Traveling can be expensive – but it doesn’t have to be. When it comes to being able to travel long term, stretching your dollar is key. I have traveled through Central America for 6 weeks for the same amount as some of my friends have spent on a long weekend trip to New York. If you have saved up some money and want to make it last longer, read on and learn all about how to save money while traveling!
Being smart and savvy with your funds is the key to extending your travel budget. This means getting out of your vacation mode and into the backpackers mode. More hostels, less hotels. Less eating out, more cooking. People value different things, so figuring out where you’re okay with cutting back, is essential. It’s all about finding the balance between budgeting and enjoying. The balance between becoming so focused on saving every penny you possibly can and having pasta for every meal, and splurging money on hotels and fancy restaurants. After all, the purpose of traveling is to experience new things! Of course you want to treat yourself once in a while.
If you love having a good coffee, saving money by drinking instant coffee probably feels like too much of a sacrifice, but perhaps you’d be okay with cutting down on cocktails and alcohol. Depending on what you value – figure out where you’re willing to cut back and where not. I would for example not be willing to give up a good cup of coffee for an instant coffee, but am perfectly fine with walking for 20-30 instead of taking a taxi.
Use these 16 travel tips to save money while traveling!
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1. Eat the local food
The phrase do as the locals do, is classic for a reason. Eating the local food will be far cheaper than going to a touristy burger or a pizza place.
2. Stay in hostels
One of the best ways to save money while traveling is to stay at hostels. They are a fraction of the price you’d pay for a hotel, take advantage of that. Staying in hostels is not just a great way to save money while traveling, it’s also one of the best ways to meet other travellers.
If you haven’t stayed in a hostel yet, or if you haven’t had much luck with previous hostels – this blog is for you: How to Choose a Hostel
3. Do some research
I’m not talking about spending days and weeks doing a thorough research, but just a quick google search can go a long way. Planning on visit a popular tourist attraction? Have a look and see if they offer online discounts, or if it’s cheaper to visit during specific times of the day or week. Many places have a small discount if you book your tickets online, take advantage of that. This will also save you time since you don’t need to queue at the ticket office.
The same thing goes for accommodation! Check booking.com, hotels.com, Hostelworld, Expedia… Sometimes it can also be cheaper to book directly through the hostel/hotel, so once you’ve settled on a place – see if they have a website and book directly there if it’s cheaper!
4. Have a picnic instead of eating out
Head to a grocery store and get some fruits, croissants or whatever you feel like having and have a picnic on the beach or in a park, instead of eating out. Not only will this help you save money, but also, picnics are fun!
5. Don’t go out for drinks every day
I get that you want to go out with your new hostel friends, but try to limit the times you go out for drinks, cause even if drinks tend not to be very costly in many countries, if you end up getting eight of those throughout the night, well it’s not so cheap anymore. Yes it’s tempting to go out when seemingly every person at the hostel is going out, but it also happens to be a very quick way to burn through your savings :)))
6. Choose cheaper countries
How much you spend during your travels, will of course depend greatly on which country you’re in. Iceland would for example not be an ideal destination for someone looking to stick to a tight budget 🙂 The same would apply to popular cities such as Paris, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London… Some of my favourite budget friendly countries include Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Slovenia, Portugal, Croatia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Dubrovnik, Croatia – not the most affordable city in Croatia but definitely possible to do it on a budget.
Would highly recommend this hostel if you’re looking for an affordable place to stay
7. Get a local sim card
It’s usually way cheaper to purchase a local sim card, than to purchase some sort of travel pack or whatever from the phone company in your home country. This especially goes for Central and South America, as well as Asia. The cost of a local sim card with 10GB can range from 5$-10$ and can easily be refilled at any supermarket. I understand that a lot of people from the US have a locked phone, and hence can’t change the sim card in their phone – in that case, try getting your hands on a used phone that you can use as a “hot spot” for your actual phone 🙂
8. Avoid eating in the touristy areas
A good rule is to never eat within three blocks from tourist attractions. The further you get from touristy places, the more you’ll get for your money. I get that it can be tempting to have lunch at La Rambla if you find yourself in Barcelona, but that will mean paying an excessive amount of money for an average meal at best. Instead, you can grab a drink there and then head somewhere else to eat.
