Traveling is one of the most popular hobbies available to mankind. Many of us dream of traveling the world, but are prevented by complaints about our workload or lack of funding to do so. Is it really that hard to travel the world? I don’t think so… Because from personal experience, I know that it is possible to handle most travel expenses without spending a dime.
Let’s start with transportation. Most people will think that a plane ticket would cost a lot of money. But simply by having a good travel plan and booking your flight in advance, you can save a lot of money on your plane tickets. Also, booking in advance is not the only way to find a cheap flight. There are many points to consider, such as the 24-hour rule, searching for one-way tickets, or following recent offers. Carpooling can also save you a lot, since you basically share the gas costs. It is also one of the cleanest ways to travel. Just a little research online can land you a carpool buddy. Even better, I think everyone can ride for free, hitchhiking of course. Hitchhiking is fast and convenient, and best of all, it’s free!
My favorite mode of transportation above all is hitchhiking, of course. No, not only because it saves a lot of money, but also because I still see some of the friends I made while hitchhiking. But if you’re more interested in numbers, let me give you a few. In 2012, I went on a hitchhiking tour of the Balkan countries. I traveled almost all the Balkans for about 20 days. I didn’t spend a single penny on traveling as I hitchhiked all the way. In the end, I realized that I had spent only 270 euros, for the entire tour, which lasted 20 days.
When it comes to accommodation, I am going to say that there is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on hotel rooms by any means. While there are ways to find the cheapest hotel rates, which I cover in detail on my blog, they’re not even my last choice when traveling. I usually try to find a host on couchsurfing, which is totally free. This way I can find out where I’m going from the locals and have a real cultural experience. On the other hand, you can always find an incredibly cheap room on airbnb, which is a room rental website. If I can’t find what I’m looking for on those websites, hostels are always a great option for cheap accommodation. Plus, they’re pretty fun.
I have to use my 20 day tour of the Balkans as an example again here. During the whole tour of the Balkans, I used Couchsurfing as a means of accommodation, which cost me absolutely nothing. I even benefited from meeting great people, whom I still see frequently.
As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities to travel on a tight budget. In addition to being cheap, cheap options always give you a better experience, be it cultural or social. What could be better than experiencing the culture of a destination first hand? Especially when you have to pay absolutely nothing for it?
