-on bag to the point where it almost forces you to buy a larger one. The solution is to pack what fits (it should be enough for a summer trip to the sea) and wear the rest yourself.
Error Fares
If you want to save even more on tickets and are not tied to a departure date or destination, monitor the latest offers and error fares daily. Speed is crucial in this case. If an error fare at a ridiculous price appears (e.g., round-trip to Sri Lanka for 3900 CZK), you must react immediately and buy the ticket within a few minutes, at most an hour. Once the airline realizes the mistake, they will correct the fare, and you won’t be able to buy the ticket at a low price anymore. If you manage to pay for the ticket, you usually win, but sometimes the airline may refund the ticket and the money (purchase through an intermediary – e.g., eDreams).
How to do it? On the feedly.com website, create your account and add the websites you want to follow – websites that track cheap flights. Here are examples of the most commonly used websites:
Accommodation
Accommodation is another significant expense during travels. However, there are various ways to save money on lodging.
Hotels and Hostels
If you prefer staying in hotels or hostels, consider the following tips:
Booking Platforms: Utilize booking platforms like Booking.com, Agoda, or Hostelworld to find affordable accommodations. These platforms often have special deals, discounts, or loyalty programs that can help you save money. Additionally, look for accommodations with free cancellation in case your plans change.
Flexible Dates: If your travel dates are flexible, you can take advantage of price fluctuations. Sometimes staying a day or two longer or shorter can significantly affect the nightly rate.
Alternative Accommodations: Consider alternatives to traditional hotels, such as guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, or apartment rentals. Websites like Airbnb and Vrbo allow you to find unique and often more affordable accommodation options.
Hostel Memberships: If you frequently stay in hostels, consider getting a membership. Hostel memberships often come with perks like discounted rates and other benefits.
Off-Peak Travel: Traveling during off-peak seasons can result in lower accommodation prices. Additionally, popular tourist destinations tend to have higher prices, so consider exploring less touristy areas.
Camping
Camping can be a cost-effective and adventurous accommodation option for those who enjoy the outdoors.
Wild Camping: In some countries, wild camping is allowed, meaning you can set up your tent in nature. Ensure you check the local regulations and obtain any necessary permits. Apps like Park4night can help you find suitable spots for wild camping.
Campsites: Campsites are available in many areas and often provide showers and bathrooms. While some campsites charge a fee, it’s usually more affordable than a hotel.
Camping Equipment: If you plan to camp frequently, investing in quality camping equipment can save you money in the long run. Look for sales and discounts on camping gear.
Hospitality Networks
Consider joining hospitality networks, where you can connect with locals willing to offer free accommodation or a place to camp.
Couchsurfing: Couchsurfing allows you to stay with locals for free. It’s not just about accommodation; it’s also an opportunity to connect with people and experience local culture.
BeWelcome: Similar to Couchsurfing, BeWelcome is a hospitality exchange platform where members offer free accommodation to travelers.
Trustroots: Trustroots is another platform focused on building a community of travelers who share hospitality. It’s based on the principles of trust and cultural exchange.
Other Tips
Stay Longer: Some accommodations offer weekly or monthly rates that are more budget-friendly than daily rates. If your schedule allows, consider staying in one place for extended periods.
Work Exchange Programs: Explore work exchange programs where you can exchange work for accommodation. Websites like Workaway and HelpX connect travelers with hosts looking for assistance in various projects.
Loyalty Programs: Join loyalty programs offered by hotel chains or booking platforms. Accumulating points can lead to free nights or other perks.
Negotiate: In some cases, especially with smaller accommodations, you may be able to negotiate the price, especially if you plan to stay for an extended period.
Local Recommendations: Ask locals for recommendations on affordable places to stay. They might know of hidden gems not listed on popular booking platforms.
Bus and Train
Another option is the bus or train, both as transportation to the destination and within the destination.
