Tips for Budget World Travel

Why do we love to travel? Because travel excites our senses. Everything is fresh, we are experiencing wonderful new places and making intriguing new acquaintances at every turn. Every journey becomes a learning experience, teaching us about ourselves and the fascinating world in which we live. Travel makes us feel alive.

But as much as we love to travel – as much time as we spend dreaming about the wonderful journeys we would like to make – the reality is that it can be very expensive. And if you don’t have a high-paying job or a trust fund, it’s easy to feel discouraged. You might think you’d have to save for years to take one overseas vacation. Or you might think the excitement of world travel is not within your reach at all. But the truth is – almost anyone can afford worldtravel! There are a few shortcuts and some little-known resources which can open up endless possibilities for affordable international journeys. Following are some tips and resources which can help you become inspired. You may soon be able to start planning the trip that could change your life forever!

Your Choice of Destination:

Your ultimate choice of travel destination has a lot to do with how much you’ll have to spend. Obviously, a trip to Paris can cost a bit more than a vacation in Guatemala. Some lesser developed countries lend themselves to budget travel, just because the cost of living there is so low to begin with. For example, it is possible to travel in Central America or Thailand very cheaply, without even really trying. Private hotel rooms with an in-room bath can be had for $8 per night, an entire day of bus travel can cost less than $5, and the price of a very filling hot dinner may average less than $4! So, consider this when calculating your total trip costs. If you’re able to find a great bargain airfare to a very inexpensive destination, your trip is guaranteed to cost you very little.

Courier Flights:

Courier flights are one of the absolute best ways to travel cheaply. You can get spectacular deals on overseas flights – discounts of up to 85%, and sometimes even free! (And you can often rack up frequent flyer miles while doing it.) Most flights depart from larger cities such as New York, Miami, L.A., Chicago, etc., so you may have to factor in the cost of a bus or commuter flight – but at these fares, you’ll still save a bundle! Flexibility in your travel plans comes in handy, as the closer you are to your planned departure date, the cheaper the fares. The one thing you will have to give up is checked baggage – you will be allowed only carry-on luggage. Here’s the story:

Many companies need to transport their goods in the quickest way possible. When they are shipped as freight, the packages are often delayed in customs, sometimes as long as several

days. By hiring a courier to escort the packages (in place of checked baggage), they arrive quickly, safely, and without delay. Your only responsibility as a courier is to carry a document envelope with you on board the plane, which you will turn over to the company’s representative on the arrival end of your flight.

Another drawback is that it is usually not possible to guarantee two courier flights at the same time, so traveling with a companion presents some difficulty. What some travelers regularly do is to book separate flights to the same destination, arriving within a few hours (or days) of each other.

It is possible to contact courier companies directly, but by far the easiest method is to join an organization which keeps track of hundreds of available courier options. You pay an annual fee, and are provided with continual access (by phone or Internet) to all available flights, to all destinations. The best part is that you’ll have access to those last minute deals – flights departing within the week – which can go for less than $100 round trip, or possibly even free. It is possible to plan courier flights well in advance, but keep in mind that the closer you are to the departure date, the more money you’ll save.

âÂ?¢ International Association of Air Travel Couriers – www.courier.org

âÂ?¢ Air Courier Association – www.aircourier.org

“Space Available” Flights:

There are two “stand-by services”, which can save you hundreds of dollars on flights to major cities in Europe, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean. This option works best for travelers who are flexible as far as exact travel dates, and exact destination cities. You purchase a flight pass from the company, specifying your departure location, preferred destination city, and a window of time (a few days) during which you wish to fly. You then either call in, or log in online to check the available flight options. If none of them suit your needs, you can choose to wait – or if there is a suitable flight, you’ll confirm, and proceed to the airport on that date. You’ll register as stand-by for that flight, and if all goes well, you’ll be on your way to an exciting destination! When it’s time to come home, the system works the same way – there are contact numbers in the countries you’ll be visiting. Both companies claim high success rates in finding flights for their customers – over 90% of customers complete satisfactory flights. If they are unable to match you with a suitable flight, they will offer you a refund.

âÂ?¢ AirTech – www.airtech.com

âÂ?¢ AirHitch – www.airhitch.org

Consolidators:

If your schedule isn’t flexible enough for a stand-by or courier flight, you may want to buy an

airline ticket through a consolidator. You’ll often still be able to save several hundred dollars over published fares. A consolidator is an organization which buys blocks of tickets at a time directly from the airline, at a considerable discount. They then re-sell the tickets at a lower price than the airlines would advertise. You can purchase consolidator tickets through most travel agents (though you’ll have to ask for them specifically), or you can deal directly with the companies yourself. (You’ll see their small ads in the travel section of your Sunday newspaper, and many have their own websites.) But bear in mind – it is best to get quotes from several different agencies, as prices can vary considerably. (And it is definitely worth contacting an airline directly, or consulting websites such as Travelocity or Expedia – sometimes “price wars” can drop prices below the consolidator fares!)

