Even though your bank account might not be ready for your next travel adventure, there’s no need to put your dreams on hold.
The truth is, some of the most memorable journeys happen when we travel smart, not necessarily when we travel expensive.
You can still travel on a budget to any destination of your choice.
Ready to learn achievable ways you can travel for cheap?
Tips on How to Travel on a Budget
1. Plan for your Trip
If you want to avoid the high cost of a travel trip, you can start now to make the budget.
Compare destinations that are budget-friendly, flights, accommodations, and activities. Then you start SAVING.
Saving is not as easy as it sounds. However, you can allocate 5-10% of your monthly income in a fixed account to plan.
It advisable to open a Jar account in Wise and save funds that gives interest.
Apart from Saving Money, you can plan ahead for your trip by choosing budget-friendly destinations.
It will be cheaper to travel to Portugal, Croatia, or Greece instead of expensive destinations like Switzerland.
Again, keep an eye out for the rush period. The cost of things may increase because locals will know that tourists are around. It’s advisable to travel before holiday time in July-August & December.
2. Budget-Friendly Transportation
You can set price alerts for airlines. Use tools like Going, Google Flights, or Skyscanner to get notified when prices of flights drop.
But if traveling within Europe you can cut costs by booking a train instead of an airline. Europe has one of the most affordable transportation systems. You can easily travel inter-countries if you buy Eurail passes for extensive train travel (from $315 for 7 travel days)
If you aim to travel on a budget, then avoid the mistake of using rental cars or taxis. You can use the public transport system. You can use Google Maps to find trams, buses, subways, light rails, cable cars, and ferries.
However, you may have a problem paying for transportation if your credit card isn’t accepted internationally.
You can sign up for a Wise Card in 5 minutes. Since Wise Card supports multiple currencies, you can use the card in ATMs or POPs just like locals without dealing with hefty foreign transaction fees.
3. Accommodation on a Budget
Airbnb is not always the cheapest way of traveling on a budget. Although, you can decide to use Airbnb to rent a room instead of the whole house.
Hotels are cool options with more aesthetically pleasing options. However, to cut costs you need to book before rush seasons. You will get the opportunity to get a good room at a cheaper rate. You can find reviews and pictures of Hotels from HostelWorld or Hostelz.
But if you don’t have $1000+ for accommodation, then most tourist parks in the US are making accommodations cheap with camping vehicles. Some parks charge between $0-$45 per day.
4. Choosing Tourist Center & Activities
Start now to research the places you want to visit and activities you want to do.
You’re taking this vacation to relax and enjoy the adventure. So you must go for sightseeing. But make a list of places you want to go. Find out their gate fees, and miscellaneous fees.
If you fail to take note and budget for each outing, you may be disappointed that you couldn’t enjoy the country to your satisfaction.
You can start looking for places with free gate fees. Use TikTok or YouTube feed to find out recommended outdoor activities and places to visit.
As a student or senior, some attraction centers like art galleries, parks, museums, etc, offer discounts. So do well to travel with ID for verification for discount opportunities.
5. Save Money on Foods
It would be cheaper to cook your own food if you’re traveling on a budget. However, you can only cook if you’re staying in vacation houses or Airbnb.
You can avoid all the cooking stress if you decide to eat like a local. Skip the fancy restaurants and 5-star hotels!
From what it’s worth, street carts and food trucks offer delicious meals that are cheaper than in cafes or restaurants.
Nonetheless, you can still find cheap restaurants that serve good meals. You can check the best and cheapest restaurants in Trip Advisor, Yelp, and Open Table.
Note that you need to also have a card that is internationally acceptable to pay for your food.
Get only 1 Wise Card to take out cash for free.
Which Country Is the Cheapest To Visit?
Before choosing a place to travel on a budget, you must consider if the currency value of that country is lower than your home country’s currency.
For example, a $5000 budget is enough for a trip to Egypt if you stay in the UK or the USA.
Here are list of 15 cheap countries to travel on a budget to (with good food and lovely scenarios)
- Egypt
- Mexico
- Budapest
- Cambodia
- Vietnam
- India
- Mongolia
- Guatemala
- Bolivia
- Turkey
- Nepal
- Portugal
- Poland
- Bulgaria
- Iceland
What to Know About Currency Exchange
You can avoid a high exchange rate if you change money before peak season. Again, most banks have started exchanging money for their customers for little charges, so check in with your bank first.
However, there is a downside with exchanging money, you most times get the money in cash. The last thing you want to have with you is a large sum of money with you.
It’s safe to get international cards so you can pay with your card. Companies like Wise are a good option for you.
You can convert your money from your home currency account to the other country’s currency account. So when you get to that country you just have to use your Wise Card at all Points of Payment and ATMs. Again the exchange rate Wise charges is the direct market price which you can view and compare with your bank price.
Want to open a Wise account now?
The Bottom Line
Get a book and jot down all your plans and budget. To make this dream a reality in the coming months, start saving a percentage of your monthly income in a Wise Jar account.
