How to Travel on a Budget

I have no qualms about saying I’m broke. I live in London, on my own, and have a lifestyle that is based on experiences that cost money. That being said I know how to travel on a budget.

How to Travel on a Budget

Keep Travel Costs Low

My personal pet peeve is having to shell out a load of money simply to board a plane or get on a train just to get somewhere different. As such, I try to keep my travelling costs at a minimum in order to spend my money on the experiences rather than the process of getting to them.

Look on apps like Skyscanner or Kiki to find the cheapest flights to get abroad. And if you’re travelling around your own country, or merely having a staycation, look into coach journeys rather than trains. Trains may be faster but a ticket to see my sister would cost me £70 return on a train but the coach – which is one hour slower – only costs £13 return.

Pack light

When travelling, especially abroad, keep your suitcases to a minimum. Think of all the things you can, and probably will, purchase whilst you’re abroad. The last thing you want is to be lumbered with a weight fine or have to pay extra for luggage when you can get cheaper flights with just a carry-on bag.

Book early

If you know you want to go somewhere book it early! You’ll get cheaper travel fares, have much longer to look for deals and be able to spread out the cost of your holiday in advance rather than paying out in one lump sum.

Don’t be fooled by package deals

I used to think package deals were the best, but for the most part, they’re a scam! Convenience-wise they’re great but money-wise they’re a joke. Take Disneyland Paris as an example. I’m looking to going next year for my birthday. The only two ‘package deals’ available were for the cheapest accommodation or the most expensive. The cheapest accommodation was 15 miles from the park with no access to transportation – you had to bring a car – and the most expensive was nearly £1500 for two nights.

Ignoring these package deals I was able to find a flat just outside of the ‘Disney zone’ but right by the metro which takes you directly into Disney – which costs just £50pp for two nights. Not to mention being right by cheap travel and above a food store so were can save money on both of those things as well.

Sometimes shopping around is much better than a convenient package deal!

Budget

Always budget. If you know you’ve got £400 to spend on a 4-day holiday, think of it as £100 per day maximum. That’s for all of your necessities as well as your gift buying, tickets and experiences etc. Remember: you need to eat, pay taxes (in some countries) and accommodation fees (food, overnight charge, wi-fi etc).

Book experiences in advance

If you know you want to go to the Louvre when you’re in Paris book your tickets in advance. Not only will you cut the queues you can also look for vouchers online or buy discounted tickets later on in the evenings. You can see exactly what is on offer when you book online and you then have a set itinerary for your holiday without having to get up and think about what you want to do each day.

A break is a break, wherever you go

Don’t always think of a ‘holiday’ as jetting off somewhere. There are always staycations or local trips. Be a tourist for a day, travel by coach somewhere completely random and chill for a bit. Find out what your country has to offer if you want to get away, but fell short of money.

But those are my top tips on how to travel on a budget. What are your top tips? Let me know in the comments below.

Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest // Bloglovin // Instagram // Waterstones // TikTok