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9. Take a bus or a train instead of flying
A relatively easy way to save money, is to avoid flying and instead take a bus or a train. Yes it’s tempting to get an hour flight instead of a long bus or train ride, but it comes at an extra cost. I’m not saying you should avoid flying all together, but if you take a flight rather than bus/train every time you get the chance, it’s gonna add up quickly. Lets say a bus will cost you 15$ and a flight 90$, plus you’ll need to add in transport to and from the airport. While it may not seem like a lot each time, if you do this four times during your trip, it will cost you an additional 340$, which is the equivalent of 20-30 nights in a hostel.
10. Be selective
Do I really need this? Can I do without this? Can I perhaps get this cheaper somewhere else? Don’t be impulsive when it comes to shopping. Before purchasing, ask yourself if you really need this. And depending on the situation, consider if you can get it somewhere else for less.
10.Get a reusable water bottle
Don’t waste money (and plastic) on buying multiple bottles of water each day. They might not cost so much, but guess what, even though it’s just a few dollars a day, it quickly adds up! Get one of those refillable water bottles and fill it up. Tap water is save to drink in most countries, just make sure to ask at your hostel/hotel if it’s ok to drink the water. Additionally, many hostels have filtered water available for free. Alternatively, you can buy those big 5L bottles which will be way cheaper than buying all those smaller ones.
11. Visit during off season
Before booking your trip, do some research to find out when the peak times are. If you’re looking to save money (which you probably are since you’re still reading this post 🙂 ) – avoid traveling during those peak times. Traveling off season might mean occasional rainy afternoons or even some rainy days, but it also means less tourists and better deals on flights and accommodation.
12. Walk!
Don’t jump in a cab whenever you need to get from A to B. Unless it’s the middle of the night and/or you have a ton of luggage, consider walking or taking a bus instead. I almost never take taxis, with the exception being if I need to get to/from the airport after dark in a city that I’m not very familiar with and/or doesn’t have a reliable public transport.
13. Avoid using ATM’s & currency exchange at airports
In both cases, you’ll get a shitty rate and pay a ridiculous amount of fees. Currency exchange offices might have one of those “no fees” signs, but don’t let those fool you. It just means you’ll get that much worse rate.
Get great deals on accommodation and get genius discounts by using booking.com!
14. Be flexible
When it comes to purchasing flights, flexibility is key. Both in terms of dates and destinations. Here I’m talking about long haul flights, for example a flight from Europe to Asia, or from Peru to London. Plane tickets can be one of the biggest expense of your trip, and when it comes to those, flexibility is everything! If you’re set on flying from Bangkok to Stockholm on the 6th of September, well guess what, you don’t have that many options. The more flexible you are, the more options you have, and the more chances you have of getting a cheaper flight. Let’s say you want to visit Laos, Thailand and Vietnam – check flights to/from those countries around the dates you’re planning to go, and then decide where you’ll start and where you’ll end.
15. Bring your own airport snack
Lets face it, airport food has some of the highest mark ups on the planet. Avoid having to get one of those 12$ cheese sandwiches and 5$ juice, and instead get some snacks at a grocery store before your flight.
16. Ask locals how much you should expect to pay
In many non-western countries, things don’t necessarily have a fixed price. Instead, prices are determined by whatever the seller believes you can afford to pay. And if you look like a tourist, the price is gonna be higher than what a local would pay. If you’re going to a market, taking a taxi or purchasing whatever else that doesn’t have a clear price tag, ask at your hostel/hotel reception how much you should expect to pay. Here I’m obviously talking about when making larger purchases, I’m not suggesting that you consult with a local if you’re buying fruits at a local market 🙂 When taking a taxi, make sure they have a meter or negotiate the price up front to avoid getting ripped off.
I hope you found these tips useful and that they will allow you to travel more for less money!
PS if you want to get notified when I publish new blog posts, just click the red bell in the bottom right corner or follow me on instagram where I usually announce new posts :))
If you are planning a backpacking trip, you might also want to read:
- How to Choose a Hostel
- Common Mistakes To Avoid When Backpacking
- 14 Tips For Staying Safe While Traveling
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