Inflation has heavily impacted most countries, meaning it’s become increasingly difficult to afford to spend on non-essential activities like vacations and traveling.
Budget vacations and affordable travel in general are in higher demand than ever. But unless you’re an experienced world traveler, you might not know how to travel inexpensively.
Rest assured, there are cheap ways to travel. As long as you’re making note of affordable travel tips like the ones in this guide, you’ll be able to travel economically. These affordable travel tips won’t limit you to staying within your borders, either. There are ways to travel the world for cheap if you know what you’re doing.
Whether your budget is $1500, $1000, or even less, you can get out and see the world for less money than you think. With that said, below are 19 tips to help you travel internationally for cheap.
1. Be Flexible on Dates, Locations, and Activities
My biggest tip for traveling inexpensively is to go into the planning process with an open mind.
The truth of the matter is that you’re not going to be able to afford to travel to on a low budget to certain places. Think places like Scandinavia, Amsterdam, Bora Bora, Las Vegas. But the list is probably shorter than you think!
You can certainly travel to popular places like New York, parts of Western Europe, and certain Asian countries for cheap if you get creative. It’s just a matter of doing your research and being OK with not staying in the 5-star hotels or most glamorous parts of town. You also might have to travel mid-week to afford flights, rather than weekends.
Many people feel limited because they don’t get creative enough in their research or they can’t make certain sacrifices.
Remember that there are plenty of cheap places to visit all across the world that see very few tourists. It’s usually not because these places don’t have sights worth seeing or activities worth doing, it’s just because they aren’t as ‘trendy’ as other spots. A couple of my favorite places I’ve traveled to, like Colombia, have cheap inbound flights and were dirt cheap for foreigners. I stayed in my own mountaintop villa with a pool, hot tub, and rooftop overlook of the surrounding Andes for $44 per night.
2. Do Your Homework When Researching Flights
Now that we have the lengthiest affordable travel tip out of the way, we can narrow down the focus a bit.
Go into the research process with a budget for flights in mind, and note which places are within that budget. You might be surprised at how inexpensive it can be to fly to certain luxurious destinations like Paris or Barcelona. On the contrary, it can be surprisingly expensive to fly to certain places in South America or Eastern Europe.
Your flight should be the most expensive thing you book, so take your time and weigh all of your options. Consider long layovers if they drastically reduce the price and you have the time. I spent 36 hours in Panama en route to Colombia, and those two nights in Panama ended up being really memorable and I was able to see and do a lot, all while reducing the cost of the flight to Colombia.
3. Go Somewhere with Cheap Food, Drinks, and Accommodations
Remember that just because somewhere might be cheap to fly to, it might not be affordable to visit.
Iceland is a perfect example. It’s become so popular to visit that the Reykjavik Airport has kept up with demand and has a ton of reasonably priced flights. But once you land, be prepared for exorbitant prices for things like groceries, renting a car, accommodation, and drinks. Note that you can still travel to Iceland on a budget, but it will require a lot of sacrifices if you’re used to going out or staying in luxurious accommodations.
Make sure to do your research on the cost of living, cost of visiting, and even the economy of where you plan to visit. It will give you a good understanding of what to expect.
Many countries in Eastern Europe are cheap, along with places like Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and most of South America and Central America.
4. Book Flights Far in Advance
If you’re planning a budget vacation and want to travel affordably, you need to start tracking international flights 8 or 9 months in advance. Typically, you’ll find your best rates around 6 to 8 months in advance for international flights and 3 to 4 months in advance for domestic flights, though these figures will vary based on trends and where you’re looking.
I love the Hopper app. It sends me alerts on price drops and rate sales, and I can prize freeze if I see a rate that I like but don’t want to book quite yet.
5. Book Flights Mid-Week
The best days and times to book flights are typically Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the early morning or late at night. On multiple occasions I’ve been browsing for flights close to midnight and been surprised at how much cheaper flights are than when I previously looked during the daytime.
The same trend goes for the actual dates of the flight. Studies show that the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday and Wednesday. With that said, if you want to travel for cheap, especially internationally, you should try to fly mid-week if you can.
