Budget Travel – Is That Even Possible?

Travelling is one of the most popular hobbies available to mankind. Many of us dream of travelling the world but we are prevented by self-whining about our work load, or the lack of finances to do it. Is it really that difficult to travel the world? I don’t think so… Because from personal experience, I know that it is possible to handle most of the travel expenses without actually spending a dime.

Let’s start with transportation. Most people will think that a flight ticket would cost a lot of money. But simply by having a good travel plan and booking your flight early, you can save a lot of money on your flight tickets. What’s more, booking early is not the only way of finding a cheap flight. There are a lot of points to consider such as the 24-hour-rule, looking for one way tickets or following the recent deals. Carpooling can also save you a lot, since you basically share the gas expenses. It is also one of the cleaner ways of travelling. Just a little online research may get you a carpool buddy. Even better, I believe everyone can travel for free, by hitchhiking, of course. Hitch-hiking is both fast and comfortable, and the best of all, it is free!

My favourite means of transportation above all is hitch-hiking, 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 hitch-hiking. But if you’re more interested in the numbers, let me provide you some. In 2012, I did a hitch-hiking tour of the Balkan countries. I travelled almost all through the Balkans for approximately 20 days. I didn’t spend a single dime on travelling, since I hitch-hiked all my way. In the end, I realized I had spent only 270 Euros, for the hole tour, lasting for 20 days.

When it comes to accommodation, I am going to say that it is by no means necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on hotel rooms. Even though there are ways to find the cheapest rates for hotels, which I mention in detail in my blog, they are not even my last choice when I travel. I usually try to find a host on couchsurfing, which is totally free. This way I get to know where I go from the locals and have a true cultural experience. On the other hand, one can always find an incredibly cheap room on airbnb, which is a room rental website. If I cannot find what I’m looking for on those web sites, hostels are always a great option for cheap accommodation. Plus, they are quite fun.

I have to use my 20-day Balkan tour as an example again here. Throughout the whole Balkan tour, I used Couchsurfing as a means of accommodation, which costed me absolutely nothing. I even made profit by meeting great people, whom I still see frequently.

As you see, there are a lot of opportunities for travelling on a budget. In addition to being cheap, the budget options always provide you with a better experience, be it cultural or social. What could be better than experiencing the culture of a destination from the first hand? Especially when you have to pay absolutely nothing for it?