Hello to all my fellow travelers , who want to have this trip they always dreamed of but are kept back by the false idea that traveling twice or thrice a year is a very expensive hobby ! If you think that money is all it takes for your trips , then you are wrong and I am here to prove it!
Thankfully , nowadays traveling is more than ever , accessible to every and each one of us! Even if your budget is low , with the right planning and a little patience , you can get to your favorite destination with no sweat! I am going to point out some of the most important steps , that you need to follow in order to plan the most perfect , budget friendly trip!
Let’s start!
Initially , let me make clear that there is no magical way to travel to NY or even to Italy , if you have no interest in saving money , cut the unnecessary expenses and make this trip your daily goal. Small sacrifices have to be made , right? Some of you might be a little more wealthy , others might have to save money for a little longer. But lets not talk about big expensive trips , so early. My goal is to convince you that small weekly European trips are more than easy to organize , just ,by not buying those shoes you saw or this bag , and boom! Tickets booked!
Ticket hunting
- When do you want to be traveling? The sooner you decide , that it is time to do that trip , the merrier it will be for you and your pocket! More time to organize , more time to do your research and find that cheap flight ticket! Usually , when you book a ticket well in advance , it means that you can find it , in a very good price , so if you can arrange your work leave just be patient until you find those great tickets!
- Have you locked on a destination or not? Is there , just a specific place that you want to visit? If yes , then we focus on that one! But if the answer is no and you are more open to new ideas and places , there is a ” anywhere” option in most of the airline search services that gives you destination ideas , depending on your budget! JUST don’t book a cheap ticket , before researching all the other aspects of the journey , such as accommodation and daily life! You may find a cheap flight but can you afford an expensive lifestyle?
- Check Low Fare Calendars. Every airline online page , has a low fare calendar that you can search about cheap flights in different dates of the year. If you can be a little flexible , then it s just an ideal option for you!
Find those tickets and book them! Nowadays tickets are cheaper than ever! There is no way you cannot find one , with a low cost airline , i have traveled more than once in that way with prices less than 50euro! So lets say that you did found , and booked the ticket! You have accomplished the first step of the process! And your flight is in 3 months! That is 3 months of planning , money saving and getting ready!
Accommodation
For me finding accommodation depends on one simple thing. Do i have the money to book something now or should i better book and pay directly in the hotel/apt/hostel when i ll actually be there , which will give me more time to save money?
If i have the budget , i initially search aptms through Airbnb , a platform very well know and which i really prefer , due to my urge to meet new people and feel part of a neighborhood rather than just a tourist. ( You always have to look thoroughly for the reviews , though and prefer staying with super hosts for bigger safety)
Then you have the all time classic Booking.com , Hotels.com and i recently discovered , hotelsandbeds . They all give you the chance to book in advance and then pay at the arrival time! So even if in that specific moment , you are short of money , you can still catch that amazing offer and pay later! ( Small tip: sometimes , contacting the hotel/hostel in person in their personal sight , might be even better for cheaper accommodation prices!)
So , the second part is also done! Congrats! You did a great job , keep saving those money!
Before getting to the end of the guide , i have to point out , just how important a small research is , before arriving to our destination , about how expensive the lifestyle is , where can we find budget friendly restaurants , activities etc.
Bare in mind that everything depends on how dedicated you are to your trip , how much you want it , how easily you will give up on those shoes in order to get to that plane! Traveling , once or twice a year is more than easy if you really want it , so lets get this planning started, guys!
Ready?
Evita.
