1. Travel by train or bus. These days tickets can be booked on the Internet. I booked my train travel in California with some promotional fares. I paid much less than if I had waited until I arrived in the states.
2. Fly on a budget airline. I spent an uncomfortable night on the airport floor and then I caught a budget flight to Italy. I used that as a way to reach Dubrovnik on a cheap bus trip that was overnight.
3. Get low priced accommodation. I have stayed in youth hostels and in backpacker hostels. I have stayed in my tent.
4. Educational purposes. I had a friend who traveled to Indaia to become a Pilates instructor. He was able to get a student loan, I think.
Have you any other ideas of how to travel with little money?
[question posted by maximax8]
responses and comments:
Hi maximax, :) It looks like you love traveling. :) I know of people who choose to be hosts to friends, and likewise, their friends reciprocate the gesture in their cities. There is a special reason for this. I received a forward a few years ago. In it they mentioned that some of these hotels have small cameras that record things. In fact, there was a Hindi movie on such thing (Kalyug). The curse of electronics. So people feel safer to be with their friends rather than staying at any hotel. Is there such a problem at your end as well? [vandana7]
Hi my friend Vandana. Yes, staying with friends and relatives are popular with many travelers. I have visited my friend that lives in Victoria, Australia. I have also been to visit my cousin that lives in Western Australia. I noticed some viewing holes in a hotel in Indonesia. I felt uncomfortable in that hotel. I think that in some hotels there are Security Cameras like in the reception to guard to cash. A camera showing what is happening in a room would be wrong. I don't know about that happening in my home country. happy [maximax8]
Thanks for the advice, I might try next time when I visit the united states or perhaps Europe. [iwrite]
I hope that you will have a lovely trip to the States or Europe. happy You are very welcome to my travel advice. happy [maximax8]
Everything has its price. The biggest expenses in travel are usually spent on transportaion and lodging, shopping spree not included. One can save on money, but time, energy, safety, and convenience would be compromised. Firstly, you have at least to do your homework and look for the cheapest fare. Land, if possible, is generally cheaper than air transport. The cheapest, hike or bike with your backpack. :) Staying with relatives or friends would save much on lodging. [2timothy]
Yes, that is true my friend Timothy. Hiking is safe in many countries but not all. Around Cape Town hiking seemed to be safe but outside Johannesburg there are some dangerous areas. Wild animals in Asia could pose a danger. In some places mugging might be a worry. So I advise reading travel guide books and checking on the Internet for safety warnings. [maximax8]
I'm not sure if we are allowed to advertise this - but re lodging, one can use couchsurfing. On it, volunteers offer their 'couches' for hosts from around the world who are backpacking. Also, through it, people help travellers get around and give them tips on where the cheapest shall be. I found that very useful - asking locals to give you the best tips to save on money BEFORE you go. And yeah, I had a friend go to beauty school overseas and she savee a bunch and got to travel! [ravend]
Youth in Action sounds excellent. I am glad that you got a cheap place to stay in Belgrade. Asking locals is a way to save money when traveling and they can know bargains not listed in travel guide books. Thanks for your wonderful response. [maximax8]
Oh! yes @these are all very nice propositions.....by traveling with lesser cash in hand we would avail cheaper modes of transport,stay in budget hotels,prefer inexpensive ethnic food and so on and so forth. [sukumar794]
Some people find it delightful fun to taste ethnic foods. I know I liked eating tropical fruits like mango and passion fruit. It can be enjoyable to travel by train in Eastern Europe. If a person gets a no frills flight to Bulgaria he or she could travel around Bulgaria and Romania very cheaply by train. happyhappy [maximax8]
Travelling at night is a great way to save on accommodation. I did this a lot when I travelled around the world. We bought round the world airfares really cheap 6 months in advance and had 12 months to use it from memory I think. When we were in the USA, we went right across the country for a month really cheaply by sharing a rental car between 4 of us. We stayed at youth hostels for around 7 to 10 dollars per night and met some awesome and unique people from all over the world! We also travelled by car and Greyhound buses at night, saving on accommodation and just slept either on the bus or in the car on the way. I remember driving all night from Denver to Omaha and I slept in the car in the car park of a sporting field when we got there. One of my friends was on a Greyhound the same night between the same cities and we kept seeing him along the route...lol He had an interesting trip that night as the guy beside him pulled out a gun and followed an abusive person off the bus at one of the stops before getting back on without the abusive guy! shocked I have also done a 24 hour train trip here in Australia that doubled as overnight accommodation. That was an interesting experience, but I would not do it again! [RawBill1]
