This is Part Two of a three-part Budget Travel Tips series. If you missed part one, check it out here: Budget Travel Tips: The In-Depth Simple Guide (Part 1)
As you are learning, exploring other parts of the world and satisfying your wanderlust does not have to be expensive or out of reach.
Budget Travel Tips: The In-Depth Simple Guide
(Part 2)
We touched on the first three tips in the previous blog post and will pick up here where we left off.
Make sure you snack up, get comfy, and put your reading glasses on as we dive into tips 4, 5, and 6. We dug into our archives for the photos in this post. All photos are from Australia in 2015.
Wanting to travel but don’t even know how to begin saving? Check out How To Budget: The Ultimate Guide to Save for Travel.
- Know Before You Go: Plan Your Trip
- Consider the When
- Deal or No Deal? (Hint: We Want Deals)
- Choose Your Accommodation Wisely
- How You Travel Matters
- Be Free
- Don’t Eat Your Budget
- Find What Matters the Most
- Sharing is Caring
Budget Travel Tip #4: Choose Your Accommodation Wisely
This one is two-fold. Possibly three-fold. You need to decide on accommodation type and amenities, consider comparison sites and membership discounts, and get the timings right.
- Type & Amenities
- The Where
- The How
- Early Bird or Last Minute
Accommodation Type & Amenities
There are many types of accommodation to choose from. Gone are the days when your only choices were hotel or motel. Now there are hostels, hotels, motels, short or long-term rentals, camping, couch-surfing, etc. These are further broken down into categories like budget, luxury, or boutique.
Choosing the right accommodation depends on many factors. The main ones are your budget, comfort level, and location.
Example: Canada
When we book accommodation in Canada, our current home country, we look for more unique experiences. These are usually offered through short-term rentals or the “boutique” category.
When we booked accommodation in South America in 2017 we were more concerned with price and atmosphere. This led us to book more hostels and guest houses. Both of which are traditionally more affordable and provide an opportunity to meet fellow travelers.
Amenities
Amenities are another key aspect to consider. We look for places with a full kitchen or at the very least a microwave and fridge. Shopping at local grocery stores and making our own food is important to us.
However, this also depends on the type of trip we are taking. For our 2023 honeymoon trip to Cuba we wanted a luxurious bathroom including a rainfall shower and a standalone bathtub.
The Where of Accommodation Bookings
The specific neighborhood you stay in matters. Some neighborhoods are cheaper than others for good reason. Alternatively, the more expensive neighborhoods also have their reasons. They are typically closer to tourist attractions or major events, are more accessible by public transit, and are generally safer.
Always consider the pros and cons of the different areas. We like to walk places, so having attractions or public transportation within walking distance is important. You may want to be right in the middle of the restaurant and bar scene.
Be conscious of what you want out of where you stay compared to what you’re willing to spend.
The How of Accommodation Bookings
Now that you know what type of accommodation to book, it’s time to find the best option at the right price. This is where the comparison sites and membership discounts I mentioned in part one come in handy.
The main sites we use for booking accommodation are Expedia, Booking, or Airbnb but there are several others out there. In the past, we’ve also used Trivago, Hotels, and Kayak.
Loyalty Sites
The benefit of using sites like Expedia or Booking is that you can earn reward dollars or status levels that gain you extra discounts. Expedia offers reward dollars towards your next trip. Booking offers perks on select bookings. These may include discounts, free breakfast, or free room upgrades.
Reward level statuses are all dependent on how often you book. Consistency is key to reap the greatest benefit from any loyalty program. The more you spend with the same company, the more rewards you rack up.
However, we still like to shop around. There are significant price differences for the same accommodation across the two platforms. You’ll even see price differences between the website and the mobile app.
Surprise, surprise
Another option is the surprise hotel booking. This is where you get a deal on a hotel but don’t know what you are booking. We’ve done this before and had great experiences, but understand it may not work out every time.
You choose a price range, star rating, and location and are then given 3 to 5 options. The catch is that you don’t know which one you are booking.
Early Bird or Last Minute Accommodation Bookings
When to book is a question of comfort level and opportunity. The early bird gets the worm and a guaranteed booking. Whereas the last-minute person may get an epic deal or no deal at all.
Early Bird
Booking in advance may give you a decent price but more importantly, it gives you peace of mind. If you’re looking at a place and wondering whether or not to hold out for a better price, consider if you’re willing to risk losing the booking altogether. If it’s within your budget and you would be upset to not stay there, then book it.
