How To Travel Cheap And Free: 30 Ultimate Tips To Travel On A Budget

Aren't you just sick of living vicariously through the dreamy Instagram posts of your favorite travellers? Reality check: You could easily be that traveller!

We're here to change how you're trip-ping your way through life.

Believe it or not, you CAN travel across the globe without having a treasure chest in your closet. You just need to be crafty with your research work and have the guts to step out of your comfort zone. This post will help you learn where to get started, and the basic tricks you must keep in mind while planning your trip.

So, without any further ado, let's dive into the ultimate guide of tips and hacks for broke travellers!

The guide has been divided into the three key areas that are the main culprits of killing your wanderlust. Here's a list of contents that are covered in the article.

• Accommodation

# How to get affordable accommodation (5 Tips)

# How to get a free place to stay (5 Hacks)

• Meals

# How to eat on a budget (5 Tips)

• Transport

# How to cut expenses in transportation (5 Tips)

# How to get cheap flights (10 Hacks)

# How to get a free ride: Hitchhiking

ACCOMMODATION

As if finding a decent place to spend the night wasn't a herculean task in itself, finding a cheap, or better, free accommodation can be a real head-scratcher.

Follow these banger tips, and we assure you, all forces in the universe will come forth to get you the warmest and cheapest bed to crash on.

How to get affordable accommodation?

1. TRAVEL DURING OFF-SEASON

Weather conditions determine the peak season of a destination. Do you want breezy pleasant weather? Great! So does everyone else, which leads to a hike in prices of not only accommodation but transport modes and other leisure activities for tourists.

As a rule of thumb, you should always travel during the lean season. You will escape crowds and save big bucks.

2. DON'T OPT FOR HOTELS

If you're restricting yourself to hotels for accommodation, you're writing the eulogy of your budget yourself. There are many other cheaper, and frankly, more interesting alternatives you can choose from.

• Homestays: Sharing home with a local is not only inexpensive but a culturally immersive experience. Take our word, you'll leave with heartwarming memories, lasting lessons, and new family-like relationships.

• Rental homes: *Enter AirBnB* Rental apartments and homes are usually cheaper, more practical and spacious than a hotel.

• Hostels: Dormitories + Bunk Beds + Stories = WHOLESOME. The overall aesthetic and the common room of hostel chains are to die for! Hostels are the best place to meet and bond with other backpackers and travellers with amazing stories. Use sites like Hostelbookers, Hostelworld, etc., to get the details of hostels and then book directly with the hostel you like. If you are under 25 (or 30 in some cases), you can join the Youth Hostel Association (YHA) and gain access to numerous cheap stays worldwide.

• Religious housing: If nothing works out, you can always knock on God's door, literally. Many religious sites offer free or cheap temporary housing in return for a small donation. It could be at a Catholic Church, an Islamic Mosque, Jewish Synagogue, Buddhist Monastery, a Sikh Temple, a Hindu Temple's Ashram or Dharamshala, etc.

Some accommodation search engines you should know are Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Agoda, Trivago.

3. TAKE OVERNIGHT JOURNEYS

If you're a heavy sleeper, you can make significant savings by taking overnight journeys in trains, buses, and planes. For the one's who prioritise comfort, you can always go for recliner seats or semi-sleeper rides. It saves accommodation costs and many precious daylight hours that could go into exploring!

4. CHECK DISCOUNT SITES

Various sites like CouponDunia, FreeKaaMaal, Travelguru, etc., have special discount codes, vouchers, and deals you can avail for booking your tickets at knock-off prices.

5. TRAVEL IN GROUPS

Why not consider group travel? It's more fun, and cheaper as the expenses get distributed and per-head cost comes down. Accommodation lodgings often give a good margin of discounts and promotions if you book in bulk.

How to get a free place to stay?

In all honesty, if you're brave enough, any solid surface on the face of the earth can be your bed for the night. Benches on the sidewalk, gardens, hostel yards and terrace, take your pick! If you're not a fan of the open night sky and mosquitoes feasting on your blood, camping is always an option, provided you carry a tent with you.

The not-so-nomadic spirits can also score a bed within 4 walls with a solid roof without having to spend a single penny. Options are plenty! Are you ready to have your socks knocked off?

1. COUCHSURFING

With Couchsurfing, you can stay with locals in their homes completely free of charge and experience the world in a way money can't buy. There's a well-knitted community of Couchsurfers, and many cities even have weekly language exchanges, dance classes, hikes, and dinners.

