How to Travel For Less

Ten days after I graduated college I was on a thirteen hour flight to Europe. I had $2000 to my name and my return ticket was out of Paris, 20 days later. This was the first trip I had taken where I planned everything on my own. I learned so much, both by losing money and finding creative new ways to save it. Since then, I’ve learned how to travel for less and have been able to travel more because of it.

Flight

• Fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday, it really is cheaper.
• If you’re flying far (like Europe) take that crazy 4 am flight that no one wants to take. You’ll be in the air for hours anyway and it often costs less.
• Always use aggregate sights like google flights when searching so you can find the lowest costing option.
• If you’re traveling with others, see if you can share a big suitcase so you can split the check-in fee. And always book that ahead as it can cost less than half the price as showing up and checking in that day at the airport!
• Lastly, if you’re going to be visiting a bunch of places see which one is cheapest to fly in and out of and that can help determine your traveling schedule!

Stay

If you are traveling with others, a hotel or Airbnb is the way to go. Hostels charge per cot. So if you’re traveling with a significant other and will share a bed, other options will be cheaper. Most want to stay in the city center. But there are often small, charming towns right outside. When I traveled to Germany, we stayed right outside of Munich. We were close enough to walk to the city center every day, but we saved money by not staying in the middle of it. Plus, we go to explore a cute small town with less crowds but all the same charm.

Food

Grocery shop! Not only is it monetarily effective, but it’s part of the experience! You get to shop like the locals do and save money. Load up on snacks for in between meals. Or do as I did and get some breakfast options too. (If you’re in Europe, this is the way to go – they love tiny breakfasts anyway). By eating-in for breakfast every other day and snacking in between meals I saved a lot of money!

I hope you learned some useful tips for traveling on a budget! As I keep traveling I’m sure I’ll keep learning more, and I would love to hear any tips you may know of I didn’t mention!

Sincerely,