Buying tickets in advance is advisable, as prices usually gradually increase. Similar to flights, you might discover promotions or discounts from various companies to reduce costs. Affordable European companies include Student Agency or FlixBus.
Bus or train is often the most economical means of transportation to and from airports, and it’s almost always an option. If you arrive at your destination by plane, you’re not limited to expensive taxis. Exit the airport, and usually nearby, often in the parking lot, you’ll find a bus stop that can take you to the city center or around the island for a reasonable price.
Sometimes, a plane ticket might be cheaper than a train or bus, so it’s not worth spending long hours on these means of transportation when traveling around Europe.
Hitchhiking
You can try hitchhiking if you don’t want to pay anything for your journey. You can travel around Europe and the world entirely for free. In some countries, willing drivers will pick you up immediately; in others, they may stop but ask for money or not stop. It varies from country to country. Nevertheless, you can meet interesting people and experience a bit of adventure. This type of travel is more time-consuming and less predictable. Accommodation and meals also need to be sorted out.
Just be cautious about basic safety rules. It’s better to hitchhike in pairs (a guy and a girl) during the day, avoid hitchhiking at night in remote areas, and avoid getting into cars with suspicious or drunk drivers.
Accommodation
Accommodation on the road is another significant item in the budget. Nevertheless, it can still economize.
Find the Cheapest
Search through platforms like booking.com (which works almost everywhere), Airbnb.cz (where people offer a part of their home, sharing the bathroom or sleeping in the same room while they sleep on the couch), agoda.com (especially in Asia), or hostelworld.com. You can sort accommodations by price and choose the cheapest. In some countries (like Sri Lanka), it’s better to negotiate the price on the spot and not book in advance, while in others, booking (Vietnam) might be cheaper than on-site prices.
How Not to Pay for Accommodation at All
Among the “free” options are sleeping in a car and a tent (not always legal everywhere) or under the open sky (which might not be possible around). Usually, this is feasible in mountains and remote natural areas.
Another option for free accommodation is couchsurfing.com. Register, fill out your profile, and find someone offering accommodation in your destination. Don’t expect too much comfort; it’s about a place to sleep. In return, you should be willing to sacrifice your couch to them when they visit your country. The idea behind Couchsurfing is not just free accommodation but mutual enrichment, getting to know local people and culture, going on a joint trip, or letting them guide you through the city.
Eating on the Road
Europe
During travels around Europe, eating can become a significant expense. If you want to save money, you can’t dine out daily, especially when traveling through expensive countries like France, Switzerland, Norway, etc. However, it doesn’t mean avoiding such destinations. If you’re traveling for a short time by bus or train, it’s easy to bring all your food with you, and for longer journeys, you can purchase food, for example, at Lidl.
When traveling by car, you can buy food in bulk, perhaps for an entire month, and cook where it’s somewhat possible (in a park on a bench, in a quiet parking lot, by a river, or even on the beach).
What Durable Foods to Take With You? Today, there are other options besides the classic pork can with bread. Suitable options include dried and canned foods. For a side dish, you can choose rice, lentils (red lentils cook faster and consume less gas), pasta (thin to cook quickly), buckwheat, bulgur, couscous (quick – low gas consumption), and tortillas, whole grain durable bread, or tortellini. For these, canned tomato puree, canned Bolognese sauce with meat, dried meat, canned vegetables (corn, peas), canned tomatoes, dried sauces and soups, beans in puree, or classically Good Inn, which is almost a ready-made meal, are suitable. You can also take protein bars, nuts, olive oil, or dried fruit as an energy source. For breakfast, the most straightforward meal is a bowl of oatmeal, seeds, cornflakes, or muesli.
Where to Get Water on the Road? Another unnecessary expense would be to buy water on the road. When traveling by car without accommodation, you need a relatively large amount of water for drinking, washing dishes, cooking, cleaning teeth, or showering. You will find drinking fountains or public wells in most states and cities. It is ideal to take some bottles and containers with you on the journey (about 13 liters). This will teach you to save and appreciate water; your daily water consumption will decrease significantly while traveling. To find drinking water, you can download mapy.cz and download and use offline before your trip. The map marks all drinking water sources, even in the most hidden village.
