| About Me | Women Travel Home | Links | Netherlands photos | Barcelona Photos | School | Travel Blog | Sign Guestbook | View Guestbook |
On any travel queries site or pages, money issues are among the most common questions. 'I have $/£5000. Is that enough?' 'How much do I need for two weeks in South Africa?' 'How much would a cheap single room be in London?' 'How much do I need per day in Peru?' And the like. After estimated costs, queries about maximising the money you have, getting best value and saving money are frequent. Of course this is understandable. Few of us women are able to travel on unlimited money! But, what do I mean by a budget, and how best can you stick to that?
At one end of the scale, there is the traveller who prefers to stay in comfort. It is not the local backpackers hostel for this woman traveller, instead luxury accommodation with all home comforts, restaurant meals, all the major sites, shop til you drop, party til you drop and don't forget the spa treatment.
At the other end, it is possible to travel very cheaply. These are typically long term travellers who don't have a time limit on trips - they travel until the money runs out. I have met many travellers like this. They rough it over comfort, staying in the cheapest accommodation, preparing their own food, travelling by local transport, not shopping for souvenirs, and enjoying social activities and sightseeing that is either free or very cheap. These travellers show that it is still possible to have a great time without living a luxury lifestyle.
I see myself as being very much middle ground. I live cheaply but I like to experience the place I am visiting as much as possible. I tend to stay in hostels or budget places for the social atmosphere. When I occasionally go for private hotel rooms I don't go for luxury hotels. I travel by public transport and spend hours on foot and like free places as much as the next person. I enjoy a picnic lunch or the odd self cooked meal. I can relax for a bit of time on quiet beaches and parks, gardens etc. However, I also like some indulgences. This is what really makes a trip for me. Being so passionate about food, I like to eat out at a good restaurant now and then. I like visiting art galleries and musuems, and even the odd castle. I like some touristy stuff like boat trips and walking tours. I like a souvenir or two, and a few presents for people at home, although I don't go crazy on shopping. I can never afford to do everything I want to do and buy, so I have to prioritise.
Deciding your own budget
The most obvious costs include your flights/travel to the destination, accommodation, food, travel within the country, insurance, money for sightseeing and activities and hopefully an emergency fund. I can't tell you how to draw up your budget, what you need to cover and how much money you need. Only you can know the answers to those questions. There is not a right or wrong way to go about budgetting.
A really important thing though is to be realistic. While you will take into account accommodation, basic meals, transport and hopefully an emergency fund (plus pre trip costs like insurance and flights), also take into account the things that make a trip enjoyable for you. Some people are genuinely happy spending months living on bread and cheese/rice and lentils/whatever the local cheap eats are, hanging out at the beach during the day and sleeping in large dormitories every night and managing without hot showers. If you are that way inclined, you are very lucky as you can look forward to lots of travel. However, the reality is that most travellers don't enjoy very low budget living for long. If that is your case, err on the generous side. If you find you have money left at the end, no problem. Even if you do plan to travel on a very low budget, allow funds for higher spending days. After an upset stomach for a few days in melting heat, you might find yourself wanting a nicer hotel room with a/c for a few nights. After days of butt numbing road travel in freezing temparatures, you may find yourself desperate for a first class train ticket.
Only you can know what you do like to spend on and how far you included that in your budget. Each person is highly individual here. One person might happily pay a high enterance fee to see a major work of art but draw the line at paying the same to enter a nightclub. Another person will happily spend a lot on nightlife but spend the daytime hanging out in the local park to save money. One person will prefer to hire a car/motorcycle or take short domestic flights over using public transport while another will think nothing of spending hours in a decrepit bus that is severly overcrowded on bad roads for the cost of a few dollars. Do you like to eat out in good restaurants sometimes? Do you like to join day or weekend tours? Do you like to do watersports? Remember to add these expenses to your basic costs. Work out a rough daily amount, then add 50% more.
Travelling with not much money?
I am only giving suggestions here, telling you about some things that have worked for me. What I like might not appeal to you however - you will learn to adapt according to how you like to travel.
