How do you travel so often?
This is one of the questions I get asked most frequently. How do I travel on a budget, without breaking the bank?
The truth is, travel doesn’t have to cost as much as you think. There are plenty of secrets that will let you duck and dodge the illusion being pedaled by the elitist travel industry.
I believe travel is a right that belongs to everyone. This world is yours to explore! So don’t let money stand in the way. Here are a few of my secrets for cheap travel:
1. Error Fares / Secret Flying
This is one of my go-to moves.
Error fares happen when an airline makes a mistake, leading to tickets that cost far, far below average. Error fares could come as the result of a technical glitch within the complex and ever-changing system of ticket prices, or through human error.
Websites like Secret Flying can help you identify and take advantage of error fares. You probably won’t be able to find an existing error fare for your ideal travel dates and destination, but stay tuned and you just might snag a dream vacation on the cheap.
Want to go to Europe? Check out these $260 round trip flights to Portugal, leaving from select airports all over the US. Even if you need a separate flight to make it to, say, Chicago O’Hare, you’ll still be getting a great deal.
2. Consider Ditching Your Flight
This trick won’t work all the time, but keep it in your back pocket and it may save you a chunk of cash.
Sometimes, flight routes don’t make sense. Stopping in Chicago and then continuing to New York may wind up cheaper than simply flying to Chicago – and what if Chicago is your destination?
Sites like www.skiplagged.com find secret layovers that could save you money. Just get out at the midway point – which is actually your destination – and leave the airport
3. Hostels
Hostels are another easy way to cut costs, if you’re willing to go forego some luxury.
The downside is, you have to share a room with other people. But there are plenty of upsides too – besides saving money, hostels often have their own bars, community, and events. If you’re traveling solo, a hostel can be a great place to make friends on the road.
I once stayed in a hostel in bustling downtown Beijing for just $1.50 per night! The mattress was as thin as a folded towel, so the moral of the story is, you get what you pay for.
4. Cook Your Own Food
Major travel hack for cheap meals. Skip the pricey restaurants and cook food yourself!
Now, food is one of the most important things to experience when traveling – but balance that with some trips to the grocery store and you’ll be able to stay at your destination twice as long.
This is harder to do in hotels, but most hostels and Airbnbs tend to have a kitchen. If all you have is a mini-fridge and a microwave, use them for leftovers.
This does, however, bring us to our next point…
5. Street Food
When it comes to the intersection of budget and flavor, you can’t do much better than street food.
All over the world, local chefs hock sublime creations out of carts. Maybe it’s the healthy dose of Anthony Bourdain I consumed with my dad, but street food has always had a special place in my heart (I’m not just talking about cholesterol).
Recently, I’ve encountered a growing number of bougie voices saying things like, “is street food safe?”
Honestly, you’re going to have to use your best judgment here. Maybe that hunk of raw meat on the corner isn’t quite the move for a midnight snack. Seafood, likewise, needs to be treated more carefully.
On the other hand, street food has constituted some of the most delicious and memorable meals I’ve ever eaten abroad. If you want to save money, but more importantly, eat like a local and not like a tourist, street food is the way to go.
6. Travel When Others Aren’t
Headed to Cancun for Spring Break? You’ll be competing with everyone else. Take the same trip two months later for half the cost.
Do something contrary to the crowd and you’ll be rewarded.
7. Camping
If you’re an outdoors-y type, cut the lodging costs altogether by bringing a tent or a hammock.
This won’t work in say, central London. But it could be a beautiful experience in lush tropical Kauai, or in Norway where the right to roam ensures open access to public lands, parks, and rivers.
Make sure to do your research, as every place will have its own rules.
8. Couchsurf
If you know people in the place you’re going, consider crashing with them. If you don’t know anyone, services like Couchsurfing will match you up with a willing host.
Like hostels, this method sacrifices some comfort. But if you’re a social creature with a healthy spine, it might be just the thing.
The more you travel, the more you build up your network of cool international friends! These friendships will serve you well on future trips.
9. Don’t Pay for Checked Bags
Take advantage of all your baggage rights!
Many tickets include one carry-on bag and one personal item. Don’t forget – that personal item can be a whole second backpack.
Don’t push this one too far, but it’s usually fine to show up with a big, hefty carry-on bag, and a smaller backpack as your personal item.
I have bags that fit into bags, emerging in front of confused gate attendants like a bizarre sequence of Russian nesting dolls. I even have a windbreaker with a giant pocket sewed into the front. No rules against that.
A carry-on bag plus secondary backpack will work fine for most trips. Use your resources to the best of your abilities.
10. Work Airbnb to the Bone
When it comes to Airbnb, results can differ dramatically — a little digging can be the difference between a flavorless, over-priced studio and a sprawling villa with pools and a sun deck.
When browsing Airbnb, I like to change the settings to flexible dates. That way I can see all the possibilities, and adapt my plan if a great opportunity comes up.
Besides that, I try to stay for at least a week at a time, if not a month. Once you hit the week and month ranges on Airbnb, many places will throw in a major discount that sometimes ends up cutting the price in half.
Some shots from an Airbnb in Hangzhou, China next to the famous West Lake. Vast deck overlooking village life, cozy interior with old Hong Kong music on tape cassettes, and a smiling grandma who cooked us a meal each morning.
11. Don’t Stay at the Tourist Zone
Instead, book your room somewhere else.
Areas with lots of tourist traffic will have higher prices and more cookie-cutter vibes. Wade a little deeper into things and you’ll find the local way of life.
You may be surprised at the luxurious residences you can find if you’re willing to stay in a smaller neighborhood. And even if you are staying in the tourist zone, a day trip to a different part of town can give you (and your wallet) a much-needed change of pace.
12. Let Fate Decide
Go onto Skyscanner. Plug in your home airport, set the destination to “Everywhere,” and the time to “Cheapest Month.”
Congratulations, you’ve planned your next trip!
Trying this exercise for myself here at time of writing, I’m seeing round trip flights to Puerto Rico for $62.
When you late fate decide, you’re choosing to be at one with circumstances, rather than rigidly pushing through them in order to execute your plan.
Plus, you may end up somewhere you’d never planned to visit, doing something you’d never expected. And isn’t that what traveling is all about?
***
There you have it. 11 travel hacks to save you money, and keep your trip going longer.
We’ve been fed a narrative about travel — “two weeks per year, a break from the stress of work” — but that doesn’t mean we need to buy into it.
If you employ these strategies, I genuinely expect you to save over 50% the cost of your next trip.
Maybe that will help you realize how accessible travel really is, and how close you are to the global community. All you need to do is reach out!
If so, this post has done its job.