Order your signed copy of my autobiography, The Boy From Gorge River direct from the author!
Menu
Want to travel for longer but don’t have the money? I have been travelling for 5 years. How? Mostly because I’m a Cheap Travel expert! My yearly income is usually below $10,000 USD and yet I travel 8 months a year. To help you do the same here is my 10 awesome Cheap Travel tips!
Few people can out budget me. The reason for this? I take the cheapest flights, the cheapest hostels, usually busses not trains and eat the cheapest (and sometimes the best) food! In a good month in a cheaper country my budget is $1000 NZD ($700USD) and in an expensive country its $1000 USD.
If you are a smartphone addict you can look at my Top Travel Apps to make travelling easier!
First step in Cheap Travel: go to the cheapest countries. And they are usually the most fun to! Your money buys you twice, three or 10 times as much. So you can travel much longer. Or just have more fun for a shorter time to.
Here’s my top list of fun cheap countries I have travelled.
These are all countries where anyone can easily travel for less than $1000 USD a month and have crazy fun!
Money Saving Potential: Medium
Couchsurfing in New York!
I have been Couchsurfing since the first day I started travelling alone. Not only can it be a free place to stay (and for cultural exchange) but its also a great way to meet locals who can tell you the cheaper places to stay, eat, drink or visit! I wont say much about Couchsurfing here so see my full post on Couchsurfing: How to Start Couchsurfing and do it Safely
Money Saving Potential: Medium
Flights is often where you spend the most money while travelling! So how can we find the cheapest flights???
There”s a bunch of apps and search engines out there and it really easy to loose hours or days searching for the cheapest flights. I don’t like to waste time so I just use Skyscaner and Ctrip.
SkyscannerThis app allows you to search very broadly. Perfect for flexible budget travellers! You can search from City to City, City to Country, Country to Country, or Country to City. And on a specific day or whole week or whole month. That’s a lot of options! I think its the best tool to find the cheapest day of the month and the cheapest airports you should be flying between. Always clear your cookies if you have searched for the same route a few times.
Ctrip Did you know that Chinese people have been booking the cheapest flights for ages?? Cheaper than what anyone else can find. Especially any flights in or out of Asia. CTrip in English is the closest we can get unless you happen to know Chinese. (There’s 3 other apps too in Chinese) For the best results search in Chinese currency (Yuan) and use a VPN that makes you look like your in China or Hong Kong.
After finding the cheapest day and cities to fly between I will always check Ctrip and usually its a bit cheaper, or sometime half price if you are lucky!
And if you don’t feel like trusting a Chinese app. Think of it this way. China has 1.3 billion people. More people use this app for flights/trains/accommodation than probably any other app in the world. So there’s noting to worry about.
Flights are usually cheaper if you fly at inconvenient hours or with a couple of stopovers. It can suck to have a longer late/early flight but think of it this way. The money you save is money you don’t have to earn. If you save $100 that’s one less day you have to work and 3 extra days you can travel!
Money Saving Potential: Medium
If you want to save money ALWAYS stay in hostels instead of hotels if available. Its the best way to meet people and make friends and for couples you can usually get private rooms too!!
Hostels are usually sociable and you will meet people from all over the world. Anything is possible in hostels, you might find a party, make a new friend for a day, a travel mate for a week or a life partner! You never know! Lots of my best travelling friends or experiences have been from hostels.
In a place where hotels are $30 a night hostels will probably be around $10. So you can actually stay 3 days instead of 1 if you stay in a hostel. That means you can travel 3 times as long for the same budget…!
If you are really up for it also try camping…its usually FREE!
Money Saving Potential: High
Street food in Asia. OMG Its the best!
One of my favorite past times travelling is eating street food! Its usually the most traditional food and the best way to experience culture. Do be careful in some countries if you have a sensitive stomach. However if not go wild! I have eaten street food in Aisa for months and never got even slightly sick.
Some of my best memories are eating spicy street food in Asia, in the dirty streets with 40 degree heat and sweat pouring down my face. I love it so much!
And cost? In Asia its usually around $2 USD for a meal of really good street food. In a nice restaurant you will pay 3 times that at least for the same food!
