Travel Like a Pro with These 21 Budget Travel Tips
The legendary chef and globetrotter Anthony Bourdain once said, “Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you.”
Whether you’re a seasoned professional with a dog-eared passport or leaving home for the first time, these 21 budget travel tips will help you travel the globe. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to see the world!
Follow your wanderlust and travel the world with these tips — read on to learn more! 🌎
21 budget travel tips to see the world
Traveling doesn’t need to be expensive. It might feel like relaxing on a beach in Cinque Terre, Italy, or slurping ramen in Kyoto are only for the most wealthy jet setters, but you can make these spots your getaways, too — all on a budget!
1. Choose your destination
Picking exactly where you want to go is the first step. Think about your dream destination — what boxes does it need to check? Are you looking for adventure and exploring? Do you want to sit under the shade of a palm tree, listening to waves crash on a Caribbean beach and holding a drink topped with a little umbrella hat? Whether you want to travel to Portugal or Southeast Asia, the first step in smart planning is deciding on a destination.
2. Create a budget and stick to it
Once you’ve chosen your travel destination, start making a budget. Not only is this super handy for your day-to-day life, but creating a travel budget will help you plan and save for airfare, lodging, meals, and entertainment. If you don’t have a budget in place yet, start today! You can also consider using a travel credit card for frequent flyer points, travel rewards, and other perks. And don’t forget to stash some cash into an emergency savings account, too. Whether you have a super-tight budget or a lax one that allows for extra spending, just remember that travel is always doable!
3. Research the culture
One of the coolest things about traveling the globe is the wide variety of customs throughout different parts of the world. Depending on your travel plans, there may be totally different social cues and mores that you’ll need to be aware of. If you’re visiting temples in Southeast Asia, dress modestly and don’t show the soles of your feet. If you’re traveling to Italy, be ready for a kiss on each cheek when greeting friends and their families! A little research goes a long way, and being conscious of local culture can profoundly improve your trip.
4. Get your passport
If you’re planning on traveling outside the United States, you’re going to need a passport. Don’t wait — although applying for a passport and the US government’s processing time has caught up to pre-COVID turnaround, you can still plan on it taking 6-8 weeks for regular service, and 2-3 weeks for expedited service — the latter is always more expensive. If you already have a passport, be sure to (double) check that it’s still valid and not expired!
5. Find cheap airfare
Although flight prices have actually dipped below pre-pandemic pricing, flying is still fairly expensive.. However, there are cheap flight deals to be had for the savvy shopper! The seasonality of traveling can affect prices, which we’ll touch on in the next tip below, but as a rule of thumb, you should consider traveling on a weekday, keep things flexible if possible, and set alerts for Google flights! You may also want to check sites like Going, Rome2Rio, and SkyScanner for the best fares, or use any upgrades from travel credit cards that you may have.
6. Book in the off-season
Seeing the Eiffel Tower on a rainy night in November is almost always going to be cheaper than baking beneath it in the hot July sun. Why? Seasonality of course! The high season for your location is almost always going to come with a premium — food, lodging, and booking flights are all affected. Instead, choose travel dates in the off-season (also known as shoulder season) — the time between peak and off when the weather might still be good, but prices are lower. Sometimes, booking a stay literally one week after peak season can drastically reduce your costs, for both airfare and accommodations!
7. Check for visa requirements
For many countries, US travelers will be denied entry without a visa. Strictly speaking, a visa allows the holder entry into a country for a specified amount of time — usually 90 days. Many countries offer single-entry and multiple-entry visas, so make sure you decide whether you’ll be entering and leaving your destination country multiple times. If you’re on a tighter budget, you check to see if the country you’re planning on visiting participates in the Visa Waiver Program — this can save you money and time!
8. Get immunizations if necessary
If you’re traveling to a part of the world where infectious disease is a concern, you’ll definitely want to check in with the immunization requirements for entry. Different biomes have different prevalent illnesses — check to see if your destination is home to malaria or yellow-fever-carrying mosquitos, and look for any other chronic illnesses that are transmissible in the locale. You should also be up to date on all your routine vaccines, including Tdap, MMR, and HPV.
9. Pack light
It’s sort of a trope, isn’t it — the post-graduate hopping trains across Europe with nothing but a backpack and their sense of adventure. As cliché as it sounds, we can all take a page out of their book! Unless you’re planning on climbing Everest, you probably don’t need to pack a ton of specialized clothing and gear. By packing light, you can avoid costly baggage fees, minimize your chances of lost luggage, and have less to keep up with. Also, remember to avoid flashy clothing and other signs of wealth — like expensive jewelry, watches, electronics, and other accessories — especially if you’re in an area prone to petty crime.
10. Skip airport purchases
Death, taxes, and spending an obscene amount of money for literally anything at the airport are the only certainties in this life. Instead of shelling out $40 for trail mix and a 16oz bottle of water, bring some sealed snacks in your carry-on bag and a reusable water bottle to fill up at the airport’s water fountain. If you’re on a long-haul flight, you may even get up to two complimentary meals — try and wait it out until you’re in-flight if your stomach is grumbling. And the golden rule? Don’t drink at airport bars if you’re trying to save money!