Which train trip did you do in Australia for 36 hours? I am guessing, Perth to Adelaide, or Adelaide to Darwin maybe! I have heard that there are some amazing train journeys through Europe and that that is a popular and fairly cheap way to get around. The trains a fast there as well. And I had a friend of the family recommend online tax preparation to save money. This helped my friend save more for his next vacation. [RawBill1]
Here some people prefer to choose the train that drives at night. So they can save the hotel fee. My husband and I tried to stay in our tent in the beach. The feeling was interesting and nice. My friend had booked the international airlines one year earlier. The price can be just USD1.00 and that's unbelievable. Although it is a long time plan, but at least it is cheap. I love China [youless]
Hi,maximax8,maybe there is another way we can do. Suppose one Japanese want to chavel to London,meanwhile one Londoner decide to spend his holiday in Japan,so maybe the two guys could exchange their apartments during the vocation. Nowadays the internet made the world smaller and smaller,we can post such "excange" information in the net,mylot is also a platform to post such information,personally I think. Have a nice day. [everygreen]
People are always asking me why I don't drive, and it annoys me. I don't wish to drive, and I'm glad I don't have to deal with car payments, gas, etc. I live in a convenient location where pretty much everything I need is right there, and if not I can take the $1 bus. A while ago someone told me about MegaBus.com, which has cheap tickets to New York for when I want to go. I was able to get from White Marsh, MD to New York City for like $20...AWESOME! Amtrak train tickets would've costed a lot more. Like you, I've also stayed in hostels on my New York City trips. I haven't done it in a while, but when I do I usually have a room with other very friendly out-of-towners who have come from other countries. And a lot of times they're out enjoying the city, so you often have the room to yourself. Greyhound.com is also reasonably priced, but the customer service is terrible. If I bring my son with me to New York, I'd rather not have to deal with Greyhound, because they've given me the wrong gate number to stand at, and that was HORRIBLE. It caused me to miss my bus, and then I hate to wait and wait for the next one, and I think I had my son with me that time, and he was only a few years old. I love that there are so many websites now that offer cheap tickets to New York. :) [Brown_Fox_815]
also some universitys will let you stay in their dorms on the off season and charge very little money. also besides youth hostels, i think there are elder hostels for people that are older and want to travel. [cher913]
Lots of event taking place in summer. Its warm and good use a tent. Well If anyone finds himself in Estonia in summer, july , then its possible to get free housing. Bad is that it only depends on some kind of events. [toataim]
If you have access to the internet and you know which cities you'll be visiting the upcoming days ask people whether you can stay over at their place for free. There are specialized sites about that. :) [diamania]
Hi maximax8! Those are real good tips! Just like to add one. This is really effective and sure way of saving! Travel with someone that will pay for your fare...lol Just kidding! But I sometimes do that... happy [lovelyn_medrano]
Hi max, I always treat the travel e enjoyable. Mike.content of any vacation as merely a means of getting from point A to B. The money I save helps to make the holiday mor [mipen2006]
Thanks for your tips. To travel with little money is possible completely. In fact, sevearl days ago, I heared that one from Japan traveled around the world with just 8 dollars, which is really an amazing thing. Apart from what you have said above, here are my tips below: 1. Get familiar with the locals. In order to communicate with them, do yourself a favour and learn their language. Simply makeing an effort, not only shows them respect, but will open your mind to their culture, way of life and how they live with little or less. 2. Eat local food. Most of the restaurants near attractions cater to tourists, so they tend to be expensive. Small eateries and cafes are much more affordable and give you a chance to experience the local cuisine. Having diet plans that work means you know what food is cheaper and better for you. Happy myLotting! [getbrowser]