* I have learnt during my travels that fun doesn't have to come with a high price tag. Some hostels and low cost accommodation is friendly and full of character. A picnic lunch or shopping at markets can be very enjoyable. Some free musuems and galleries are truly excellent. Travelling around by local transport can either be fun or hell, depending on how crowded and reliable it is. Through buying a cheap day pass and getting hold of a good local bus map, you can spend hours touring different neighbourhoods if the local service is reliable and cheap. In Chennai, I had to master some key local transport routes, and once I did I found I enjoyed the city so much more than I did when travelling by taxi or autorickshaw, and it was sometimes 100 times cheaper. Spending hours strolling around on foot in beautiful places can be a real joy, especially if the architecture is either ultra modern or historic, or particularly representative of the area (okay, there isn't much of that these days). Taking time out from sightseeing to lounge around in a park, beach or shady square can be very relaxing.
In fact, I have found that on my very low budget days, I have seen much and experienced much more. These days are typically towards the end of the trip when the money is running out. My last few days in New York city was with a budget of a few dollars each day. I spent hours exploring neighbourhoods, on foot and by local bus, got the free ferry a few times and admired the view from many places. I really felt that I was getting to grips with the city. I had the same situation in Rotterdam. Some of my most memorable meals have been the cheapest - bread and cheese in a Rotterdam park, noodles from a street stall in London and a lunch of free samples from a New York deli are examples. But, as I have stated above, I don't recommend travel like this all of the time.
* Look out for special deals at restaurants. Many do lunch time specials, set menus or early birds (early evening). I have ate at some wonderful restaurants around the world cheaply this way. In India, thali meals are very cheap and filling, and you get to try everything. In San Francisco, I had a set lunch in a Thai restaurant that still has me drooling, three courses plus water (and a scowling waitress - the food was memorable but the service did not come with a smile at that price) for under ten dollars, including tips. In Dublin, I ate at an excellent vegetarian restaurant for just 16 euros on the early evening menu. In Dubai, I enjoyed a wonderful Chinese lunch at a restaurant I would not have been able to afford to eat at in the evening. In Amsterdam, for around ten euros I had a huge, filling, homecooked two course vegetarian lunch, drinks and tips, and this time the service did come with a smile. It goes on.
* On that note, all-you-can-eat places are also popular with budget travellers. I have found the quality of these to be hit and miss. The food quality can be poor, like a pizza, pasta and salad buffet in San Francisco for 11 dollars - most of it was very bland, greasy and salty. Or an all-you-can-eat Chinese place in Glasgow - at only £5.99, it seemed cheap but the food was so awful that I ate very little. That said, an all-you-can-eat Indian buffet I once had was wonderful. The food was perfectly cooked and there were lots of options, all for under $10. If your hungry and short of cash, these places can offer a cheap fill up.
* If your shopping for a picnic or self catering meal, try local markets. I have been to some excellent ones, with cheap but high quality fruit, vegetables, cheese, bread etc. Local shops slightly off the beaten track are usually far cheaper than foodstores aimed at tourists.
* If there is a university, there are sure to be plenty of cheap places to eat and drink around on and nearby campus. Students the world over need cheap eats and there are plenty of businesses willing to provide that service. They normally will serve anyone and don't require student ID. The quality may be variable but some are good. On campus, if you have a student card from another college you may still be able to eat in the student dining halls. Also, noticeboards and student newspapers may advertise free events that are open to anyone.
* Free food can sometimes be found. Deli's, fine food supermarkets and farmers markets sometimes have extensive selections of free samples and with enough it is a good lunch. In New York City, the deli next door to my hostel had lots of free samples of cheeses and salads with crackers, all very high quality food. I enjoyed a few wonderful filling lunches. Nowadays, I will still fill up on free samples but I prefer to buy something - even something small and cheap at the end. If you don't feel guilty about munching away and then leaving, enjoy! Other sources of free food are available but it can be hard to know where to look if your not local. In an art gallery, I once attended a launch event for an exhibition and there was plenty of free wine, juice and wonderful canapies. A local store held a sales event and again wine and nibbles came free. To benefit from this, you need to be in the right place at the right time.
* Sign up for free e-mail and persuade as many of your friends and family to do the same. It is cheaper than phone calls.
* Where available, public libraries often have free internet access, even for guests. Guest access is usually only for 15-30 minutes maximum, slots cannot be reserved and you most likely will have to queue. There may only be a few machines for guest access.
* When choosing accommodation remember that although the centrally located hostels and hotels are usually slightly more expensive than those further out, don't forget to include the cost of commuting to outside areas. The central location may work out cheaper if everything you want to see is within walking distance.
* Discounts are often available for children and young people, students and people aged 60+. You may need a student or youth card, or proof of age to claim them.