11. Don’t pay for a hotel
Hotel stays and vacation rentals are exceedingly expensive, and, perhaps even more importantly, are often devoid of any local culture. Whether you’re traveling to Buenos Aires or Tel Aviv, why stay in a nondescript Holiday Inn hotel room? Instead, opt for a homestay or a local backpackers’ hostel (they often include free meals and drinks), apply for a house-sitting gig, or use a service like Couchsurfing to stay with locals! Airbnb is also a viable option, but they’re a bit more expensive. At the end of the day, it’s about meeting new connections, making friends, and seeing the sights like a local, right?
12. Eat like a local
If you find yourself in Hanoi, opt for Miến lươn instead of KFC. Try the carne asada street tacos in Mexico City con cebolla y cilantro. Don’t forget the puff puffs if you’re on the streets of Lagos. Have the saganaki in Greece. And for goodness sake, make sure the chef at the fugu (puffer fish) spot in Tokyo has his license! Eating like a local is one of the best ways to fully immerse yourself in the culture of your host city — you can put yourself in the shoes of the city’s residents and enjoy a fabulous delicacy that you won’t find back home.
13. Avoid tourist traps
Unless you’re visiting a can’t-miss spot like the Sagrada Familia or Sistine Chapel, where a paid tour is unavoidable, try to skip out on the tourist traps. Restaurants serving paella on Las Ramblas are going to be exponentially more expensive than a backstreet spot in La Raval, and the refrigerator magnets hawked by vendors outside the Vatican aren’t exactly cheap! Instead, leverage social media like YouTube or TikTok to find the hidden gems and free walking tours around town — and don’t pay through the nose for them.
14. Cook at home
Eating out for every meal, every day is a surefire way to spend money fast! Instead, take advantage of your hostel or homestay’s kitchen and cook your meals at home. It can be a surprisingly fun experience to visit a local market or grocery store and make a meal with ingredients whose labels you can’t read! Street food and fine dining restaurants are definitely worth visiting, but save some money and make meals at home, too.
15. Find free things to do
You might be surprised at the number of free things there are to do in any given city! If you’re in a hostel, they’ll probably list out free (and walkable) activities that are happening in your neighborhood — it’s a great place to start. You can also check in with the city or municipal tourism board — their websites often include fun, free things to do around town. Look for live music, pickup football (soccer) games, have a picnic in the park, go for a hike — the options are endless!
16. Keep an open mind
Serendipity can abound when you find yourself out in the world. The best way to turn yourself into a lightning rod for amazing experiences is to keep an open mind! Whether it’s getting out there to explore, being open to meeting new people, or getting out of your comfort zone, great things can happen. Sometimes the best experiences won’t cost you anything!
17. Don’t forget travel insurance
And now, it’s time to temper that carefree attitude with a big ol’ dose of careful — don’t forget to purchase travel insurance for your trip. Surely if you’re planning to cruise the coast of Thailand on a 100cc Honda scooter, insurance may cross your mind, but it’s a smart thing to have no matter what. Something as innocuous as crossing the street can be dangerous — be sure to get a plan that covers medical evacuation and repatriation.
18. Buy a local SIM card
Our phones are super helpful for traveling, offering us maps and local recommendations, serving as our translators, and connecting us to the people we love back home. But if you’re in a foreign country, you’re going to be hit with roaming and data charges if you don’t have a plan! Instead, opt to buy a local SIM card to stay in touch with your people — you can often expect to pay much less than in the States! You can also use wifi in cafés, restaurants, and hostels for calling, texting, and browsing the internet.
19. Stay mindful of exchange rates
Whether you’ll be using euros, yen, pesos, or rupees, you’ll need to be mindful of exchange rates and transaction fees. Avoid changing your money at the airport, as they often charge very steep fees for their services. Instead, check to see if your bank at home offers any USD-to-international-currency exchange. If you need more cash in your host country, find ATMs in your bank’s network, guard your PIN number, and be sure to avoid steep ATM fees!
20. Embrace public transportation
No matter where you are, shelling out for Ubers, Lyfts, or any sort of private car or taxi service can add up. Instead, opt for public transportation — the Metro in Milan, the Colectivo in Buenos Aires, or the Cable Car in San Francisco are not only cheap ways to get around the city, but they’re also iconic! Find a metro hub (these can often be app-based), buy yourself fares in bulk based on how long you’ll be in that specific city, and watch the savings pile up.
21. Budget with Quicken Simplifi
The best way to ensure you’re hitting your savings goals to fund your wanderlust and staying on track with your budget is by using Quicken Simplifi. The best part? It works with any budget. Once you connect your accounts, Quicken Simplifi will automatically calculate a spending plan for you, help you set savings goals, automatically categorize all your transactions, and let you know how you’re doing week after week. If you’re traveling, having an app with these capabilities is priceless.
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