Travel as cheaply as possible. What is more profitable: tours or independent travel? What you shouldn't save on

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Experienced travelers are convinced that traveling does not require a lot of money. The desire to travel and the ability to search for information are enough.

website summarized tips from travel bloggers that will allow you to see the world at minimal cost. At the end of the article you will find a bonus in the form of useful information for every tourist. And may you have more travels in the near future!

11. Travel on your own

Traveling on your own, rather than through travel agencies, is both more profitable and interesting. Yes, you will be solely responsible for any problems. But travel agencies decide little in such cases, preferring to blame the airline, force majeure, the host party, and the like.

On your own, you can plan “that very” dream route, choose a cheap flight option, book the best-priced hotel with a location convenient for you, and select a transfer.

4. Rent out your own home while you travel or go on an “exchange vacation”

An exchange holiday is an opportunity for free accommodation while traveling, and maybe even a chance, like the characters in the film, to meet your love.

2. Don't buy what you can get for free.

WiFi. When booking your accommodation, immediately choose an apartment or hotel with free Wi-Fi. During the day, use free Wi-Fi in restaurants and cafes, gas stations and shopping centers.
Area maps. Free cards are available at counters in many hotels, apartments and hostels. The map can also be obtained from the tourist information office. As a rule, they are located in the city center or near the main attractions. Download electronic city maps and a guidebook to your phone in advance.

Water. In Europe you can drink tap water everywhere. Drinking fountains are installed in many cities, and you can safely drink from them. To check, you can look at

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Number of sources used in this article: . You will find a list of them at the bottom of the page.

These days, most people still view the ability to travel as a luxury. Traveling, however, does not necessarily mean spending exorbitant amounts of money on expensive airfare and hotel rooms. There are many budget options you can take advantage of to make your dream trip a reality. So if you think you can't afford to travel, think again. Read the following step-by-step guide and before you know it, you'll be on your way to somewhere you've always wanted to go, while still staying within your budget.

Steps

Try to find profitable options for air, rail, road, ship/ferry transportation. The Internet provides an excellent opportunity to do this. Take advantage of low-cost airlines, which usually fly to the same destinations as commercial airlines, but their tickets are much cheaper.

Traveling by train. Amtrak is the national rail carrier of the United States of America. When traveling in Europe, consider purchasing the Eurail (for non-EU citizens) or Interail (for EU citizens) international travel passes.
Traveling by bus/minibus. Greyhound provides bus service throughout the United States. Eurolines offers a travel pass that allows you to travel between more than 45 European cities. Megabus operates bus services within North America and Europe.
Air travel. Air travel is typically the most expensive travel option. Check out flight comparison sites such as travelsupermarket, skyscanner or kayak. Or use an airline ticket reseller such as travelocity, expedia or opodo.
Traveling by boat/ferry. Cruises can be inexpensive if you consider that accommodation and meals are included. Cunard provides transatlantic transport. Use TheCruisePeople to compare cruise prices.

Find a profitable accommodation option. Search online and view a list of all youth and tourist hostels in your desired location. Remember, you don't need a first class room, you're just looking for a place to stay.
- Consider using sleeper trains to combine travel and accommodation costs.
Find out if you can stay with friends to save on accommodation costs. However, remember that according to the Chinese proverb, “Guests are like fish - after 3 days they begin to stink.” So don't stay too long, or you might lose your friendship. If you are lucky and receive an invitation to stay with friends, then try to maintain the image of an exemplary guest during your visit: keep your place of residence clean, make your bed in the morning and help with the housework.

Spend your days without additional expenses. Walk a lot, visit free or cheap attractions. Take shuttle buses or other inexpensive public transportation options. You can learn a lot about a place without spending a lot of money. Talk to friendly people and ask for their advice. Consider scenic walks as part of your journey. Visit local tourist information centers where you can get a selection of information and ask staff about ways to optimize your stay without breaking the bank. Many tourist centers can offer discounted travel tickets. Check online before heading to a museum open house.