Frequent Flyer Programs:

It may seem like an obvious way to save money, but all too often travelers miss opportunities to earn and use air miles in frequent flyer programs.

Each day there are more and more opportunities to rack up miles. In addition to the obvious paid flights, you can now earn miles by using an airline-sponsored credit card (you can put everything on it, including groceries), by using rental car companies who have an affiliation with an airline, by staying in certain hotels, etc. Don’t miss an opportunity to take advantage of these programs.

Also bear in mind that it is sometimes possible to buy extra miles from frequent flyer programs – for example, if you are only a thousand miles away from a free ticket, you might be able to pay just a few cents per mile for the ones you need – your ticket could end up costing you just $30 or so!

Hostels:

Almost every budget traveler will find himself making use of the world’s extensive hostel network at some point. There are over 5000 hostels worldwide, in 70 countries, and rates are

undoubtedly cheap – often as low as $8 or $10 per night. Hostels offer dormitory-style lodging, usually (but not always!) with separate quarters for men and women. There can be as few as 2 beds per room, or as many as a dozen. Bathrooms are shared, and many hostels offer a shared kitchen area as well. You are usually required to provide your own towels, as well as linens or a “sleep sack” (sleeping bags are usually not allowed). Blankets are most often provided.

Hostels are commonly referred to as “youth” hostels, but they are no longer just for youths (with the exception of some hostels in the region of Bavaria, Germany.) You will encounter people of all ages – from families with children to senior citizens – while staying at hostels. An added bonus of hostel travel is meeting fellow travelers from all corners of the world. Ideas and information are exchanged, and often lifelong friendships are made. You’ll find hostels to be an invaluable resource for travel information – and most have message boards for travelers to post information on tours, ride shares, and more.

The largest hostelling organization is called Hostelling International (which is affiliated with the International Youth Hostel Federation), and membership will afford you the cheapest rates in hostels worldwide, as well as discounts on many tours and other activities. You’ll want to join this organization, which can provide you with information guides on hostels in the U.S.A., Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Not every hostel is a member, but a very large number are.

âÂ?¢ Hostelling International – www.hihostels.com

� The Internet Guide to Hostelling www.hostels.com

Pensions & B&B’s:

If the community environment of a hostel is not your cup of tea, you might consider a pension or bed and breakfast. Unlike bed and breakfast lodgings in the U.S. (which can be fairly pricey), they can be fairly inexpensive overseas. Rooms are private, but often have a shared bath. Breakfast is often included. Room rates vary considerably, but can start as low as $20-$25 in some areas. If you are traveling with a companion, pensions and B&B’s can work out quite economically. The best bet for locating them is to check out a budget travel guide.

Hosting:

Believe it or not, there is a way to stay overnight – absolutely FREE – worldwide! It’s called

“hosting”. There are organizations who match up travelers with people who wish to offer free lodging in their homes. The “hosts” are usually people who share your passion for travel, and by offering their hospitality, they are in return able to make use of the service during their own travels. Although most organizations require that you reciprocate and put yourself on the list of potential future hosts, not all services require even this small effort. Hosting is a great way to make new friends, learn more about a new country, and experience a foreign culture from the inside. Following are 3 hosting organizations:

âÂ?¢ Hospitality Club – www.hospitalityclub.org

âÂ?¢ Hospitality Exchange – http://www.hospex.net

âÂ?¢ Servas – www.servas.org

Home Exchange:

Home Exchange is similar to hosting in that you enter into a reciprocal agreement to offer your home to others, but with one difference – you stay in each other’s homes during the same time period. Obviously, this would only work if you’re planning on staying in one location for a length of time, usually longer than one week. (Not that this is a negative – staying put allows you to really get to know a city and culture……) Often the exchange will include use of the family car, which can save you a good bit of money on transportation costs. There are organizations which arrange this sort of trade:

âÂ?¢ Homelink – www.homelink.org

âÂ?¢ Home Exchange – www.homeexchange.com

âÂ?¢ Intervac – www.intervac.com

Tours:

