5 of the Best Travel Tips for Saving Money

Many people dream of traveling but are always held back by how expensive they believe it is. As someone who lived abroad and has visited over 50 countries, I’ve picked up some money-saving tips here and there that I’d love to share with you. Here are my top 5 travel tips for saving money:

The amount of times I’ve heard someone say, “I wish I could travel like you but I just don’t have the money.” Trust me, YES YOU DO. If you book the right flights and the right hotels, travel doesn’t have to be as expensive as we make it out to be.

How to Save Money on Travel

1. Be Flexible

This really makes all the difference. Flights are different and cheaper on different days or even different airports. I use Skyscanner for all of my flights.

Skyscanner has an option where you can view flight prices during an entire month and which days are cheaper. Just be cautious when using this because the results will show a best price and a cheapest price. Maybe the cheapest price is on a certain day, but that day includes 3 stops on your flight, whereas the day after could be more expensive but nonstop.

I love to use the Skyscanner Everywhere option. When I lived in Paris, I would use this option to decide where to go for the weekend. With this option, you do need to choose a specific date, but you can search any country and get ballparks ideas for several cities.

If you’re from the US you’re probably shocked by these prices. In Europe for example it’s really so much cheaper to travel once you’re there, which is why you should travel for longer if you’re able to. These cheap prices lead me to my next point:

2. Don’t shy away from budget airlines

Guys, Spirit really isn’t THAT bad. As long as you know what you’re doing, Spirit can be way cheaper than competitive airlines.

Around the world, budget airlines tend to be more of the norm. Just do as much research as possible to determine: How much will my luggage cost? Is it cheaper to have a carry-on or a checked bag? Do I need to check-in online? Is food included?

I was heartbroken when my favorite budget airline: WizzAir went out of business. I flew to Copenhagen for $150!! But many people are too worried about what they might be missing when taking a budget airline.

One budget transatlantic airline is Norwegian Airlines. While not as nice as American Airlines or British Airways, Norwegian is way cheaper. You will have to pay for extra bags, meals are not included, and there is no entertainment with the seat. However, you can pay for the food ahead of time to ensure you get a meal and the airline has iPads for you to rent if you want entertainment and didn’t bring your own. A bit of a hassle but if it saves you money it’s worth it right?

3. Sign up for an email subscription list

In addition to religiously checking Skyscanner, I’m also on several email lists. One of my favorites, Scott’s Cheap Flights, sends me emails every few days with cheap flight updates. You can also specify what airport you normally fly from, so they can send you deals related to your airport. I believe that Scott’s Cheap Flights is also opening up into the Europe market.

4. Book directly with the site

I love Hostelworld, I really do. It’s convenient and amazing to see different options. HOWEVER:

Instead of using Booking.com or Hostelworld, go through and book directly on the hotel’s website. Booking.com and Hostelworld charge a commission, so many times the hotel or hostel raises their prices on those booking engines to compensate for the money they’re losing.

5. Buy a SIM card in the hosting country or get an eSIM

Honestly, you don’t always need cellphone service. Most places you travel to will have ample wifi, and you can download maps before you leave the hotel. If you’re dead set on having wifi though, always always buy the SIM card when you arrive. American phone companies will charge you crazy prices for international roaming. In Spain, I pay $20 a month for my Spanish SIM card that I can also use anywhere in the EU.

Airports will have many SIM cards you can buy, although you can normally find something even cheaper in the city center. Even better, there are now eSIM providers, which you can pay for before your trip, set it up, and have it automatically activate as soon as you land. I use SimLocal for my eSIMs, and they have a lot of plans by country (or multiple), by time period, and by how many GBs you’re going to use.

I hope these tips will help you save money in the future! Let me know what you think or if you have any other personal tips for traveling on a budget.