Avoid restaurants, take pasta and soup bags with you. Thus, with only $1000 you can travel for about 6 weeks. Since you came for adventure and not shopping, you shouldn't buy souvenirs. Instead, take as many photographs as possible, these will be your souvenirs.
If you are booking your stay online, first book your hostel or hotel for one night. This way you'll already have a place to stay, but also have the opportunity to look around and find better accommodation the next day. You can usually leave your luggage at your hostel/hotel, so you don't have to carry it around while you look for a cheaper accommodation option.
- Unless you're traveling through Europe, take cash rather than traveler's checks. Keep your money and passport in a secret body wallet and never lose sight of it.
- Do not take expensive jewelry with you if you are traveling this way. The only expensive thing you need is a camera, which also needs to be attached to your body.
- Take a sorong on the road, which you can use as a sheet, towel, cape, nightwear, clothing, etc.
- If you plan to stay somewhere for more than a couple of days, buy groceries. Even if you don't have a refrigerator, you can buy fruits, vegetables and bread at the local market. It will cost much less than restaurant food. If you are hungry, eat a piece of fruit and some bread. Even if you still need a filling meal after this, you won't have to buy too much.
- To save even more on accommodation when traveling long distances, choose an overnight flight. While you may not get some of the best sleep you'll ever get while on the road, you'll be able to provide yourself with money for extra expenses once you arrive at your destination.
- Browse LateRooms.com, Lastminute.com, and HotelTonight for last minute deals.
- Contact the hotels directly. Intermediary sites with their special offers are a great option, but sometimes better rates are only available from the hotels themselves, and they may even offer discounts for longer stays.
- Book a room with a kitchenette. Even if they only have a microwave and refrigerator, you can save a lot by avoiding restaurants.
- If you plan to stay in one place for a long time, consider renting an apartment or house instead of a hotel room. In this case, daily cleaning is not provided, but it is much cheaper. In addition, you will have the opportunity to cook yourself.
- Always look for a travel provider with affordable prices before you travel and only make advance bookings if you are completely confident in your decision.

If you like to stay in hotels, hot deals on Priceline or Hotwire can save you up to 60% off the regular price. You can also participate in the Better Bidding auction, where buyers place bids, and you can also look at the previous prices at which you booked a particular room and avoid overpaying.
I once managed to get a room in Times Square during the Christmas holidays for only $90 a night.
When you check into your room, ask for extra amenities. The tourism sector is not in the best state at the moment, and it is very likely that your request will be granted and you will receive a compliment from the hotel for free. After all, all hotels want their clients to feel good and tell their friends and acquaintances about good service.
If you are traveling in a company of 3-4 people, then take a deluxe room. Usually there are folding sofas and beds. Once, while traveling as a group of four, we rented a king room in Chicago at a 4-star hotel, which cost only $50 each.
If you come for a week or more, it is better to rent an apartment. There are plenty of great options on AirBnB, Wimdu, HomeAway and 9Flats, they're almost always cheaper than hotels and you'll have your own kitchen to save on food costs.
You can also use sites like Couchsurfing and Hospitality Club, which allow you to stay with locals for free. I love these sites very much and have used their services more than once. My experience was extremely positive. This type of accommodation will not only save you money on housing, but also provide an excellent opportunity to get a free city tour from a local resident. What could be better?
Most hostels also offer private rooms at a lower price than hotels. You'll have a private bathroom and clean sheets every day, free Wi-Fi, and sometimes a TV. In New York, a hostel room cost me $80 per night, and in the nearest hotel (in the Central Park area) room rates started at $120, and Wi-Fi was not included in this price.

Travel Tricks

If possible, visit local travel agencies and hire travel agencies. Sometimes with these cards you can go somewhere for free or get a good discount on museums, public transport, restaurants, etc. By purchasing a Paris museum pass, I saved $85. This opportunity is available in many large cities, take advantage of it.
Libraries, Starbucks, and most coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi, a good way to save on data while traveling.
Lunch time is the best time to visit historical sites. Basically, tourist groups come for excursions either in the morning or in the evening, and around 13:00 there are fewer queues. Well, if you are an early bird, then come in the morning, you have every chance of being first in line.

How to save on food while traveling

Never eat in a tourist area when traveling - the food will be 2 times more expensive and less tasty. For some reason, this obvious advice is most often forgotten. Just walk 2-3 blocks in any direction and you will find a great restaurant with more affordable prices.
The local population goes to restaurants far away every day, and you don’t need to. Better go to the supermarket and cook your own food. If where you are staying you do not have a separate kitchen, then buy ingredients for sandwiches and go to the park for a picnic.
Go to expensive restaurants during lunch. Many restaurants offer so-called business lunches - sets of dishes at cheaper prices than the main menu. Keep in mind that your choice will be somewhat limited, but your waste will also be reduced.
If you don't know where to go, ask someone local or the staff at your hotel or hostel. But under no circumstances look for advice in a guidebook.