6. Research Budget-Friendly Accommodations with Good Value
By now, you can tell that there’s a theme for how to travel for cheap: research.
Aside from flights, your accommodation should be the most expensive part of traveling. To save money, do extensive research on places to stay wherever you’re headed.
Trust me, this doesn’t equate to staying in the “worst” places. If you’re all about that hostel life, you’d be surprised at how cheap some of the best hostels I’ve stayed at are, even in otherwise expensive cities. There are many nice hotels and bed and breakfasts that price match, too.
Usually, I prioritize cleanliness, customer service, safety, upkeep, and walkability when choosing a place to stay – not necessarily amenities and luxury, unless I’m traveling somewhere cheap and still have money to spend. You should be able to find highly rated accommodation that check all of these boxes no matter where you’re going.
7. Use Public Transportation (or Walk)
Walking is one of my favorite things to do when traveling. This works out perfectly, since it’s free!
Not every destination is going to be walkable, so keep that in mind if you’re trying to travel on a budget. If not, consider the cost and effectiveness of public transportation. Renting a car is a necessity for some places, which would be an unwanted cost added to your expenses. Though, in some places without much in the way of trains or bus service, renting a car might not be terribly expensive.
If you’re visiting a city with top-notch public transportation, take advantage of that! If you get lost or need help, locals will surely give you a hand. Budget travelers should never be taking Uber or Lyft in places with world class public transit like New York, Chicago, most of Western Europe, and most of East Asia.
8. Get Groceries If You Can’t Afford to Eat Out
If you’re bopping around from place to place, getting groceries might not be feasibly logistically. But if you’re staying somewhere for an extended period (3+ days), make a grocery run right when you arrive. At the least, get what you need for breakfast and snacks for throughout the day. And if you want to drink but you’re trying to travel affordably, get alcohol from the grocery store instead of the restaurants or pubs.
If you’re backpacking or just on the move quite a bit, you can at least get non-perishable food and snacks to prevent you from having to dip into your wallet when you’re on the go.
9. Eat Where the Locals Eat, Not the Tourists
Your research shouldn’t end when everything is booked. Another way to save money when traveling that requires research even once you arrive is by eating and spending time in neighborhoods that aren’t heavily frequented by tourists.
For instance, is London touristy and expensive? Generally, yes.
But worthwhile London neighborhoods like Clapham, Richmond, Walthamstow, and Twickenham are void of tourists and eating and drinking out in these places won’t tear into your wallet. This brings us back to the importance of flexibility. While these places aren’t home of London’s most extravagant sights or restaurants, they still offer something unique and will have hidden gem spots worth visiting.
10. Stay Where the Locals Live, Not Where Tourists Stay
The same goes for booking your accommodation. If you’re only looking in the city centers, old towns, historic neighborhoods and elegant districts, you’re not going to be able surviving trying to find anything cost-friendly.
To get a sense of underrated places to stay that are les pricy, read what people have to say about certain neighborhoods on forums like Reddit, Quora, or Rick Steves. Use Google Map Street views to double check you like the look of the area.
Sure, staying a bit outside of all the main action might require some more walking or transport-riding, but that allows you to see more of the city and get the most authentic experience anyway! We stayed outside of the core of Budapest and ended up living our quiet neighborhood, which was still convenient and easy to get to the center.
11. Sign Up for Airline Fare-Sale Emails
To stay on top of deals for cheap flights, sign up to receive Email alerts from airlines that are flying to where you want to go. This will ensure you’re getting the best possible deal and you’re making the most out of your budget.
You can do this a few ways:
- Go to the airline’s website directly.
- Sign up on well-known flight finding platforms like Google Flights, Skyscanner and Expedia.
- Sign up on other dedicated apps and websites for flight deals like Hopper or Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights).
12. Don’t Travel During Peak Season
Another one of the best ways to travel cheap is to avoid traveling during peak season, which runs from late May to early September and mid-December to early January (holiday travel).
If you’re traveling with kids or a family and need to utilize your granted PTO or their school breaks, this can be a challenge. But if you can control it, do your best to travel during offseason. Hotspots like Italy and Croatia are more expensive to visit and more crowded in the summer due to increased demand.
