Travel Blog
nomads experience By- Nitesh Maheshwari
. y s a E d n a p ea
h C – l Trave
Don’t be shock! It’s true. So the focus of today’s “you don’t need to be rich to travel” reminder is to discuss all the ways you can travel for virtually free. You don’t need a lot of money to begin. Even if you don’t earn a lot or have debt, there are ways to go overseas still. If you feel that no matter what you do you will never get ahead by saving money, follow this guide to ultimate travel frugality and see the world on the ultra-cheap:
Work overseas — Not making enough money at your job? Why not get a job overseas? There are plenty of opportunities in the world as long as you aren’t picky and after all, this isn’t a career you are starting, it’s just a way to earn money for travel. Here are some jobs you can get to pay the bills and fund your travels: • Au pair • Bartender • Hostel worker • Waitress/waiter
• Farm worker • Dive instructor (some certification required) • Tour guide • Cruise ship worker • Casino worker • Seasonal worker at ski resorts • Yacht worker Working overseas often gets discounted as an option because it seems hard to do. It’s not. Just be open.
Teach English overseas — One of the best ways to make money for travel is to teach English overseas. You can make a lot of money teaching — I replenished my travel funds while working in Thailand, and I have had friends leave South Korea with tens of thousands of dollars in the bank. All you need is the ability to speak English fluently and maybe a TEFL degree, depending on the country you work in. The world is yearning for teachers, and this is a job in high demand; many companies in Asia will even pay for your flight over.
Stay with locals for free– There are many services that connect travelers with locals who are willing to let them stay with them for FREE. Using this site, you will never have to pay for accommodation. Years ago I read about a guy who traveled for years while only Couchsurfing. I’ve used this service about 10 times and always meet amazing people. Sometimes you get a room, sometimes a couch, sometimes an air mattress, but it’s always free. There are also local Couchsurfing group meet-ups that can help you make friends in your new city. Moreover, because of the rise of the sharing economy in the last few years there are now websites that let you not only stay with locals but share rides, meals, train tickets, gear, and much more! These websites not only save you a TON of money but they also get you off the tourist track and into the local life. Win-win!
Using the sharing economy – You can find cheaper accommodation, quirky tour guides, rideshare options, and home-cooked meals with local chefs. You can bypass the traditional travel industry with sharing economy websites and gain access to locals using their own assets and skills to become small tourism companies with cheaper prices. Moreover, locals know where to find deals. They know which supermarket is cheapest, which stores offer the best sales, and where to find the hole-in-the-wall restaurants and bars with the tastiest food at the lowest prices. Talking directly to them gives you access to that knowledge. These websites have changed the travel game and made travel more accessible for everyone. The sharing economy has been around for years (Couchsurfing was founded in 2003 and Airbnb in 2008), but became mainstream last year and will only continue to grow. Here are some of my favorite websites: Airbnb (accommodation) Vayable (tours) BlaBlaCar (ridesharing) EatWith (meals)
Hitchhike — A free way to get around destinations that is relatively safe and quite common in many parts of the world, including Central America, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Free walking tours — Want to learn about the city, get your bearings, and see the major sights? Take a free walking tour. You can find them in 90% of the major cities in Europe, and there are also a few in large Asian cities, South America, New York, Australia, and New Zealand. To find these tours, ask the local tourist office, your hostel staff (or just walk into a hostel and ask about them), or Google “Free walking tour (city name).”
House-sit — Can’t afford your vacation? Watch someone’s house while they go on theirs. You can sign up for one of the sites below and watch people’s homes for free, allowing you to stay in one destination for a while and get to know it well without having to pay for accommodation. Added bonus: you get a kitchen to cook your food (which saves you even more money.
Cook your meals — The best way to save money on the road is to cook all your own meals. If you are Couchsurfing, your host will probably have a kitchen, as do many hostels, campsites, and guesthouses. No kitchen? Pack your own container and silverware and make some sandwiches and salads on the go. Not every meal requires a stove right? Just because you are traveling, it doesn’t mean you need to eat out every meal. You won’t ruin your trip to Paris if you decide not to eat out one day! There’s simply no reason to be spending lots of money on food on your trip!
Get rail passes — Booking ahead of time can usually save you about 50% of the cost of a train ticket, but if you don’t want to be tied into a fixed schedule, rail passes can save you a lot of money. I’ve saved hundreds in Europe, and in Australia, a train pass saves a whopping 70%.
Sleep in large dorms — Large hostel dorm rooms are the cheapest paid accommodation out there. If Couchsurfing isn’t your thing, this is your next best way to save money on a place to sleep.
Use student and other discount cards — Are you a student, teacher, or under 26? Welcome to the world of 50%-off attractions and a plethora of discounts. Get a student/teacher/youth card and save big!
Get city tourist cards — If you plan on seeing a lot of sights in a city, you should get a city tourism card, which offers you discounted and free access to the major attractions and museums, as well as free public transportation.They are an amazing way to save money on attractions that not enough people use. Between all of these tips, you’ll be able to travel for relatively little money. If I can do it, you can do it too. Whether two months, two years, or just two-week vacations, travel doesn’t need to cost a huge sum of money. The key is to get out of the mindset that you must travel using the flight/hotel combination. Using out-of-the-box, nontraditional ways to travel can lead to big savings. And that turns travel from a dream into a reality.