Organized tours are almost never the cheapest method of travel, but they do have some important redeeming qualities. You are generally treated to the best an area has to offer, making use of the prior knowledge your guide has acquired. You’ll spend less time doing research on an area, and you’ll usually have a good idea of what type of trip it will be. You’ll meet other travelers from all over the world, possibly creating lifelong friendships. And – last but not least – there are certain areas of the world which are more easily and safely traveled in an organized group (such as remote areas of Africa, South and Central America, the Middle East, etc.) There are several companies which are geared toward the budget traveler, offering overland travel options from one week to 37 weeks. (Remember, your overnight accommodation and daily transportation are included in their rates….) These tours generally involve camping or hostels, and the members of the group most often handle their own food arrangements, or contribute to a daily food kitty. These companies are able to offer tours in surprisingly remote areas of the world.

âÂ?¢ Dragoman Adventure Travel – www.dragoman.co.uk

âÂ?¢ Guerba World Travel – www.guerba.co.uk

âÂ?¢ Green Tortoise – www.greentortoise.com

âÂ?¢ Absolute Africa – www.absoluteafrica.com

Train Travel:

It may not always be the cheapest method of land travel, but you can’t beat the convenience of passenger trains. They connect many areas of the globe, departing frequently from centrally located stations. They are usually comfortable, reasonably fast, and if you can plan some overnight travel you’ll save on lodging costs. You can often purchase tickets at a cheaper second class fare (which is usually at least 30% cheaper than first class), or if you’ll be doing extensive traveling, you might want to purchase a rail pass. Consult your guidebook for train availability and pricing in your country of destination.

Buses:

Buses are the budget traveler’s best friend. They go to places which trains can and cannot reach – in fact many countries are better served by bus systems. You’ll almost always find that bus travel is the cheapest option, no matter where in the world you find yourself. In third world countries, not only is it usually your only option, but it can be almost ridiculously cheap. (A full day of bus travel can cost less than $5.) Even in other, more developed countries, buses can be quite reasonable. In addition to purchasing bus tickets as you go, there are options in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand for special passes and budget-priced bus tours:

âÂ?¢ Busabout – www.busabout.com

âÂ?¢ Oz Experience – www.ozexperience.com

âÂ?¢ Kiwi Experience – www.kiwiexperience.com

Car Rental:

If you are traveling with a group of people, renting a car can be an economical option. You’ll have to remember that that means dealing with insurance, international driver’s licenses, fuel costs, and parking – but it does add freedom and flexibility to your itinerary. Shop around for the best rates, as they vary tremendously between companies.

Ride Shares:

It is often possible to locate fellow travelers who have a car and are looking for passengers to help share in the expenses. Message boards in hostels are great for this purpose – this is yet another way to meet people from around the world, and share in an adventure you would not have otherwise been a part of.

There are also organizations throughout Europe which can match up drivers with travelers who need a ride and will share in the travel costs along the way. They keep listings of desired departure dates and destinations to help the driver and the passenger find each other.

âÂ?¢ Bug Ride – http://Europe.bugride.com

âÂ?¢ Eurostop – www.eurostop.be

âÂ?¢ Hitchhikers – www.hitchhikers.org

Having discussed the options for ride shares, it is also important to address the issue of safety. Even if a driver is found through an agency, you’ll still have to rely on your own instincts to decide if you feel comfortable with the situation. When in doubt – spend the extra cash for a bus or train. It’s worth the peace of mind.

Volunteer and Working Vacations:

If you have the time and inclination, there are several options out there for working and volunteering worldwide. It can be extremely rewarding to place yourself on the inside of a community, to work side by side with others, and live within a different culture. Following are some resources:

âÂ?¢ Transitions Abroad – www.transitionsabroad.com

âÂ?¢ Working Abroad – www.workingabroad.com

âÂ?¢ Caretaker Gazette – www.caretaker.org

Cruise Ships:

Cruise ship employment is often available on a seasonal basis, as well as part time and full time. Cruises sail to such destinations as Mexico, the Caribbean, Alaska, Bermuda, Hawaii, and Europe, and as a crew member your food and accommodation are free. There are several books on this topic, as well as several websites (but beware of those which charge a high “application fee”):

âÂ?¢ Cruise Job Finder – www.cruisejobfinder.com

Language Schools:

Another very affordable way to become immersed in another country’s culture is to attend a language school. The most inexpensive courses are in Spanish, and schools can be located in almost every Central American country. Prices can start as low as $150 per week, which includes everything – lodging with a local family, all your meals, and four hours of one-on-one Spanish lessons every weekday. You can find numerous listings of schools on the Internet, and it is helpful to consult your guidebook for more detailed information on schools in a particular area – including evaluations and recommendations from other students.

