Travelling abroad does not necessarily imply expending a fortune. If you plan everything in advance and follow some simple advice you can cut off costs in an amazing way.
1. Swap houses or rent your own home: accommodation is usually one of the highest expenses while travelling. The fast growth of platforms within the collaborative economy philosophy have given birth to many sites when you can rent someone´s house at affordable prices or even swap your own house with another traveller and then save up all accommodation costs. We recommend platforms like Airbnb, couchsurfing (to sleep for free on someone´s couch), homexchange.com and Hospitality Club. If you are so lucky to own an apartment you can always rent it while you are travelling.
2. Volunteering: this might be a very convenient choice both to save costs while doing some responsible tourism. Some volunteer projects cover your accommodation and food and occasionally, flights. You will need to spend long periods, (usually 1 month minimum and some times even 3) but how does taking care of elephants in Thailand sound to you?
3. Hitchhike and carpool: in order to save-up on transport you can consider these two options. For travelling around Europe this can be a very smart choice as it should be pretty safe. Always do it through a website like Bla Bla Car, Uber etc. Instead of doing it on your own to guaranty your safety.
True that Britain doesn´t have the best weather and that rain and chilly temperatures are often friends of the summer, but still the country offers amazing beaches, views and cities to visit. It is also certain that is not the country per se for low cost destinations but with well-done homework, you can find astonishing budget options for these up-coming holidays.
- Brighton: One of the most popular destinations for beach tourism, but if that is not your cup of tea, it offers marvellous green spaces with 98 parks and gardens plus the Sussex countryside. If you are not lucky with the weather, visit any of the plenty museums that the city offers: Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Hove Museum and Fishing Museum.
- Edinburgh: Without a doubt one of the most picturesque cities in Europe formed by a historic Old Town with the famous medieval castle and the Georgian New Town. Climb to the top for the best views and enjoy the free museums, galleries and the beach! This August, the city hosts 3 free Festivals: Fringe, The International Festival and the Arts Festival.
Traditionally, travelling has involved spending lots of money but what if I tell you that there is an alternative way of doing tourism, which is actually very cheap? Its name is Couch Surfing and has made travelling affordable for backpackers or just anyone who is not willing to spend a fortune. Basically, the concept means staying with locals instead of going to hotels and it is not only about money saving as it also involves: getting to know locals, experiencing the city as so, share experiences and foster cultural exchange.
As incredible as it may sound, every country around the globe offers a couch where you can stay for free. The couch surfing community continues to expand and right now reaches 10 million people in more than 200.000 cities. Furthermore, there are couchsurfers communities in many cities, which means that whilst you are travelling you can join for language exchange, excursions, going-outs and dancing lessons; for instance.
If you have ever visited this city, I am sure you will not be surprised by this achievement. Located at the Western coast of the island of Luzon and capital of the province Ilocos Sur, Vigan is a World Heritage Site. Strolling along its typical cobblestone streets allows visitors to travel back in time as it is one of the few Filipino towns that have preserved its colonial architecture intact.
For the second time, this vibrant city has been awarded with an international recognition and has been elected as the New7Wonder Cities of the world amongst with Beirut, Doha, Durban, Havana, Kuala Lumpur and La Paz for their global diversity of urban society.
Vigan was originally a settlement for Chinese traders and has as well preserved its Chinese heritage evident in the popular creole families that despite its origins, have Hispanicised and adopted Spanish names. It is also visible in the colourful architecture, which fuses Oriental designs with colonial European styles.
