33 Expert Money Saving Tips to Travel on a Budget
Traveling can be a big expense, but it doesn’t have to break the bank! These are the BEST money saving tips to travel on a budget.
Okay, so it’s 2023 and inflation has made everything so much more expensive, including travel. Alongside general living expenses, airfare has skyrocketed within the past year. It definitely sucks to say the least, so it’s time to get a bit more money savvy when it comes to traveling!
Below are 33 expert tips on how to travel on a budget. It covers everything from finding cheap flights to cutting costs while you’re on the road. These tips will help you save money and travel affordably.
This post is all about the best way to travel on a budget.
PLANNING TRAVEL ON A BUDGET
THE BASICS OF BUDGET TRAVEL
#1. Plan ahead!
This may be the most obvious tip, but I had to include it in here for good measure. We all know how expensive last-minute flights and hotels can be! Planning ahead will save you from these price spikes and allow you to find early bird deals and discounts. In addition to airfare and stay, booking activities in advance will ensure you can get a reservation and stay on budget.
#2. Get a travel credit card.
If you’re an avid traveler, you absolutely need a travel credit card. These cards offer amazing travel benefits, such as higher points earned on travel purchases and no foreign transaction fees. Furthermore, your points will also be worth more when redeemed on airfare and stay. My favorite card is the Chase Sapphire Preferred! If you consistently fly with one airline, it might be worth checking out their credit card and benefit offerings.
#3. Sign up as a member for loyalty accounts.
Alongside having a travel credit card, make sure you sign up for loyalty accounts for any airline and hotel chain you use. These accounts will build up miles and points anytime you travel with them and can be redeemed on your next trip.
#4. Redeem points and miles wisely.
Travel credit card points are the most often the valuable when redeemed on flight bookings. However, there are many factors to determining whether you should redeem your points or miles for a specific trip.
Compare the dollar cost to the mile cost of the flight and see which is a better deal. Consider using miles on bigger future trips rather than shorter flights. While it might be enticing to use your points for any trip you can, evaluate if its worth it for your overall travel budget (current and future trips included!).
WHERE & WHEN TO TRAVEL FOR CHEAP
#5. Travel out of peak seasons.
If you can, avoid travelling during the summer season and during the holidays. Prices for flights, hotel, and activities will peak during these months. However, be mindful of seasonality for rural areas and beach towns that may close some parts down during the low seasons. For example, during Ibizia’s winter season, many shops, restaurants and clubs close down until April!
The best time to travel are during shoulder seasons, which vary by destination. Typically, shoulder seasons are the spring and fall, or weekends before and after a holiday weekend.
#6. Be flexible with your dates and travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Saturdays.
Being flexible with dates will allow you to score the cheapest flights for a particular destination, rather than being forced to pay whatever airlines decide for your fixed dates. Typically, the cheapest days to fly are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
#7. Choose destinations with a lower cost of living or a good exchange rate.
When you travel on a budget, it doesn’t mean you have to cut all costs. It can also mean making your dollar stretch a bit farther. For example, you can often find 5-star luxury hotels in Thailand for the price of a 3-star hotel in the USA.
#8. Visit less popular destinations.
Although it may be most optimal for your budget to fly into a major city, consider venturing into adjacent cities once you land. Cities that are off the beaten path will help you avoid paying the tourist premium.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON FLIGHTS
#9. Set up price alerts for destinations you want to visit.
Most flight search tools (Google Flights, Skyscanner, Hopper) allow you to set up price alerts to track when ticket costs fluctuate significantly. This will help you identify price drops so you can buy at the cheapest date.
#10. Buy flights at the right time for your destination.
For domestic travel, you should start monitoring airfare at least 3-4 months before your departure date. Ticket prices tend to start high, trend downward towards 95 – 21 days, then peak again for last minute tickets.
For international travel, it’s best to buy sooner rather than later. Using price alerts will be your best bet here, but plan far in advance to avoid overpaying for flights.
#11. Be open to transfers and make the most out of them.
Are you willing to trade travel time for money? Opting for a non-direct flight can often be cheaper. If you are flexible with your time, see if any of the layovers are in cities you’d interested in stopping by. If so, consider making the layover city as part of your trip to make the most of it!
#12. Fly into alternative airport.
If flights into the airport closest to your destination are too expensive, explore flight options from neighboring airports. However, you should take into consideration how much the additional travel from the airport to your destination would be, whether it’s taking a more expensive Uber or having to rent a car.
#13. Use budget airlines.
Booking with a low-cost airline is a fantastic way to travel on a budget. By forgoing some amenities like airplane snacks, you can find some pretty cheap flights on these airlines. Popular budget airlines in the US are Spirit and Frontier. Europe’s favorite no-frills carrier is Ryanair, while AsiaAir is consistently the cheapest in Asia.
#14. Don’t overpay for baggage fees.
When booking your ticket, make sure to consider what luggage is eligible to bring. Check the airlines website for carry-on sizes to ensure that you won’t be forced to pay extra to check a bag at the gate. If you do need to check a bag, paying online will often be cheaper.
HOW TO FIND AFFORDABLE STAYS
#15. Choose lodging in a neighborhood that is outside the city center, but close to public transportation.
