Whether you’re about to graduate, planning a year-long travel adventure, or spending your summer holidays backpacking around for fun, you need to know how to travel as cheaply as possible…
Let’s face it, if money was no object then travelling the world would be a lot easier, but would it be more fun? Probably not. The challenges inherent in managing to travel around as much as you want to whilst experiencing all that you want to experience, and keeping within a strict budget can be more exhilarating than you might first think.
You’ll learn far more about the world and yourself if you challenge yourself to survive in the best way you can on a limited budget. And there is plenty of advice out there to help you do this without the lack of funds ruining your trip of a lifetime. Whether you’re an experienced traveller or planning to set out on your first proper adventure, here’s a few tips, tricks and life hacks that might help you along the way:
Consider house-sitting
Yep, you read that right. Bear with us. A house-sitting gig could be the perfect way for you to experience living in another country while saving on accommodation. There are websites that can help you, places like housecarers.com or mindmyhouse.com that have opportunities in several different countries. Checking university community message boards is also a good way to find opportunities.
Share a car with fellow travellers
It’s possible to get on board with a bunch of fellow travellers and share the car rental and petrol costs. Obviously this would need some advance planning, and you’d have to be sure you’re happy with the people you’re hooking up with, but it can be a good option for getting across country in places like the US and Australia. Check travel forums, hostel noticeboards and other places where travellers congregate.
Buy SIM cards for data and calls at local rates before you leave
As part of your research for flights, travel and accommodation, you should take the time to find a way to communicate with the folks back home. Whether it’s your parents, partner or friends, it’s always important to have a way for people to reach you and for you to reach them without risking huge phone bills. These days there is a way to sort this out without using your current provider, which will inevitably result in huge bills (particularly if you want to use the internet). Go to ritesim.com and you’ll find that they sell prepaid local SIM cards for almost every country in the world, which will mean you would save loads on calls and data transfer, and it’s completely no hassle to sort out.
Be smart when booking flights
It applies when booking flights in Europe and the UK, but it is possible if you pre-book to find really cheap flights where you’re pretty much only paying the taxes. It can definitely be cheaper than train travel. Similarly, in Australia, domestic fares within the country are worth checking out as they sometimes offer happy hour rates.
Work your way around the world
If you’re looking to travel for a longer period of time, then picking up casual work along the way can be a good idea. There are loads of options if you’re happy with casual work, from fruit picking to au pair. Bear in mind it’ll likely be hard work and not allow much time off but it could be a great way to top up your bank balance while you’re there.
Kaye Batten is the Digital Content Manager at ritesim.com where you can find local SIMs for when travelling as well as plenty of travel tips and news on the blog.
