How to Travel the World When You Can't Afford It

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People always think that you must be rich to travel the world.  Before I ever began traveling, I thought the very same.  Traveling the world was always a dream of mine but, it seemed quite unattainable since I felt like I needed all the money in the world to see the world.  You know that saying, “you can do anything if you put your mind to it”?  Well, I made put that saying to a test.  After graduating from university over 6 years ago, I have traveled to over 65 countries and islands across 6 continents around the globe.  I am not rich, never was rich, and never had any financial help with my travels (although all of those do sound quite appealing!)  People ask how do I do it then.  Well, here are my tips below!  My entire blog was created and maintained to help others travel the world when it seems so unbelievable. 

My very first tip is simple, it’s to Work Hard and Save Your Money!

I worked a lot throughout school but I was in the same boat at other college students.  Once I graduated, I continued to work a lot.  I worked various jobs while I was in school but I primarily worked in restaurants.  That’s where I made the majority of my money.  Yes, as a restaurant server.  You may say, “yea well of course working in Chicago restaurants can make you a good amount of money but I don’t live in Chicago and I can’t make as much money here”.  But, it doesn’t matter how much money you make if you can’t manage it properly.  That’s the key.  Money management.  I spent my money on what was needed; rent, bills, food, etc.  So many of my friends who made the same amount of money as I did at my same job were always complaining about being ‘broke’.  I decided to save my money and spend it on traveling versus going out, shopping, cars, or other things that people can spend money on.  Everybody can choose what they want to spend their money on, it’s their right.  I am just sharing how I have managed to have enough money to travel so much.  I am always willing to try new things to make money. Every little bit counts.  I have done things like babysitting, nannying, worked for staffing companies, marketing for real estate agents, fragrance sales, focus groups, sold paintings, refurbished old furniture and other things that I found for free or on craigslist and then sold it, worked in restaurants as a server or bartender, and more.  There are various ways to make money.  Like I said, every bit counts.  Just think, a mire $5 can get you a night stay in cute little hotel or hostel in Costa Rica, $20 can get you a train ticket from Croatia to Montenegro in the Mediterranean,  or $50 can get you a flight from Iceland to Norway! 

Fly Cheap!

This is probably my biggest tip!  Flights can definitely cost a ton of money, which can put a stigma of the cost of travel.  But, there are so many cheap options for those wanting to travel often and stretch a dollar.  There are a few budget airline websites that I only use.  I refuse to spend just anything on a flight when I KNOW that I can get it for cheaper.  For instance, I flew from Chicago to Boston to Iceland for around $220, Chicago to San Francisco round trip for $140, Indonesia to India for around $150, and Austria to Morocco for around $120.  Usually the first flight to the region of your choice will be your largest expense and then it will be easy and cheap when you’re already in that area.  For example, I flew from Chicago to Ireland and Chicago to Japan for around $700 each, Chicago to Costa Rica for under $600, and Chicago to Thailand for around $550.  These were all one-way tickets.  It’s best to play around with locations and dates and on each website to find the best price.  But please read the fine print when booking with a budget airline.  Many budget airlines will try their best to find ways to charge you more since you bought a flight ticket for cheap.  Some will have strict baggage restrictions and fees, make you check-in a certain amount of time before the flight, make you get to the airport hours early, close the gates earlier than normal, print your boarding pass beforehand, etc.  My very first budget airline was RyanAir in Europe.  I was flying from the South of France to England and my ticket only cost around $40.  I didn’t know anything about the airline and was charged another $40 when I got to the small airport because I hadn’t checked-in online and printed by boarding pass before their ‘deadline’.  I was SO angry!  Some airlines are much worse than others. I took notes on many of the airlines that I flown throughout my travels.  Learn more about them on my blog post called “Flying on Budget Airlines and my Favorite Websites to Book Cheap Flights”.

Here are my favorite websites that I use: 

Skyscanner.com

Momondo.com

Cheapoair.com

Cheaptickets.com

Use Main Airport Hubs and Choose a the Furthest Country

Another great tip for finding cheaper flights is to fly to and from main airport hubs.  For instance, I am often in Milwaukee when I leave for a trip but I will fly out of Chicago, which is around a 1.5 to 2 hour drive away, because it’s always cheaper.  It’s best to find your nearest main airport hub and fly out of there.  It’ll be worth the time that it takes to get there.  Some main hubs are Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, etc.  This goes the same for when you are flying to and around a different region of the world.  I always choose main hubs in the other country to find the cheapest flight possible too.  Most main hubs in other countries are the Capital cities or large main cities.  You can easily Google main hubs anywhere in the world.  In addition to flying to and from main hubs, I highly suggest that if you plan to spend a good amount of time traveling or backpacking around a region, choose a city or country furthest from the remainder of your itinerary.  What does this mean?  For example, when I backpacked Western Europe, I flew into Ireland first and spend some time before moving East.  Ireland was also cheaper than most to fly to as well.  When I flew to Southeast Asia, I chose Japan and then moved back West and then South.  The closer you get to your home country at the end of your trip, the cheaper your flight home will be.