The most popular site to find hosts is Couchsurfing, but you can also check out other good competitors like BeWelcome, GlobalFreeloaders, HospitalityClub, etc.

2. WORK EXCHANGE

Have you considered volunteering or working in exchange for accommodation and food?

There are many websites where you can find such cultural exchange programmes.

WWOOF gives opportunities to live on organic farms, in Workaway you're expected to help around 5 hours, HelpX connects outdoorsy volunteers with organic farmers, Worldpackers gives you a chance to develop skills and learn new languages, Hippo Help and Help Stay give an array of volunteer opportunities worldwide.

You can also research about the volunteer programs available in the place you want to visit specifically on the net.

Hostels often offer free accommodation in exchange for a few hours' work. You can simply e-mail or ask them about the same on arrival.

3. HOUSE SITTING

It a practice in which the homeowner who is leaving his/her house for an extended period of time entrusts it to a sitter (you) in exchange for handling certain responsibilities, such as taking care of the owner's pets, performing general house maintenance, keeping trespassers off the property, etc.

In general, you just need to make sure that everything runs smoothly and the house doesn't burn to the ground, just as if the owner was at home.

This is suitable for travellers who are responsible and want to stay put in a destination for a while to get an intimate cultural experience. You can spends days on end in a foreign country without going broke.

Some popular international sites for house sitting are TrustedHousesitters, MindMyHouse, Housecarers.

4. HOUSE SWAPPING

Remember the movie The Holiday starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz? Yep, the romance may have been fictional but the concept wasn't.

If you're an adult with a house to self, house swapping is thy holy saviour. It involves exchanging houses with someone who lives in the location that you want to visit. Websites like HomeExchange, HomeLink, LoveHomeSwap connect homeowners looking to house swap after giving a small membership fee.

5. CALL FOR HOSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

If you have a strong social media presence, put out a post asking if anyone in your network is willing to host you. In case you don't have a wide each, there are many Facebook groups you can join for the purpose.

You can also simply ask a friend or get in touch with a mutual who lives in the place you want to visit. You'll be surprised to know how small the world is and how connected we are.

MEALS

No, you don't have to starve yourself. In fact, being a foodie is an essential characteristic of a true explorer. Imagine going to southern India and not stuffing your belly with idlis and dosas. The horror!

But is there any way you can keep your belly full along with your wallet? Of course, there is. Not one, but many!

How to eat on a budget?

1. BOOK MEAL-INCLUDED HOTELS

What better way to save money than to hoard on the free buffet or breakfast meal included in the hotel price and filling yourself up for the whole day?

While looking for accommodation online, check the 'meal included' option in the search filter section.

2. FIND OUT WHERE THE LOCALS EAT

Let's be honest, almost no fancy restaurant meal can beat the finger-licking good flavour of street food. Roadside stalls serve hands down the cheapest, yet most traditional and authentic platters.

Instead of going to high priced eateries packed with tourists, mingle with the locals and find out where they flock to dine out, or better, tag along with them. The spoken word will definitely lead you to some real hidden gems!

3. COOK YOUR OWN MEAL

Shop some fresh groceries from a local store or the street market and make your own meal. If this is something you wish to do often, consider booking accommodation with a kitchen facility.

If you aren't exactly Chef de cuisine in the kitchen, you can always buy ready to eat meal packets which cost only a few bucks compared to the conventionally cooked meal.

4. CARRY A SNACK PACK

While packing for your journey, make a snack pack to grab some quick bites in case your stomach starts growling. It could be anything, such as protein bars, tea bags and milk powder sachets, a delightful packet of Khakhra and Theplas, nuts, fruits, candies, etc.

You can munch on these to satiate your hunger between long meal gaps.

Bonus tip: Consider having heavy brunches instead of a light breakfast and a lunch.

5. CARRY YOUR OWN WATER BOTTLE

A single disposable water bottle costs somewhere around 20-30 Rupees. Now multiply this by 3 times for a day, and then by the number of your vacation days. The cost can reach up to an astronomical amount of 500-1K Rupees for a week!

Who knew quenching one's thirst could be such a costly affair, eh?

You can work your way around this by carrying your own refillable water bottle. This is the cheapest and the most sustainable choice you can make.

While booking your accommodation, give preference to a place that has a filter, or a free drinking water supply. If not, you can always refill your bottle when you go out to eat at a restaurant or a cafe from that jug on the table. Many countries also have water kiosks in public places that are free to use.

