Hello! This is a small series I'm featuring on my blog where I share my tried and true budget travel trips. There are all kinds of travelers on all kinds of budgets, and all kinds of comfort levels.
To get a sense for my kind of travel.... I don't mind sharing a dorm room filled with snorers, but I draw the line when there are pest problems or the bathrooms are disgusting. I am totally fine to sit on a hot local bus for hours, but I would like to at least crack the window open for some hot air. I don't flinch at spending the night in the airport, but I will wanna buy a coffee in the morning to get rid of my headache. If this sounds like you, we probably travel on the same kind of vibe!
If you like this series, make sure to check out cheap travel recs 2 and 3 for more!
1. stay in hostels whenever possible!
Nothing like shared living accommodations, which we're all quite familiar with anyways being young dumb and broke. I swear by Booking.com and sometimes HostelWorld. You can get a big discount sometimes on the booking.com app so I find a place on my laptop then check the price on my phone. I strongly recommend to choose places only with 8.5/10 rating and up when you have multiple options because it seems to make a huge difference in my experience regarding cleanliness, ambiance, and comfort! Can honestly say that even huge dorms (10-12 people) are super doable, because they will normally add in a privacy curtain that lets you zone out.
2. strive to make 2 out of 3 meals for yourself.
If you're staying in a hostel type situation, try to prepare yourself breakfast and dinner in the kitchen (yes, at times this can include microwaving water for pasta when the kitchen is not, um, well equipped) and then you can eat out for lunch!
When you're on foot, eat intuitively (whenever you're hungry) because you don't know the next time you will find food and getting cranky and tired can spoil your perception of a new place. As a traveler, I really am not a fan of Googling or Yelping potential places to eat just because I love authentically finding a hidden gem, and avoiding touristy hubs. This method means you're probably going to eat out for cheaper (since you're going to a local mom and pop shop instead of the top rated cafe in town) and meet some locals who will be enthused to see you. I've tried to realllly skimp on meal costs by snacking on crackers all day and was afraid I was gonna pass out on a random bus so I do not condone this whatsoever!
3. walk everywhere, take transit when it makes sense.
If you're a young fit college kid, Google Maps might default you to say you should transit through a place, but 3 miles is really not that hard on fresh feet. Times when I might take transit or an Uber instead would be if the transportation is safe and arrives in a timely manner, at the end of a long day, whenever it is dark out (as a young, solo female), or if my path is going to take me through dangerous parts of town.
4. honestly, just avoid paid attractions.
To each their own, but I try to limit myself to one paid experience a day (if at all). This is pretty achievable just because most places you can travel and see so much for FREE that there is no reason to pay. (I should also add that I'm more of an ecotourism gal than I am a museum lover, if that makes a difference). I also feel like attractions are designed for people who like a lot of structure or a guide that speaks to them in their language, but the real cultural experience is going to come from being out in the neighborhoods and the community. This brings me to my last point for now:
5. milk your high school/college student ID as much as possible.
Did you know you can get into places for free or half price even though you go to school in another country?? Bringing your student ID abroad is a must. This has worked at the most surprising of places, from the Vatican to the Mexican National History Museum. Even if the student discount appears to only apply to non-foreigners, I would still ask because you can save hundreds of dollars on your trips this way!
Alas I realized that I have much more info to share now that I created this ever-growing list. Stay tuned for part two soon!