Sleep Cheap

Along with using budget airlines, I find cheap accommodations.  Although it’s often nice to stay in a super nice hotel but as a budget traveler and a backpacker, you don’t spend much time in your accommodation and you rather spend that money on going to your next country.  No, this doesn’t necessarily mean that I sleep in roach-infested motels or bed-bug ridden rooms.  Although, some places that I have stayed weren’t far off from that a few times!  Everywhere is very different and I have stayed in a wide variety of places.  Surprisingly, some of my most favorite and most memorable places were some of the cheapest.  I mostly stay in hostels.  Read more about hostels and overlooking their stigma in my blog about hostels.  A hostel is a general term for an affordable accommodation.  Some hostels were small boutique hotels, some dorms, some private rooms, some gross, some fantastic, some hip and trendy, some old, some bungalows, some actual hotels, etc.  I have met and made so many friends from all around the world by staying in hostels and had some of the best experiences. 

Aside from hostels, I have also tried Couch Surfing.  This is a website for you to find people all around the world who are will to let you stay at their place or to show you around town.  I know that it can sound quite sketchy but it’s up to you to learn as much about the person and place as possible and to use at your own comfort level.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that you actually sleep on a couch either.  It’s any available space in somebody’s place.  I have stayed with people Japan, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Europe.  I still keep in touch with many of them.  Couch Surfing is a great way to save a buck, meet new people, make friends from around the around, and stay with someone familiar with their area. 

Other than hostels and Couch Surfing, I have stayed with friends, family members of friends, friends of friends, and new people that I have just met all around the world.  It’s easy and wise to just ask people that you know if they know of anybody living in or from your destination of choice or if they have any connections to that area.  I have stayed with a friend’s fiancé and her family in Croatia, I stayed with a friend in Canada that I met months earlier in Thailand, a friend’s cousin in Singapore, an apartment of a friend of a friend in Dubai, I stayed at a friend’s loft in Austria that I met in India, I stayed in somebody’s finished attic of her family’s home that I met one day in Paris, I stayed with a nice couple in India that I met months earlier on a boat in Thailand, I stayed with a cousin and his family of somebody that I met on Couch Surfing in Guatemala, I stayed with my mom’s friend’s friend and her lovely family in Ireland and then I stayed with her brother and his family in England, and much more! 

Websites that I use for Cheap Accommodations are:

Hostelworld.com

Hostels.com

Booking.com

Agoda.com

Couchsurfing.com

I put EVERYTHING that I did, know, and love to travel to over 84 countries solo in my Travel and Mindset Book here

Fly Cheap, Sleep Cheap, Travel Cheap!

There are many ways to get from one place to another on a budget.  Other than budget airlines, I like to take trains, buses, and even boats.  Depending on the region that I’m in, some places are cheaper to get to via train and some via buses, and sometimes via boat.  When backpacking Western Europe, I bought a Eurorail pass which was just as expensive as my flight to Ireland (the pass cost me around $600 in 2010) but it was well worth it and allowed me to go to 21 countries in a 2 month span.  The cost of individual train prices would’ve cost me even more.  In the Mediterranean region of Europe, Central America, Southeast Asia, and India, I traveled via bus most places because it was cheaper.  I even chose over-night buses often because it would be covering a night accommodation and a ticket to another destination.  Bus prices can range anywhere from $5 to $40 depending on the area.  The downfall of buses can be the super long hours but, I try to save the seat beside me so I can lay down and sleep and stretch out.  Have stuff to keep you occupied like reading, writing, planning your itinerary, listening to music, have snacks, and more.  I have chosen to take ferries and boats because they were cheaper.  I took a ferry from the South of Ireland to France, Belize to Guatemala, and others.  They can provide you a unique and memorable experience as well! Be sure to keep your belongings safe while traveling on any means of transportation. 

Pack Light!

Save on baggage fees by packing light.  You’ll also be glad that you saved yourself the hassle of lugging around a lot stuff.  When you travel, you’re going to want to buy stuff as you go so the less you begin with, the better.  The less you have, the less you have to worry about with theft or forgetting anything.  Packing light will also help with avoiding any annoying budget airline restrictions.

