51 Mind-Blowing Budget Travel Tips | The Art of Travel on a Shoestring

Last Updated on January 26, 2024 by Christine Kaaloa

Budget Travel Tips Art of Travel on a Shoestring 2
Budget Travel Tips Art of Travel on a Shoestring 2

 

How do nomadic, round-the-world trip and budget travelers make their dollar stretch when they aren’t trust fund babies and don’t have a daily 9-5 job ? Well, there are ways to travel for cheap!

This ain’t no “eat ramen every day” budget travel guide. We’re diving deep into 51 ingenious hacks that’ll have you sipping cappuccinos in Italy, trekking through Thailand, and conquering Machu Picchu – all without breaking the bank.


This post contains affiliate links. I have travel insurance on all my trips (get a quote). If you want to find an insurance plan based on your needs & budget, use this trip  insurance finder tool . Read my guide on trip insurance options for U.S. Travelers.
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Table of Contents: 51 Mind-Blowing Budget Travel Tips | The Art of Travel on a Shoestring

Cheap travel hacks: How I afford travel

Money is the best known killer of travel dreams.  While travel influencers and Instagrammers make a travel lifestyle appear glamorously easy, we all know traveling is not a cheap hobby. Traveling is a privilege that has to be afforded.

Readers and viewers want to know how I afford traveling too. In order to create my videos and blog, I have to find countless ways to afford my travels. Sadly, there is no magic wand aside from hard work. Running a blog and YouTube can be an expensive investment in time, research and money. Sponsorships are not paid work, but work-in-exchangeBoooo… you didn’t want to hear that, right?

If I’m not in an office making an hourly wage, I’m freelancing in video production, YouTube mentoring and I’m on my blog working long hours at creating content and converting statistics or pitching business opportunities.  I’m in it with you! 

But unlike you, my content revolves around travel and folks expect me to travel alone, so I’ve learned the art of solo travel on a shoestring out of sheer business survival!  It has taught me budget travel hacks to make my dollar stretch and I’m happy to share those with you.

Read jobs that pay you to travel

And do me a favor, if you found this post helpful, please share this with friends or on social media. Any affiliate links you click and make purchases from helps me with maintenance expenses so I can continue to make free tips available to you!  Also, join my blog newletter where I share occasional deal finds.

Saving money on your travels

Wanna learn the art of travel on a shoestring? I’m going to share solo travel budget tips and travel hacks for ways to travel on the cheap.

Unless you’ve socked your life savings away or have a regular 9-to-5 job that allows you a short spurts of a vacation, many of us are looking for ways to make our dollar stretch when we travel.

Cheap Travel Tips: 51 Mind-Blowing Travel Hacks on a Budget

Adjust your Budget Travel Mindset

1.  Each splurge, cut back on something else.

When you splurge on one thing, like an upgraded hotel experience or an extra attraction, tighten your belt on something else. Some things I tighten my belt on are:  food, souvenirs, bars and posh restaurants, or a pricy attraction!

2.  Choose less expensive destinations

By choosing strategically and embracing alternative destinations, you can stretch your hard-earned cash further and unlock months of exploration instead of fleeting weeks. Forget about the euro zone and embrace the budget traveling of Southeast Asia, East Asia and Central America! Choose less expensive destinations, where I you can travel longer with less money.

Sure Europe is sexy!  But a one week trip to Italy or Tokyo can equal two months of travel in Southeast Asia or Central America. Actually, check out my Japan on a shoestring budget. You can do Japan on the cheap too!

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3. Keep a daily budget.

Holding a daily budget makes you accountable for everything gives you an idea of where to cut back. I like to keep track of my expenses manually and jot my daily expenditures in a notebook. For longer journeys, I create an Excel spreadsheet. It can be a challenge to keep track of everything on the road, so sometimes I track the big expenses at night during quiet time and leave some of the incidentals for when I get home.

 Download my travel expense tracker (coming soon)

I’ve actually tried many expense tracking apps, but as I travel with a laptop, I like to track my expense on an Excel sheet document (above) where I can see everything in one place. This makes me accountable and confronts me with the hardline numbers .