When you plan your next trip abroad, keep these tips in mind. Traveling doesn't have to be an expensive pleasure. They should be easy, inexpensive and most importantly, fun.

If you have your own tips for saving money while traveling, share them in the comments.

Material about the essentials: how to travel cheaply if the euro is jumping, and with it the prices translated into rubles?

I thought and thought about how to present it in a more accessible way and came up with it! For me, the owner of five Schengen cards, these secrets of saving in Europe are obvious, but for a beginner in the travel business, most likely not.

Therefore, it was decided to take my friend Dmitry, who has not yet seen abroad, but really wants and seems to be even preparing, to find out his algorithm for organizing a trip and, based on the result, point him in the right direction, simultaneously explaining the announced life hacks to you, the reader.

And finally: We're talking about Europe here, of course, but what if you're interested in New York or Dubai? Check out our Telegram channel @howtrip! Europe is there too :)

1. Decide how to relax cheaper - on your own or on a tour

– So, the plan is to visit Europe cheaply. Will you go on a tour or “assemble” the trip yourself?
- Himself, of course. This is 100% more profitable!

Explanation: yes, but not so. Most EU countries are actually wiser to visit on your own. But:

if you are planning to fly to one country,
This - Spain, Greece, Cyprus or Bulgaria,
and the goal is a vacation at sea,

That the tour will be cheaper. A truth that has been tested by me more than once! Even to see the same Barcelona, it is cheaper to take a ticket, for example, to Pineda de Mar and take the train into the city several times, than to arrange a self-tour around the capital.

Observation point "Bunker" in Barcelona - high and free

4. Budget airlines (low-cost airlines)

- You seemed to be going to Paris, right? How do you search for tickets?
– I’m monitoring flights, there are still three months ahead... but flying from Moscow is not so profitable.

Explanation: Inexpensive and comfortable - this happens very rarely, so you have to sacrifice something. You probably know that the cheapest air tickets are within Europe. True backpackers love budget airlines (low-cost airlines)– Ryanair, Wizzair, Vueling, etc.: once you are in the eurozone, you can travel around it all.

How to get out of Russia without major losses? The main destinations are Vilnius, Riga, Helsinki, Tallinn.

From Moscow: Nesterovsky train (≈1200 rubles), Ecolines, Luxexpress buses (≈3500 rubles), for those who like it harder - (≈1500 rubles)
From St. Petersburg: Ecolines, Luxexpress buses (≈1500 rubles), minibus to Helsinki (≈1000 rubles)
From the regions: more difficult, but there are also chip flights, for example, Kazan-Munich for 6,000 rubles

And one more rule: buy tickets in advance– it always works. To get a cheap trip to Europe for the May holidays, I grabbed a ticket back in September, and what a ticket! Moscow-Oslo for 3500 :)

Bergen Street, Norway - we walked up in 1.5 hours to the observation deck
(you can use the expensive funicular)

The right services to search for air tickets

Everyone knows where to look for tickets - on the largest aggregators, but not everyone takes full advantage of their capabilities.

Skyscanner is a cool function for selecting directions depending on the departure point. I use it often and end up winning (like with Norway). You type the departure city in the “from” box, and the mysterious “everywhere” in the “where” box, and here they are – the most delicious options for your dates
Aviasales – there is a calendar of low prices, and finds a little more offers. Convenient for searching for round-trip tickets: the cost is lower than on Skyscanner

Coffee and Croissant in Paris - our favorite cafe Eric Kayser

5. Traveling with hand luggage

– Okay, let’s say I fly to Paris from Vilnius on a low-cost airline. But plus an extra charge for luggage?
– Are you sure it’s necessary?

Explanation: Yes, low-cost airlines allow you to carry only hand luggage for free - this is the “payback” for low prices. But cheap travel isn't just done with a backpack on your back. It could be a standard suitcase 55 x 40 x 20 + a not too stuffed backpack (read the conditions of transportation) - isn’t that enough, even if you’re traveling for 2-3 weeks? Well, the issue with liquids is easily solved with the help of travel kits.

Observation deck "Tibidabo"

6. Correct accommodation reservation

– The next stage is accommodation. Your actions?
– It’s definitely Booking here, it’s on everyone’s lips.

