How to Travel on a Budget
The most common question I get from friends and family is how I can afford to travel so much. Between flights, hotels, tours, meals, and souvenirs, costs can really start to add up. Not to fear! There are lots of ways to save so you can travel on a budget.
Now I know that for some, “budget vacation” conjures an image of dirty swimming pools and a motel on the rough side of town. While I’ll admit, there are all different ideas of budget traveling out there, there’s a common misconception that you need to skimp on all the luxuries to save money when traveling. While you can definitely go extreme on this by staying in hostels and living out of a backpack, that’s just not a vacation to everyone. In that light, I’ve gathered all my tried and true tips that you can use to make a little go a long way on the road.
* This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one of them, we may receive a small commission (for which we are deeply grateful) at no extra cost to you.
Using Travel Credit Cards for Free Vacations
This is the big one! Travel Credit Cards are my #1 secret to keeping travel on a budget. My husband and I are all about the points. In fact, we used this trick for our dream honeymoon in Jamaica that cost a whopping grand total of $67. If that’s not traveling on a budget, I don’t know what is!
The basics are to look for a credit card or two with really great initial spending rewards and little to no annual fee. We use travel reward cards exclusively for all spending, then pay off each month to avoid any interest. All points no fees!
Travel credit cards also often carry a number of other benefits outside the points. A few perks I’ve gotten along the way include First Class Airport Lounge Access (they have WiFi, free meals, and an open bar people!), private airport napping rooms (yes they exist and they are amazing), TSA Pre-check/ Global Entry, travel insurance, free checked luggage, and all kinds of upgrades.
Many people are skeptical when I say travel credit cards are my secret to free travel. They assume I’m in massive debt or have terrible credit (or both) but can confirm I have zero credit card debt. That said, you’re totally right to be thoughtful when it comes to your credit and spending.
I’m no financial adviser and can only speak for my personal situation. This is really only a good option if you’re in a position to pay off your credit card in full every month. Any interest charges will negate the rewards. I recommend reading the fine print and doing the math to see if a travel credit card program is right for you. The Points Guy is a really great resource I use for researching current offers.
Don’t Stay at the “Best” Resort
This one may sound 1. obvious and 2. like a huge vacation buzzkill – but hear me out! You can still go to the best resort and enjoy it, but you don’t need to actually book a room there.
No, I’m not telling you to hop the fence and sneak in. Most resorts offer a day pass to their amenities. All you need to do is contact the resort and ask about buying a day pass. So you book the much more economical hotel or resort and then purchase a day pass or two to the luxury resort you were dreaming about. You’ll usually be occupied with exploring off property for several days of your vacation anyway, so this way you’re only paying for amenities on days you’ll use them.
This is a trick I like to pair with using travel points. For example, I can use travel points to book a hotel that’s more on tier-2 or 3 of my “ideal hotels” for free, then purchase a few day passes for the amazing luxury resort.
Before you get too excited, remember to do the math on how much the day passes will really cost. There are two major things to keep in mind:
- How will you get from your budget hotel to the day-pass hotel, and what that will cost?
- What is included with the day pass? Is it an all-inclusive resort where food, cocktails, etc. will be included? Or do you need to pay for all meals while you’re there?
Take these two points into consideration to make sure you’re still keeping your travel on a budget. If you chose the right hotel and you only plan to get a day pass for one to a few days, you usually are. Still, something to think about.
Packing Light Can Help Keep your Travel on a Budget
Baggage prices are insane! It often costs at least $60 or more to check a bag round-trip. If you want to travel on a budget, think about budgeting your packing as well. A huge money saver is to use only the free “personal item”. It’s not as difficult as it may sound! For most airlines, an average size backpack will fit perfectly under the seat in front of you, so you can pack that to the brim. It just means a little outfit planning and creativity.
Check this out next: How to Travel with Only a Personal Item
Get Creative with Travel Days
People tend to think of vacationing in standard Monday – Sunday or weekend increments, but with that crowd comes the cost. The most expensive days to fly tend to be Monday, Friday, and Sunday. So why not vacation Wednesday to Tuesday? You’ll save ton of money on flights and save the PTO since you’re using the weekend for part of the trip. You can use the time and money you save for a whole second trip!
If you’re thinking of booking a shorter getaway, consider scheduling your stay for non-holiday weekdays. Hotels, Airbnbs, and other accommodations typically raise their rates on the weekends. I’ve seen weekday to weekend rates with a difference of $100 or more. For a several day stay, that’s massive savings for your vacation.
Save Money by Traveling “Off-Season”
While we’re on the topic, why just travel June – August? For most of the U.S., the weather is finally getting nice that time of year and folks immediately start hopping on planes. I DON’T GET IT. Stay home, have a BBQ, enjoy it! Then, head to your tropical destinations September – February.
In many dreamy tropical destinations, the ideal weather conditions are in non-traditional vacation months like January, February, or September. You’ll avoid the crowds, avoid the crappy weather at home, and avoid breaking your budget on travel.
