Traveling Cheap But Like a Mother F*ckin' Rockstar

There are a ton different websites and tips out there on how to travel on basically nothing.
Unfortunately, the majority of those involve sleeping on strangers' couches, working on a farm or volunteering for lodging, staying in a hotel that smells like a prostitute died in the shower, or sharing a dorm in a hostel only to be woken up by some Swiss guy named Gunther as he does his naked calisthenics at dawn with his little cuckoo pointed at your face.

As I am now in my thirties and married, the above do not offer the same intrigue as they once did when I was a bit younger.  However, I still want to be able to travel as much as possible, for as little as possible, be comfortable, see the sights, eat the regional cuisine, and drink and be merry with the locals. Therefore, I have put together some tips and links for you all, who like me, want to save money on travel but still have a great time.

Ok first let's establish some travel priorities.  For me these are them:

1.  I will not have a layover more than 5 hours.
2.  I will not stay anywhere that is dirty, dangerous, has a shared bath, has cockroaches or is on the outskirts of where I will be going.  I want to feel like I am on vacation, not like I am in one of the Saw movies.
3.  Eating out is part of traveling and experiencing the culture.
4.  Alcohol and going to bars and clubs is a much needed expense.  That is where you meet people.
5.  Seeing at least some of the sights is necessary, but my pleasure is more important.
6.  If there is a weird festival, activity or holiday in a place I am going to it.

Arwen and Paul at the Zombie Run in Virginia City 2014

Now that we have gone over our priorities here are some tips.

FLIGHTS

1.  Skyscanner is my favorite travel search engine. I like it because you can search by month or by cheapest time and you don't even have to have a specific location in mind. This is how Paul and I ended up going to Nepal because we left the location open and it showed us the cheapest places to fly.  But DON'T STOP THERE.   Once you have found a deal there, go to other travel search engines (Googleflights, Kayak, Momondo, Hipmunk, TravelZoo, ) and compare.  Then after you do that go to the individual airline websites and see if the price is any different.  Finally, sometimes some of the discount airlines don't pop up on those big search engines, so go to those individual discount airlines and see what they have to offer.  For our Nepal trip we saw that it was $350 roundtrip on Skyscanner but actually ended up getting the tickets for $315 directly on flydubai. 

2.  Always always HIDE YOUR HISTORY and CLEAR YOUR COOKIES after looking for flights and hotels on these sites.  These sites will remember you are looking at them and the prices will go up not down.  Better yet, look at them in your privacy browser.

3. Sometimes it is more cost effective to book a round trip than a one way even if you are just going one way. Just don't get on the flight on the way back and you are OK.  This doesn't work the other way around.  If you book a round trip and do not take the first part, the whole thing will be cancelled and you will be out of your money.

4. Sometimes it is a better deal to book a round-trip flight to a place you are not going and then take a discount airline in-between the place you end up and the place you want to be.  For example, let's say you are planning a trip to Rome, Italy and the round-trip costs is $900, but a round trip ticket to Paris, France is only $500.  You can take a discount airline in-between for sometimes as low as $10.  And then you also get to see two awesome places! We recently purchased tickets from Istanbul to Romania for $40 each and from Romania to Rome for $25 each. 

5.  Check flights on Tuesdays around 6 weeks before you want to go somewhere. This is theoretically the best day to look for good deals.  I feel that this is about 75% accurate.

6.  If you are going anywhere for two weeks or under and you do not need any special equipment (skiis, scuba, etc) then you should be able to fit all of your stuff in a carry-on.  This will cut down on baggage fees and make your life so much easier for you.

LODGING

Paul relaxing in our princess bed in Bali in 2012. We had a private pool, three rooms and breakfast on our balcony each morning for $60 a night. 

1.  Start at Tripadvisor and see where you want to go and what you want to do. Then read the reviews.  TripAdvisor also links you to booking websites for the best prices for hotels, hostels, holiday rentals, and B&Bs.  From TripAdvisor, I then go to lodging's website that I am interested in finding out more about to look at their pictures and see what the prices are there and compare. Sometimes there will be deals or packages at the actual lodging site and you don't want to miss out on that!  I won't stay in a place if it has lower than a 4 out of 5 bubble rating on TripAdvisor.  If I can, I use booking.com as much as possible because most of the rooms have free cancellation and that way I can save a place while I look for a better deal or a better location. Also, it is easier when you have all of your rooms on one app for reservations and I love Booking's  city guides that they send you with restaurants, things to see, and transportation tips based on the exact location of your booking reservation.

2.  I have a bunch of friends who use AirBnB  and they love it.  I would probably do it if I was going to go to stay in one location for more than a few days.

3. I will not stay in a bad hotel, hostel, or inn, but I also think it is a waste of money to stay in a 5 star hotel (unless you are traveling someplace very inexpensive).  I typically try to go 3.5-4 stars and always at a bargain. And trust me, you can always find a bargain as long as you look long enough ahead or if you are going off season.

4.  Private rooms in hostels are a good option for someone who wants to save a lot of money but who isn't willing to sleep on a couch, do farm work for a stay, or stay in a hostel room with strangers.  Most hostels have a double room option where you rent the whole room.  Just make sure you stay in a nice hostel.  Always read the reviews and on multiple sites.  Check out this awesome hotel we will be staying at next month in Istanbul with a private room in the center of the action for $50 a night.  

FOOD and ALCOHOL

1. For the most part unless I am going to some place that has good wine or cheap but yummy table wine, I am not going to drink alcohol with my meals.  Alcohol in restaurants is outrageously priced.