Explanation: Booking is good, especially when it returns 1000 rubles or 10% of the entire amount spent (choose what is more profitable for you) from a booking, but the best search engine is RoomGuru, which monitors the databases of Booking, Agoda, and a dozen other systems. Hotels, motels, guesthouses - come here for it all. When looking for inexpensive accommodation in Europe, pay attention to hostels. In some parts of Asia you should avoid them, but in the West they are quite decent.

Do you want authenticity and immersion in foreign life and culture? Rent an apartment/room/house on Airbnb! The service is very beneficial for long trips or with a group of 3 or more people. Here is a promo code for $32 >> for the first reservation, and here is -

Atlantic Ocean in Porto, Portugal

7. Schengen visa on your own

- Will they give you Schengen? The agency offered to take out insurance against non-issue.
- Wait, what agency?

Explanation: if you live in Moscow/St. Petersburg, going to an intermediary when there is a consulate nearby is simply blasphemy and a violation of the budget tourism code! In the regions, you should also contact an authorized visa center rather than an agency. Collect the package of documents yourself and don’t forget the appropriate photo ↓

8. Cheap travel + savings on hotel costs

– How else can you travel around Europe cheaply? You mentioned that you can “travel”...

Explanation: when the plane is beyond the purse's control, the above-mentioned one can help out - most often the drivers quote an adequate price. For example, 12 euros for the Berlin-Prague route.

Another option - I warn you, for some it is uncomfortable - is night buses (etc.) and trains: you move to another country and save on hotel costs.

9. Pay attention to the airport

– Okay, okay, then I’ll take Vilnius-Paris.
– Attention! Underwater rock!

Explanation: some unscrupulous airlines (and the inattention of tourists) turn a cheap vacation into an expensive one with just one detail - a generalization of the city of arrival. For example, you see Paris on the ticket, but you no longer notice what is in brackets - BVA airport. And to get from this BVA to the capital is about an hour by car for 20 euros (my case)! So turn on the meticulous paranoid and look with a magnifying glass :) - they allow you to fly to Europe cheaply, literally for pennies (Barcelona for 6000 round trip? :)). Aggregators don’t always find them, so ↓

Subscription - namely, to our telegram channel @lowcost_expert, where similar promotions are periodically published

I can’t limit myself to banal discussions about flights/travelling/accommodation, and therefore I’ll give you some more tips on how to spend a cheap vacation in Europe.

Nutrition: yes, yes, look for food in establishments for locals, the only question is, how to find them – establishments? Answer: in the Tripadvisor app – sort by “tasty and inexpensive” (here are additional 12 cool travel apps >>)
Attractions: forget about paid excursions and listen to the guide on the Free Walking Tour, which is organized in any city in Europe. Airbnb will also help here - in 2018 the site launched the so-called. “Impressions” – residents organize all sorts of interesting things, and you can join for the nth amount (or for free, using a $32 bonus when registering)
Transport: Read about travel cards in advance, they will save your euros a lot (like T-10 in Barcelona). Or you can save money by joining a company and renting an inexpensive car (as happened to me in Spain).
Mobile connection: This is, without a doubt, DrimSim - a universally profitable SIM card in almost any country (in Europe for sure). Following the link, both you and I will receive 7 euros to the account - a kind of win-win :)

In summary: I have outlined everything that I have in my history of inexpensive trips, and if you, reader, have your own “European” life hacks, then let me know in the comments, I will definitely add it to the article!

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How to travel around the world cheaply is a very pressing question.
Especially now, when the ruble is getting cheaper and prices are rising.
Let's not talk about sad things - about potatoes and about buying canned food for future use - let's immediately move on to recommendations on how to cheaply travel to Europe and relax abroad.

How to buy cheap air tickets

Already wrote about this. For example article
Some provisions from the article:

Air tickets are cheaper the more in advance you buy them
Air tickets with a departure date in the middle of the week are cheaper. Friday is the most expensive day to fly
air tickets in the low season are cheaper than in the high season (even a fool understands this, but it remains to be seen when the season is low)
Air tickets during long weekends are more expensive than during normal periods of life (twice a fool understands)
Air tickets on strange, crooked routes are cheaper than tickets on direct flights
use low-cost airlines such as Easyjet, Wizz, AirBaltic that fly from Russia to Europe to reduce the cost of air tickets, for example to Africa or the Caribbean or America

Separately, I want to say about low-cost airlines: they are all, of course, stingy and miserly. They don’t give you free food, they charge you money for luggage, they don’t give you money back for tickets... But nevertheless, they give good prices on air tickets and that’s what you need!

