Traveling abroad is an adventure that everyone should experience at some point in their lives. And I’m not talking about an all-inclusive stay in Cabo, where you’re shuttled from the airport and kept within the confines of a protected resort. I mean going to a place and living amongst the locals for at least a couple of weeks, stumbling through a foreign language, and learning first-hand what it feels like to be a minority.
But few people find traveling, much less traveling abroad, to be affordable. We’re here to tell you that at least two weeks can be spent in Europe, for example (generally considered to be expensive), for $2000-3000 for a couple, without much effort in saving money. With some careful planning, a trip can be much cheaper. Yum.
Below are our top five ways to save money traveling abroad:
1. Pay as Little as Possible for Flights
Searching for flights quickly kills any desire for traveling abroad. All those photos on Pinterest and Instagram stoke the flames, but when push comes to shove, a plane ticket ain’t cheap. A typical mid-summer flight from Denver to Paris typically runs $1,200-1,500 per person. Crazy right!? But why pay full fare?
As we’ve previously discussed, the game of travel rewards can have you flying across the globe for essentially free! As an example, our roundtrip flight to Frankfurt, Germany for our current trip cost $125/ticket (fees only). You read that correctly…$125. The force is strong in you to do the same.
Travel Rewards: A Brief Reminder (or Introduction)
Travel rewards involves the use of rewards credit cards to pay for all normal spending that is paid off in full each month. I know, I said credit cards — don’t close the page yet. Credit cards get a bad rap (much like the stock market) because people do bad things with them: buy more stuff than they can actually pay for. Hey, don’t do that please.
Rewards cards offer hefty sign-on bonuses for free points, and with a clear strategy, one can become “rich” in free airline and hotel points, allowing for incredibly affordable travel. That said, the use of travel rewards absolutely requires a healthy relationship with spending and credit card use, so this game is not for everyone. More information on travel rewards and how they are used is found in our introductory post here.
AwardHacker is a simple flight tracker that maximizes the use of your reward points. The only required information is origin, destination, and frequent flier programs. The website will automatically find the best use of your reward points, and flexibility in your schedule will provide the best reimbursement.
For more information on travel rewards, please visit our post on How to Fly to Europe for Free and follow the instructions at the bottom of the post. We are still offering 100% free information on travel rewards for new subscribers to this site. If you have already subscribed but are still interested, drop me a line.
2. Avoid Luxury Accommodations
Our go-to accommodation of choice is Airbnb. We feel the experience of staying in someone’s home (even if they are not there) is about as close as you can get to feeling like a local. Hotels are built in tourist or business centers, while homes are built where people live. Plus, Airbnb accommodations are often cheaper than a hotel and come with a kitchen, allowing you to cook your own meals.
Hostels
Want to go even cheaper? Check out hostels. I’ve stayed in these before, and they certainly run the gamut from total filth-bags to “hey, this is nicer than I expected!” I’ve admittedly never done the bunk-style hostels, but I’ve had some very nice nights in private room hostels with shared showers and common areas. Staying in a hostel is also a great way to be social and meet other travelers. Bring your flips flops for the shower, just in case 😉 .
Camping
Also, if traveling during hospitable times of the year, consider camping. I’ve seen some nice campgrounds in Europe, and the day rates are usually as cheap as you’ll find. You can expect to get a spot for around $15-$30 in most areas. Of course, in more remote areas, like backcountry Baja California, Mexico, free (and amazing) sea-side camping is endless. When traveling abroad these days we tend to go light and prefer a bed, so we’ve only camped a handful of times outside of the U.S.
Hotels
If you still prefer hotels, no problem! Travel rewards are still very handy here, allowing you to book with points and not your hard-earned dollars. Again, because we usually prefer to stay in an Airbnb, we use our Capital One Venture Card to retroactively erase travel-related expenses after making the purchase on that card.
3. Game Out Rental Cars
First things first, do you need a car? If exploring cities, a car is unnecessary and more likely just a pain in the ass. Public transportation is going to be much more affordable, less stressful, and a unique experience. Trains in the states just don’t cut it, do they?
