Budget Globetrotting

Mostar, Bosnia Herzegonvia; Isle of Capri, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia

10 tips for the budget traveller

My friend Bec is currently in planning mode for her 6-9 month journey of a lifetime, so naturally the topic of conversation is – how the hell do I make my money last? I managed to stretch $12K over 5 months across Europe, the Middle East and Asia so I think I’ve become quite the skilled practitioner in budget travel. One thing before you even leave Australian shores is not to get roped into the biggest scam by travel agents… aka the under 25 discount cards / student cards. Don’t bother, save yourself $100, they aren’t accepted in most places anyway.

1. Give yourself a budget each day, if you go over one day make sure you factor this into the next. And don’t think that if you saved 10 euro today, that you can splurge tomorrow… that extra cash will be needed down the track. $12K over 5 months is $85 a day, but considering ‘incidentals’ I budgeted $50 a day – it was tough in Europe but a breeze in Thailand. I never really missed out on anything either, but maybe that’s because my fun was sought through cliff jumping, people watching and losing myself in walking adventures.
2. Pasta and tomato sauce will become your best friend; have a late breakfast and an early dinner so you only need two meals a day – hey if I can do it, anyone can! Also, the markets are a great place to snack.
3. Book late flights when country hopping and sleep at the airport saving you one night’s accommodation. It’s the safest place to be and you don’t lose exploration time either.
4. Consider the bus between cities; you can get crazy cheap prices sometimes. Flights between Paris and Amsterdam were upwards of 80 euro, the train was 40 euro and the bus was 10 euro. Totally worth it and really only a couple of hours longer. Never book a flight that departs before 10am – chances are you’ll have a blow out on your last night and miss it, I talk from experience.
5. Enter the world of couch surfing – If you’re cautious of the language barrier don’t be concerned, there are a lot of Australians living in Europe who love to lend their couch to other aussies. My friend actually fell in love with her host, and although they are now continents apart, they’re still going strong.
6. Buy a tent and camp where you can – obviously only relevant for globetrotting in those summer months.
7. Use your network – That person you met AGES ago who you promised you’d keep in touch with but never have is sitting static on your Facebook. Most people are willing to offer a couch even to those they’ve met in a fleeting moment. Don’t be shy to ask, I never was and it made my trip so much more interesting from a local’s perspective and grown those friendships 10 fold! It was also probably the biggest saver.
8. I was in countries like Germany, Austria, Spain and Czech and purchased a train ticket without knowing that it needed validating on the little yellow machine on the platform. This actually proved to be a huge saver as the one time I was picked up on it, I honestly didn’t know and they let me off. “What? I purchased the ticket from an attendant, and they didn’t tell me to validate it!?”
9. These boots were made for walking – who needs public buses, tuk tuks, hitch hiking or taxis? Lose that Heathrow injection and start walking!
10. If packing for a ski trip, wrap clothing around your skis or snowboards. You’ll be protecting your equipment and cutting down on the number of bags you have to pack.

One last tip and probably the most important – Don’t treat those guide books like the bible, the best advice you’ll get is through word of mouth from friends who’ve been there!

Does anyone have any to add?