I consider myself a thrifty traveler. It’s not that I don’t enjoy luxurious hotels or 5-course dinners, I just prefer to spend money on trips in a way that gets me more — longer vacations and ultimately, more time spent traveling throughout the year.
I’ve learned some tips and tricks along the way and am happy to pass these pointers on to my fellow smart travelers! Let’s get started with one of the biggest ticket items, especially for international travel…
Cheap Airfare
I’m constantly saving images I find on social media of far away places and as a result, I have a very long travel bucket list. The benefit of having lots of places on my list are that I am fairly flexible about which place I go see next. This sort of mentality can really save you money on airfare thanks to a handy search feature on sites like Kayak and (my personal favorite) SkyScanner.
The very first step I take in planning any vacation is to go onto SkyScanner, enter in my travel dates and departure airport, and then select “Everywhere” for my destination. I also select “Direct flights only” since a direct flights means you won’t waste any time with a long layover or multiple legs.
Tip: You’ll find the best deals flying mid-week — flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be the cheapest.
Type in “Everywhere” for the destination
After a minute or two, SkyScanner will present a list of countries in order from least expensive to most expensive. The search engine will show you only the compiled results from other people’s searches, so some countries won’t have prices listed (you can easily click a button to have them calculate the price). Regardless, this is a great place to start and you can find some really fantastic deals — we once stumbled across roundtrip tickets from New York to Lima, Peru, for under $600 and ended up planning an entire vacation from there.
It’s worth checking multiple travel search engines, since some airlines aren’t included in the search on certain websites. For example, I like to use SkyScanner since they search many of the smaller European budget airlines that Kayak doesn’t search.
Boarding our NatureAir flight in Costa Rica – some airlines are so tiny even SkyScanner doesn’t include them!
A note about SkyScanner and other travel search engines: I use these websites to find good deals on flights, but always book directly with the airline. You’ll sometimes come across too-good-to-be-true fares through third-party booking sites (such as FlyDirect or Kiwi).
The problem with booking with one of these sites is that if something goes wrong, you will have a very difficult time getting assistance and will likely have no recourse for getting your money back. We once booked an international flight with one of these sites only to find out a few weeks before our flight that they never actually secured the tickets with the airline. So save yourself a headache, and always book directly with the airline.
Traveling Off-Peak
You can often snag really great deals on airfare, accommodations, and even tours by visiting a place outside of their peak tourist season.
After doing some research, we decided to visit Costa Rica in the middle of the rainy season and probably saved 50% on our major trip expenses. The other great aspect to traveling in the low season is there will be way fewer tourists, which means shorter queues and better photo-ops at the major attractions!
On our trip to Costa Rica during the rainy season — turns out, not that rainy!
Better yet, do some research to find out when the “shoulder season” (the period between peak and off-peak seasons) is for a particular destination. Traveling in the shoulder season likely means you’ll have the same benefits of peak season, such as nice weather, but without the inflated prices.
Accommodations
I am a huge proponent of websites like Airbnb and VRBO. In my experience, you can get way more bang for your buck booking an accommodation through one of these websites instead of going the usual hotel route.
Typically you’re staying in someone’s home when you rent a place on Airbnb, which has the added benefit of making you feel like a local in the place you’re visiting. I usually opt for renting an entire apartment instead of a room in someone’s home, although the latter option provides an excellent way to get firsthand insider tips on what to do and see during your stay. You can also message your host in advance of your trip for advice even if you’re renting an apartment and won’t have the opportunity to meet in person. It’s like having a personal tour guide!
Our glamping tent at Quinta Alma in Aljezur
The other great benefit to AirBnB is that you can stay in some really unique places — a troglodyte cave in France, a yurt on a black sand beach in Iceland, and a geodesic dome in the cloud forest of Costa Rica, to name a few.
Sign up for Airbnb using my referral link to receive $40 off your first booking!
Airbnb also just added a new category to their website called “Airbnb Plus,” which makes discovering these types of accommodations even easier. Any time I come across a unique place, I’ll add it to my Wishlist. I’ll occasionally plan a whole trip around the accommodation if it’s special enough.
Airbnb “Plus” is a good way to find unique accommodations. Use the heart tool to add your favorites to a wish list!
Everything Else
By saving money on flights and accommodations, you can spend a little more on what you’re really traveling for: museums, restaurants, nightlife, tours, hot air balloon rides… you get the idea.
Access to a kitchen is another hidden cost savings of going with an Airbnb, so while tasting the local cuisine is definitely at the top of my list, I usually try to cook at least one meal a day when on vacation. There’s also something fun about grocery shopping in a foreign country and cooking with local ingredients. Even when eating out, I’ll pass on a drink with dinner so that I can spend that money at another place afterward and have a chance to experience more of the city.
Do you have any tricks for getting the most bang for your buck on vacation? Let me know in the comment section below!
Related Posts:
- My Top 5 Most Memorable Airbnbs
- Complete Guide to Amsterdam’s Museum Passes
- Roughing It in Iceland: Wild Camping, Campsites, and Campervans
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