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This is How You Travel on a Budget Using 7 Simple Tips
I always love to travel on a budget and this is why it took me some time to understand how I should get organized in order to do whatever I wanted and spend as little as possible. Here are some tips I wish I knew a few years ago!
1. Never trust only one source if you want to truly travel on a budget
In general, even if you travel on a budget or not, it is better to trust travelers with experience who stayed in one place for more than a weekend. This way, you will know that their advices are useful because you will only have an organized trip after you get used to the city/island you go to.
When I travel, in the first few days of my trip I spend a lot of time, money and energy, as I am getting used to new traditions, habits, roads, people, places etc. You want to avoid this as much as possible, and this is why you need to have a good representation of the place you travel to. Do your research reading as many sources as possible and make sure you have an answer to the following questions in this specific order:
1. How do I get from the airport to the city center/to my accommodation?
2. Where is the best area to stay in?
3. What are the average prices for stays/food/transportation?
4. What can I visit and how far is it from my accommodation?
5. How will I get around the city? What means of transportation will I be using?
6. How will I be paying there? By cash, or by card? If it is by card, can I pay contactless?
2. When you travel on a budget, you have to plan ahead in order to save money
No matter what are your plans for the next vacation, you will always need an accommodation and transportation to arrive there. As time passes by, the cost of the plane tickets will increase, the seats of the bus will be occupied, the available accommodations will be booked. This is why you need to know at least one month before where you are going to spend your vacation and how are you going to arrive there.
Here is a tip: even if it is better to see the accommodation you want to stay in with your own eyes before you book it, make sure you book at least the first one‑two nights and spend the days in between wondering around and searching for the perfect accommodation (depending on the length of your stay, of course).
3. You can do your research even once you arrive
This means you don’t need to have everything planned from before as long as you spend the first days getting an idea about the city, the areas, the best locations etc.
Here is what we did: a few times, we booked a hotel room just to get some sleep and let our luggage in a safe place. We used the time in between to walk around the city and find a good accommodation. We bought a SIM and contacted the hosts in person via a call or via WhatsApp, we went to see the accommodations and we kept asking around for the best areas. Of course, we did a research before leaving our country and got an idea of the different areas. This strategy is better for longer stays, whereas for short‑term vacations (one week), it is better to book everything from ahead following my first advice: search through multiple sources.
4. Be flexible when you travel on a budget, but not only!
Do not stick with your initial plan if it seems too complicated. You can switch between days depending on the weather or local events, you can decide not to visit a particular place if in the end you realize it is too touristic or not worth it, then visit instead other places you just heard about. Make sure you keep asking around.
5. Small talks are good
Have some small talks with locals: in the bus station, in the taxi, in the hotel lobby, at the restaurant, when you drink your coffee – knowledge is power, and you can only gain knowledge by asking and making your research.
Focus on your goal: travel on a budget, and ask around how you can make it to a particular place with less money. You will hear a lot of opinions and stories, but some of them will help you get what you want. Save the number of the people that helped you for future help. The world is full of nice people ready to help you.
6. Take care where you eat
Ones of the most famous instagrammers and youtubers used to plan their meals.
Sometimes, searching for “most Instagrammable places to eat” or “best brunches in…” may be a mistake as some places are overrated and famous grace to their online marketing.
Here is a tip: search on google maps for cafes/restaurants and take them by their rating. You can find hidden gems around you!
In the same time, there is no shame in eating “at home” for saving money. The best meals I had in Paris were the groceries I bought from the supermarket served as a picnic. In the same time, in Malaysia I saved a lot of money (minimum 500 euros) cooking and only going out for a drink or for a good breakfast.
7. Follow my Instagram account for more tips and tricks!
There are a lot of tricks you can use while traveling and most of them are discovered in time. So make sure you follow me and don’t hesitate to email me if you struggle planning your next vacation!