Guidebooks:

You will find that your guidebook will become your best friend while traveling. It will tell you the best (and cheapest) places to stay, and how to locate them. It will tell you the local history of an area, as well as offer cultural information. It will point out attractions and landmarks which you may want to experience, and tell you about local markets and festivals. It will discuss the health and safety concerns in an area, and inform you about entry and exit requirements. It will teach you about local flora and fauna, and tell you about special tours in the region. It will include maps, and information on your best options for traveling around an area. It will become invaluable.

Different travelers are loyal to different guidebook series, and there are several out there to choose from. Before choosing a guide, visit your local bookstore and thumb through a few to see which is to your liking. Different guides tend to target different travel budgets, so keep that in mind as well. There are good budget guidebook companies which offer guides for every corner of the Earth. They include: Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Moon Travel Guides, and Let’s Go. The Adventurous Traveler Bookstore (www.adventuroustraveler.com) is a good resource for guidebooks as well as maps.

Health and Safety:

When planning a trip to a foreign country, you’ll want to be sure to check out the current political and health situation there, as well as entry and exit requirements (including visas). Vaccines are required or recommended before entering many regions, so you’ll need to access this information in advance.

âÂ?¢ The Center for Disease Control (CDC) – www.cdc.gov

âÂ?¢ The US State Department – www.state.gov

Currency Exchange:

One of the most confusing things about world travel is currency exchange. It’s a good idea to get comfortable with the exchange rate of the countries you’re visiting before you go. When exchanging money upon arrival, the most expensive place to do so is usually the airport currency exchange booths – they generally charge a hefty fee. Your best bet is to use an ATM (if the country you are visiting has them – find this out in advance), or to exchange a only a small amount at the airport exchange booth in order to cover you for a day or two. (You then have time to make your way to a bank later to exchange a larger amount of cash or traveler’s checks.)

Food:

It may seem like an unimportant topic to mention when discussing budget travel, but the cost of food can have a big impact on your overall travel costs. If you are eating out at every meal – even in a less-expensive travel destination, your daily meal costs can easily add up to $15 or more – which can be more than the cost of your overnight accommodations! By keeping a bottle of water with you, and eating out no more than once a day, you can cut down your expenses considerably. Some foods that travel well without needing refrigeration include: breads, hard cheeses, fruits, dried fruits, peanut butter, granola bars, crackers, cured meats such as beef jerky, and trail mix (you can mix your own, using nuts, seeds, dried fruits, semisweet chocolate, etc.) If you’re staying in one place for a while, at a hostel or other lodging which provides access to a refrigerator, obviously you can expand your food supplies considerably.

Depending on what area of the world you’re traveling in, you might also make use of the street vendors in cities or villages, or at local outdoor markets. Food sold at these stands tends to be quite reasonably priced, as well as giving you another opportunity to sample the native fare. (A word of caution – when traveling in 3rd world countries you’ll have to make your own judgment call on the cleanliness of such operations. A stomach bug while traveling can be a miserable thing!)

Packing:

What you pack doesn’t necessarily have much to do with saving money, but it sure does have a lot to do with how much you enjoy your trip! You no doubt already know this, but the key to avoiding luggage stress is this: PACK LIGHT! It takes some practice to really get good at it, but it makes such a big difference in the overall stress level of any trip. Not having to worry about storing and lugging around a big heavy suitcase frees you up to relax and enjoy your surroundings.

Clothing tends to be the culprit when it comes to over packing, so that’s the first place you’ll want to cut back. You will have access to either laundry facilities or a sink throughout your travels, and it is simple to wash out shirts, pants, and undergarments as you go. If you’re traveling to a destination which has cool weather, layering is the best option – leave the heavy, bulky clothing at home.

Everyone has his/her own luggage preference, but an excellent choice for budget travel is a soft bag which converts from a regular-looking travel bag with a handle and shoulder strap, into a full backpack with a padded hip belt. It’s easier to use than a regular top-loading backpack, plus all the straps tuck safely away for checking on airplanes. It’s very comfortable to carry, for those long walks from the train station to the hostel. Many types even have a zip-off daypack, which is convenient for day excursions. But whichever type of bag you choose, it should be comfortable to carry, not too large (5000 cubic inches or less), and have the ability to be locked with a small padlock.

With the information and resources above, you now have some very useful tools to help you plan the adventure of a lifetime – and to prevent you from going broke in the process. Remember – almost anyone can become a world traveler if he/she so desires. And consider the following advice from Mr. Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”