Have relatives where you are going! (Works for Me!) There's a recent online innovation,I think the site may be couchsurfer.com..IIRC,the idea is that somebody lets you kip on their sofa..they're not expecting payment,but if you buy them a meal or something,everybody's happy! [ShepherdSpy]
Its quite a long time since I have teavelled extensively. I have stayed in youth hostels & made my own breakfast. Where possible I get my own tea too. I used public transport a lot. For a few years, my husband & I camped in tents. Now, I find the main time I travel is with my daughter for swimming events. Accomodation is not cheap, but I usually get the cheapest cabin. I try to buy my petrol on the discount days. The biggest saving is brining my own food & cooking my own meals. [jennybianca]
now people become intersted with travel with the economic growing.when you have enough money in your pocket,you maybe consider to travel.but when you have few money and you want to travel,what you will do?many people will plan to travel nearby the city.i often select to climb mountain near my house or go out for a walk on Saturday or Sunday.that will be more cheap than normal travel. [aking888]
Hi maximax.It seems that you travel a lot.What is your profession by the way?Well I have not traveled much in my life for now.I have been to places only within my country.And wherever I went I always found someone in that place whom I or my family knows and stayed there.And since my father works in Railways we always get concession for travel by train.Anyways have a nice day.. --blinkshamesblink-- [Shames]
maximax8, I feel that we should always plan trips ahead of time to take advantage of discounts schemes like: Off peak dates A lot of times airlines, tour operators and hotels will always have huge discounts for their off peak and low seasons. Also, there are weekdays and weekends discounts. However, always do your homework before going for such offers as these off peak periods sometimes coincides with bad weather seasons - so beware or you will end up having a miserable holiday. Advance booking discounts Airlines and hotels are always popular with this form of discounts. If we our reservations happen to fall within their advance period bracket, the discounts could range between 80%-50%. This is especially so for budget or low cost airlines. Privilege discounts There are also discounts available for students, Military personnel and Elderly travelers. Some destinations and conveyors also offer discounts for newly weds or couple travelers, not forgetting group discounts. Amidst of all these discount schemes to save you some money, I'd like to point out that one should never go overboard and overlook personal safety issues. This is especially so when you are making reservations for accommodation, we should always check out the location, vicinity and feedback of the property before placing your bookings and money. There are some scam sites which operate as hotel properties or hotel reservation centers upfront and unwary or ignorant will always fall for these fraudulent Bermuda sites. So, always double check your reservations with the hotel via email or telephone call to ensure that the actual hotel or airlines have your reservations at the end of the day. You could also just work for the airlines! Many flight attendant schools can get you certified. After that, you can work and travel for less or free. Take care and have a nice day. [skysuccess]
It is a good planning of traveling with little money.It will help lot for the travel lovers. Thanks maximus for the idea of minimum use of money. [bhanusb]
How much do youth hostels and backpacker hostels typically cost a night? [murderistic]
The usual I guess. One is to backpack and travel on the cheap. Sleep in cheap quarters and take night trains. That will save hotel bills. Eat bread instead of dining in restaurants. And remmeber, use low cost carriers! [jonjee0203]
To most of people,the travel will been spent many more time on the transportation.So most of the expensive of travel is spent on this. I suggest to travel by own car. This will reduce the expensive , imoprove the comfort. [Bobli08]
Hello,my friend maximax8,you can always start the amusing, useful and helpful discussions,I like it.I like trave but I am still a student,without working,without extra money.I have never seen a plane.So I choose train.I had a trip during the national holiday,I choose a train that drives start in night,and reach in the morning.I don't need a hotel.I played one day and in the night,I take a train and in another morning,I come home.the only fee in my traveling is the train ticket and some food.because I choose some free places like park to play. [wzsj0501]
personally my favourite way to travel and see a place is to stay with friends. that way, they take care of accommodation and can direct me to food and how to travel around independently. however, guess that's not always possible, especially in states where land is scarce and people seldom have a spare bedroom. [squaretile]