Planning a vacation is much easier than it used to be, thanks in
large part to the internet. After all, finding a hotel, flight or dinner
reservation is only a quick Google search away. But traveling is still
rarely a bargain.
If you dig a little deeper, you can find
everything from cheap flights to low-cost lodging alternatives. Here are
six ways to travel on a budget without sacrificing the quality of your
vacation, according to experts.
Think about your budget while choosing your destinationThere
are many hurdles travelers face when planning a vacation, but experts
say there’s one important detail people need to be more mindful of:
their destination.
Rather than deciding where you’ll go first,
then looking for flights within your budget, “take that search process
and invert it,” suggests Scott Keyes, the founder of Scott’s Cheap
Flights, a flight deal website. “By making price the third priority,
it’s not terribly surprising that the end result is expensive flights.”
If you have some flexibility with timing or the places you’d like to
visit, Keyes recommends researching which of your potential destinations
is the cheapest during the timeframe you are targeting.
Beyond
finding a flight that won’t break the bank, you should also take into
account the country’s economic state when planning your trip, says Damon
Dominique, co-founder and co-host of Shut Up and Go, a travel blog and
YouTube channel for accessible travel. Dominique says you should first
determine what the exchange rate will be for your country’s currency.
Since the American dollar is often comparable to or stronger than other
forms of currency—like the euro or the Israeli shekel, respectively—it’s
important to factor the conversion rate into your decision. “Use it to
your advantage, while you can,” Dominique says.
The time of year
you choose to travel can also affect more than just airfare, according
to Jo Franco, co-founder and co-host of Shut Up and Go. If you visit on a
weekend or during peak tourism season, the trip will certainly be
pricier, she notes—so deliberately visiting during a destination’s
off-season can help you save money. And since the most tourist-friendly
places are often the most expensive, Franco suggests that visiting a
smaller local town “might be better and culturally more enriching than
visiting a capital city.”
Know where to look when researching cheap flightsFinding
a cheap flight when planning a trip is always half the battle. And for
those traveling abroad, there is usually no other option than to fly.
“That’s a big part of why airfare is so stressful for travelers,” Keyes
says. “Everything else about a trip has a ton more options.”
Keyes
says the key to finding a reasonable flight is knowing where to look.
“[Booking a flight] is almost like a shooting star that’s going through
the sky. If you’re not looking in the right part of the sky at the right
time, you’re going to miss it,” he says. Google Flights and Kayak are
helpful tools with flexible search parameters, and can send you
different price alerts for the destinations you’re interested in.
If
you’re looking directly at an airline’s website, you may wind up
spending more money than you intended to, according to Keyes. Because an
airline’s ultimate goal is, of course, to make money, the sales that
airlines widely advertise are usually not the best deals, he notes. “The
airlines aren’t necessarily travelers’ allies in that sense—they’re not
going to always trumpet from the rooftops when there’s a really good
deal popping up,” Keyes says. Instead of booking directly on an
airline’s website, Keyes suggests opting for third-party websites like
Priceline or Expedia for the best travel deals. These sites will do the
legwork for you by scouring the internet to find the cheapest available
options.
Know when to jump on a good flight deal“There’s
a lot of pressure to make sure you’re getting the right flight,” Keyes
says. And there is no telling how long a flight’s price will
last—especially when an airline offers a good deal. Though your instinct
may be to wait and make your decision after doing further research,
there are some instances when it’s best to take the leap and book that
flight immediately, according to Keyes. But as a general rule of thumb,
Keyes suggests booking at least one month in advance for domestic
flights and two months ahead for international flights (though you
should consider planning a couple more months in advance if you’re
traveling during a peak period like Christmas).
Stay for cheap—and even for freeThe
best way to find housing for cheap is by opting for hotel alternatives
like Airbnb, Dominique suggests. Safety is a priority when traveling
anywhere, but especially when choosing to rent. Airbnb vets their hosts
and allows community reviews, as well as awarding premium properties the
title of “super host,” so you can make an informed decision about where
you choose to stay. The company also offers profile verifications where
hosts can show their government-issued ID on their profile. Amy
Brueckner, head of client services at CIRE Travel, a travel agency that
facilitates corporate and personal trips, recommends only staying at
Airbnbs that have lots of reviews, and where you feel comfortable
communicating with the host beforehand.
