As a long time non-frequent traveller, who used to believe in the power of all-inclusive, I realized
I was missing out. I was not a traveller at all, I was a mere tourist, one of the worst kind, barely
getting in touch with the local culture, if at all. One of the reasons for this was, of course, financial.
I could not afford (I thought) to travel in a more daring way, because (I thought) I’d need huge
amounts of money for that type of lifestyle. Hotels are expensive even at 3-4 stars, trains, planes,
restaurants, taxis, so much to think about and pay for. Then, I talked to one of my friends, who
travelled much more than myself and earned about the same. He gave me a few pieces of advice:
Transportation
Wherever you’re planning to go, there are several times of the year when you can get the tickets
much cheaper, and this is especially true when it comes to air travel. Yearning for some faraway
place? Get those tickets six months in advance! If direct flights are still out of your league, take a
detour via some of the smaller, cheaper companies that will get you close enough to your target.
Sometimes it’s a good idea to combine transportation. If you find a cheap flight that lands 100-
200 km off your target check for bus or train lines, they might be insanely below what you find an
acceptable fee. Also, if you’re going by train and across more than one border check if the price is the
same or less if you get the ticket to a midway station first and then one for the rest of the journey,
especially if it’s a return ticket. You might be surprised at the potential differences in price.
When it comes to transport at the destination, taxi drivers can get a bit crazy when they figure
out you’re “not from around there”. City buses and trams might actually be the cleanest, cheapest
form of transport if you give them a chance. There are usually daily and weekly tickets that allow you
free movement while significantly cutting down on ticket prices.
Accommodation
This is where it gets interesting – or should I say adventurous. Normally, cutting down on the
price of accommodation means cutting down on being comfortable. However, there are a couple of
ways to have your cake and eat it too.
One of these is to travel in groups and arrange to stay in hostels which offer group discounts.
Sharing a room with friends should not be a problem and the prices for group rooms tend to go down
quite a bit. You can use all that hard-saved cash for anything else to make your trip more memorable.
Even in small groups or pairs hostels usually offer a better price-per-service and are run by nice and
relaxed people, in my experience.
Couchsurfing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CouchSurfing#Etymology) is a valid option as well. It
requires a bit of preparation though. Joining a forum or any other type of community where you can
find out information and recommendations by other members is necessary. If you are in a position
to do so, offer your apartment up to couch surfing as well. It will be an experience that might go
either way, but meeting new and interesting, adventurous people is always a good thing. Then, after
you’ve gotten to know the type of people who do couchsurfing, you might even dare to try it out. Did
I mention it’s free?
Food
Often, when travelling you are either in a rush to see all the sights and the only quick bite you can take is somewhere disgusting like McDonalds. The other side of the coin are exclusive restaurants that usually follow the sights and where you might enjoy some great cuisine, however, you would also have to cough up a fortune.
An alternative would be looking up interesting, smaller, family restaurants in the area prior to getting there. If you’ve ever seen Anthony Burdain: No Reservations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Bourdain:_No_Reservations) you will know what I’m talking about. Good, honest food, prepared with love, for the locals and not the “tourists” – therefore, not flashy, but savoury. It never hurts trying to get some info from the people living in the area. This is where your experiences with couchsurfing might come in handy. Remember the six degrees of separation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_separation)? The smaller the city the easier it is to find people who know each other and in turn would be glad to help you out, friend of a friend.
In the end, the whole idea is to try new things. You can get a lot of information online, but eventually you will need to communicate directly to people. For some, it might require leaving their comfort zone, others might have language issues. However, it will allow you to travel cheaper. Just how much can you save up (or spend differently)? Depends how many steps into the less known you decide to take.
Olivia Still is a blogger, traveler, and marketing consultant to a number of Australian companies. Currently she is closely collaborating with Saving Money Expert.