Last Minute
Alternatively, if you’re a more risk-tolerant person or don’t care as much where you stay, last-minute deals can be great. There are often deals on last-minute accommodation or entire vacation packages.
It can be fun and exciting to be spontaneous and adventurous with your travel plans, but it comes at a price. The place you originally wanted to book may not be available. Or it may backfire completely and you won’t find anything at all.
Top Travel Tip: To see what specific sites we use when booking travel, check out The Best Websites to Book Travel.
Budget Travel Tip #5: How You Travel Matters
There is a hierarchy of actual travel or transportation costs. Walking is the cheapest (aka free) and a private jet is the most expensive. If you’re reading this, I doubt you have access to a private jet, so we will focus on the cheaper options. If you have a private jet, let’s be friends. Send us a message!
- Walking
- Cycling
- Public Transit
- Rideshares
Walking
We love to walk everywhere for a plethora of reasons. It’s an opportunity for us to see more of our destination, explore hidden laneways, and follow our curiosity wherever it takes us. It’s also great exercise and is free. Walking isn’t for everyone, but if you’re able to give it a try! You may discover a newfound enjoyment of a slower pace.
Cycling
If you have access to a bicycle, this is another great free or cheap way to sightsee. Many major cities have bicycle rideshare programs including traditional bicycles, e-bicycles, and e-scooters. We’ve even lucked out in the past with free access to bicycles included in our accommodation.
Public Transit
Taking buses, trains, trams, etc. is by far one of the more affordable ways to get around. Depending on how long you are staying in one place, you may be able to get a travel pass to save money compared to individual tickets. Some cities make it easy for you and enable you to tap on/off public transportation using your mobile phone. It can also be a time-efficient way to get around some of the bigger cities.
Rideshares
There are various rideshares available, most notably taxis, Uber and Lyft. They are the most expensive of the options I’ve listed here and we don’t use them often but sometimes public transit or walking isn’t an option.
There are ways to save money with rideshares. If you sign up for accounts with both Uber and Lyft, you will have access to occasional promotional pricing such as 20% off your next ride. If you are using a rideshare app, it’s important to check both before booking as we’ve found huge discrepancies in price for the trip.
Bonus Travel Tip: Flights
How you get to your destination also matters, especially if you are traveling by plane. If you have the option between a direct or connecting flight, the connecting flights can be cheaper. Furthermore, the longer the layover or number of stops can also decrease the price. This may not be feasible for most people who want to maximize their time, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re flexible.
Budget Travel Tip #6: Be Free
The best thing you can do at your destination to save money is simple: don’t spend it!
This requires some research and flexibility but can help protect your budget and open you up to new experiences.
- Free Walking Tours
- Self-Guided Tours
- Free Days or Times
- Nature Time
Free Walking Tours
Our favorite way to “be free” also involves our favorite mode of transportation: walking.
Free Walking Tours are a great way to see a city, learn interesting facts, hear unique stories, and meet new people along the way. Many big and small cities around the world offer free walking tours. Some even have multiple companies operating them. They range in topics from historical to street art to macabre.
We do free walking tours in every new place we visit and have never had a bad experience. The tour guides work on a tip system, so although it’s not completely free, it’s generally much more cost-effective than booking a paid tour.
Self-Guided Tours
On a similar note, we create our self-guided itinerary. Before we reach a destination we map out the sights we want to see and the experiences we want to have and plan our days accordingly. Oftentimes this includes reading the history of a place or event ahead of time, or saving information on our phones so we can pull it up later.
There are many free self-guided tour itineraries available online for you to follow if you know where to look. These have been put together by locals or by fellow travelers wanting to provide valuable information and a great experience to all who visit.
Free Admission
Many museums, art galleries, and more offer free admission on specific days of the week the year, or the time of the day. If these work within your schedule it’s a great way to pack as much as possible while sticking to a budget. With the advent of timed online bookings, it’s even easier to access as you no longer need to wake up at the crack of dawn and stand in a long lineup (exceptions do apply).
Nature Time
Another favorite thing of ours to do while traveling is to find and spend as much time in nature as possible. Even in some of the busiest, most built-up cities, you can find beautiful hiking or walking trails and parks to explore. All it costs is your time and maybe a packed snack or two.
What are your best travel tips? Let us know in the comments section below.
