Traveling or backpacking doesn’t have to be a massive money blackhole, if you want to travel or backpack cheaply then these tips are for you.
Buy a car
Meet “Big Red”. She costs us 2700 Euros which is around $3700 USD. Over a period of 4-5 months we drove from Germany (Deutschland!) all the way to the southern end of Portugal and back again. Stopping in the most random places and seeing parts of these countries you couldn’t hope to see if you took the bus, train or plane. We slept in the car, showered at a beach and bought local healthy foods from the supermarché. This 2700 Euros (excluding fuel) was split and covered our travel and accommodation costs for all of that time.
At the end of our travel we sold the car in an absolute fire sale to get rid of it quickly for 1600 euro. So the total expense for our massive road rip was 1100 Euros + fuel split between a few people.
This is one of -the- best ways to travel well and travel cheaply.
Buy flights and other travel arrangements locally
Book flights in advance and book them locally if you can. I remember getting a flight from Dublin to Paris with Aer Lingus for only 10 Euros. Flights between countries in Europe is dirt cheap.
Go with friends
If you can get a group of two other compatible people in addition to yourself, sharing meals and travel expenses is a great way to make your money go further. Just make sure they are people who you can get on with because you will be living out of each others’ pockets. This is fantastic if you are going to countries where English is not the main language; having a circle of friends to fall back on can be useful sometimes. It’s also good to have people you can trust to watch your back – and your things!
Buy food from the supermarket
Instead of buying fast food or eating out all the time, go to the supermarket, buy some fresh healthy food. Not only will you be healthier, it’s also much cheaper. Buy food in a group and you can cook up some great meals in a hostel kitchen.
Choose a good hostel
There are many good hostel review sites on the web, I recommend Hostel World. Check out the prices and reviews before making a booking.
Try Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is a great way to meet people, be shown around a new place by a local and get free accommodation. You can read reviews on potential hosts before showing up on their front door.
Work
If you are under 30 you can usually get a work visa for the country you are visiting. You can supplement your travels with a steady income. This is also a great way to meet people while travelling.