How To Travel The World On A Budget

The most common misconception that people have of international travel is that it’s super expensive. To travel abroad — which includes staying at luxury hotels and eating at Michelin star restaurants — means to have truckloads of money. But that’s not necessarily the case. For starters, there’s always a way to travel while on a budget, and secondly, being able to afford luxury while traveling isn’t what makes the trip special. You don’t have to stay in a high-end resort or eat gourmet food. Eating street food can be equally intriguing like South Korea’s Gwangjang Food Market. If you’re up for it, you can even catch zzz’s on someone’s couch. The main aim should be to explore and immerse yourself in the local culture, meet with local people, and see the sights and sounds. You really shouldn’t be spending big bucks, apart from your airfare, unless you can afford it.

So here are some tips for you if you plan to travel on a budget:

Book Your Flights Early

Though this is quite a common advise, many people still seem to believe that booking flights just before the trip might give them some last-minute deal. But the truth is, early booking gets you the best price. In fact, November and May are supposed to be the off-season, so if you book your flight on those months, you save more bucks.

Go On Off-Season Or Transitional Periods

To avoid crowds and big expenses, one trick is to go during off-peak season. For example, if people enjoy going to a particular city or place in summer, try going there during autumn. By doing so, you will be able to get great hotel deals. Additionally, you won’t be bumping elbows with other people as there wouldn’t be a lot of tourists. Say goodbye to big crowds and cramped spaces!

Cook Your Own Food

One of the best things about traveling is the food. Being able to eat a cuisine that’s quite different from what you’re used to is a great way to immerse yourself in another culture. Of course, you can always eat out at a specialty food establishment or a fine dining restaurant, but why not try and go to the market with a local and cook your own food? Learn how to cook a certain local dish that you’ve always wanted to try! That way, you can save money and learn. It’s definitely a win-win situation!

Work Meets Pleasure

If you don’t want to take time off work (because you don’t want to lose your dollars), why not work on your vacation and make it a workcation? If you are a journalist or a writer, it is easy to go on these trips as you can always write about your personal experiences. But in case you work in another sector and have taken a long leave, you can always find local work through various websites. Working on the go is the new fad and you can even get a job at eateries, or other places, too. Just check the country’s policy for a work visa, so you won’t end up in any trouble. Websites like Remote Year and Working Nomads can help a lot in this regard.

Look For Free Attractions And Activities

If you don’t want to spend money for city tours, you can always try and look for free tours. For example, several countries have walking tours conducted by locals and 100% free. Do your research right, and you may find museums, archaeological sites, and ancient structures that are free to enter. Some places even have concessions for students, so if you do have a student identity card, bring it along! In some other places, there are free days for museums.

Avoid Hotels And Resorts

Avoiding hotels and resorts makes you a backpacker, but you can still have a relaxing and at times, luxurious vacation. However, you will end up paying much less because let’s face it, hotels and resorts are usually pricey. Hostels, Airbnb, and couch-surfing are the newest trends, and you can end up paying next to nothing. Not just that, the advantages of staying at a place with locals mean you will always get the best advice, and you can cook which saves trips to restaurants and eateries. It is even better if you are traveling in a group because that means the bills will always get split among the group.

Traveling is good in so many ways – it teaches you not just about local culture, but a few things about yourself, too. Most importantly, it teaches you to be patient, and be respectful to people of various cultures. And since now you know that you can always travel on a budget if you want, what’s stopping you?