Every now and then someone comes up to me to tell me that they feel lucky for me that I have the time and money to travel. Then they complain that they need to work and couldn't afford to travel. Of course you can't get a five star hotel in the center of London but there are many opportunities to travel on a low budget.
1. How to find a cheap flight/bus/train/shared car
Everything you need to know about flights: The perfect day for your flight is (most likely) a Tuesday. The prices also often vary every day so it could be smart to check your potential flight every few days to see if it gets cheaper. You should book at least three months in advance, six months for international flights. If you don't know where to go exactly just look for last minute flights from your closest airport. When I'm traveling from Germany to the UK I'm also always traveling from Dresden to Berlin by bus so I can get a cheaper and shorter flight. The bus to Berlin mostly only costs 7,50 euros. Don't book your flight on an airline comparison website, it's cheaper on the website of the airline.
Traveling by bus/train: Traveling by bus or train is basically the same as traveling by plane. Check the prices and book in advance. Taking a bus is often cheaper but the journey can be much longer. Here I'd recommend to use a comparison website to find the best deal time and money wise (time is money as well 😉). Apart from that I always try to get (open) return tickets that will also save you some money.
Traveling by car: If you still have some spaces left in the car why don't take other people and split the fuel bill? For example "Blablacar" is a good website to either share your car with others or find someone who has a free seat available for you in his car. And you'll definitely have someone to talk to if you both want it.
Using tram/underground/bus in town: If you're staying in a big town for longer where walking is not really an option think about buying a week-ticket or a "smartcard". When I went to London for two weeks last year I bought an Oyster card. Even though you need to pay a fee for the plastic card it's still worth it because it's cheaper than a day ticket. And if you'll go back to London one day I can keep using it.
Hitch Hiking: When I tell that I've hitch hiked to some places they think I'm mad. But believe me, you won't get stabbed or murdered. Okay, I wouldn't advise you to hitch hike at midnight in a big city. For us, hitch hiking worked best at the countryside. We made it across the whole Isle of Mull and back in a few hours. It's worth a try, we've met nice people and got in touch with locals.
How to find a cheap accommodation
Staying in a hotel/hostel: As I said above, you probably won't be able to stay in a five star hotel in the city center. But you also won't need that. I always try to get a single room in a hostel, preferably with a shared kitchen. Because then you don't need to eat at restaurants all the time. Also if you're booking on the website of the hostel you'll probably get extras like free WI-FI or an earlier check in.
Stay in an airbnb flat: In bigger cities, airbnb is definitely an option. Even my mum started using it now so it's getting more and more popular. The big plus is that you have your own flat or private room but it's still less expensive than staying in a hotel/hostel. If you haven't registered now you can use this link and get 30€ off your first adventure. (This is an offer from airbnb to every member and not sponsored. I'd get 15€ from it.)
Do housesitting to stay in a flat/house for free: I've heard about this option last year and it's a good deal for both sides. The owners of a house have to leave for a few days, you take care of their house and animals and can stay there for free. You should have experience with animals to do that. The membership price for the website we use is quite expensive (89 euros for a one year membership), but if you think the money you'll save it's worth it. The big plus here is that you'll most likely live close to the city center. You'll also have quite some space and cuddle companions. It's less stressful than doing farm work for example but you still need to pay for food. Also in some countries like Germany it could be difficult to find a house sit because I think most Germans wouldn't let strangers in their houses.
Use workaway,wwoofing or helpx: We've been using mainly the first two websites to find places to stay for our gap year. For a couple hours of work you'll get free accommodation and food as well. You'll most likely live in a rural area but on your days off you can visit bigger cities nearby. I'd say this is the cheapest way to travel but you sometimes need to work quite a lot. Wwoofing is a bit more secure than workaway in my opinion. We've had some last minute cancellations on workaway which is never nice. Never let some hosts trick you as well. Some workaway places won't offer food or will only give you shared accommodation.
