⚓Discover My 8 tips for cheaper travel! [tested and approved]

We often dream of faraway and heavenly destinations, but ultimately, and for many of us, the determining factor in organizing a trip is the PRICE! It is therefore important to know how to travel cheaper so you don't spend your entire annual budget on a single long weekend.

Know that I have a family, our monthly income is not princely, and yet we manage to travel many months each year, without digging into our savings (who am I?)!

So you too, go smart and travel inexpensively! Low cost, last minute vacations, best prices, good deals, economical destinations… I reveal 8 of my best tips, taken from my eBook “36 tips for much cheaper travel".

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(PDF • 30 pages • 7 Mo)

Travel cheaper in off-peak periods

It is tip number 1, and probably the most basic! Of course, the condition is to be able to travel when you want. The prices are sometimes up to 6x cheaper in low season than in high season. If possible, avoid school holiday periods, long weekends or public holidays. And in addition, you will avoid the crowds and you will gain peace of mind.

For exemple, renting a mobile home in Spain on the Costa Brava (chosen at random) will cost € 1344 in August, while the same accommodation is offered at € 220 in June or September, i.e. 84% less! All you have to do is negotiate with your boss (or your child's mistress) to go off the hook.

Where can I find the cheapest prices?

Above all, always check and compare prices before booking.

If you are not set precisely on the destination, you can follow private sales (at Voyage Privé, Idiliz, or Very Chic) to find a really inexpensive trip. To make themselves known or to sell their unsold items, some destinations can indeed offer significant reductions over a limited period. But be careful to read the sales conditions carefully before booking.

To take advantage of the best possible price on a trip, and if you are a bit of a gamer, do not hesitate to wait until the day before the desired date for your departure. Some tour operators specializing in last minute trips (like Last Minute) have new offers every day! But be careful, it doesn't work all the time or on all types of trips.

Read also : Holidays at the last minute: where to buy cheaper?

Knowing how to search and negotiate on Airbnb

The rental of accommodation between individuals has largely democratized in recent years, especially with the arrival of the Airbnb juggernaut. Renting an apartment offers many advantages in order to be able to travel for less. Note that owners often offer special offers for longer periods (1 week, 1 month): so be on the lookout for these accommodations.

I've had jusqu'à 70% de remise by switching to the monthly rate on Airbnb. It is therefore sometimes cheaper to go for 4 weeks instead of 3 (it is not always logical I know). Same thing when I go 5-6 days, I also simulate a full week: it sometimes costs less, even if I leave before the end of my reservation.

And before booking, always try to negotiate. This works more than half the time, especially if you go in low season, and you contact the accommodation a few days before the date: the owner will then have little choice but to accept your offer (or to do not rent their apartment).

Renting out your accommodation during your vacation

Finally, know that you too can rent out your own accommodation during your vacation. This allows you to generate income while you are not there, and thus finance your next trip. An excellent solution to travel much cheaper! You can easily create your Airbnb host account here and start registering your apartment to earn money on your next trip.

And traveling could even become profitable! ?

Exchange your house and save the housing budget

Home swapping is really cheap, just a little bit of trust (read the testimonials)! And no need to be an owner: tenants also have the right to exchange their home. As it is not always easy to find an exchange on the same dates, platforms like HomeExchange have evolved by leaving the freedom to their members to make reciprocal exchanges, or not (thanks to a clever points system).

Use alternative and inexpensive means of transport

If you are not traveling by plane, also consider these alternatives which can sometimes be very economical:

Train : buy or resell your train tickets between private individuals (go to KelBillet), the best solution for finding cheap tickets.
Car : use carpooling (with the leader Blablacar) as a driver (and earn money on the way), or as a passenger (to travel while sharing the costs)
Bus/cars : know that traveling by bus is generally the most economical way (take a look at the Eurolines, Ouibus or Flixbus companies)

Visit for free with a local

Do you know the Greeters? These are residents who want to volunteer their time to discover their city. In general (and not to compete with the official guides), they offer to show you around in their own way, and off the beaten track. No global platform, each destination is free to create its own network with its own rules.

To find the network, simply type on Google: “Greeter + name of the city or country” or “Free walking tour + name of your destination“.
You can also find the network of the desired country through this page.

Check the cost of living at your next destination

So yes, the plane ticket to go to Vietnam will be more expensive than to go to London, but once there, the cost of living will have nothing to do between the two destinations. In general, Asia will allow you to spend little once there (except in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and a few other Asian destinations), but Europe also has its economic destinations.

Some examples of low cost of living destinations to stay cheap:

In Europe: Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary, Greece ...
In Asia: India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka ...
America: Bolivia, Honduras ...

Read also: The cheapest cities for vacations
The ultimate tool to compare the cost of living: www.numbeo.com

8 tips for cheaper travel… and more?

After all these tips, I hope I never hear that traveling is expensive!

Just be curious, be flexible, and you can travel very often without breaking the bank. For my part, I traveled non-stop for 4 years with my wife and my daughter (find out more), without digging into our savings: everything is therefore possible with a little skill and will!

If you have other tips to travel cheaper, remember to share them by adding a comment! And if you have friends who always complain that they don't have enough money to travel, share this article with them, maybe it will help them see things differently.

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