The other option is the small local restaurants. Usually friendly staff and great food, a step up from street food.
Money Saving Potential: Medium
Why take a taxi short distances when you can walk! And you get to see place, find some food on the way, and keep fit!
Much easier with a backpack but still possible with a suit case. We all have smart phones now so use Google Maps or Map.Me app (offline maps) and follow the blue dot!
Arriving in a new town or country and getting catching a taxi is a really good way to get ripped off before you even get to your hostel!
If you search using wifi before you leave google maps will usually tell you the public transport options. Choose the best option and when you leave wifi it stays on your phone.
One night I attempted to walk 7km from a bus stop to hostel in Namtha in Laos at 11pm. It started raining halfway and I thought I would have to sleep on someones door step in the mosquito’s. 20 mins later some awesome Chinese guys gave me a ride…a fun adventure! #lucky!
Money Saving Potential: High
Say no more! This will save you $$$$$$$$$$$!!! As long as your friends aren’t high spenders it will work. And its one of the best ways to experience a country, stay with someone who is living there. Even if they aren’t a local themselves.
Money Saving Potential: Extreme!
Hitchhiking with Graceie from Athens in Barcelona
This one is the ultimate for cheap travel. Hitchhiking is an amazing way to get around for free and meet fun local people at the same time! I once hitchhiked 12 countries in 9 days from Athens in Greece to Barcelona in Spain! Google maps tells me that 3200 free kilometers! And another time in Austria and Germany Graceie and I hitchhiked over 1000 km in one day!! Top speed was 220 km/h!
Hitchhiking does have added risk but in 8 years of doing it I have never had a problem. Just be smart. Don’t get in a car if it doesn’t feel right. And watch your maps on your phone to make sure you go the right way!
Money Saving Potential: Extreme
Previously I have used Hostelworld for booking accommodation but recently discovered Booking.com The advantages are:
Money Saving Potential: Small
Volunteering an amazing way to spend quality time in a place while experiencing the culture and giving back in ways not money related. I don’t really agree about paying for volunteering. It should be free. And there’s a million scams out there so be careful.
From talking to people I recommend going to a country and actually talk to other travellers first. They will point you in the direction of the right volunteering options.
If anyone wants to volunteer in China I know a really cool place too do so called Karstaway. Contact me below or see Karstaway.com
Another website I have written for and can recommend as being a good source of volunteering is Givingway.com
Money Saving Potential: High
I worked and Travelled in Australia for 3 months. I had an amazing time and saved $5000 USD at the same time.
Of coarse this one is obvious! Finding some work along your trip is a great way to limit spending but its actually the best way to experience a country and it people too. You don’t usually save money but you pay your way. I just worked in China for 3 months and there I actually saved money.
Places like Thailand you can easily find work in the tourism industry, bars, booking agents ect… Doesn’t pay well but remember Thailand is cheap so doesn’t matter!
Money Saving Potential: Extreme
One of the most common questions I get asked day to day is how do I travel so long? After reading my top 10 cheap travel tips I hope you can understand better how it is possible for YOU to also travel for less than $1000 a month. I actually met a Ukrainian girl Couchsurfing recently who had her money stolen in Europe and travelled for 5 weeks with just 200 Euro! Including Scandinavian countries! Now that’s another challenge….let me know how you get on…
If this was helpful please share i
What gear do you need to take: What’s in My Backpack
Antarctica: Working as an Expedition Guide in Antarctica
China: Working and Travelling in China
Please see also my Top 10 Travel Apps to make Travelling Easier!
Hi I’m Chris,
I grew up super isolated 2 long days hike from the nearest road in the wilds of South Westland, New Zealand at a place called Gorge River. We live off the land and try to be as sustainable as possible in a really unique and wild part of the world.
After leaving home I have set out to explore the world. I have been on the road since 2011 and have worked and travelled in so many incredible places including working with husky dogs in Arctic Norway and teaching extreme survival skills at -40°C in Antarctica.
Along the way I make videos for my YouTube channel. This way you can join my adventures not just around the globe but also back at home at Gorge River.
Order your signed copy of my autobiography, The Boy From Gorge River direct from the author!