Save money while Solo Travelling-
Everyone has a dream destination where they want to travel solo. But if you can’t make that dream happen because you cannot pay for it, try to use some travel hacks. You no longer need to be wealthy enough to travel. You need to know how to wisely use the money to make the most of your trip at an affordable expense.
By pointing out the hidden travel costs you can avoid to save money, you’ll quickly learn how easy it can be to travel on a budget. Hence the answer to your question: how to save money for travel as a solo traveller will be answered below.
Being flexible with the destination
The destination might be a great deal for you. Sometimes one might get better deals if they are more flexible with their travel itinerary. Therefore try to be open to the idea of changing destinations. Always try to pick a destination that will help you save money as a solo traveller and also a safe solo travelling option. You also have the luxury of snagging last-minute deals and offers. Flight finder tools like Skyscanner, Kayak, GoogleFlights, and many more will allow you to search flights to any destination.
You also have the 24 hours cancellation policy of the airlines if you need an out. Being flexible with dates will end up saving you a lot. Most websites mention the cheapest fare on the calendar while booking tickets. During weekends and festivals, flight tickets are the most expensive. For your long-haul solo trips, booking your tickets in advance is best. If you can be flexible, then spend the time and check what dates have the cheapest flights. Hence do not fixate on one destination.
Try to make your trip during the off-season
January is one of the cheapest months if you want to travel. Also, try to consider a low season for your particular destination. Opting for an off-season trip is the number one tip to save money as a solo traveller. During high seasons or holidays, accommodations, tours, and food will be much higher, expanding the budget.
During the off-season, the tourists are less in number and hence you can have the best out of place and can explore to the depth of your destination. Due to reduced activities and travelers, your cost of booking hotels and transportation will be reduced drastically.
You will have more time to visit all the destinations at an equal cost in peak season. You might wonder how your destination is preferred during the off-season. Most seasons vary from the continent. For European countries, the off-season is from October to April, and in South East Asia is from March to October. You can find the off-season of your destination on the internet or can also ask people who have visited the same place.
Get a rough idea of flight costs
While planning a solo trip, you need to save money on flight tickets. Flight tickets are the most important and expensive deals that must be sorted out first. You might get many perks and reduced tariffs depending on the destination and the type of flight you might choose. Look at the websites which offer an overview of all the flights available and their cost. Based on it you will be able to buy your flight tickets. You can apply some hacks to save on flight booking.
Try to use multiple search engines and then compare their prices. Some search engines might show higher rates as compared to others. Different engines will show different rates depending on their cut from the airlines. There are many cheap and budget airlines which will allow you to travel on a mid-level or a low budget. Try considering budget airlines. Most leading airlines offer their loyal customers frequent flyer programs. Try to look for frequent flyer miles and points.
Join a solo travel group
A solo trip might be adventurous, but it can also be scary and lonely for most people. If you are worried about being alone and lost in a new land, you must join a solo travel group. You can look after many websites where you can sign up for a solo travel group. You can also find about various travel groups on social media sites. These will be helpful to you as some of the travellers who are a part of the group have to experience travelling alone and going on budget solo trips.
You will get their input and suggestions, which will help you save money during your solo travel. Travel connects young professionals in their hometowns—small group specialists like Intrepid Travel offers solo departures. You will meet fellow travellers on these tours and groups to share expenses with.
Choose homestays and backpacking hostels
Homestays and backpacking hostels are a trending way of accommodation for solo backpackers. For a cheap backpacking trip, you would want to choose a backpacking hostel and backpacking home stays to save your money. Luxury hotels and resorts are going to burn a hole in your pocket. You might also want to choose other accommodations like homestays, couch surfing, hostels, and many more. There you can find more solo travellers like you and can venture out for adventures. Homestays and hotels always charge less because of low investment costs.
The cost of manufacturing and acquiring land is excluded. In a homestay, you can stay for a longer duration of time. You will also get delicious food at an inexpensive rate. The food is healthy and hygienic. You will be offered local types of food for which you would pay a happy amount. In homestays, you will have only what you need. No unnecessary luxury items will add up to the charges; hence home stays are a cheap place to stay safe.
Try to get hold of the single room stays
Most of the time, hotels have a double room setting, which requires two people to pay. Being a solo traveller, you need to pay for single rooms instead of twin or double rooms. Many hotels do not accommodate such settings where you only need to pay for single rooms instead of twin or double rooms. Therefore you must look for hotels that provide services and accommodations.
According to that, make your bookings. Great accommodations for solo travelers include small but luxurious single rooms. As solo travel is rising, many companies are dropping the old idea of single supplement fees. You can get your room for an additional fee which varies by destination and trip type.