Cruises are often an easy way to travel on a budget, but in the off-season the savings go through the roof! A few years ago I went on a 5-day all-inclusive cruise with Carnival through the Bahamas in February. We left with a foot of snow on the ground at home, but in the Bahamas it was all blue skies and 80 degrees. It was magical, and deceptively affordable at about $450 total including meals and airfare.
Watch Flight Prices
For many destinations, plane tickets can be your biggest expense. Finding ways to lower those flight expenses can be one of the best ways to travel on a budget. You’ve probably heard that the best days to buy flights are Tuesdays and Wednesdays and this is often true.
If you think about it, it makes sense. More people have the time and relaxed mindset to start thinking about vacation plans over the weekend. This means higher traffic on airline websites. With higher demand comes higher pricing, thus the inflated airfare prices. In contrast, there’s a lot fewer people thinking about travel through the work week. With lower traffic often comes lower pricing, so you can often save by booking flights on a weekday.
With that said, I’ve seen flight prices drop drastically over the weekend too. If you’re thinking about a trip, start looking at flight prices regularly about 4 months in advance. Prices are typically at their lowest 4-2 months prior to travel. By checking flights on a regular basis on different days of the week, you’ll see how prices can fluctuate. There are lots of apps out there that will do the research for you – I recommend Hopper.
Don’t get too caught up in waiting for prices to drop, though. Trust me. There have been way too many times I’ve gambled and lost. Last year while planning a trip to Europe, I saw round-trip flights to Paris for around $300. I didn’t pull the trigger, and we ended up paying close to $600 by the time we purchased our plane tickets. Moral of the story: watching flight prices a little is good, holding out for too long will only cost you more.
Check this out next: Ultimate Guide to New Orleans on a Budget
Get Creative with your Flight Itinerary
Aside from the day you actually buy plane tickets, it’s helpful to get creative on the flight itinerary to save money on your travels. Your destination may have a small regional airport nearby, but those airports typically have more expensive flights. Try multiple search combinations of airports near you and the destination, and factor in the cost of transportation to keep your travel on budget.
For those pricey trans-continental flights, try looking for a flight from your local airport to a major hub, like Los Angeles LAX. Then, look at the price from that hub to your destination. Combining two separate flight itineraries for one destination can often save a lot of money for your travels. For example, a round-trip flight from Cleveland, USA to Bali, Indonesia can run about $1150. In contrast, a round-trip flight from Cleveland to Los Angeles is typically around $120, then from Los Angeles to Bali would be about a $600 round-trip. That’s a $430 savings. Crazy, right?!
Choose Accommodations with Perks
Another way to save money while traveling is to think strategically about accommodation perks. The biggest perks I tend to look for are food, shuttle service, and activities. For example, if you can find a hotel that includes breakfast, that’s one less meal you’ll need to pay for. This is definitely a balance though. If a hotel costs $50/night more, it’s probably not worth it for a bagel and some yogurt.
You’ll also want to keep an eye on proximity to where you’ll want to go on your vacation. AirBnBs or Hotels right in the middle of the action are usually more expensive, but often that extra expense pays for itself in avoiding daily Uber rides. If the prices are really sky-high, walking everywhere isn’t an option, or your vacation ambitions will take you all over the place, definitely look for a hotel that offers shuttle service.
‘Just Say No’ to Car Rentals
If you’re staying in one place for more than a weekend and don’t have a shuttle available, really think about whether you need a car rental for the whole trip (or at all) to keep your travel on a budget. The ride from the airport may look a little pricey, but you’ll save something like $100+ per day (and often a ton of hassle with parking) by skipping the rental. Besides all that, I’ve always found the best way to explore a new place is on your own two feet. Pick a hotel or AirBnB that’s central to what you want to see and you’ll be good to go!
If you’re looking to see something out of walking distance, the Uber and Lyft apps are both great options. I use both, as I’ve found that different areas will have more drivers available on one service over the other. If you want to make multiple stops throughout the day, look into hiring a driver. In many places, traveling with a personal driver for the day will cost less than taking multiple Uber rides or renting a car.
Dine-Out Once a Day
Local fare is one of biggest joys of traveling. It’s an opportunity to try new things and experience the culture. It can also be one of the most expensive parts of the trip – if you let it. To save big money while traveling, try choosing one meal a day to dine out.
I’ve found accommodations that include breakfast are readily available in many areas. For meals your accommodations don’t cover, find a grocery store and pick up some light breakfast/ lunch supplies and snacks. You’ll be surprised that you don’t miss dining out for breakfast and lunch. You can just pack a sandwich for the beach and extend your fun in the sun. If you have a snack in your bag you’ll save yourself the temptation of way-overpriced impulse snacks.
If planning a night or two out on the town, grab a case of beer. This is an old trick from any one-time broke college student. The kids call it “pre-gaming”. Play some music and have a drink back in the room while getting ready for a night on the town. It’s convenient and will save tons on your bar tab. But, hey, remember to stay safe out there!
Check this out next: New Orleans on a Budget
How about you – what are your best tips for saving on travel? I’d love to read your favorite tricks of the trade in the comments! Share your budget friendly vacay photos on Instagram and tag us @wherever.someday for a feature!