The city center inevitably be more expensive, especially in tourist areas. Look for hotels or rentals that are a bit further away, but close enough to public transportation. This will help you avoid any tourist premiums in the city as well as a hefty transportation bill living too far away.
#16. Score last minute hotel deals.
Many sites like HotWire and Priceline will have last minute deals that are significantly cheaper than booking in advance. However, these deeply discount hotel deals will only reveal the hotel’s name after you’ve booked. The information provided beforehand is limited: the hotel’s general location, number of stars, and amenities. If you’re willing to take a bit of a risk where you stay this is a good option to help you travel on a budget!
#17. Book a short-term home stay with Airbnb or VRBO.
Airbnb and VRBO have blown up in the past few years and for good reason. Compared to hotels, short-term rentals are often cheaper and provide more flexibility. If traveling in a group, renting an entire place and splitting the cost is often cheaper than booking multiple hotel rooms. As a solo traveler, you can book a budget-friendly private room. In addition, many of these places have kitchens and laundry machines which can help reduce costs as well!
#18. Try house or pet sitting.
You can find house sitting opportunities on sites like TrustedHousesitters, MindMyHouse or even Rover (more geared towards dog sitting)! House sitting is a great way to get free (or even paid) lodging in exchange for looking after someone’s house. If you choose a pet sitting opportunity, make sure you can include these responsibilities in your travel itinerary.
#19. Couch surf.
If you have friends in your destination city, ask if you can stay with them in exchange for hosting them at your place when they visit! If you don’t, there are many websites that help facilitate connect travelers and hosts, such as Couchsurfing.com. There, you can find
#20. Volunteering for stay.
Volunteering for stay is the act of exchanging work for free lodging. Have a few weeks or more to dedicate to a specific destination and don’t mind working? This is a great option for you! You can find hosts and stays on sites such as helpstay.com or WorldPackers. Volunteering for stay isn’t feasible for every type of trip, especially if you’re focusing on leisure or have a jam-packed itinerary.
HOW TO PREPARE TO TRAVEL ON A BUDGET
#21. Get cash at your local bank before you travel internationally.
If your travel destination is a cash-reliant economy, make sure to buy currency at home rather than abroad. Your bank will most likely give you a better exchange rate and you can avoid ATM fees when trying to withdraw cash abroad.
#22. Pack essential items you already have.
The more prepared you are, the less you’ll have to spend on items you forgot to bring while traveling. I always ensure I have my water bottle, essential medications like Advil, a couple of granola bars in case I get hungry, and enough toiletries to get me through my vacation.
TRAVEL ON A BUDGET AT YOUR DESTINATION
TRANSPORTATION:
#23. Use public transportation.
Public transportation is often the cheapest option in any city. Familiarize yourself with your destination’s transportation system so it becomes your default method of getting around. If public transportation can’t get you somewhere, you can hop off at the stop closest and call a rideshare or taxi the rest of the way.
#24. Cluster close activities based on transportation options.
When deciding on your itinerary, cluster the closest activities together so you’re not spending extra time and money trying to get back and forth between each location.
#25. Rent a bike/scooter.
If you don’t need to travel too far, but far enough where walking isn’t ideal, rent a bike or a scooter!
FOOD:
#26: Cook your own meals when you can.
Cooking your own meals is a great way to travel on a budget. Having a kitchen in your accommodation would be ideal for this, but you can get away with just having a microwave and fridge. Even replacing buying breakfast and coffee everyday with microwave oatmeal and instant coffee packs can be quite a bit of money saved.
#27. Avoid restaurants located in touristy areas.
Almost everything is more expensive in touristy areas, including food. Unless there’s a restaurant you’re really keen on trying, grab a bite away from the popular areas.
#28. Go out for lunch or happy hour instead of dinner.
Dinner is the most expensive meal at most restaurants, so opt for lunch or happy hour for good deals.
#29. Carry snacks when you’re on the go.
You know when you’re having a blast traveling and suddenly you realize you haven’t eaten in 12 hours? You’re ravenous, so you plop down to any restaurant nearby just to get some food. By bringing snacks on your travels, you’ll 1) be able to keep fueled all day if needed and 2) not overspend only because you’re hungry!
ACTIVITES:
#30: Find free walking tours.
Free walking tours are a great budget-friendly way to explore a new destination! These tours are usually led by local guides who give you a taste of the city’s history, culture, and architecture. They are a great way to learn about a new city, meet new people, and get recommendations for other things to do during your stay.
#31. Visit free/discounted museums or galleries.
Many museums and galleries offer free or discounted admission days. It’s a great, low-cost way to spend a day surrounded in art and history!
#32. Explore local parks, neighborhoods, and markets.
Exploring a city’s parks, neighborhoods and markets is a fun way to get a feel for the local culture. You can immerse yourself into the city and see how people live, work and shop.
#33: Purchase a sightseeing pass.
If you’re interested in seeing all the popular tourist attractions in a city, you can save money with a sightseeing pass! These passes provide access to multiple attractions for a fixed price and can also include perks like fast-track entry. When deciding to purchase a sightseeing pass, evaluate if you actually want to visit all the locations that you’ll have access to. If you only want to visit a few, it may be cheaper to purchase individual tickets.
This post was all about tips to travel on a budget.