When hiking in the mountains, you can get water in mountain huts or drink directly from mountain streams with water from glaciers (Alps). There is nothing else left during multi-day hikes.
If you are in an area with a natural water source that is not entirely clear (e.g., a forest stream), you can use filtration straws or bottles. These straws are readily available on the internet in various qualities and prices. Most common straws filter bacteria and protozoa from water – which should be sufficient for traveling across Europe. However, no straws filter chemicals, so the water must not be chemically polluted. It is not good to filter water into storage because straws usually cannot filter out 100% of bacteria and protozoa, and the small amount of bacteria remaining in the water will quickly multiply to an infection-capable level.
Tropical Regions
In most popular tropical destinations, especially in Southeast Asian countries, the cheapest way to get food is to buy it ready-made. Cooking or bringing your food is not cost-effective. Even in these countries, you can find expensive restaurants, but if you want to save money, opt for street food. A lady cooking on the street may have much tastier food than a restaurant. Despite sometimes unpleasant conditions (dirty plastic tables, crowded places, old pots, and mess on the ground), the food is freshly cooked. You can quickly check this yourself. Choose places with many people and a constant turnover of food that should guarantee quality.
In these areas, there is a problem with water. Tourists often depend on buying bottled water, which can be financially and environmentally demanding for longer journeys. Water is not cheap, and there is a high consumption of plastic waste, most of which usually ends up in the sea and then on beaches.
Refill water into one bottle. In many places, hostels allow free or paid water refills (filtered by locals) (Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand). It is also possible to boil tap water or waterfall water at accommodation. In some cities (Hanoi), additional stations with drinking water are available. You can also use a filtration straw or bottle. However, in the tropics, there may be viruses in natural water, so paying extra for a more expensive version with a filter with smaller pores that filters viruses is better. Do not filter water into storage again.
Free Attractions
Not everything costs money; plenty of free attractions exist to explore and enjoy. Here are some suggestions:
- Explore the city on foot or by bike.
- Visit parks and nature reserves.
- Attend free events or festivals.
- Discover local markets and street art.
- Enjoy free entry days at museums and galleries.
Research and plan your itinerary with these free attractions in mind to make the most of your budget.
Traveling on a budget requires creativity, flexibility, and a willingness to embrace a simpler lifestyle. Adopting these strategies allows you to explore the world without breaking the bank.
Remember, the goal is to spend less money and experience more, meet new people, and create lasting memories.
Working on the Road
Suppose you want to save on accommodation and food while traveling or even earn money on the go to work. There are plenty of job opportunities worldwide; you need to do a bit of searching.
Volunteering
As a volunteer, you usually work in exchange for food and accommodation. This way, you can live in any country for free but won’t earn money for your travels. You typically work only a few hours a day, for example, on a farm, in a hostel, or as an English teacher. Some agencies mediate volunteering, for instance, in Africa (primarily working with animals) for exorbitant fees, and you still have to pay for accommodation and food. Some program prices are unbelievable; an example is gooverseas.com. Financially, it is like an ordinary vacation, but you must work. However, you can find work for free on several Facebook groups or through these websites:
- workaway.info
- wwoof.net (organic farms)
- www.helpx.net
- Freevolunteering.net
- aiesec.cz (for university students or graduates up to 2 years)
Some portals charge fees during registration (annually or every two years), but other expenses should not bother you. You then choose from a broad database of places and work opportunities.
The advantage of volunteering abroad is undoubtedly a significant life experience and cultural enrichment. This is something an ordinary journey won’t provide. As a volunteer, you can experience local life firsthand and learn about local customs and culture. You’ll live a part of life with local people, eat together, live like locals, perhaps celebrate birthdays or weddings. Plus, you’ll gain plenty of experiences that will undoubtedly enrich you. You’ll realize that the life of locals in a tropical paradise is not as fairy-tale-like as tourists often think. Maybe such a stay will change your perspective on life.
