How to Travel on a Budget
Travelling can be a pricey endeavour – initial cost estimations always have the ability to slowly creep up during your adventures, which can cause final costs to spiral. By keeping a few money-saving tips in mind, you’ll be able to effectively manage your budget while you journey around. Here are our top 4 tips on how to travel on a budget.
Overview:
- Choose the right destination
- Choose accommodation carefully
- Travel during off-peak holiday times
- Find things to do for free
1. Choose the right destination
If you are thinking about how to travel on a budget and still have a good time, you might need to consider your destination first. Although you may have dreamed of travelling somewhere like Paris or Las Vegas, you’re going to need a bigger budget to back this up. These locations are still very much doable, but you’ll need to adjust your time spent abroad accordingly.
For example, travelling to Vietnam from Australia could take a much longer stretch of time than somewhere in Europe, factoring in cheaper flights, accommodation and food.
2. Choose accommodation carefully
Choosing the right accommodation is crucial when considering how to travel on a budget. With a whole family to think about rooming or a couple, accommodation usually takes up the majority of your holiday funds. There are ways to work around accommodation on a budget, researching in advance will help you plan, compare and decide on whether you are choosing cheap accommodation or limit the budget for other areas of the trip to keep the overall trip in budget.
Hostels
Hostels are not strictly for youthful party types. Travellers might not realise how many different kinds of hostels are out there, all of which offer the same (usually) affordable rates. By doing some research and working out what works best for you, a hostel may be the way to go and you might meet some new friends along the way.
Hostels offer a suite of great benefits for travellers: many have free breakfasts that are excellent to take advantage of, and there is also the potential for travellers to work in hostels for however long they want, receiving free accommodation while they explore surrounding areas.
Airbnb
Airbnb’s are also a good option if you’re travelling on a budget and with several companions. Airbnb’s have grown in popularity over the years, allowing guests to have full access to a house/ extension of a house to be a home away from home.
With the size and number of guests allowed, Airbnb’s generally are cheaper than hotels or give you more than what you pay for. This is a great type of accommodation for a more affordable way to travel.
3. Travel during off-peak holiday times
Want to know the best tip on how to travel on a budget? Peak and off-peak times are well acknowledged by travellers as important when factoring in travel plans. Even with this in mind, it’s important to remember that different destinations have different tourist seasons. This is completely dependent on their climate and what the respective countries offer.
Off Peak Seasons
By doing a bit of research, you can find what the off-peak months are for the country you wish to visit. This can save you significant amounts of money on accommodation. Plus you’ll have the added benefit of missing swarms of tourists! Applying this tactic to countries that are already cheaper to travel to can stretch out your trip even longer.
Airfares
Airfares are also usually factored into peak and off-peak durations during the year. Waiting until airfares come on sale is also a good idea. By biding your time, you’ll be able to save several hundred dollars! As long as you are willing to fly certain months of the year.
4. Find things to do for free
Cities around the world are full of fantastic attractions and landmarks that have the power to leave travellers spellbound. The issue with many of these hotspots is that they regularly demand steep entry fees. Many travellers might feel compelled to do and see these things regardless, but for those wanting to experience places for a minimum cost, keep an eye out for free, or at least cheap, experiences so you can travel on budget.
Free organised walking tours offered by locals are a perfect way to learn about a new city. They can also lead you to other free sites you can return to, like markets and historically significant areas. Some cities also have free museums, art galleries, and other attractions. So keep this in mind to save some money while absorbing culture.
We have a series of blogs sharing free things to do in different Australian cities. So if you feel like travelling for cheap in Australia, check out our blogs including:
- 15 Free Things to Do in Adelaide
- 12 Free Things to Do in Brisbane
- Free Things to Do in the Gold Coast
- Free Things to Do in Perth
- Free Things to Do in Sydney
Ready to start your adventure? Swoosh has you covered!
If you’re looking to make your budget that little bit bigger to experience more of what the world has to offer, Swoosh has you covered. We offer short-term travel loans with scheduled repayments to ensure that planning for your trip is easier than ever – apply online today and get trravelling!