2. When I travel I eat street food and at small local restaurants as much as possible.  If you are traveling in the developing world, you should splurge and eat at  tourist restaurants because the stomach issues that come from poorly cleaned or cooked food are not worth saving the pennies. Make friends with locals or other travelers and ask them their favorite local places.  If you do want to go to that fancy restaurant you read about with all the great reviews, go for lunch if they are open then.  You will get the same food and a lighter sized portion for lunch at 1/3 to 1/2 the cost.

3.  If it is culturally appropriate, share a main course and a couple of appetizers with your traveling partner so you can try more things. Most of the time, people never finish their plate and taking left-overs to your small hotel room which usually doesn't have a fridge is pointless.  This saves you money and you don't waste food.  If you are still hungry after, go for a walk and find the local dessert and share that.

3.  Try to get a hotel that serves complimentary breakfast.  This usually will be a continental breakfast. But honestly, what more do you need than a cup of coffee, some fruit, and a croissant or yogurt to fuel you for your morning tourism adventures?

4. Shop at the local delicatessen.  For some local fare and a good deal, try the local produce, dairy products, meats, and baked goods. Choose items you are going to eat immediately or cured meats that won't go bad quickly  Also, this is great to have in your hotel room if you need some munchies when you come back from your room at 2:00AM and everything is closed.

5. Go to a local convenience store or liquor store and buy some beer or wine.  If you are in an area that allows you to drink in public walk around with it and offer some to other people who are hanging out.  This will save you money and you will make friends and sometimes will lead to adventures.  In Bali, we shared our beer with some guys hanging out on the street  Turns out they worked at a bunch of the local bars in town and for the next week, we were treated like royally.  It pays to be generous.  

6. If you do go out to the bars (which we always do), do what my husband does and drink the local beer. It is always cheaper.  I am still working on not ordering top shelf imported vodka when we travel.  Going to the bars is always going to add up.  We only take as much money as we are willing to spend and I always keep the cab money in my bra for safe keeping until it is time to return.

TOURS and TRANSPORTATION

1.  If you are in an area with very high taxi cost and no other form of public transportation, or if your plans are to stay primarily in the tourist areas of the city you are exploring see if there is a "hop-on hop-off" bus tour option.  Even if you are not using this bus to see the specific sites on their tour it is a great way to get around the city without having to pay taxis and you get the tour too.  Some places have a two day option.

2.  Always use the local transportation if you can over taxis.  Buses, Trains, Metros, Jeepneys, Tuk-Tuks, Ferries...whatever it is the locals use, use that. Locals use their feet a lot so don't be afraid to walk.

3.  If you know you are going to be traveling to an area a lot, stay in that area. Do not pay a little less to stay on the outskirts or in a nicer-hotel. We have made this mistake so many times and waste so much time and money traveling back to the central area. NEVER AGAIN!

4.  See if there is a local walking tour online.  These are usually a lot less than the bus tours or private car tours, it is more intimate and you get exercise at the same time.  We once took a walking tour in New Orleans and ended up hanging out with the tour guide until 3AM. He took us to all of these places off the beaten path and local hangouts we would have never seen as tourists. He even took us to a closed restaurant Louis Armstrong used to hang out at and the manager let us come in and walk around at 1:00AM. It was incredible. 

Hanging with our new friends and our tour guide in NOLA in a locals' bar.

5.  Check out your transportation options before you go so you can make a realistic budget and know what your choices will be.  Rome2Rio is my favorite resource for transportation options and costs.

SOUVENIRS

1.  I stopped buying souvenirs for myself a long time ago, but I still feel compelled to get them for friends.  Compare a few stores or street vendors in high tourist areas for the best prices. Other recommendations will tell you not to buy in the tourist areas, but I found that the more people selling the same items, the cheaper they will be.  Buy things that are small-- local spices, teas, coffees, magnets etc.

OTHER TIPS

1.  Travel with a rain parka that rolls and can fit in your hand back or backpack.  As a tourist, there is no need to ever buy an umbrella and your hotel should loan them to you anyway.

2.  Dryer sheets have many travel uses.  I keep them handy in my bag when I travel so if someone smells bad on the plane I can whiff it in. I also put them in my shoes in my bag so my party dress doesn't smell like feet.  You can use them to get lint or pet hair off of your clothes.  They repel bugs. And if you are super stinky you can put one under your armpit or in your other sweaty spots for a few seconds and absorb the sweat and leave you with a nice fresh smell.

3.  Shop at the local pharmacies for basic over the counter medications you might need on your travels--headache and stomach problem stuff. Coming from the US we have the most regulated and expensive pharmaceutical system.  Get your local needs met at the local pharmacies.

4.  If you are going to a country where things cost significantly less than your own, pack less and get your clothes laundered. You get to carry less which is helpful, especially if you are not paying for checking luggage.  Trust me, no one cares if they saw you in that same pair of jeans and t-shirt three days ago.

5. Pack realistic shoes.  When I travel now, I pack a pair of running shoes, my ugly but completely practical Keen hiking sandals, and some black flats for nights we go out.  You really do not need any more and if you really feel like you need some sexy shoes--buy them for yourself on your trip because you have saved so much money on everything else you deserve them!

On average we spend a combined total of $2,000 (including flights, hotels, meals, tours, transportation, nights out on the town, and souvenirs) for every 14-20 days we are on vacation.  This is by no means traveling for nothing, but we never feel that we are missing out on anything.