If you choose to travel in the summer or around the holidays, you’ll likely have to spend more on flights and accommodation. Plus, while this doesn’t pertain to budget travel, places will be more crowded. Consider booking your trip during shoulder season instead: September, October, April, and May.
13. Take Advantage of Free or Cost-Friendly Activities
Every city offers free entertainment, sightseeing, tours, and experiences. You just need to go out and find out. At the very least, local tourism departments should offer deals on things like museum visits and city tours.
When I visited Bruges, I got the Musea Bruges pass for just $35. This granted me access to every one of the city’s many museums for 72 hours. I also did a free walking tour on my trip to El Salvador, which was perhaps the most memorable walking tour I’ve done.
14. Explore by Yourself – Group Tours Often Aren’t Necessary
We’ve all seen those hordes of tourists traveling in packs. While certain travelers might appreciate someone else doing the guiding for them, if you’re trying to travel economically, it’s not going to be worth it. As long as you do ample research before your trip, you’re likely to hit the same spots that those groups hit. The only thing you’d be missing is the local guide to provide context to things you’re seeing and answer questions. But the substitute is that you can go at your own pace, operate on your own schedule, and you don’t have to spend a dime. And who knows, you might learn just as much by striking up conversations with locals at bars, cafes, or other public places.
15. Book by Yourself, Not Through an Agency
By now, you’ve probably caught onto the general idea that in order to travel inexpensively, the onus needs to be on yourself to do the research. That means no involvement of travel agencies.
I think travel agencies can still be really valuable nowadays. However, that generally doesn’t extend to budget travelers. If you want to travel for cheap, it’s imperative to be proactive in the planning phases and identify places, activities, and more that are going to be within your budget.
16. Avoid Spending at the Airport
This is an obvious tip for traveling economically. Airport food, drinks, and items are going to be significantly costlier than outside of the airport. That’s a pretty universal rule. Pack some snacks before you leave for the airport, bring a refillable water bottle, and don’t worry about getting merch before or after leaving the terminal. You can find cheaper stuff online or outside of the airport’s doors.
17. Talk to Locals or People Who’ve Already Visited
The best way to travel for cheap is to ask people who’ve successfully done so! If you know anybody visiting somewhere you want to go, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask them for tips. You can also utilize online forums like Reddit, social media sites, and watch YouTube videos on the topic.
Consider where you live. If somebody asked you where the best bang-for-your-buck restaurants and bars are and what there is to do for cheap, you’d likely have some really helpful answers. Take advantage of both your network and the vast number of resources at your disposal online.
A local Budapest resident joined my friends and me for our day trip to Szentendre, a quaint town on the Danube. He showed us around, brought us to his favorite restaurants and provided context when visiting the amazing Skanzen Village Open Air Museum.
18. Create a Spreadsheet for Organizing Your Budget
I can’t recommend this enough. While putting your itinerary and costs in a spreadsheet is a tip not only for people trying to travel for cheap, it will greatly help you keep track of expenses and your budget.
Make columns for days, places you’ll be, where you’ll be staying, activities you’ll be doing, and how you’re going to get from Point A to Point B. It doesn’t have to be anything in-depth. I do recommend including confirmation emails and/or booking reference numbers for things you’ve booked in advance for tracking purposes as well.
19. Don’t Let Yourself Get Stressed
Traveling shouldn’t be stressful. If you find yourself sweating because of how expensive it is to visit somewhere, it might not be the place or the time for you.
If, after research, you’ve decided that you won’t be able to let loose on your trip because of money, you should find somewhere else to go.
In-Summary: How to Afford to Travel
If it helps, here are some of the cheapest countries I’ve been to that are also great places to visit:
- Colombia
- El Salvador
- Poland
- Romania
Here are some other places that I haven’t been, but I can recommend looking into based off of what I’ve heard about these countries. If you can afford the flight to these places, the trip itself can be very inexpensive based on your itinerary:
- Bulgaria
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Albania
- Lebanon
- Morocco
- Egypt
- Mexico
- Greece (excluding the islands)
- Armenia
