We often think that traveling requires a lot of money. It's true that if we're not careful, between the flight, hotels and on-site activities, you can quickly find yourself ruined. However, nowadays it has become very easy to go on a travel while spending little or no money. But be careful, this does not mean that we will have to hitchhike and camp… There are many other solutions! So, if your bank account is at half mast, know that the whole world can open its arms to you despite everything! But where to go when you don't have money? And how can you go about spending less on travel? I deliver to you in this article all my advice on this subject and destination ideas.
Where to go when you have no money? Destinations not to be missed
You dream of going on a trip but your budget is limited? Don't panic! Having experienced many times leaving with little or no money, I know today that it is possible! However, this requires above all to be creative, adaptable and review your priorities. Sometimes you will need provide a service in exchange for accommodation. Often, the place where you are going to sleep will make you get out of your comfort zone. And finally, it is not uncommon to have to research the best rate for hours before booking. However, it is doable and over time it will even become very easy to spend less when traveling.
But how to do it? First of all, your priority if you want to leave without money will be to choose your destination carefully. Indeed, there is no question of going for two weeks all-inclusive to the Dominican Republic or even of fly to the most expensive capitals in Europe like Copenhagen, Reykjavik or Bern. You will need to find an accessible destination. But rest assured, contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of them.
To help you find the ideal country to discover, you will need to base yourself on one of these two criteria:
- either a destination with a cheap flight
- or a destination where the cost of living is low
Where to go when you have no money? Find your destination!
To help you find destinations with cheap flights, you can serve as a flight comparator like Google Flight and Skyscanner. On these sites, it is possible to select only a departure airport and approximate dates. Then the comparator will find you all the cheapest flights to inspire you. This option will often require you to be quite flexible about the length of your stay and of course to leave outside of school holidays. Otherwise, you will simply have to check prices regularly. Moreover, you can put a price alert in order to be notified by email of price reductions.
On the other hand, if you want to travel with little money, you can choose destinations where the cost of living is low. For example, if you don't have a big budget, it will be better to go to Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, India) rather than in North America. In some countries you can accommodation at a lower cost And eat for a handful of euros. Moreover, if you want to go to Europe, countries like Czech Republic, Serbia, Albania, Cyprus, Bulgaria or even the Canary Islands are very financially accessible.
Finally, if you manage to combine these two criteria, you will save even more. Luckily, there are many destinations that combine a lower cost of living than in France and often inexpensive flights. Here are some of them:
However, I also believe that it is possible to travel anywhere in the world spending little or nothing. How is this possible? Here again, there is a lot of solutions. Let's discover them together.
Save on accommodation
First of all, if you are going on a small budget, it will be preferable to avoid hotels for your accommodation on site. Instead, go to sites that offer accommodation with locals which will be cheaper while allowing you to meet people. It is a solution that can suit all types of travelers. With friends, alone or with family and at any age. Additionally, it is also possible to stay in youth hostels, campsites or free of charge at premises with the couchsurfing.
Likewise, if you are planning a road trip during your tripyou can opt for the rental of a van so as not to spend money on accommodations. This can be very interesting in Iceland for example, where hotels are very expensive. Furthermore, you should know that some countries accept wild camping like Norway. So, if you leave with your equipment, you won't have to spend anything on sleeping.
Other Tips for Saving When Traveling
Furthermore, there are other solutions to save money when traveling. On the one hand, it will be necessary avoid paid activities and instead turn to hikes or any other free activity. In London for example, did you know that most museums are free? So do not hesitate to inquire before your departure.
Then, the ideal will be toAvoid eating out several times a day. For this, it will be preferable to choose accommodation with a kitchen to prepare your own meals. During the day, it will be easy to find something to eat at a lower cost in a snack bar, at a market or in the city's supermarkets. On the other hand, you can also bring containers and cutlery in your suitcase in order to prepare cold meals or even make you sandwiches.
Finally, the ideal will of course be tosave on transport which often represents the largest part of a travel budget. Therefore, it will be necessary to think about alternative solutions to the plane as buses, trains or even the carpooling.
Going without spending any money at all: it’s possible!
What if leaving when you have no money was no longer a fantasy? You dream of leave without spending anything at all? So, know that many solutions exist to make your travel dream a reality.
Hitchhiking:
It is possible to travel only by hitchhiking and thus cross a number of land and sea borders. Some travelers even manage to go around the world this way (this is particularly the case of Ludovic Hubler). After the apprehension of the first day, this way of traveling will give you the opportunity to meet great people and will leave a lasting impression on your memories. On the other hand, you can also choose to go on foot or by bike. Other travelers have already had this idea!
House-sitting:
It is possible to go to any country in the world and find a free accommodation solution there. To do this, your mission will simply be to monitor residents' homes who go on vacation. This concept is called House Sitting and today there is a multitude of sites of this type. It is in fact an exchange of services where no one spends money. For your part, you occupy the premises while waiting for the owners to return. You collect the mail, water the plants and can even, if you don't take your dog on a trip, take care of animals if there is any. On the other hand, travelers are reassured to have trusted people at home during their absence. This experience will allow you to live like a local and of meet many people while having the freedom to visit as you wish.
House exchange:
It's a bit of an idea similar to House Sitting. It consists of a house exchange with foreign travelers. During your trip, you go to their house and they come to live with you. This solution makes more and more followersespecially in the context of family trips. It can allow you to great encounters.
Volunteering:
More and more young travelers go abroad to volunteer. The idea? You participate in community work on a voluntary basis and in exchange, you are provided with accommodation and food. There are numerous sites and dozens of projects : help build a house, participate in an organic farm or even help a grandmother learn computers… You will inevitably find a place in the world and a mission that will suit you. Among the famous sites, we find in particular: HelpX, Wwoof and Workaway.
It is also possible to be volunteer on a sailboat or even participate voluntarily in the life of an ashram in Asia.
As you can see, there are a multitude of places to go without money and ways to get there. It is even possible to hitchhike around the world or spend several months volunteering abroad by spending less than in your current life. These solutions alternative travel have in common that they seem uncomfortable at first. However, they promise to learn more about yourself, to meet great people and leave a lasting impression on you, probably more intensely than traditional trips. So, are you ready to go on a trip without spending anything next time?
