Top Tips for Budget Travel — the World Travel Hackers’ Guide

Money-saving tricks, how to stay within your budget, eating and drinking on the cheap, finding low-cost travel and free attractions: find out how our previous World Travel Hackers traveled the world as economically as possible

When you have to travel the world and complete challenges by spending as little as possible, you’re bound to learn a thing or two about budgeting, money-saving and getting the most out of the cash you’ve got. So what advice can our World Travel Hackers give our 2024 competitors — and you as a travel lover?

Eat locally

This was a universal answer. “Skip the tourist traps and opt for authentic street food or local markets, where you can enjoy delicious meals at a fraction of the cost” says Rafail.

Miles agrees: “Talk to the locals and they’ll generally point you in the right direction. Singapore had my favorite meal I think. It was a nice barbecue-style place and we had beautiful brisket with miso-roasted potatoes and lychee beer, the best beer I have ever had by far. Absolute local secret.”

Do your research

Seems obvious, but it can save money, reduce stress and give you a more rounded experience overall. Bianca: “find out what you can do for free in every destination, it makes such a difference.”

Thanasis agrees, saying that “many destinations offer free or low-cost attractions, such as parks, museums with free admission days, or guided walking tours. Take advantage of these opportunities to explore without breaking the bank.”

Don’t be afraid to slum it

“Be flexible with your accommodation: consider alternative lodging options like hostels, guesthouses, or couchsurfing, which are more budget-friendly” is Thanasis’ advice. This goes for food and drink as well.

“Hostels and homestays might offer somewhere to prepare food, which is great if you’re traveling the next day. Buy the basics and do a bit of prep” says Miles.

Be flexible

Another common theme was flexibility; you might not know when the best deals will arrive. Rafail offers advice on both traveling and finding a place to stay: “booking accommodation in advance while being open to last-minute deals can result in significant savings. Avoiding peak tourist seasons can lead to significant savings on flights, accommodation and attractions. Plus, you’ll get to experience destinations without the crowds. That’s something we didn’t get during our summer trip and that we really missed.”

Book with Kiwi.com

Of course! Amin basically lists the features that helped him and Nathan save money on flights. “The Search to: Anywhere feature on Kiwi.com (as well as the ability to meld that with specific flight times). NOMAD for finding the cheapest multi-city routes available. Self transfer, meaning Kiwi.com can create routes involving airlines that wouldn’t normally cooperate, opening up more low-cost travel connections.”

Quickfire tips

As well as the above advice, we asked a selection of our 2023 World Travel Hackers — Amin and Nathan, Kat and Cezary, Bianca and Miles, and Rafail and Thanasis — for their one-line money-saving tricks… and here they are!

• Put anything you don’t spend from your daily budget into a saving account
• Get insurance. On a long trip, anything can happen and it’s cheaper in the long run to do this than spend a fortune replacing that hard drive / phone / laptop
• Learn the local rules about bargaining and haggling and don’t be afraid to get involved
• Don’t splurge on pricey meals: it’s a very temporary thrill
• Use public transport as much as possible. It’s the cheapest way to discover a city, get your bearings and interact with people
• Cut down on the alcohol! In some places it’s insanely expensive
• Be a good influence on each other: do you really need this pricey thing / place to stay / experience? If not, help each other find a nice alternative

Budget items

Finally, what were the travel items our World Travel Hackers discovered they couldn’t live without on their global adventure?

Cezary: “Insect repellant!”

Kat: “A decent phone.”

Miles: “A sturdy backpack. Don’t scrimp on something you’ll be carrying your life around in.”

Bianca: “Cheap, disposable cameras. Available everywhere and they take the cutest pictures!”

Rafail: “Charger, reusable water bottle”

Nathan: “Power bank and social skills.”

Amin: “Nathan!”