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Travel has gotten more expensive over the last few years. And, with the demand for travel surpassing even pre-pandemic levels, it’s probably not going to get cheaper anytime soon.
So much of travel has changed in recent years that I decided to write a book called How to Travel the World on $75 a Day to help people save money. The book contains everything you need to know about how to save money on travel and have more authentic, local experiences.
Here are some high impact ways to save money on your next trip – whether you are going away for two weeks, two months or two years.
1. Collect Points For Free Travel
Collecting points and miles is a great way to travel on a budget. By using credit cards that earn points, you can potentially get hundreds of thousands of miles — without any additional spending. I’ve earned countless free flights, upgrades and hotel stays from my points and miles. By optimizing my spending and paying attention to which cards earn the most points where, I’ve saved thousands of dollars. This is the number one thing pro travelers do to save money on hotels and flights.
2. Use the Sharing Economy
The sharing economy has led to a plethora of new money-saving and community-building platforms that have made travel even more affordable, personal and accessible. I live by these websites when I travel because they connect you directly to locals so you can save on accommodation, activities, food and transportation. There’s no aspect of travel that isn’t doable with these websites. Some of my favorite services are:
- Couchsurfing
- EatWith
- Find a Travel Buddy (Facebook Group)
- BlaBlaCar
- Travel Ladies
3. Find the Free
The world is awash with amazing travel resources (like this website) that can help you travel on a budget. No matter where you are going, there’s probably a blog post on what to do and see there for free or cheaply. Make the best use of all of them to help you plan your trip. My favorite search term is “free things to do in X.”
Additionally, don’t be afraid to walk into a hostel, even if you aren’t staying there, and ask them for advice on free or inexpensive things to do. Their clientele is budget sensitive, so they always have recommendations for what to do and where to go.
4. Stick to Public Transportation
Public transportation is going to be the most cost-effective way to get around. Not only will it save you money but you’ll get to see how the locals travel, too. Google Maps can usually give you a basic overview of the public transportation options and prices available. You can find information about day passes and/or multi-day passes from your local hostel/hotel staff, as well as from local tourism offices.
5. Visit the Local Tourism Office and Get a Tourism Card
Local tourist offices are a wealth of knowledge. They exist solely to provide you with information on what to see and do. They often have tons of discounts not found anywhere else and can also keep you updated on local events, free tours and the best spots to eat. After all, they are staffed by people who live in the destination so they can give you a lot of tips on how to get off the tourist trail.
Moreover, most of them offer city tourism cards that can allow you to get you admittance into the major attractions for one low price. They are an invaluable way to save money if you plan to do lots of sightseeing.
6. Follow the Five Block Rule
There seems to be this magical wall that surrounds tourist areas. It’s been my experience that if you walk five blocks in any direction from a major tourist area, you end up losing the crowds and finding the local restaurants.
Tourist restaurants don’t care about quality since people aren’t coming back. Residents care though so places catering to them have to be good or they go out of business. Those are the places you want to eat at. Use Google Maps, Yelp or just ask locals where they eat.
7. Take Free Walking Tours
Want to learn about the city, get your bearings and see the major sights? Take a free walking tour. You can find them in most major cities. Just ask the local tourist office, your hostel staff or Google “free walking tour (city name).”
You’ll get a solid introduction to the city while also getting access to a local guide to whom you can ask questions. I always start my visits to a new city with one. Here’s a list of all my favorite walking tours around the world (organized by city).
8. Become a Housesitter
If you’re on a tight budget, you can pet and house sit for fellow travel lovers when they go on their own vacations! In exchange, you’ll get free accommodation while you’re watching their home and pets (animal care is involved 99% of the time). This is a great way to travel long-term, with an important added bonus: you get a kitchen to cook your food (which saves you even more money!). The best site for this is Trusted Housesitters.
It may be a lot harder to travel on a budget but by being flexible, getting creative, and embracing the right mindset, you’ll be able to travel without spending a fortune.
Matthew Kepnes didn’t take his first trip overseas until he was twenty-three, but a trip to Costa Rica got him hooked on traveling. In 2005, a trip to Thailand inspired him to come home, quit his job, and backpack around the world for a year. He liked it so much he never stopped. In 2008, he started his website, Nomadic Matt, to help others travel better, cheaper, and longer and has helped millions of people a year realize their own travel dreams. He can be found at his website as well as on Instagram at @nomadicmatt.
His new book, How to Travel the World on $75 a Day, is out now.
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