Cheap travel alternatives

Find out how you can travel for cheap around the world

The following list provides ways of cutting down the cost of traveling. Although it is important not to jeopardize your safety and well-being, there are still plenty of ways you can cut down travel costs while remaining relatively healthy and secure.

Lodgings

You can camp in the US in smaller state parks. These parks have smaller fees, starting from eight dollars.

If you are vacationing in Southeast Asia, you can stay at a YMCA (these are very different from the ones in the US)—these are the cheapest places to stay and are very similar to large hostels.

If you are vacationing in Central America, hotels and hostels are both cheap everywhere. For example, if you wanted to vacation in Costa Rica, you could easily find accommodations for five to twelve dollars a night.

You can also peruse Lonely Planet and Let's Go travel guides. These useful guides offer extensive lists organized by price of the hostels and hotels available in every city.

You should stay away from touristy areas because prices are inevitably higher there. You should sleep and eat in a town bordering the tourist area instead and travel to your destination for sightseeing. You can go stay in a bungalow or cabana in Mexico for lower prices if you stay in smaller towns along the cast.

To get a better price at a hostel or bungalow, it is always better to commit to at least three days’ stay there.

You can also try traveling in the off-season (commonly defined as July-November.) This will be cheaper than high-density tourist months for many destinations. You can also ask for discounts, especially if you are the only traveler for the whole month. You can always ask for discounts—it is always worth a try to ask for freebies and discounts for diving, snorkeling, or parasailing.

Note: Keep in mind that the off-seasons are different with every destination. For example, in Europe, the destination looks more like October-January rather than July-November.

Always take advantage of friends, family and other connections who are willing to offer you a place to stay in any given location. Although there are stories of people who have knocked on strangers’ doors in certain countries and gotten free lodgings, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Choose a hostel over someone’s house even if it means paying extra.

Eating

If you really want to save money, you should buy food from a grocery store rather than eating out. Eating out can and will add up a considerable amount, so be forewarned if you normally eat out all the time. You can visit the local grocery store and assemble easy sandwiches to eat during your trips. Also, make use of any free breakfasts offered by the hostel or hotel you’re staying in.

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