Choose a Cruise

If you’re on a strict time frame and budget but want to visit several places, a cruise can be a great choice.  It’s a great way to get your transportation, accommodation, and food prices all in one!  My mom (and her friend) usually don’t have a long vacation time so I have think of a way to make the most out of a vacation.  We have gone on two cruises together.  For one cruise, we flew to Miami roundtrip for around $300, then took a cruise from Miami to the Caribbean islands of the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and Turks and Caicos.  We made sure to spend a few days in South Beach Miami as well.  Then, we took another trip to Fort Lauderdale roundtrip for around $250.  From there, we took a cruise to Costa Rica, Jamaica, Aruba, Columbia, and through the Panama Canal.  Again, we made sure to spend some time in Florida to soak up some more sun.  Our hotel that I booked on a budget website let us come back after our cruise and hang out by the pool for free.  Both of these trips were about 10 to 12 days long and both cost around $1000 each.   

In May/June of 2015, I took a cruise by myself.  I always wanted travel to Northern Europe but I knew that I was spaced out, far away, a huge area, and very pricey.  I found a Scandinavian cruise that I paid around $1300 for.  Yes, that it a bit pricey but you have to realize just how expensive that region of the world is, how spaced out it is, I didn’t want to spend months upon months over there, and I was going alone.  The price of a cruise is higher for a single passenger.  Cruiselines charge per bed which means they normally charge a single person double because each room has at least two twin beds in it unless you pay for a suite, which I was not going to do.  It can be quite difficult to find single rooms on a cruise when searching online so I called my travel agent with my American Airlines credit card who booked my cruises in the past.  She looked in her system and found me a great price that I would not have been able to find on my own online.  I flew from Chicago to Boston to Iceland for around $220, then Iceland to Norway for about $50, then Norway to Denmark for about $70.  My cruise left out of Denmark to Finland, Sweden, Estonia, St. Petersburg Russia, and back to Denmark for like 9 days.  My entire Northern Europe trip cost me less than $2000 for 2.5 weeks in 8 destinations. 

Collect Airline Miles

I wish I had done this earlier on!  I didn’t understand the whole airline miles and points when I first began traveling.  It wasn’t until my third backpacking trip did I learn about it.  Although I had been using my Citi Bank American Airlines credit card, I wasn’t putting in correct information when I was booking things.  I had met friends who had told me about all of their free flights from using their airline miles and I was so confused on what and how!?  Since catching on, I have had 3 free fights; to Canada, Argentina, and Thailand.  Have a good credit card that gives you travel points and matches points if you book with sister airlines.  I get double points for every American Airline sister airline that I book with (find information the airline websites) and I get one point for every dollar that I spend on the credit card.  I pay for everything on my credit card, even my bills when applicable, and I am sure to pay it off in full each month.  The points will begin to add up.  Make sure to check on them from time to time to make sure you’re getting what you earn.  My card is a bit older so I’m sure there are even better offers out there!  To earn your airline points when booking, be sure to enter your given credit card airline mileage code in the mileage box when booking and paying for your flights.  This is what I wasn’t doing before!

Choose a Great Credit Card(s)

To be completely honest, I am not a huge fan of credit cards in general.  I never really was.  I see the dept and trouble that people have gotten themselves into by using and misusing credit cards and how banks allow it to happen with overage abilities, etc.  But! I do love the benefits of them when they are used properly and responsibly.  I have two credit cards.  One from my PNC bank and one other from Citi bank (I do not use them as my bank though).  I got the Citi Bank credit card because it offered a $100 credit towards a flight years ago so I applied and got it.  It’s a great card because I have been able to earn thousands of mileage points over the years on it and free flights.  I got my PNC credit card because of its travel benefits.  I use that card when paying for stuff while traveling.  When you travel and use a card, you most likely will get charged foreign transaction fees both by your bank and the company that you’re buying from (because the company or seller gets charged for you using a card).  My card doesn’t have foreign transactions fees.  My PNC debit card is also fantastic because it automatically reimburses any ATM fees from anywhere around the world.  This is awesome because ATM fees can be a lot and can definitely add up.  As can any foreign transaction fees.  Saving on these fees, and free flights, can definitely put more money in your pocket for traveling!

