It’s no secret that journey has gotten costlier over the previous few years. Post-COVID, every part feels prefer it has gotten costlier. And, with the demand for journey surpassing even pre-pandemic ranges, costs aren’t going to go down any time quickly.
Besides making issues costlier, COVID modified learn how to journey. A whole lot of corporations/inns/hostels closed in the course of the pandemic whereas outdated strategies of saving cash turned out of date and new strategies got here into being.
So a lot of journey has modified that I made a decision to write down a e-book it referred to as How to Travel the World on $75 a Day, an enormous, large replace to my outdated $50 a Day version. The e-book accommodates every part you want to know on how to economize on journey and have extra genuine, native experiences.
Ultimate Guide to Cheap Travel and Authentic Experiences in 2025
Today, I wish to share 10 issues you are able to do to economize in your subsequent journey – whether or not you’re going away for 2 weeks, two months, or two years!
1. Collect factors totally free journey
Collecting factors and miles is a good way to journey on a funds. By getting point-yielding bank cards and utilizing a number of easy methods, you may get a whole bunch of 1000’s of miles — with none extra spending (you may even earn factors simply by paying your lease!). These factors can then be cashed in totally free flights, free lodge stays, and different journey rewards.
I’ve earned numerous free flights, upgrades, and lodge stays from my factors and miles. By optimizing my spending and listening to which playing cards earn essentially the most factors the place, I’ve saved 1000’s of {dollars} — and you may too! This submit can assist get you began!
2. Use the Sharing Economy
The sharing financial system has led to a plethora of latest money-saving and community-building platforms which have made journey much more inexpensive, private, and accessible. It’s by no means been simpler to get off the vacationer path, join with locals, and expertise their tempo of life. I reside by these web sites after I journey! There’s no side of journey that isn’t doable with these web sites. Some of my favourite companies are:
3. Find the Free
The world is awash with wonderful free journey sources that may assist you to journey on a funds. No matter the place you’re going, there’s most likely a weblog submit on what to do and see there totally free or cheaply. Someone has been there, they usually’ve written about it! Make the most effective use of all of them that will help you plan your journey. My favourite search time period is “free things to do in X.” You’ll at all times get a outcome!
Additionally, don’t be afraid to stroll right into a hostel — even in case you aren’t staying there — and ask them what to do for reasonable. Their clientele is budget-sensitive, so that they at all times know what to do and the place to go for little cash.
4. Stick to Public Transportation
If you’re on a funds, skip the taxis and rideshares. Unless you may decrease your price by sharing a trip with different passengers, public transportation goes to be essentially the most cost-effective solution to get round. Not solely will it prevent cash however you’ll get to see how the locals journey too.
Google Maps often can provide you a fundamental overview of the general public transportation choices and costs obtainable. You can discover details about day passes and/or multi-day passes out of your native hostel/lodge employees (in addition to from native tourism workplaces).
5. Visit the Local Tourism Office and Get a Tourism Card
Local vacationer workplaces are a wealth of information. They exist solely to offer you info on what to see and do. They usually have tons of reductions not discovered anyplace else and can even hold you up to date on native occasions, free excursions, and the most effective spots to eat. After all, they’re staffed by individuals who reside within the vacation spot to allow them to offer you plenty of recommendations on learn how to get off the vacationer path.
Moreover, most of them supply metropolis tourism playing cards that may permit you to get you admittance into the key sights for one low worth. They are a useful manner to economize in case you plan to do a number of sightseeing.
6. Get Cheap Accommodation
Accommodation is without doubt one of the greatest mounted prices vacationers have, so decreasing that price can result in massive financial savings on the highway. I’m certain many backpackers would sleep in a barn if it have been the most affordable lodging they may discover!
Since you must keep someplace each evening, decreasing this expense can prevent some huge cash off the overall price of your journey. Stay in hostels, use Couchsurfing, keep in empty college dorms, camp, or strive an Airbnb.
7. Follow the Five Block Rule
Use the five-block rule. There appears to be this magical wall that surrounds vacationer areas. Most individuals don’t go previous it. It’s been my expertise that in case you stroll 5 blocks in any course from a serious vacationer space, you find yourself shedding the crowds and discovering the native eating places.
In my expertise, vacationer eating places don’t care about high quality since these vacationers aren’t coming again. Residents do care so locations catering to them should be higher — and extra inexpensive – or they exit of enterprise. Those are the locations you wish to eat at. Use the above sources to seek out the place the locals eat and keep away from crappy meals!
8. Travel Like You Live
The majority of individuals in your locations don’t spend a number of cash per day like vacationers do. Neither do you in your day-to-day life. Take that mentality with you. Walk, take public transportation, grocery store, spend a day in a park, and search for offers. Do the stuff you do at dwelling daily to maintain your prices down.
Too many individuals get into this mindset that once they go on the highway, they only must spend, spend, spend, spend. That’s not true in any respect. There’s no legislation that claims you must spend extra. Be sensible along with your funds — identical to you might be at dwelling. That will assist you to get monetary savings and forestall you from going dwelling early (and broke).
9. Take Free Walking Tours
Want to be taught in regards to the metropolis, get your bearings, and see the key sights? Take a free strolling tour. You can discover them in most main cities — simply ask the native vacationer workplace, your hostel employees, or Google “free walking tour (city name).”
You’ll get a strong introduction to the town whereas additionally gaining access to an area information you may ask inquiries to. I at all times begin my visits to a brand new metropolis with one. Just you should definitely tip your information on the finish (that’s how they receives a commission). Here’s a listing of all my favourite strolling excursions world wide (organized by metropolis).
10 Become a Housesitter!
If you’re on a decent funds, you may pet and home sit for fellow journey lovers once they go on their very own holidays! In trade, you’ll get free lodging when you’re watching their dwelling and pets (animal care is concerned 99% of the time).
This is a good way to journey long-term, with an vital added bonus: you get a kitchen to prepare dinner your meals (which saves you much more cash!).
You may even usually get entry to a car and generally will probably be left a tip or free groceries. It’s typically people who find themselves properly sufficient off that they’ll afford multi-month holidays, so that you’re often in fairly good properties and flats too! The finest web site for that is Trusted Housesitters.
How to Travel the World on $75 a Day
It could also be lots tougher to journey on a funds however by being versatile, getting inventive, and embracing the proper mindset, you’ll have the ability to journey with out spending a fortune. (And you may try my e-book for much more suggestions!)