You can also pack some water purification tablets from home and just dissolve them in normal tap water on your journey.

TRANSPORTATION

Oh, how I wish I had that portkey from Harry Potter and could just apparate to my dream destination! Too bad us muggles have to make use of transport.

Getting a ride from Point A to Point B doesn't necessarily have to be your budget's death sentence. Here are some ways you can cut your costs in transportation.

How to cut expenses in transportation?

1. PICK YOUR ACCOMMODATION IN A CENTRAL LOCATION

You might get cheaper room rates for places in the middle of nowhere, but the lost cost up adds up in transportation. While booking your accommodation, take a note of its location. Make sure it is in a 2-3 Km radius of the attraction sites you plan on visiting.

This close proximity will allow you to cover more ground on foot and make trips without significant transportation expenses. You'll save both your time and money.

The same thing applies to your airports and train stations too.

2. MAKE A ROUTE

If not a well laid out itinerary, you surely must have a list of spots you want to explore. Don't look at these places individually but break them down into sets to make the most efficient use of your time and budget.

Enter them in the Google Maps app and check for bus routes, train routes, walking distance, etc., so that you don't keep going around in circles.

Most of the tourist attractions are on the way to another. Club the places that are nearby or on the same route, and allocate days to go sightseeing accordingly.

3. USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Ditch the tourist bus and travel like a local. Make use of cheap public and local transport such as tuk-tuks, buses, auto rikshaws, tempos, metros, general trains, etc.

Also, for crying out loud, carry a backpack and pack light so that you can move with ease and squeeze into little spaces.

Bonus tip: Be a proud haggler! Always give a shot at bargaining to bring the price down, especially in case of local rikshaws and taxis.

4. RENT A VEHICLE

If you have a valid driver's license and wish to touch every last corner of your destination, renting a vehicle is the most economical and smart choice for you. You can be the master of your own will and make the best out of your limited budget.

Depending on the city layout and road conditions, you can choose from cars, motorcycles, bicycles, electric bikes, etc.

5. SHARE THE RIDE

Ridesharing is the act of joining someone else’s trip. The driver of the trip can list their trip on one of the apps and passengers will contact the driver and share the cost of fuel. It’s a win-win for both parties.

Other than Uber and Ola carpool options that are known for intra-city commute, there are other platforms like BlaBlaCar that are good for inter-city journeys.

Do check out the carpooling services available in the city/state/country you're travelling to.

How to get cheap flights?

Sometimes flying is the only viable option to reach your destination. But, the airfares are higher than a kite on a windy day and hell-bent on burning a hole in your pocket.

There are some sneaky ways to breeze them down though. Most of the tips discussed below will also help you get cheaper rates for accommodation.

1. SURF IN INCOGNITO WINDOW

This is more of a precaution than a hack. Airlines track your web cookies and browser history, and when you search for a flight multiple times, BAZINGA! They detect demand and the prices go up dynamically.

Researching in the incognito window won't make your ticket cheaper, but it will prevent the airline website from showing you an artificial surge in fares and fooling you into panic buying.

You can alternatively clear the cookies from your browser, or surf for flights on a different device.

2. BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR DATES

Don't pick the date, instead let the date pick you.

Once you've locked your destination, check the flight fares for the whole month in the drop-down calendar to get an overview of when the flights are cheapest and costliest.

Fly out on the day the fares are the most affordable.

3. BOOK IN ADVANCE

No matter what the studies or reports by travel sites say, the truth is, there is no secret time or period that will guarantee you the best deal. Just like a stock market with seemingly no rhythm or rhyme, airfares are very volatile as they are affected by multiple factors all at once.

We advise you to religiously start tracking the flight fares as soon as the booking window opens. You need to look four times a day ~minimum~ (fares also vary on hour to hour basis in a day) every day of the week, as far in advance as you can.

Most of the major booking sites have alert features that will email you when the fare drops to a price you’re willing to pay.

No matter what you do, don't buy the first deal you see, or worse, wait till the last moment in the hope that the prices will drop. It's a risky gamble you'll most likely lose.

4. DON'T FLY ON WEEKENDS

Let's face it, you're not the only one who wants to make the best use of their weekend holiday.

It is for this reason that airfares usually go up on Fridays and are at their peak on weekends. They start plummeting from Mondays, making the midweek the best time to book your tickets.