Tip TripCoin is a mobile app for iPhone users. It helps travelers understand spending habits, organize finances, and stay on top of their budget. There are mobile apps that help keep you track of budgets.

4. Keep a daily allowance.

A daily allowance keeps you from spending. If I give myself a $20/day budget ( I put that money in my wallet and leave the rest in the hotel) then I’m more cautious of where I spend my money. Once I hit my daily limit, the spending has to end.

5. Vacation mentality vs slow travel mentality

Vacationers with limited time are often seeking convenient tourist options; they may burn through their money quicker.

Slow and long-term travel has the ability to choose cheaper and more local options. Read Art of Hobo-ing:  Lessons from Long Term Travel

Budget travel tips on Transportation

Cheaping on transportation without losing out on a quality experience is one of my expert skills, so I’m fleshing this out a little more. Many cities have their own Insider budget hacks. They exist but it’s up to you to research and find them, like a good coupon.

6.  Research the ride share app of the country you’re traveling.

These days, more and more travelers and locals are turning to rideshare apps over taxis, where you can hail a ride-on-the-fly, see your prices and route in realtime, avoid dealing with cash and taxi scams.  If you’re traveling  the United States or western countries, Uber is the popular rideshare app to download. However, some countries have different rideshare apps and may also cover driver hires and tuk-tuks, so best do your research before traveling.

Grab app is great in the Philippines and Thailand too. In Sri Lanka, they have tuk tuk ride share apps- Uber and Pickme are popular. India uses Ola Cabs. Italy, I used Uber,  I believe.

Read How to Avoid Airport Taxis (aka other options)

7.   Use public transit like the bus or metro.

Tip: Check to see if the public transit offers daily or package tourist packages! Cities like Seoul, Tokyo, FukuokaNew York, Bangkok, Shanghai… offer tourist metro/bus pass packages with unlimited rides and even discounts. Living in Korea, I enjoyed hop-on/hop-off city bus tours for under $10. Other places offer discounted rides for those who purchase a reloadable transit pass, such as Istanbul and Hong Kong.

Using florence's metro
Using florence’s metro

8.   Walk and burn calories.

Walk walk walk… you know those food videos I film? This is how I burn those sinful calories off! What is my no pain motivation? Exploring on foot allows me to travel deeper, photo hunt and film my YouTube videos!

9.  Travel slow(er)

Local buses, tuk-tuks, and trains are your budget-friendly chariots. Imagine hopping on a scenic train journey through Vietnam for less than $10, navigating chaotic but charming buses in Guatemala for a dollar, or haggling for a tuk-tuk ride in Thailand for a thrill ride that won’t cost a fortune.

Take local vs express routes, long-distance buses vs. bullet trains. In Japan, a JRailpass offers discount packages for express train travel, but you can go even cheaper by taking local metro.

In Korea, I used to make weekend trips to Seoul from Daegu, but the Korail was a $75 OW trip which took anywhere from 2-4 hours in transit. $150 RT is almost the cost of a domestic flight. Instead, I often opted for the 4 hour express bus at $24 OW.The Korean bus had satellite TV and was comfy.  That’s a savings plus an adventure.

Ticketing windows Inside Korean Bus Stations, korean transportation
Ticketing windows Inside Korean Bus Stations

10. Travel overnight

Overnight trains and buses are literally a bed-on-wheels. Warning: It’s not always a comfortable bed on wheels, unless you can sleep sitting up or rocking, but it will save you a day in sightseeing and the extra cost of a hotel. Check out some of the overnight travel experiences I’ve had : India, Thailand, (okay, not) Laos, Myanmar, Turkey, Pakistan.

overnight Thai train, thai railways, trains in thailand, overnight trains, sleeper cars on trains, sleeper trains
Thai overnight train. From Bangkok to Chiang Mai cost averages around $30

 

11. Slow Travel overland

Overland travel is when you take ground transportation via railway, ferry or long-distance buses across the border of a country. It is a form of slow travel and not best for those who have a short span of days in a place, but it is significantly cheaper than the cost of a flight.  One of my fave resource websites for overland travel is Man in Seat 61 (www.seat61.com). It can be an exciting and adventurous way to travel as you are traveling locally and local transportation can be both insightful and surprising.

