There’s a common misconception that you must be rich to travel. When we tell people about our long trips, we often hear, “Wow, you guys must be loaded!” But the truth is, those who say that probably spend the same amount on a two-week holiday as we do on a two-month adventure! That’s why we want to share our top three rules for traveling on a budget.
We’ve discovered that spending more money usually doesn’t make your trip any better. In fact, it often makes it less authentic. So, how can you travel cheap without sacrificing the quality of your experience? Here are our rules:
1. Choose your destination wisely
Your holiday experience will largely depend on your chosen destination. It’s not the same to visit Myanmar as it is to visit Switzerland. When you go somewhere expensive, be aware that there are trade-offs. For example, you might have to choose between taking a taxi when you’re tired or using public transport and ending up exhausted every day.
Thus, one of the most important rules for traveling on a budget is to choose countries that are considered affordable for your budget. This doesn’t mean you can’t visit more expensive places like Japan, but for the same money, you could spend six weeks in Thailand without counting every penny!
2. Accommodation
The next of our rules to travel cheap is to stay away from hotels. Hotels are usually expensive and they are not worth the money. Plus, who wants to stay in a room where you can’t really tell which country you are in? We like to have a local experience, which hotels don’t really give you. Our favorites alternatives:
Airbnb
We find Airbnb great, as you get to stay in truly local places and, in seconds, you feel like you belong there. Say hi to new neighbors, get a morning coffee in the local shop, warm baguettes from the bakery around the corner, and fresh fruits from the food market nearby. We love to cook from time to time, it is a DIY way to experiment with the local cuisine and try out some new recipes.
Hosts usually try to help you as much as possible to get a positive review, so it’s a win-win. Fair to be said, Airbnb is not super cheap, and the hassle of checking in/out it’s usually not worth it for short stays (1-2 nights). We go for Airbnb when we want to stay for the medium-long term (4-5 days at least).
TIP: Many hosts offer you discounts for staying a week or a month. If you are thinking about staying 5-6 days, check how much would it be for 7 days, as it may even be cheaper! Same thing with monthly stays.
Booking.com
We use any of these services for short stays. If you are going 2 days-1 nights somewhere, you aren’t going to spend much time in your room. Thus, just get something cheap, well-located, clean, and move on. You really don’t need that Smart TV, you have it at home!
TIP: Also, if possible, book your accommodation only a few days before arriving at your destination. Why? Hosts lose money when they have their place empty so they will be happy offering discounts. You may get up to 30-40% discount on the price! This also applies to Airbnb.
CouchSurfing
At the beginning of our trip, we were a bit worried about staying for free in someone’s home, but we have to admit we were wrong. If you find the right host, it’s an unbelieve experience. Keep in mind these people invite strangers to their homes for free, so they do it because they enjoy it!
TIP: Offer something in exchange to truly enjoy your stay – you can cook some local cuisine from your country or speak some English to their kids, it will make the best travel story.
We couchsurfed in a Japanese house in Hiroshima’s countryside with a local family and ended up singing Karaoke while drinking Sake. What hotel is going to give you that? And FOR FREE!
TrustedHouseSitter
Probably our favorite.
With this platform, you go to someone’s home to take care of their pets while they are away – for free. You live in their home, meaning they are fully equipped and ready to have a very comfortable stay. Sometimes the houses are dream houses, you would not believe it.
Of course, you have to love animals, otherwise, this is not for you. You’ll be taking care of cats, dogs, or pretty much anything they have at home. For us, this is far from being a problem, as we love animals, and taking care of those 2 lovely brothers’ cats it’s the perfect excuse to travel to that paradise island.
Staying FOR FREE in Koh Samui (Thailand), chilling by the pool and playing with 2 lovely cats? Yeah, I’m in
Keep in mind you’re not on holiday, meaning you should spend quality time with the animals and make sure they don’t miss their owners too much.
3. Transport
The last of our rules to travel cheap is, of course, related to transport. Some tips:
- Don’t buy flights that are out of your budget. If possible, change your itinerary so you can fly cheaper. Never buy a flight without tracking for a few days how the price oscillates. Setting a Skyscanner alarm for a flight or Kayak “buy” advice is usually very useful.
- Whenever possible, take buses as they are way cheaper than planes.
- Using a regular taxi in, let’s say Bangkok, it’s pretty challenging, and you’re very likely to get ripped off. Use Uber or Grab. These apps make it really easy and they remove the language barrier. Happy times.
To travel around Asia, services like 12go are pure gold, as sometimes it can be challenging to buy tickets in a foreign country. Check it out!
EXTRA TIP: Try to travel at night. We know sleeping on a bus or plane is not very comfortable, but you will save one night of accommodation. Plus, overnight trains are so romantic! If planning to visit Thailand, make sure to take a sleeper train on the classic route Bangkok – Chiang Mai. We loved it.
Ok, these are our rules to travel cheap. However, we want to give you an extra piece of advice…
4. Activities (for free)!
Instead of splashing some cash on an expensive tour with a guide, do a quick search – chances are, there are some free city tours whenever you are!
One of the best experiences we have had so far in Vietnam was meeting Brian who showed us Hanoi on a free food tour (obviously the food was on us). He made us feel at home in a minute! By the way, that egg coffee was delicious!
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I have only been to Thailand but I agree with everything posted here. Great article.
Thanks a lot for your feedback! Much appreciated 🙂