DanckTravel

If you want to travel more, but are unsure of how, you’ve come to the right place! There are numerous opportunities to travel more cheaply (and in some cases even free!). If you’re new to travel or are looking to optimize your spend so you can go more often, read our tips below.

How to Save Money on Travel

Below is a list of how you get the most out of your dollar. Whether you’re a student or a working adult, these should help you when planning your next trip.

Save on Flights

One of the main ways to afford more travel is to reduce the price of your flights and to find cheaper options when traveling long distances.

1. Explore Airport Options

Oftentimes, you can travel to a different airport in order to save some money. Consider the following:

• Boston: If you’re flying to Boston, consider checking out Providence Airport.
• San Francisco: Oakland is close by!
• Miami: Fort Lauderdale is only 30 minutes away 
• New York City: NYC has three different airport options, including LaGuardia, Newark, and JFK.

2. Earn Credit Card Points

There are numerous credit card programs that allow you to earn miles. Generally, these have generous sign on bonuses provided you can spend a specific amount of money within a specified timeframe. My recommendation? Wait until you have a big purchase coming up and benefit from 60,000+ free miles (depending on the credit card)

3. Explore Roundtrip vs. Single Destination Flights

In the US, it often makes sense to purchase tickets to one destination and then buy a different flight to return home. However, European flights will usually be cheaper if you book a round-trip flight.

4. Get Creative with Earning Airline Miles

Airfare isn’t the only way to earn miles anymore! You can use the following to earn even more miles:

• Starbucks App: By using the Starbucks app, you can earn Delta miles each time you buy a drink. 
• Instacart: Delta again makes it easy to earn miles through their partnerships. They teamed with Instacart, so that customers can earn miles on their groceries. 
• Lyft: You can connect your Lyft app with your preferred airline to earn miles each time you ride. If you’re going to be taking a Lyft anyway, may as well earn miles. Participating airlines include Delta and Alaskan Airlines. Alternatively, you can link a Hiltons account and get points toward hotels.
• Online Shopping: Online shopping can be a great opportunity to earn more miles. United has a Chrome Extension that automatically earns miles when you shop. Delta also has a similar portal allowing you to earn miles as you shop.

5. Take Advantage of Layovers

If you’re going to Europe, Icelandair allows you take a layover in Iceland without additional fare being added to your ticket price. Since it’s also often cheaper to fly through Iceland, you benefit from a reasonable ticket price, while being able to explore a new country.

6. Track Flight Prices

Specific times of the year are more expensive than others. Taking this into consideration can help you plan a cheaper trip. Consider the shoulder season if possible for tropical destinations (September – November and March – May), since the weather is still nice. Plus – It’s less crowded.

Apps like Hopper can also make it easy to see when flights are expected to be at their cheapest. For example: If you go to Germany in the winter, flight costs can be about $450 in the winter, whereas anything close to $1,000 may be considered a good deal in the summer.

7. Check out Ryanair (when in Europe)

Ryanair, Europe’s favorite discount airline, has trips as low as $10 one way. While this may sound like a scam, it’s not. Ryanair is one of Europe’s most profitable airlines. Each item (including bags) increases the price. Additionally, while they offer $10 fares, not all fares are that cheap. As more people book and on days that are more popular, flights tend to get more expensive. However, if you can be flexible about your destination and the date, you can benefit from some cheap airfare

Please note: Ryanair does not always fly into the main airport, so just be sure to calculate extra costs such as a bus ride to the airport.

Other Transportation Hacks

8. Skip the Car Rental

Skipping a car rental is not possible in every city, but for European and metropolitan cities, you can avoid higher costs by not renting a car. In the US, cities such as Washington DC and New York have great public transportation. In Europe, countries such as Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland, you can even go to small towns by train. Some countries also offer discounted rates for groups of travelers, type of train, or time of day.

Please note: If you do need. to rent a car, be sure to get an international driver’s license. Some countries will not allow you to operate a vehicle without one.

9. Look for Discount Train Packages

As noted above, some countries will give you a cheaper rate depending on the packages you select. Below. are some examples:

• Denver: Denver usually offers a month free of train travel in the summertime.
• New York City: New York City allows you to have free train rides within the city after a certain number of rides each week.
• Germany: If you. are studying abroad in Germany, consider. the Bahncard 50 or Bahncard 25 yearly pass. You save 25%-50% on each ticket you buy for a full year. Alternatively, you can take advantage of their “saver fares” which guarantee you a cheaper rate as long as you book in advance.
• Europe: Eurail passes allow you to travel across 33 European countries for a fixed price.

10. Take the Bus

The bus can be a cheap option to make it from point A to point B. Flixbus and Megabus generally have cheap rates, while Greyhound/ Peter Pan may have great deals between major cities in the US.