Thailand has some of the best transportation options. Their VIP long distance buses are super comfy and better than a Greyhound bus in the U.S.  It has airconditioning, entertainment, an included meal stop with a free meal and refreshments. Myanmar was similar; some buses had chairs with their own television screens and WiFi. One of the buses I took had Hello Kitty blankets and a bus attendant who passed out toiletries (toothbrush and toothpaste) for our rest stop and snack refreshments.  Check out some of my transportation documentation.

Read/Watch

yangon bus station, burmese bus, myanmar buses
Yangon Bus Station for Long Distance Trips
Budget Travel Tips Art of Travel on a Shoestring 2
Budget Travel Tips Art of Travel on a Shoestring 2

Budget trip hacking flights and layovers

12.   Only take flights when you really need to

If you travel everywhere by air travel, your expenses will quickly rack up. If you are traveling multiple cities like in say, Southeast Asia or Italy, then flying to get to each city will save you time but is not the economical approach. As I mentioned in tip #11, if you have the time and you enjoy slow travel, then overland travel is generally cheaper than air travel.  Smaller countries like Italy or Korea, you can take easily take a train to move between cities in under six hours. I based myself in Florence but traveled to Cinque Terre for a day trip as it was under three hours away.

13.   Pack carry-on luggage size

We all know the cost of baggage fees can get high, with most starting at $50 for the first bag.  These days, I pack carry on luggage size.  Not only am I shaving $100 off my roundtrip ticket, but I’m saving myself additional stress about the airlines losing or damaging my bag. Nevertheless, minimalist anti-theft travel is key for solo travelers, who have to carry their own luggage and gear and keep it safe. The advantage to carry on luggage is more than just avoiding fees.  Here’s a post to packing tips for carry-on luggage. Also, this is the  carry-on convertible wheeled backpack I’m currently using for my solo travels.

Check out what trip essentials I pack on all my trips!

14.   Utilize layovers as an extra trip.

I’m a huge fan of milking the time I’ve got.. everywhere, including airports and layover destinations. Did you know some airports offer free layover tours?

Turkish Airlines offers free transit hotel stays to passengers with 7-10 hour layovers?

China offers 72 hour visa free transits and a day’s layover get you a free sightseeing day in Shanghai or Beijing.

Know your airlines, airports and choose wisely!

  Read 12 Ways to Maximize your Layover

15. Learn how to book cheap flights

Mastering the art of booking flights can unveil significant savings and transform budgetary constraints into vacations. This entails research, employing comparison platforms like Kayak Explore tool and Google Flights Explore tool, considering trip packages like Expedia packages, and embracing travel flexibility. Tracking historical price trends, and even considering alternative airports all contribute to optimized booking strategies.  Check out my blog for a deeper dive into cost-saving strategies for budget-friendly flights.

Budget Travel Tips for Cheap Accommodations

Hotels and accommodations will be an expense that is hard to get around and are second to air travel. But there are decisions you can make in your traveling and hotel resources to look for when booking your hotel. These things can either add to your investment in a place or help you skirt around additional expense.

Read Survival Guide to Staying in Hotels

16.  Book a hotel with an airport pickup service.

Book a hotel which offers free airport pickup service. This saves:  time finding your hotel, unnecessary stress in getting lost and money hiring a taxi or using transportation.