5. TAKE FLIGHTS AT ODD HOURS

Keep your time of departure in mind along with the day and date.

Being a night owl will finally pay off! Early morning and late night flights tend to be cheaper due to less demand.

6. COMPARE FARES OF DIRECT AND CONNECTING FLIGHTS

Contrary to popular belief, sometimes connecting flights are cheaper than non-stops, especially on longer routes and international journeys, as they are less convenient.

Look for cheaper routes to fly and mix 'n' match different connecting flights for they might turn out to be more economical than direct flights. You can even take a halt at the stop and take a trip within a trip!

7. LOOK OUT FOR SPECIAL DISCOUNTS AND OFFERS

There are many coupons and schemes you should keep in mind before you cash out your ticket. You can track limited deals on airlines' social media handles and apps. You could also check sites like Deal-4flight, which offer deals by travel sites and airlines, list discounts, paybacks and offers on credit cards.

• Credit/Debit Card offers: Many debit and credit card companies have tie-ups with airlines that give exclusive deals. While searching for a flight, add your 'bank's name + flight tickets' in the search engine rather than just 'flight offers' as the keywords.

• Wallet offers: Always check for flight offers on the booking website for digital wallet payments through Amazon pay, PayPal, Paytm, Google Pay, MobiKwik, etc. Even the booking sites like MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Yatra, etc., have their own virtual wallets that can get you some cash backs which can be partially used while making the payments.

• Student discounts: Many airlines like SpiceJet, Air India, IndiGo, GoAir, Vistara, etc., offer special discounts to students on airfares if you book from their official websites.

• Frequent flyer programme: If you’re a frequent flyer of a particular airline, you can earn air miles points as part of the loyalty programme offered by the airline and get cheaper, or even free flights.

8. MAKE PAYMENT FROM ANOTHER CURRENCY

For this, you need to make sure that you use a card without or minimal foreign transaction fees. In international journeys, sometimes flight tickets cost less if you pay in the currency of the destination you're flying to, especially if the carrier is native to that place.

Check the rate for both the local and your currency before making the payment.

You can also try paying in any other currency which is cheaper than your own.

9. SCOUT MULTIPLE WEBSITES

By now you must have realised you need to be a savvy researcher to get the best deals.

Start your research from flight specific search engines such as Skyscanner, Momondo, Kayak, Google Flights, Yatra, MakeMyTrip, IRCTC Air, Goibibo, Airfarewatchdog (shows last minute deals), etc. Some of these sites even have the 'Anywhere' search option which lists the cheapest destinations you can fly to!

Once you've settled for a flight, make sure to compare its price with the one on the airline's official site before making the payment. Go till the last stage of the billing as travel companies often display lower charges initially, but levy additional fees when you're about to check out.

10. USE A VPN TO CHEAT YOUR LOCATION

Don't worry, this is not illegal! If anything, you're scamming the scammers.

The airline market is known for its price discrimination policy. The geographical location which is tracked by your IP address is one of the factors that affect the prices you see on the screen. Hence, fares may vary from country to country.

While many say that this is just an urban myth, or the effort is not worth the minuscule savings, other travellers swear by it and advocate that the small difference in rates becomes a game changer when you're booking in bulk for a group.

Either way, if you already own a VPN, there's no harm in giving it a shot. Connect your server to a different city, state, or a lower-income country, and apply all the tips discussed above to make potentially significant savings. You could also try changing your IP address to the country from which the airline originates, or your destination location.

How to get a free ride?

"I hitchhiked my way through...." certainly has a ring to it, doesn't it?

Hitchhiking is a must experience for any adventure seeker. It simply involves standing at the edge of a road and poking out your thumb to solicit a ride from strangers.

Since you're hopping onto a ride with a stranger, it’s important to trust your instinct and use your head when hitchhiking. If the situation feels unsafe, bail out as quickly as you can.

PS: It's always better to hitchhike with a friend by your side.

Ready to pack your bags?

That's it, globetrotters! Now you've got all the tricks up your sleeve to strike down the dream destinations from your bucket list.

Before you're off to your next adventure, here's a mantra that every budget traveller should

remember.

Always be patient and flexible. It is often said that "time is money". If you can spare some time, you will definitely spare money.

If you found these tips helpful, make sure you bookmark this article to brush upon these hacks in the future when you're drawing up your travel plans.

You might also want to read Ten Ways In Which Our Travel Experience Will Change Post COVID.