Choosing the Destination

Often some of the costs associated with travel can be mitigated by changing your destination. Below are some tips.

11. Visit Less Expensive Countries

Some destinations are notoriously expensive when you visit. These include London, Disney World in Orlando, Zurich, and Paris. If you want to travel more, consider visiting countries and places where you can further expand the value of your money. According to Kippllinger, less expensive countries to visit include:

• Greece
• Portugal
• Thailand
• Turkey

While these countries may be cheaper, that doesn’t mean they are any less fun or enjoyable. Out of all the countries I have been to, Greece is one of my favorite places to visit. The food is amazing and the people are so welcoming.

12. Visit Places Close to Home

It’s easy to overlook places close to home. Growing up in Boston, there are so many places to visit including Newport, Portsmouth, Acadia National Park, and the Revolutionary War sites. Travel doesn’t need to mean expensive destinations. If your budget is tight, focus on locations closer to home that you can explore. 

• Pro Tip: Often libraries will have discounted or free entries into museums and aquariums. You can pick up these passes and explore the city you live in for a fraction of the cost.

Alternative Housing Options

If hotels are expensive, look into other options! Below are a few other things you can consider:

13. Try Couch surfing or Housesitting

Couch surfing is a popular method of getting free housing. You get to stay at someone’s apartment. However, in order to use this system, you also need to be prepared to let people stay at your place. I have friends who have used this to stay for free in expensive cities like Paris.

Similarly, housesitting gives you a place to stay (for free) while you watch over somebody’s house. I have not personally done this either, but have seen its popularity growing online. 

14. Skip the Hotel, Try a Hostels

Hostels, especially in Europe, can be a super cheap option to stay in great locations. However, you may have to share a room with five or more people. But the pricing is great and it’s often a great opportunity to meet people from all around. Meeting fellow travelers in hostels was one of my favorite experiences of study abroad. However, if you’re in your late 20s or older, you may feel too old for some of these places, so be sure to check out the reviews before booking. Some hostels have a strong partying atmosphere, while others are more relaxed (and may include a wider demographic).

In 2012, I stayed at the Yellow in Rome, (which can cost close to $10 a night). It was such a great experience to meet people from around the world in the Bar downstairs. Check out hostelworld.com to see which hostels are near where you are staying alongside reviews.

15. Check out Airbnb

Airbnb has gotten more expensive, especially with its fees. However, you may find that in certain areas and countries, Airbnb still is cheaper than a hotel. Make sure to compare both before booking though.

Crafting the Itinerary

There are some ways to ensure your itinerary still encompasses everything you want to do, while staying on budget.

16. Consider What’s Important to You on Each Trip

Prices can quickly escalate if you are eating out every day and going to bars every night. On top of that, sightseeing can be expensive in specific countries, such as Great Britain (excluding the free museums) and the United States. 

Before going, determine if there are things less important to you on a trip. You may want to rent a car to see a beach in Spain, but trying multiple restaurants is less important. Prioritize your budget accordingly, so you can really maximize what’s important to you on each trip.

17. Visit Free Places & Sites

What may surprise you is that many cities have free (or close to free) sites to visit. Many cities in Europe have free walking tours (be sure to bring cash for a tip though). I’ve done them in Cordoba and Reykjavik.  Both were excellent.

Specific cities (London and Washington DC) allow you to go to their museums for free.

Some cities also have free nights at museums, so check out the schedule. You may be able to see something for free if you book a Tuesday as opposed to a Thursday.

Student & Young People Considerations

For students (and people under 26 in Europe), there are lot of opportunities to save money. Consider the following:

18. Study Abroad

Studying abroad can definitely be expensive…. But depending on your program, you may actually be able to save money. This is highly dependent on the program itself and the scholarships available.

The State of Baden-Wuttemberg in Germany has exchange programs in states such as Connecticut, where they offer scholarships, to students in the US. I partook in this and had my housing and food covered for the year. In the end, it saved me a ton of money on my student loans, since I didn’t have to take out any money to cover housing.

19. Take Advantage of Student Discounts

If you’re under 26 years old, there are a lot of opportunities to visit sites for free or at a cheaper rate across Europe. Some of these (for example Italy) apply specifically to European citizens, while others are aimed at students more broadly.

Please note: Some countries will require you to have an ISIC card in order to benefit from these student discounts. This has not been my experience throughout Europe, but I did need one when I was in Istanbul. Research these before you go.

20. Explore Student Universe

If you’re a student, you can benefit from discounted flights through sites like Student Universe. Check out what deals they have and you can book flights based on when it’s cheapest to go.

Final Thoughts

Traveling on a budget can be a challenge, but these tips are here to help you so you can make the most out of your money. Do you have any other tips? Comment below.