17.  Spend the night in an airport.

Sleeping in airports ain’t so bad. Some airports are notoriously known for their state of art luxury and make great layover haunts. Flying Korean Airlines and landing in Incheon Airport’s Terminal 2, they offer free showers (yes, FREE!), wifi, have a sleeping room of recliner beds and 7 Eleven is a stone’s throw. See my video below My favorite website for researching airport facilities is Sleepinginairports.com

Emirates Airlines Review Dubai Airport
Emirates Airlines Review_Dubai Airport Comfy lounge seats arent everywhere

How to Survive Airport Layovers
How to Survive Airport Layovers

 

Watch my tour of Incheon Airport at the 04:00 minute mark

18.  Learn to sleep anywhere you are.

Learn to sleep anywhere. I know some folks are light sleepers, but if you can relax into any space, sleeping on a bus, airport or even a chair won’t bother you. One of my superhero travel talents… I can even sleep standing up!

19.  Hostels & guesthouses

The best budget accommodations are hostels and guesthouses. Hostels offer dorm accommodations where you are sharing a room with other travelers. Hostels can offer single rooms too, although the prices may not be as low as guesthouses. Guesthouses are secondary housing which offer convenient and affordable stays. Usually they can originate out of a home but are not a homestay.  Read: Hostel Tips for the Beginner

lubd hostel bangkok, bangkok hostels, hotels in bangkok
Lub’d hostel in Bangkok: each dorm bed has it’s own reading light, internet and wifi are free and you can wash your clothes at the coin laundry)

20.  Look for free in-transit hotels

One opportunity a majority of travelers overlook at free in-transit hotels. This is when you have a long layover and travel with a particular airlines carrier. See my experience with Turkish Airlines free hotel stay! Some carriers will offer you a free hotel stay if you meet layover requirements. The hotel comes with transportation to/from the airport and a meal stipend.

Read how to score Airlines Free Transit Hotels 

TURKISH AIRLINES FREETRANSIT HOTEL
TURKISH AIRLINES FREETRANSIT HOTEL

21.  Housesitting

Travel bloggers and long-term travelers I know have had good experiences with trustedhousesitters.com ($95 annual fee); mindmyhouse.com ($20 annual fee)

22.  Don’t only look at “hotels”

I’m an expert trip designer and must be entertaining for YouTube videos so I love dipping into a variety of accommodations.  I love hotels but sometimes, being a female solo traveler they feel generic and lonely.  I also love exploring unique budget accommodations , where I can have a local experience, while still feeling a part of the local community. I’m talking about doing a mental upgrade in accommodation experience and staying where locals have either slept historically or allow access to deeper local experiences and culture. I’ve stayed in homestaysovernight spas, cave hotels, manga cafes, temple stays, capsule hotels.

India: I stayed in a yoga ashram to yoga in India.
Korea:   jjimjilbangs– I’ve experienced a variety.  They cost under $10/night and provide sleeping clothes, toiletries and a locker storage.
Tokyo: I spent an entire trip exploring the capsule hotel variety so I could do this post.
Thailand: I scored a $5 bungalow in a rural village for my caving adventures.
Nepal: I did a community homestay and learned Nepali cooking, life and my money went back to the sustainability of the local community.

You gotta get creative.

Join my group adventure trips for uniquely-crafted local adventures with me!

futuristic capsule hotel in tokyo
futuristic capsule hotel in tokyo

 

23.  Take the overnight train or bus

Back to Tip #10, traveling overnight saves you the expense of a hotel and a sightseeing day which might be lost to travel if you traveling during daylight hours.

24.  Ask if your hotel has early check-in fees.

Some hotels allow early check-ins without fees. While this tip does not necessarily save you money- so to speak- the knowledge is a huge resource which can save time, stress and discomfort,  when your travel schedule doesn’t line up well.

Piggybacking on Tip #22, some overnight buses and trains arrive into a city at early morning hours. It is inconvenient,  it can feel unsafe for female solo travelers and I have never understood why there are such schedules, but if you arrive early you may find yourself feeling stuck at a closed local station. In smaller towns, it is worse– there may not even be a station but an outdoor bench!

Here’s my most uncomfortable arrivals: Bagan (I was uncertain about those weird morning taxis), Gokarna (I ended up wandering and sleeping on the beach), Kyoto (in winter, there is no heating in train stations).

25. Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing.com is a non-profit online meeting space where you can offer your couch to travelers passing through, whom need a place to stay.

Being a female solo traveler, I am always concerned about safety, so I have not used couchsurfing. However, I have met other female travelers who have had good experiences. Additionally, whenever I’ve been on it, I’ve noticed listings no longer want to offer a “crashpad” but selectively seek a good match in interests, a desire to hang out or teach them something. I totally get that you’re loaning your pad out to a stranger, but it’s gotten to feel like a friend-matchmaking service. You have to convince folks why you make a good guest; so it can feel like writing job cover letters for a couch.

Tip: Research hour host and their reviews first. Be prepared to write and pitch yourself.

26. Do a Home stay

Forget tourist traps and overpriced dorms! Backpacking on a budget just got an upgrade with homestays. Ditch the backpacker bubble and dive deep into local life, sharing meals, learning secrets, and waking up to hidden gems – all while saving serious bank. Homestays aren’t just a room, they’re a cultural immersion experience that fuels your wanderlust, supports marginalized communities, and leaves a positive impact.

Read my Nepal and sustainable homestay guide and check out my ethical travel tips.

mothers group gurung community and homestay network
mothers group gurung community and homestay network

27.  Share accommodation expenses with a stranger

Single travelers can avoid single supplement fees and get an upgraded semi-private room, by finding a trustworthy traveler to split costs with. It can beat staying in a hostel dorm, sharing a room with 6 random strangers.

I know what you’re thinking– it is unsafe. Yes, it is.  Yet it unconsciously happens a lot, when you’re on the road and meeting travelers with similar itineraries as you.

Often, I’ve met my next hotel roommate on the long-distance bus to the next city. I strike up a conversation on the bus, I get a good vibe and the traveler seems cool so I fish around to where they are staying, with the idea that they’ll give me a good hotel recommendation. One thing leads to another and sometimes, I end up with a roommate.

Solo travel budget tip: Be discerning, safe and smart about who you choose.

Solo Travel Budget Tips for Food & Eating

28.  Master the Art of Grazing

Grazing or light snacking is a great substitute for a heavy sitdown restaurant meal. It allows you to sample a variety of local flavors, keeps you sated throughout the day, is easier to burn in calories and is less expensive than a full meal at a restaurant.

29.  Eat street food or at local restaurants

If locals can eat street food, then it’s good enough for you! Forget overpriced sit-down meals at fancy restaurants. Street food is an incredible and affordable way to experience local flavors. Noodle soups in Vietnam, sizzling fajitas in Mexico, and pad thai in Thailand – all bursting with taste and costing mere pennies.

Read: 11 Food Safety Tips to avoid getting sick

30.  Use re-usable/refillable water bottles.

31.  Take a water filter device to avoid buying water

If you are a long term traveler of developing countries or an outdoors lover who loves trekking and camping, I highly recommend getting a SteriPENir?source=bk&t=grrrltraveler 20&bm id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a587d9c0b5cefa217ceacefe087a19ce& cb=1508482070751 (Read my review) or Lifestraw Go Water Bottle . Buying bottled water can certainly add up and in some countries it is not always 100% filtered!

Read Ecofriendly tips for the Ethical Traveler

32.  Shop at local grocery stores

Shopping at grocery stores reduces the expense of eating at restaurants. Some hostels have shared kitchens where guests can store and cook their own meals.  At hotels, you at least have a coffee maker where you can boil water to make noodles and soups.

Tip: bring a spork and make your own meals.

33.  Shop at local markets

Shop at local markets, you’ll find great deals on fresh fruits and local snacks, which you can easily pack with you for long haul trips on buses and trains.

Tip: If you’re American, it helps to know how to translate pounds into kilograms as many markets will sell by the kilogram.

IMG 4652
Yangon Market

Solo Travel on a Shoestring:  Activities & Entertainment

34.   Groupon it

Groupon probably doesn’t exist in every country but I’ve been surprised to find it exists outside the U.S., in a total of 28 countries!  Save at spas, restaurants, gym memberships, even travel!