We take food with us on the plane
We pack things in vacuum bags and stuff the bag to capacity, which can be carried on board free of charge as hand luggage. We put the rest on ourselves)))
The cost of a low-cost airline ticket is ridiculous, so you will be grieving about the money if you decide not to fly.

Transfer to and from the airport

The cheapest way to get from Moscow to the airport is by metro - air express.
If you want to travel in comfort, order an individual or group transfer.
I prefer to order an Uber taxi to and from the airport.
Can be used at the Vinsky Forum and find companions for a group transfer.
From most airports in Europe, trains or buses go to the city. Read about this on the Vinsky Forum in the section Transport to the desired country. Read about transfers from London airport or, and about Paris airports
If you have arrived in an unfamiliar city in an unfamiliar country, then it is very possible that a taxi outside the airport fence will be cheaper than the one standing at the entrance.

Car rent

This gives you a roof over your head, luggage storage and transfer immediately when leaving the airport.
I have an article on how to properly rent a car abroad - and in the article I explain how to reduce the deposit and liability for a rental car.
Some tips to save your money:

When ordering the cheapest car from the options found, for example, on the website, pay attention to the rent car company and its valuation - this option is available on the website. I do not recommend contacting companies with a score below 6 points.
Pay attention to the free options that are included in the price: this could be an additional driver or a full tank of gasoline. If you are not confident in yourself as a driver, take full insurance, but if the company’s rating is more than 8, you can take standard (they check the car casually upon delivery, but you should not bring a damaged car).
When moving to the car delivery point, refuel 30-40 km away: the fuel level indicator needle will not fall below full during this distance and you will save a little.
Take your navigator with you, just don’t forget to update the maps with new radar positions on the road, set the option “avoid toll roads” in your navigator - at the same time, see the outback.

Hotels, apartments, apartments

Use mobile internet

I also wrote about this: .
And here is what is written regarding the advantages of a first-name relationship with the mobile Internet:
Briefly:

mobile booking of airline tickets, hotels, cars.
the uselessness of navigation when traveling by car.
You won’t get lost in the city since Google Map is always at hand.
I wanted to eat - I went into the map or app and found a restaurant.
lost in the London or New York subway - mobile Internet can help you along with the appropriate application.

Save your money. Currency exchange. Safety

Same topic: , : rubles, or maybe Indian rupees?
Do you know that, for example, in Indonesia in Bali, not all your dollars will be taken in exchange? You know that in some European countries they won’t take 500 euro bills from you, and they will even call the police... Didn’t you know? Read the articles on the links above - it will come in handy.

Do not neglect the basic safety rules on vacation that I outlined
That is, don’t drink with just anyone, don’t invite just anyone into your room, etc. – this will also allow you to save money on your vacation.

Travel insurance

you can't buy health.
Don't be shy and take out travel insurance. It's simple:
You never know what could happen to you or your companions on vacation (God forbid you from this, but still). Treatment abroad is of very, very high quality, but also expensive. Therefore, travel insurance worth 1000 rubles will save you 1000 euros.

Food and drink

In Europe, for example in Italy, try to avoid restaurants with rich surroundings, with menus on several sheets and a hall where only tourists are seated - this is not the right place. The simpler the restaurant looks and the more concise its menu (usually fits on one piece of paper) - the tastier and more natural... and perhaps cheaper.
In France, use the menu system, that is, buy a set in a restaurant. Ordering “a la carte” will be significantly more expensive and not at all tastier.
Before entering a restaurant, study its menu, which hangs in front of the entrance.
Don't be scared by the red Michelin sticker, be afraid of the green Tripadvisor sticker.
When in the USA, pick up a brochure at the hotel reception - a guide to restaurants in the area with discount coupons and eat at Asian buffets. An Asian buffet in the United States is a buffet with decent food, a very positive change from the daily fast food that ordinary Americans eat. There will be seafood and vegetables poached in vogue and other healthy food for a fixed price of admission. Just don't take any nasty stuff like lasagna or hot wings - leave that to the Native Americans.
In Brazil, I recommend eating at shuraskarias - establishments specializing in fried meat. There is a technology for eating up a place
There is no need to leave a large tip in Europe (maximum 1 euro) and in the States - 10% is accepted there if the service is not indicated on the check, then no one will beat you if you forget to leave a tip.

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