Length of Trip Matters

I know that it’s not possible for most people to travels for month upon months like I have done because of work and other obligations.  But, for those who can, or can take off for more than a week or two, it will allow you to travel more and save more.  How can traveling for longer time save you more money?  The answer goes back to the higher cost of your initial flight ticket that I was talking about before.  Once you get to your initial country, it’s cheap to travel around the region when you’re there.  But, this usually entails a longer trip.  That doesn’t always have to be the case though.  If you go on separate trips for short time throughout the years, you will keep paying more to get to a chosen country.  For instance, it cost me around $200 to get to India, $150 to get to Dubai, and $100 to get to the Philippines but that was because I was already in Southeast Asia, and $120 to get to Morocco because I was already spending time in Europe.  If I were to fly from the U.S to any of those countries, it would cost me closer to a $1000 for so.  If you can, try to maximize your trip and travel destinations at a lower cost with the time that you do have.

Layovers Can Be Your Friend

Layovers can often be a burden but, they can also be quite awesome!  I have been able to travel to some countries virtually for free due to layovers.  I booked a trip for my mom and I from Hawaii to Australia which had an overnight layover on the island of Fiji.  We got to Fiji in around noon and paid for a taxi to a hostel that I had booked for us.  The hostel was super cool.  We had a private room for about $20 together.  They had a BBQ for $5 if you wanted and then a local guy played guitar as we all sat in a circle outside and tried handmade Kava.  We even had time to walk over to the beach and watch the sunset.  Our total cost for visiting Fiji was around $50 total for the both of us combined.  I also booked a trip from Bali, Indonesia to India which entailed me to stay in Singapore for a night for free.  I stayed in with a cousin of a friend of mine and she showed me around Singapore for the day.  I only paid for a taxi to her place the first day and then a taxi the next day back to the airport.  My ticket price was around $200 and I spent around $50 total in Singapore.  When my mom and her friend flew from Chicago to Thailand, they had a night layover in Hong Kong.  They got to spend the night and day in Singapore and they only had to pay for their hostel, taxis, and food.  A friend that I CouchSurfed with in Taiwan was recently recognized for his achievement in finding a loophole in an airline that allowed him to book multiple layovers which took him to several countries across the globe for a total of around $300, although it was a year-long plan and use of credit card mileage points, it was a complicated and precise plan.  Despite the airline now changing that possibility and me not really recommending going to that extent, there are some great stays that you can have for little to no cost in a country.

Cheap Eats

One of my favorite things about traveling is trying new foods from all over but food can definitely come at a cost, depending on where you are.  For backpackers and budget travelers, there are ways to eat cheap when traveling overseas.  For one, buy your own food to cook when possible.  Some hostels and budget accommodations will have a kitchen or cooking area for you to use for free.  This is more common in cheaper regions of the world like Central and South American and Southeast Asia.  Although, this definitely can in handy when I was in Northern Europe as well.  Iceland and Northern Europe/Scandinavia are quite expensive regions of the world and food can be really pricey.  A simple burger and coke can easily cost you close to $30, if not more, in Iceland.  A bottle of juice cost close to $5 in Norway.  It’s cost-effective to go to a nearby market or grocery store and buy food to cook at the hostel.  This can definitely stretch your dollar and provide you more to eat for a while.  It’s also a good way to meet others hanging out and cooking in the hostel too. You can always exchange and share food with others so you have different things to eat for no cost.  Some hostels and budge accommodations will provide a free breakfast or snacks.  Take advantage of this and look for these details when looking for a place to stay.  That can help you save on the cost of food!  My cute and trendy hostel in Lisbon, Portugal is one of my most favorites and happened to provide an extensive and customizable free breakfast menu to those staying.  It only cost around $10 to $15 to stay there and got lots of great food to eat and free beverages and hot cocoa at anytime of the day!  I had free breakfasts at several places across the globe and access to kitchens all over the place.

Count the Small Change

Many people like to save their left over currency as a souvenir.  Although I do as well, I also like to use whatever I can do get whatever I can, this including food!  Truthfully, most foreign currency exchange places will not accept any coins (even if they’re a Euro coin).  These left over coins can add up.  Obviously, in some places the currency is so low that most coins are of little to no value anyways but, it’s not bad to try.  I also use whatever currency that I have, if it’s a smaller amount, to buy fruit and other snacks for traveling (apples, bananas, juice, water, oranges, pears, nuts, carrots, etc).  This will save you money on later spending more money on food at airports or at rest stops on bus trips which expect tourists who are hungry and are willing to spend more money on food when they see it.  I have done this on all of my trips and I still have a small bag of left over currency as souvenirs so don’t worry about that.

Overall, there are countless ways to be able to travel far on a small budget.  How do I know, because I’ve done it!  

 

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