For younger travelers
looking for cheaper accommodations—especially in big cities like London,
Paris or Rome—staying in a youth hostel is an inexpensive and fun way
to travel, particularly because of the opportunities they offer for
socializing, according to Dominique. You can find hostels online through
sites like Hostels or HostelBookers, or by doing a simple Google search
of hostels in your destination city. Pricing of hostels range by city
and country, but they can be as cheap as $10 a night. Some hostels offer
private rooms, while others have multiple bunks and communal spaces.
And
if you’re looking to spend even less on lodging, Dominique and Franco
say there are “endless” opportunities to stay for free. One option is
through Couchsurfing, a website that connects travelers to locals’
couches (or, in some cases, guest rooms) for free. The company has put
various safeguards in place—like identity verification, an on-call
safety team and risk detection systems, a representative told TIME over
email. Their website also has a safety guide for guests.
Dominique
and Franco also suggest options like au pairing in a foreign country,
or WWOFF, an international program that allows you to live on a farm
(often for free) while assisting in organic farming. Because WWOFF has a
small team, the program gives interested volunteers resources for
conducting their own background checks and safety precautions for hosts,
and a representative told TIME over email that members should use the
online comments and rating systems to make decisions on where to
volunteer.
Eric Hrubant, the CEO of CIRE Travel, recommends
purchasing a travel insurance policy in case something does go wrong
while staying at any of these shared spaces.
But if you are
looking for a little more luxury and want to stay in a hotel, there are
ways to maximize what you are paying for. Value-added amenities are a
great way to get the biggest bang for your buck at a hotel, according to
Hrubant. Try booking a hotel with perks like free breakfast, cocktail
hours or utilities like laundry machines, which will allow you to cut
costs elsewhere. And Hrubant says that even if these options aren’t
listed online, it doesn’t hurt to ask.
If you’re staying at a
smaller hotel as opposed to a chain, you can send an email or give them a
call to see what kinds of perks they can include, suggests Brueckner.
For honeymoons and other milestones, Hrubant says hotels will be more
open to helping you have a better stay. “It’s sort of human nature that
you’re going to want to reach out or go a bit overboard for a client,”
he says.
You can still eat well on a budgetIf
eating well is a priority for your trip, there are still tons of ways to
save money on meals. “Know what you want out of the vacation,”
Brueckner advises. If you want to indulge in fancy dinners, you can
offset that by having cheaper breakfasts and lunches. Prioritizing and
planning which meals you’ll splurge on will ensure that you stay within
your budget, according to Brueckner.
Franco says that staying at a
hostel or hotel that includes breakfast is a simple way to save money
on food. And for those who want to get a little more creative, she
suggests asking locals for their tips and tricks. “The best way to
figure out where the cheap eats are is to learn the language, earn the
respect of the locals, and ask them where they go,” Franco says. Another
easy tactic to find spots off the beaten path is to ask your hotel
concierge or the staff at your hostel for suggestions, according to
Hrubant.
And if you’re looking to embrace the culture of your
destination while also saving money on food, Franco suggests booking an
EatWith experience online, where locals give you an authentic dining
experience, offering a meal that’s often cheaper than a restaurant
frequented by tourists. Some EatWith events are hosted at people’s
homes, so each host has to go through an application process to be
listed on the site. The company also insures each guest during their
event, according to its website.
And for those who are serious about sampling the local cuisine, they can always sign up for a foodie tour online.
Be flexible and make connectionsThough
it is tempting to plan your itinerary in advance, Franco and Dominique
both say that it’s important to be flexible. Franco recommends having a
list of five or fewer things that you cannot miss, while leaving the
rest of your days open to spontaneity. This way, you can find fun
experiences without shelling out the cash for tourist-marketed
activities and events.
Connecting with locals will make your trip
more memorable and exciting, Hrubant says, because you’ll learn things
about the city—and find cheap adventures—that you might not have
discovered on your own. “Making those human connections will basically
give you a greater experience,” he explains.
And no matter how
much or how little money you have to spend, making human connections
while traveling has more than just financial perks. “I think it’s key to
see that life is happening outside of all our personal bubbles,”
Dominique says. “And in observing the cultures and customs of another
place, maybe, just maybe we can understand ourselves better.”