Au Pair
For women, becoming an Au Pair is probably the easiest and most advantageous way. The job involves taking care of children, household chores, or pets, for which the Au Pair receives pocket money. Instead of being an employee, an Au Pair should be considered a family member and spend leisure time with the family. Some families even take their Au Pairs on vacation, outings, or to restaurants. Occasionally, however, families treat their Au Pairs as servants, with tasks like serving dinner, long working hours, restricted meals, or excessive workload. Au Pairs usually do not have any formal contract with the family and can leave immediately if they wish. It is advisable to discuss all conditions and rules during the interview via Skype or other communication channels. There are two categories/options:
- Live-in – This version is the most common. Au Pairs live directly with the family in a designated room, share meals with the family, and are a constant part of the household. The family fully covers all expenses, sometimes lends a car or pays for language courses. Some families contribute to the cost of travel to the country or cover it entirely. However, the salary for such Au Pairs is significantly lower than for live-out Au Pairs. The advantage is that you won’t spend any money if you don’t want to, and you’ll only earn money.
- Live-out – In this case, you arrange and pay for accommodation and meals yourself. You only go to the family for a specified number of hours. However, the pocket money is, of course, much higher.
As an Au Pair, you can also go as a couple – Au Pair Couple. There are not many families looking for both a boy and a girl, and most of them prefer someone for at least a year, but it’s still possible. The woman usually takes care of the children and the household, while the man works, for example, in the garden. It is also possible to go alone as a man, but that is a bit complicated because families usually prefer women.
If you are looking for an easy way to travel the world, this is an ideal option. It works quickly, easily, and absolutely for free in Europe (unless you pay an agency). Besides experiencing new people, places, and cultures, you can travel for free if the family pays for your flight; you won’t need money for living and traveling on weekends as you will earn it in the family.
Work in a Hotel
Another economical option is working in a hotel. This way, you save money on food and accommodation and receive a salary. To find a hotel job, you can use paid agencies again or find a job yourself. Some agencies offer their services for free, but you unknowingly pay a certain percentage of your salary to the agencies. You can easily bypass agencies by searching for hotels on the internet or through booking.com in your chosen destination and sending them an email with your resume. Many may not respond, but some will. All you need to do is schedule a Skype interview (for example) and agree on everything in advance.
Work Online
If you can make a living working online, you’re almost there. As a digital nomad, you can work for any company from anywhere in the world with internet access. You can pay European expenses with an Indian salary, for example. More information here.
Working Holiday
Working Holiday is a type of visa that usually allows you to stay in a specific destination for a year, combining work and travel. These visas are a relatively easy way to get to a destination, travel there, and earn money during your stay.
Each country has different conditions for granting this visa. Some visas can be applied for at any time during the year (Chile, Canada), while others must be applied for on a specific day and time (New Zealand). Some places have a high chance of getting a visa, while others have a very low chance. The interest is significant, and most popular destinations have limited capacity (e.g., 1000 visas per year).
It is also advisable to consider certain expenses at the beginning. Fees for visa processing, travel insurance for the whole year, and some money for the start (some places require proof of sufficient funds) can add up to tens of thousands. You can travel to these countries within Working Holiday:
- Australia
- Chile
- Israel
- Japan
- South Korea
- Canada
- New Zealand
- Taiwan
Useful Travel Apps
- Waze: Car navigation in developed countries.
- Google Maps: Searching for and saving places to visit.
- Maps.me or Mapy.cz: Walking navigation. Maps created using open street maps.
- Park4night: Parking in cities, by the sea, finding a place to sleep, and camping.
- Booking, Airbnb, and Agoda: Comparing accommodation prices worldwide and subsequent booking.
- WiFi map: Connecting to public and private WiFi networks without knowing the password.
Safe travels and enjoy your budget-friendly journey around the world!