I hope this post helped you to get inspired for your next low budget trip. Would you like to know more about traveling on a low budget for example how to find affordable restaurants and free time activities? Then leave a comment below.
1. How to find a cheap flight/bus/train/shared car
Everything you need to know about flights: The perfect day for your flight is (most likely) a Tuesday. The prices also often vary every day so it could be smart to check your potential flight every few days to see if it gets cheaper. You should book at least three months in advance, six months for international flights. If you don't know where to go exactly just look for last minute flights from your closest airport. When I'm traveling from Germany to the UK I'm also always traveling from Dresden to Berlin by bus so I can get a cheaper and shorter flight. The bus to Berlin mostly only costs 7,50 euros. Don't book your flight on an airline comparison website, it's cheaper on the website of the airline.
Traveling by bus/train: Traveling by bus or train is basically the same as traveling by plane. Check the prices and book in advance. Taking a bus is often cheaper but the journey can be much longer. Here I'd recommend to use a comparison website to find the best deal time and money wise (time is money as well 😉). Apart from that I always try to get (open) return tickets that will also save you some money.
Traveling by car: If you still have some spaces left in the car why don't take other people and split the fuel bill? For example "Blablacar" is a good website to either share your car with others or find someone who has a free seat available for you in his car. And you'll definitely have someone to talk to if you both want it.
Using tram/underground/bus in town: If you're staying in a big town for longer where walking is not really an option think about buying a week-ticket or a "smartcard". When I went to London for two weeks last year I bought an Oyster card. Even though you need to pay a fee for the plastic card it's still worth it because it's cheaper than a day ticket. And if you'll go back to London one day I can keep using it.
Hitch Hiking: When I tell that I've hitch hiked to some places they think I'm mad. But believe me, you won't get stabbed or murdered. Okay, I wouldn't advise you to hitch hike at midnight in a big city. For us, hitch hiking worked best at the countryside. We made it across the whole Isle of Mull and back in a few hours. It's worth a try, we've met nice people and got in touch with locals.
How to find a cheap accommodation
Staying in a hotel/hostel: As I said above, you probably won't be able to stay in a five star hotel in the city center. But you also won't need that. I always try to get a single room in a hostel, preferably with a shared kitchen. Because then you don't need to eat at restaurants all the time. Also if you're booking on the website of the hostel you'll probably get extras like free WI-FI or an earlier check in.
Stay in an airbnb flat: In bigger cities, airbnb is definitely an option. Even my mum started using it now so it's getting more and more popular. The big plus is that you have your own flat or private room but it's still less expensive than staying in a hotel/hostel. If you haven't registered now you can use this link and get 30€ off your first adventure. (This is an offer from airbnb to every member and not sponsored. I'd get 15€ from it.)
Do housesitting to stay in a flat/house for free: I've heard about this option last year and it's a good deal for both sides. The owners of a house have to leave for a few days, you take care of their house and animals and can stay there for free. You should have experience with animals to do that. The membership price for the website we use is quite expensive (89 euros for a one year membership), but if you think the money you'll save it's worth it. The big plus here is that you'll most likely live close to the city center. You'll also have quite some space and cuddle companions. It's less stressful than doing farm work for example but you still need to pay for food. Also in some countries like Germany it could be difficult to find a house sit because I think most Germans wouldn't let strangers in their houses.
Use workaway,wwoofing or helpx: We've been using mainly the first two websites to find places to stay for our gap year. For a couple hours of work you'll get free accommodation and food as well. You'll most likely live in a rural area but on your days off you can visit bigger cities nearby. I'd say this is the cheapest way to travel but you sometimes need to work quite a lot. Wwoofing is a bit more secure than workaway in my opinion. We've had some last minute cancellations on workaway which is never nice. Never let some hosts trick you as well. Some workaway places won't offer food or will only give you shared accommodation.
I hope this post helped you to get inspired for your next low budget trip. Would you like to know more about traveling on a low budget for example how to find affordable restaurants and free time activities? Then leave a comment below.
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