Although there are those who tell us that the economy is improving and speak to us in “difficult” with their economic and financial terminology of variables, risk indices and I don’t know how many other things, the reality is that many of us do not have large sums of money. to go on vacation or travel. So take note, because here I tell you how to travel with little money.
Tricks to travel with little money
For all those who are already looking forward to summer (in the northern hemisphere) and winter holidays (in the southern hemisphere), here are 22 tips for traveling with little money, emphasizing the two areas that take up most of our budget: accommodation and transportation .
Write down these 22 ninja tricks so you don’t have to stay home the next vacation because of money – or lack of it!-.
How to spend little on TRANSPORTATION?
1. If you have to take a flight to get to your destination, weeks before use flight comparators such as Skyscanner or Momondo (my two favorites) and sign up for their newsletters so that you receive the offers. If possible , book in advance or, if you can and want to take a risk, wait until the last moment, which is when the airlines lower the rates when they do not fill the planes.
This is a risky strategy because the flight you want may be full and you are left out! When you compare prices, do not forget to check the low cost airlines that exist in many countries.
You can save a lot if you are flexible on dates and destinations (go to alternative airports close to your destination city).
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2. At the destination, move on foot whenever you can. In addition to saving on transport, you will be able to get to know the city more intimately, discover corners that you would miss if you did them by other means of transport.
3. Opt for public transport instead of “tourist” ones and if you will be in a city for several days , find out if there are cards or combined packs of 10 trips or 20 trips , etc.
Some examples: in London you can buy the Visitor Oyster Card, in Venice there is the Venezia Unica City Pass, in New York you can get the Metro Card or the Lisboa Card in Lisbon. In addition to transportation, many of them include discounts or free tickets to museums, art galleries, or other attractions.
4. To move between cities -and if you dare- hitchhike . There is a lot of information on how to do it and recommended sites on the HitchWiki website (in English) -its more limited version in Spanish- or La Editorial Viajera has just published a book written by Laura Lazzarino and Juan Pablo Villarino with tips on how to do autosotp. If you want to know more, check the publisher’s website.
You can also “boatstop” and you can even search for information on the web, since there are web pages where travelers are looking to be part of the crew, such as on the web: Findacrew or Crewseekers. You can also consult the book “Barcostop”, by La Editorial Viajera.
5. It is also more profitable to use collaborative transportation systems such as: Bla bla car or Uber. They are usually cheaper than a taxi or a medium or long distance bus.
How to spend little on ACCOMMODATION?
6. Take advantage of collaborative hosting platforms such as Couchsurfing or BeWelcome to stay for free (and incidentally spend little on food because you can often cook in their kitchen).
7. If you are going to spend several days or weeks in the same destination , exchange accommodation for work . You can look at hostels that are currently looking for staff on World Packers or WorkAway.
8. In some countries it is common to do housesitting or, what is the same, take care of a house -and possibly the plants and pets- in exchange for staying for free. It is very useful if you are going to stay in the same city for at least a few weeks. Some websites you can look at for this are: HouseCarers, TrustedHousesitters or MindMyHouse.
9. Also take advantage of the competitive prices and the advantages of AirBnB [you can book a private or shared room in an apartment, which is cheaper than a hotel]. Until recently they offered discounts for those who booked with your recommendation, but since 2021 -post-COVID- they no longer allow it.
10. Ask in temples if you can stay the night there . Believe it or not, many temples and religious centers allow you to sleep in their facilities for free!
11. If you prefer to stay in a hostel , search comparators such as Hotels Combined, HostelWorld and Booking.com and take advantage of the offers you find on the web. Remember that the shared rooms are the cheapest, but if you prefer to sleep alone you can opt for the single room but with a shared bathroom, which will be cheaper than the one with the bathroom inside.
12. If you like camping , in all those places where you can camp in public places and better free of charge. Otherwise you can always find out about the cheapest campsites in the area on the following websites: EuroCampings or VayaCamping -among others-.
13. To save a night’s accommodation try to do the long journeys you have to do by road at night!
OTHER TRICKS IF YOU TRAVEL WITH LITTLE MONEY
14. Try to travel in “low season” or at least do not travel in the middle of “high season”. The price difference is incredible!
15. To eat , take advantage of the offers of the “Menu of the day” or eat at street stalls.
16. At least one of the meals of the day make it from the supermarket . I always have coffee sachets and a packet of cookies for breakfast at the hostel. Many times, in addition, I buy bread, cheese and tomato and I make sandwiches for a picnic lunch in a park and what I have left over I use for a snack. That way I only sit in a bar or restaurant once a day.
17. In many temples or ashrams, especially those located in Asia, they offer free food –as in the Golden Temple of Amristar or some Ashrams in Rishikesh-. Find out from the local people who will know how to guide you better.
18. Find out if museums, art galleries, cinemas, exhibitions, tourist attractions, etc. offer free tickets any day of the week or at a discount . For example , the Louvre in Paris is free on the first Sunday of each month (only from October to March) or for young people between the ages of 18 and 25 residing in a European Union country, French teachers, teachers of subjects related to the history of art or unemployed people.
Another example is the Prado Museum in Madrid, it is free in the afternoons from Monday to Saturday, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on Sundays from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. One more example, the Picasso Museum in Barcelona has free admission every Sunday from 3pm as well as the first Sunday of each month. Also find out if there are “free walking tours” in the city (free guided walking tours of the city in exchange for a tip) to learn more about the history of the city.
19. If you are going to do a tour , try to compare prices and negotiate. A tip: the larger the group, the more discount they will give you; so it is better that you join more people in your hostel who want to do the same tour.
20. If you want to buy a souvenir from the place you are visiting, try not to do it in the more “touristy” areas. Surely if you leave the busiest area for travelers you will find local stalls, more authentic and where you can negotiate the price.
21. Choose your TRAVEL INSURANCE wisely . Iati is one of the companies preferred by travelers and with excellent service, good prices and extensive coverage, which is important in case something happens to you. To help you save and for being a follower of Sinmapa they offer you a 5% DISCOUNT… and that is already a super saving!
22. If you have a student card, take it with you (even if it’s expired -they almost never look at the date!-) and always ask if they offer a discount.
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