35.   Share transportation

A great solo travel budget tip is to find other travelers to split costs with. I meet many solo travelers and secret budget travelers at train stations after the train arrives and it is time to hail a taxi into the city.  Don’t be shy– find another solo traveler– if they are headed in the same direction as you (namely, the touristy part of town), they might want to share a taxi in.

36.  Travel with someone as cheap as you

The friends you travel with can help or hurt your budget and this in return, can hurt your friendship.  If you are a budget-minded traveler traveling with vacation-minded corporate friends, who work hard and save their money for that annual splurge of comfort and luxury, can drive your budget up. You will waste your trip getting upset for paying for what you feel are unnecessary upgrades.

As a westerner, I have friends who prefer to split bills at restaurants, even if the split is not wholly fair. Our social language is littered with phrases like “It’s only $20” to “ah, I don’t sweat the small stuff” when ponying up for an overly generous tip or added expense. Discrepancies like this will drive a budget traveler crazy. Read Things that Make or Break Travel Partners

Tip: Splitwise is popular if your’e doing group travel. It keeps tracks of expenses and how much each person owes.

37.  Avoid drinking and night clubbing

It is a fact that drinking and night clubbing burn holes in wallets quickly.

38.  Book group tours locally

When researching things to do on your itinerary, book locally. Not only are you avoiding markup costs for a middle man company, but online bookings through travel agencies can sometimes state single supplement fees for solo travelers.

Tip: Some travelers have tight schedules and want to book an advance. If you are one of these, I use Get your Guide to book my activities in advance. They have a broad library of activities and cheapest prices. Costs fluctuate by destination.

39. Free walking tours

Before booking an expensive day tour, see if there aren’t free walking tours first… yes, they exist!  Free walking tours are usually a 2-3 hour city walking tour with a guide that is experienced in where you are walking. They are free because they are run by volunteers, who make their money through tips from pleased guests.

To find free walking tours, just google : “free walking tours in ______”. You’re welcome!

It is a steal from what you might otherwise pay for a “professional” city tour. Definitely leave a tip if you are happy with your experience!

Budget Travel Hacks for Shopping

40.  Negotiate costs when you travel.

Haggling or learning how to negotiate costs when you travel is a travel skill which makes a huge difference in certain countries. Most westerners feel uncomfortable and stressed about haggling for prices, because most are used to fixed prices with price tags up front. When you enter a store and do not see price tags, it is likely that prices are negotiable. From shop vendors to tour agencies, some cultures expect to negotiate costs and will purposely drive their prices up expecting that you will try your best to bargain with them for a better deal. Here’s a haggle guide.

Tip: I know budget hagglers & backpackers love a good deal and will try to get an item for pennies. STOP! Do not drill the vendor down to their bottom rate. It’s shitty and this kind of “cheap-ass” is not what i’m endorsing. If the price is already cheaper than you’d pay for and it’s a good deal, stop there. The vendor should always make a bit of the profit and haggling is often a bit like fun courtship for the vendors. An ethical traveler never tramples over a local at the local’s expense.

Read: Responsible tips for ethical travel

41.  Souvenir shop at the end

By saving souvenir shopping for the end of your trip, you gauge and control your budget better. You can also see what you’ll be carrying in extra baggage or shipping fees.

42.  Avoid the touristy areas

If you need to shop for anything from toiletries to souvenirs, avoid shopping in the main touristy areas. Instead, check out side street alleys or shop outside the popular touristed areas. The more local the area, the prices reduce dramatically to match local economies.

 How to Travel for Free (sorta)

 43. HelpX.net

Work volunteer for free room and board through HelpX.net Work can range from working in cafes to hostels.

