5 ways to help you stay away: Important tips for the long-term traveler
Whether you’ve already got the travel bug or you’re just now planning your big escape. There are a few tips to remember to help you stretch your budget and extend your travels for as long as you see fit.
1. Choose cheap destinations
You’ve been dreaming of the Louvre, those underground clubs in Berlin, and the beautiful beaches of Barcelona. But that comes with a big price tag. This isn’t to say you can’t do expensive destinations cheaply, you totally can. But $20 a day in Spain isn’t going to get you as far as $20 a day in Vietnam. That’s why if you want to travel on a budget the first step is choosing a budget-friendly destination.
South East Asia is known for being a very inexpensive destination. Backpackers flock to Thailand and Vietnam and often spend months there. How? Because it’s so cheap. You can live a great lifestyle for less and explore a culture that might not be all that familiar to you.
And if you’re dying to see Europe, check out those Eastern countries. There might not be as many movies about Hungary and Malta, but these are great countries to visit full as much culture and history as Western Europe.
2. Find income
Long-term travelers know that traveling isn’t always a vacation. Of course, we would all love to be able to travel for a year without working, but if you find yourself wanting to stay away, a key factor is going to be money. The only way to get money is usually to work.
Many countries offer working holiday visas or programs that will allow you to legally obtain work. Working in another country can be an eye-opening experience. It’s a lot different than if you were a tourist. Usually, this is a great opportunity to meet more locals and learn/experience day to day life in that country. Teaching English is a popular way people find work abroad, but you can also find work in any field. From the agriculture, medical, and even entertainment. There are also hundreds of companies that have headquarters overseas.
While volunteering can be a great experience, and also help save you money. It doesn’t give you any income and often you’re volunteering on your tourist visa, so when that’s up you’ll have to leave.
Finding work in another country can also be a difficult task, so another option is online work. Many people are making the move from traditional office jobs to online remote work. So why not make the switch yourself? Working from a beautiful beach in the Maldives sounds pretty nice right?
3. Find a partner
I’m all here for the solo travel movement, but a lot of times single people get the short end of the stick when it comes to traveling. When you’re traveling alone you have to bear all the costs but finding a travel partner can save you a lot especially with accommodation.
Now you don’t have to travel with a SO or a friend from back home. You don’t even need to travel the entire time with someone, but if you can find a travel buddy every once and a while you’ll save some serious money and be able to stretch that budget.
4. Slow down
Visiting 6 countries can be expensive. Especially when you try to see all 6 in only two weeks. Between accommodation, transportation, food, and leisure activities you could easily find yourself spending $2,000 in those two weeks- and that might be on the low end for some people. You can try to find cheap accommodation and alternative transportation, but going that fast and seeing that much is just going to cost a lot more.
Take those same 6 countries and spread it out of 6 months- or 4- and you’ll have more time to explore the area and experience more of the culture while saving a little extra. Some attractions offer discounts for certain days. Allowing you to wait and get a cheaper price. Some places offer weekend passes that are great if you love botanical gardens or museums, being able to go more than once and take your time to see it all might be well worth the additional cost. Even accommodation can be cheaper if you stay longer. Many hotels offer discounts for stays over 3 days and if you’re a good haggler you could always present the case for a cheaper day rate for staying longer.
If you’re not on a time crunch, you’re more willing to walk or not pay the extra fee for an express bus.
Whether traveling for you is about experiencing another culture, doing interesting activities, or just relaxing by the beach. Spend more time doing that and less time “traveling” and you’ll be able to make your trip and your budget last longer.
5. Make and stick to your budget
Like your daily life in your home country, a budget is just a smart thing to have. This requires a high amount of self-control and discipline. It might seem simple, but many people can tell you about how their 6month Latin American trip turned into 3 months because they didn’t have or didn’t stick to their budget. The more money you have the looser your budget and if you have a consistent income that also plays a role.
The bottom line is you need to manage your money and outline your priorities. If you’re a foodie and love to eat, budget more money for dining out than you do for groceries. If you budgeted for no more than $30/day on accommodation than stop looking at that $50/night hotel. Everything on your budget doesn’t have to be cheap, it just has to be something you’ll stick to.
Pro tip: Always ask a local how much things cost and don’t be afraid to haggle- it’s not nearly as frowned upon in some countries as it is in others.
The key to long-term traveling is remaining open and flexible. If you can manage that you can make even the smallest budget last a long time.