Some countries are notorious for being expensive to travel and explore, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With the 15th post in Travel Tip Tuesday, we hear from Walk My World travel blog with tips on how to travel expensive countries cheaper.
Traveling expensive countries cheaper
Traveling for a prolonged time in a country like the USA, Canada or Australia is often overlooked by the majority of travelers. It’s understandable as a month in Australia can cost the same amount as 3-4 months in a country like Indonesia or Thailand. However, with planning, you can visit some of the most expensive countries in the world for as little as $50 USD per day without ever going near a campsite, hostel dorm or couch-surfing.
Here are a few tips to open up the world without breaking the bank!
Timing is everything
The most important factor in keeping the cost of travel down in expensive countries is the time of year you visit. Visiting in off-peak season makes a dramatic difference in pricing, especially in terms of accommodation. For instance, the same hotel in Bryce Canyon (a popular national park in Utah) costs $300+ per night in August, but $35 per night in February. This was a Best Western hotel that included breakfast, a bargain that isn’t unusual to be found at this time of year! Yes, you’ll have to contend with some snow but it’s a good excuse to try out snow-shoeing!
Timing can also come down to the day of the week. In Las Vegas, the same hotel can cost $35 per night from Monday to Thursday, but $150 from Friday to Sunday. The key is to identify the expensive areas ahead of time and try to manage your itinerary so that you avoid the incredibly popular places at weekends. You can normally find a more rural and secluded place to stay that is more affordable on the weekend.
The other benefit of the off-season is that the best things to do are often quiet. Outside of school holidays and weekends, you’ll find many of the most popular national parks in the USA or top tourist attractions around the world are significantly less crowded.
Booking ahead
One of the sacrifices with traveling in an expensive country is flexibility. If you book a long time in advance many things become significantly cheaper: airfares, hotels and car hire. Unlike 20 years ago, the age of the last-minute deal has gone for the most part. This is especially true with airfares and car hire, which can be surprisingly affordable in advance – for example, Italian car hire can be as little as $7 per day in off-peak season if you book in advance!
Airfares require a lot more monitoring – with the sweet spot tending to be five weeks before – but if you travel in off-peak season you can find incredibly low prices.
Avoid eating out
Eating out in countries like the USA is the enemy of the budget traveler! You can dramatically reduce your costs if you buy from grocery stores and are willing to be creative. Most accommodations have a microwave and we’ve seen people bring hotplates into motel rooms! It’s not glamorous, but it will save you a fortune! You can get a microwave meal for a few dollars which will help keep your money for more fun things to do.
Travel slowly
A key way to keep the costs down is to travel slowly. If you try to cover a lot of places, you’ll find that your costs begin to grow dramatically. By doing a lot more you will inevitably spend more in entry costs, but also petrol or transportation costs. It is far cheaper to find a place to stay for a longer amount of time and take advantage of the free things to do like a beautiful beach or the hiking trails in a national park.
Avoid the tours
This may not always be possible (especially for places which are only accessible by tours such as Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon in Arizona) but avoiding tours and exploring independently will save you money. Most of the time you can organize your own trip for a fraction of the cost. The best examples are in places like The Rockies in Canada where a lot of the beautiful lakes, such as Lake Louise, or viewpoints are easy to access by yourself rather than paying a tour company to take you.
About Walk My World Travel Blog
We’re Cat and Joe, originally from the UK but currently on the road in the USA. We’ve visited over 60 countries and you’ll most likely find us out on hiking trails or planning our next adventure over a large flat white.
We share our travel tips on our blog, Walk My World.
About Travel Tip Tuesday Series
Travel Tip Tuesday is a weekly series providing tips on travel from travelers all around the globe. You’re sure to find something to help you travel better!
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Happy and safe travels.