44. WWOOFing

WWOOFing is Worldwide work on Organic Farms. This is for travelers who seek volunteer experiences where they can experience, live and work in a place for a longer term. For volunteer work, you get free bed and board. Check out the websites:  WWOOF  or WWOOF International

45. Use credit card reward programs

Consider turning your everyday spending into fuel for your travel dreams through strategically utilizing credit card rewards programs. Instead of viewing your expenses as a drain on your travel fund, think of them as opportunity points. Groceries, gas, even your monthly streaming subscription can become rewards points towards your next flight ticket. Carefully select the right travel rewards credit card aligned with your ability to pay it off, whether it focuses on specific airlines, hotel chains, or general travel flexibility.

Remember, responsible card usage is key. Pay your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges.

Tip: Typically credit cards woo you with bonus points for signing up. Say 80,000 points if you spend $4000 in 4 months. Be strategic in spending and sign up only when you know you have large expenditures to pay.  Be careful of annual fees that come in a year.  If the card and bonus look too good to be true, look for the annual fee cost.

46. Use a credit card with no international fees

Each time you swipe at an international ATM, you may encounter two or three fees- ATM fee, a conversion fee and your debit card or debit fee.  Choose a ATM or debit card which does not charge international fees. I started using Charles Schwab a little late and wish I started early. It does not accumulate any fees when I use my ATM card to withdraw cash.

Read more about avoiding ATM charges abroad.

Storing luggage to explore a city

47.  Left Luggage Storage

Knowing your left luggage options help you drop your bags to sightsee a city when you’re still in transit. Research luggage storage facilities and left luggage services at a train station or airport. Some airports allow you to leave your bags and charge you at an hourly rate, package rate or by weight. Drop your bags in an airport or train station’s left luggage storage and roam off to explore a city during your layover.

Budget Travel Ideas: Use Radical Storage: it finds you cheap places to store your luggage in the city so you can ditch your luggage and explore.

48. Coin lockers

Train stations can have coin locker storage or left luggage storage for those who are passing through the city but want to do a little sightseeing. I’ve done this in countries like Japan and Korea when I’ve stayed at places like manga cafes and jjimjilbangs.

49.  Pack light & carry-on luggage

Being a female solo traveler, there are many essential reasons for packing light and traveling with carry-on luggage only (read my hand luggage review). One helpful and unpredictable reason is it gives me flexibility and mobility to store my luggage anywhere~  train lockers, left luggage, spa lockers, you name it. Here’s a list of the best carry-on convertible rolling backpacks

hynes eagle airlines size compliance
hynes eagle airlines size compliance

Budget travel tips for Travel Insurance

50. Best Travel Insurance for Budget Travelers

Americans often have premium travel insurance. It’s nearly impossible to get the cheap rates other countries do. If you’re a budget traveler,  you want to find the right plan for your budget and needs, I recommend Travel Insurance finder tool.

Otherwise, I’ve found is World Nomads. They charge you based on your country, travel dates and destination and their coverage is full package from standard trip cancellations to theft and at risk activities. Meanwhile, SafetyWing is economical as its really made for digital nomads.

Learn how to choose the trip insurance you NEED

!function(t){var e=document.createElement("script");e.className="js-sqm-affiliate-search-widget",e.setAttribute("data-widget-settings",JSON.stringify(t)),e.src="https://www.squaremouth.com/affiliates/23381/affiliate_search_widget_loader.js",document.write(e.outerHTML)}({ "carrier": "", "filters": {}, "background-color": "", "background-image": "", "border-color": "", "border-top-color": "", "button-color": "", "slope-bottom-color": "", "slope-top-color": "", "src": "", "style": "compact", "tag": "", "text-color": "" });

51. Annual Travel Insurance

For regular travelers, I get an annual insurance for $129 through Allianz Travel Insurance. The coverage is lighter than World Nomads but it covers a standard coverage and is great for business travelers.

What are your solo travel budget tips for ways to travel on the cheap? Leave your budget travel tips and cheap travel hacks below so we can benefit from it.

Related Posts on Budget Travel

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Find budget tours in Vietnam without getting ripped off
Reasons to splurge on a tour vs DIY travel
Jobs that will pay you to Travel

 

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