Team up with a traveller
Try to meet a fellow backpacker and go on a quest to explore a new destination. One of the advantages of solo backpacking trips is that one can network and make new friends and connections. You can team up with a traveller looking for a partner and step out to explore and travel. During your trip, you can also share some of your ideas and places that you might visit and take suggestions from your travel mate.
You will make a good bonding session and can feel safe in the company of a stranger-turned-friend. You can team up with a traveller and split the cost of lodging, which will chop the budget immensely. You can go through sites like TravBuddy, TravelChum and CruiseMates, which will pair you up with other travellers heading to the same destination in your lifetime.
Purchase a local SIM Card
For solo travelling, the need to look up maps and information on the go is invaluable. A local sim is not only going to give you the best rates but also access to various local discounts. This is the best option if you don’t want to consign yourself to enduring expensive phone calls, free Wi-Fi and many more. Before buying the SIM try to verify the phone compatibility. Mobile networks around the world run on different frequency ranges.
You can try using WillMyPhoneWork to check if your phone will work in your travel destination. Also, check provider coverage when you decide on the phone plan to reach your destination. The sim cards have amazing offers, and the recharge cost is decent. Hence you can always connect with your family members during the thrilling adventures of your solo backpacking trip.
Planning the meals better
As part of your plan, you must be mindful of what you eat to keep a budget for solo travel. During budget trips, food is one of the massive expenses that come up. There are a few tweaks and offers you can find out that will help you save money.
You can try finding accommodation with breakfast, including the deal, which will save you a lot. In this way, one of your meals will be sorted. You can do the same thing for lunch and dinner too. Balancing your meals properly can make the most of your solo budget trip.
Finding out walking tours
Finding out more details about walking tours is the best way to save money during your solo travels. Walking tours do not mean you would not splurge exorbitantly on vehicles and public transport. This will help you tremendously, enabling you to save money and use it elsewhere.
You can also join new travellers during your walking tour and make new connections. You can also look up a budget stay of your choice on Hotel platforms. Not only will you get the best rates and huge choice, but also you can earn Miles for your hotel stays.
Find out details about free tourist attractions
Your solo travel will be even better and cheaper when you visit tourist attraction sites for free. Few locations and museums are where you do not need to pay an entry fee. Try to take advantage of cities with free museums. Unless you can do prior research on it and fix a list of such places you want to visit, you can save a lot of money during your solo travel.
Try to gather information about the opportunities available in the place you are visiting. You can find free walking tours, pub crawls, and hiking trails which are always fun and free places to explore in the countryside. In the resort or hostel, wherever you are staying in, you can ask the host and get information on the best tourist attraction site in your destination.
You can also use student discounts
If you are a student and have a valid student ID card, you can ask and go to various tourist attractions that will give you a student discount on the price of admission. Many museums around Europe give significant discounts to students. Even some restaurants give a discount to students on food and drink prices.
You only need to make sure not to forget your ID at home. It would help if you showed it to get the lower price in most cases. You might even get a discount on City Passes, like the Oslo Pass or London Pass, which will get you into a long list of local attractions and popular tourist sites at a cheaper rate. You can also earn passive income while travelling.
Eating local foods can save you a lot
Learning how the locals eat and doing as they do can be cheaper and save you a lot. Try to skip the specialty stores that offer the brands you are used to and look at how the locals eat. You will find someone who will tell you how to prepare typical foods. They may even offer to teach you how to do the other dishes.
Ask the locals where to shop. You can get the cheapest groceries and when or where good deals on meals can be found by asking the locals. Try finding out the discount section at the grocery store. You can get amazing deals on expensive items and save money.
Pack your luggage light
Packing heavy clothes and essentials with you on your solo trip is unnecessary. You need to pack light because you would carry your bag to all the places as a backpacker. There would be multiple places that you would like to visit during your trip. Hence you should opt for light packing so that it does not affect your happiness as you carry your bags around.
Try checking out the hostel calendars for events
Many hostels organize fun events to entertain their guests. Most of the time, the calendars are full of fun events set in places since hostels have a young crowd and solo backpackers. These might include pool parties, stargazing, tours, yoga, and many more. Depending on which season you want to visit the hostel, you will find some event that suits your sensibilities the best.
Hence these were some travel hacks to save money. There are some things you should be mindful of regarding the above points. For example, if you want to travel in the off-season, then make sure that the attraction in the places you visit does not shut down completely. To save your money, all you need to do is apply certain travel hacks. Explore your thoughts wisely and do some planning. In this way, you can save a lot.