Our trips tend to be more of the outdoor climbing/hiking variety in small towns and villages, so a car is generally a must. We use AutoSlash (internationally or domestically) to book car rentals. The beauty of this site is that not only does it find the most affordable rates – looking for discounts based on various memberships you might have – but it also keeps an eye out for a better rate after you’ve booked. You can re-book for free!
Note, in many international destinations, a manual transmission vehicle is much cheaper to rent. It might pay to call up Uncle Jessie and have him teach you how to drive his Trans-Am after all.
4. Get the Most out of Your Smartphone
My God, whatever you do, don’t just get off the plane and start calling, texting, and emailing all your friends and family. That next phone bill might be your last when you drop dead of a heart attack.
First off, plan on using your phone only on Wi-Fi, with few exceptions. The beauty of the world today, love it or leave it, is that we’re all connected. The internet is everywhere, and unless you are traveling to very remote locations, finding a spot with Wi-Fi won’t be a problem.
For communication, here are our primary three in order of importance when traveling abroad: Email, WhatsApp, and Skype. Email is email, hopefully we’re good there. WhatsApp is a free text messaging service that functions on Wi-Fi. Skype, while hopefully not news to you, is a video conferencing and chat service that also functions over Wi-Fi.
With our carrier, Verizon, we also enroll in a travel plan that allows use of voice, text, or data for $10/day. We use this primarily for unforeseen needs such as texting an Airbnb host or perhaps making a (rare) call. We are only charged when we are forced to use data, call, or text. This backup option keeps us from getting nailed for unexpected phone use.
But what about navigation? How do you get around while driving in a foreign country?
Offline Google Maps
Man, this might be my new favorite travel (and local) tool. Offline maps can be downloaded any time on Wi-Fi, allowing for directions and even navigation offline. We’ve driven hundreds of miles, with that computer woman as our trusted navigator, without using a single kilobyte of data!
Traffic information is not displayed real-time, but hey, it’s a small price to pay. We even use this service at home, allowing for a greatly reduced data plan for our cell phones. All offline maps expire after 30 days, but can be downloaded again on Wi-Fi. Boo-ya!
5. Live Like a Local When Traveling Abroad
Last, and perhaps most importantly, is to simply act like you live there. When you’re at home, do you go bungee-jumping, eat a $200 meal on a sunset cruise, have a guided city tour on horseback, and get three massages all in four days? Of course not, that’s ridiculous. Well, avoiding that sort of indulgence when traveling abroad allows for more travel.
I know, you’re on a vacation you say. But I’m standing firm on this one. Not only can you save buckets of money, but there’s really something wonderfully unique about roaming the streets, hiking the trails, (and in my case) climbing in new areas…and it’s free!
Furthermore, you should ask yourself if the expensive activity is something truly unique to the destination. Are you paying a premium for something you could do at home under the premise of “vacation” when traveling abroad?
Sure, we might pay to hit a museum and we’ll certainly grab an occasional meal out, but we try and live mostly like we do at home with only a handful of luxuries. Shop for groceries, and cook most of your own meals, using local ingredients and hopefully eating in a way that mimics the place you’ve found yourself.
Other than total bucket-list items, which are fine, avoid overly touristy areas. Crowds suck, and you’ll generally find everything to be more expensive and watered-down anyway.
Summary
These are a few big tips for saving thousands, if not tens of thousands, on traveling abroad. There are certainly more tips, including traveling during the off-season and avoiding holidays.
It’s worth noting that travel rewards are a huge part of our game plan. We book flights and some accommodations with accrued points (e.g. Chase Ultimate Rewards). We also retroactively erase all other travel related expenses with flex spending cards like the Capital One Venture Card. This simple process erases thousands of dollars without limiting the experience.
As usual, building a healthy relationship around money has infinite benefits in our lives. Instead of living a life of deprivation, you can travel more than you’ve ever done before! And we can help you get started.
What other ways allow you to travel for cheap?