Got Wanderlust? Here's How You Travel The World On A Tight Budget

Your late teens and early twenties are arguably the best time for traveling. College breaks, gap years, and the lack of major responsibilities may offer you the time, but lack of funds and resources may force you to squander the opportunities. 

While its true that many of your non-famous, favorite Instagrammers have families and jobs that allow them to globe-trot whenever they want. There are others that manage it with budgeting, smart-thinking, and sheer determination. 

Getting the experience to travel all over the world, seeing new and exciting places, eating amazing food, and basking in different cultures, that's what traveling is all about. None of those things require excess luxury or bucketloads of money if you have the right tools. 

Traveling on the right budget of a college student or young professional definitely isn't easy, but it isn't impossible either. It requires the ability to be flexible, the willingness to be open to new experiences, a bit of savvy thinking, and these great tips!

1. ​Find Cheap Transportation

If you're looking to travel anywhere more than a few hours away from your home, flying is probably your best option. While it's typically the quickest and most convenient way to get from point A to point B, id definitely isn't the cheapest. 

Use sites like SkyScanner to help you find the cheapest flights or car rentals across the board. Booking your flights with your credit card is also a great way to rack up miles that will help you fly cheaply, or even freely, in the future. 

ProTip: Instead of booking a round-trip flight, book two one way flights there and back. This method may not save you tons of money but it may be enough to cover the prices of taxes, checked bags, and even ridiculously priced airport food. 

2. Stay Away From Luxury Lodgings

Traveling while on a budget often means that you have to let go of certain preconceived notions about what it means to travel well. This means no 5-star hotels or luxury lodgings. If you aren't comfortable staying at cheaper hotels, you can always stay in youth hostels or AirBnB's for the same amount of comfort but much more reasonable prices. 

3. Travel In Off Seasons

Each destination has its own on-season. Beaches are extremely popular in both the summer and the winter, while places that get cold are visited in warmer seasons. A great way to save on everything from flights, to lodgings, to food is to travel when tourism is at a low. 

This does require a little bit of research and forward planning but the experiences you'll have and the money you'll save are more than worth it. 

4. Be Flexible

Of course there are places you'll want to see that are extremely popular. Paris, Rome, etc. but it is also important to remember that these places are more expensive because they're so popular. 

Think about the city you live in, it may not be new or exciting to you, but to someone visiting for the first time, there are endless things to discover and new experiences to be had. 

Find small cities France and Italy that are a little less traveled. They may not have the same iconic landmarks but they'll be just as memorable. 

5. Make The Most Out Of A Single trip

Many experienced travelers, especially those that have visiting tons of places, say that fitting many travels into a single trip is the best way to get the most of of your experience. 

If you're looking to travel through Europe, remember that their train system allows for cheap, relatively fast travel between countries. Even if you're only traveling for a week or two, don't just stay in one place the entire time. Get as much bang for your buck as possible. 

6. Give Yourself A Spending Limit

We're sure you understand how bad going over budget can be, but when you're traveling, overspending can be especially awful. While you don't need to keep yourself from buying souvenirs or doing a little light shopping, remember that your experiences aren't measured in the physical things you take home with you, but in the memories you've made. 

7. Stay Far Away From Tourist Traps

This one is definitely tricky. Everyone deserves to visit the Eiffel tower and The Leaning Tower of Pisa at least once. There are certain things that you just have to experience for yourself. But there are others you should stay far away from. Avoid tourist traps that require ons of money and stick to free attractions. Free museum dates, city guides, and things like that are your best friends when it comes to traveling on a budget. 

Source: Got Wanderlust? Here's How You Travel The World On A Tight Budget