Are you wanting to travel farther and more often, but worried about how to save money traveling? You’re not alone!
Here, we’ll answer your questions about how to save money on travel as a student, how to save money on food while traveling, and more vacation budget tips.
This post is all about how to save money while traveling with our 10 easiest, life-changing hacks!
1.Check into discounted/free tickets for museums or attractions you’re interested in. Example: Mexico City offers free museum entry on the first Wednesday evening of each month to some really excellent exhibits. Another example, the Musee D’Orsay in Paris has discounted evening tickets during fall/winter season. Do you research, and take advantage!
If you are a student of any kind, remember to bring your student ID with you when traveling. Most of the best monuments in Europe (think of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece!) have discounted or FREE tickets for students.
2. Do your research into public transportation wherever you go. For example, lots of European cities have great metro/bus options, and you can often download a pack of rides on your phone – Navigo Easy for Paris, T Casual for Barcelona, etc.
3. How to save money while traveling 101 – Outside of flight and accommodations, food is the highest cost you’ll incur while traveling. For majority of meals, try to find local markets where you can stock up on cheap ingredients to make a great picnic. It’s romantic and cheap!
4. Free food tours. These are becoming increasingly available in many places, and you usually just pay the discounted food prices and tip. But you MUST read reviews to make sure you pick a good one, as some of these free tours are scams.
5. If you’re wondering how to save money while traveling, don’t miss the obvious stuff … look at your credit card benefits!
Based on which credit cards you have, you might already have flight insurance, rental car insurance, hotel credits, flight credits, and more that can SIGNIFICANTLY offset the price of your travel. Don’t accidentally double pay for something, know your benefits!
6. Investigate local festivals, holidays, and events. These are often free or cheap and involve music, food, and lots of opportunities for authentic cultural exposure
7. Make a list of any attractions you definitely want to see when you’re traveling. Consider if you would save more money with buying an experience pass that gives multiple discounts. For example, the Big Bus combo tickets available in most European cities are a great way to get multiple tours for 1 cheap(er) price. We just did this in London and loved it!
8. Download as many free walking tours as necessary. Today, you can find a free online walking tour for almost anywhere. I particularly love Rick Steves free guided walking tours and have used them in Rome, Paris, Barcelona, and London
9. Based on where you’re going, look for good spots to watch sunrise, sunset, or stars. If weather permits, this is a super memorable, incredibly romantic, and aesthetic activity (not to mention free!)
10. Be very careful not to activate your primary eSim on your phone while you’re abroad, as you may be subject to super high phone data rates. For example, I used to pay $10 a day abroad, because I always messed this up (such a waste of money, it still makes me mad). Instead, go ahead and download a secondary eSim card from Airalo for your destination ahead of time. Activate it right before you get on the plane, and it should automatically connect once you connect to a network abroad. Instead of spending $100 for 10 days of service, you can get away with as little as $5-10 total.
We hope you enjoyed this post all about how to save money while traveling! As you plan for your travels, we think you’ll love our 7 life changing jet lag hacks!