* Unlimited passes for local travel are an excellent saving if you use the local transport regularly. In tourist areas, they are sold for any number of days, otherwise they can be bought daily or weekly, or for longer periods. If your around a while, weekly/fortnightly/monthly passes work out cheaper per day than daily passes. If the local service is good and extensive, a local pass and a good route map can provide hours of sightseeing opportunities.
* The open topped bus tours that operate in major cities and resort areas around the world can be great for giving you a general introduction to a place, but some are costly. If your on a budget, you can always do the same route on local buses with a local pass, though you will have to manage without the commentary that you get on the tours. I did this in London and New York and got around perfectly okay. My guidebook provided the same history information that I would have got on the tour. I took the organised open topped bus tours in Edinburgh, Dublin and Barcelona and I enjoyed them and found them informative. I took the open topped bus tour in Dubai but did not find it good value. Both ways of doing it were fine.
* Countrywide (or even continent wide in Europe) bus and rail passes can work out cheaper than individual tickets if your travelling a lot. If your planning on taking just a few journeys, check individual fares online as a pass may cost more that way. Check carefully what passes include because sometimes you have to pay extra for seat reservations, sleepers in trains or the faster express trains.
* You can save on accommodation by taking overnight journeys, but don't count on getting a comfortable nights sleep. I have done this many times. As well as being woken up for passport checks and breaks, sleeping in a very small space is not comfortable and in the morning your likely to feel exhausted and not up to doing much for the rest of the day. You won't enjoy the places your visiting very much if your tired all of the time, so I don't recommend doing that too often.
* Most cinemas have cheap days (typically tuesday or wednesday) or have cheaper tickets for early evening shows. Many theatres and concert halls sell half price tickets for any unsold seats on the day (but only buy from an official source) and even cheaper stand-by tickets (bought just before the performance). If you don't mind that a seat is not guaranteed, you can get very cheap tickets for top shows this way.
* Sports venues also sometimes sell unsold tickets cheaply before a match, though high league teams and championship matches usually sell out well ahead of time. Be very careful about buying match or show tickets from touts outside the venue - they may be fake or sold several times higher than the face price. Remember that matches between small league teams or unknown local teams can be just as atmospheric and fun if there is a good turn out for very cheap or free.
* Large galleries and musuems sometimes have discounted tickets at the last admission times (typically 30-60 minutes before closing time). These don't give you enough time to see the whole place but they could be worth it if there are just a few particular items you want to see.
* Look out for special entry times at musuems and galleries. Some offer free entry on certain days of the month, or during the evenings. They can be quite crowded then however.
* Look out for free local event listings guides or the events sections of local papers. Most areas have them, and there is often an english language version. During summer months, many places have outdoor concerts, music, dance and plays for free or very cheap. Festivals can provide amazing cultural entertainment, if crowded sometimes.
* In areas with lots of tourists, you can usually buy tourist passes. In my experience, they can either be great value or a total rip off. They usually allow for unlimited local travel during the time the card is valid (which in itself can make the card worth it alone), and then allow free or discounted entry to attractions and discount coupons for restaurants, cafes, tours, shops etc.
I have both gained and lost out from these. I advise you to look carefully at what is offered - usually the full details are on websites or leaflets available locally. Ask yourself how many of the attractions you plan to visit anyway. If your planning on visiting a number of them, the discounts could be worth it. Solo travellers need to watch out for discounts being two-for-one tickets, buy one get one free, special meal deals for two etc. I have found many discount booklets to be of this nature. Finally, watch out for free entry being advertised with the card for attractions that have free entry anyway! It happens frequently.
* If you need a gym fix, check guidebooks as some gyms offer day passes or sessional passes. If your flexible about when, some offer even cheaper off peak rates when the gym is least used. Large hotels with gyms usually have non resident membership also - check about day or weekend rates if your not around for long. Many colleges and universities allow the general public to use campus sports facilities for a fee. For swimming, public pools are often far cheaper than private clubs. They may be in the suburbs but are accessible. Large public parks sometimes have free outdoor swimming pools during summer months. Beaches, lakes and rivers may also provide free swimming opportunities, but check very carefully first about water quality and safety. For tennis, golf etc. private clubs that are open to guests usually have higher fees than public courts/courses.
* Do try to be ethically minded. In places where haggling is the norm, remember that what is a few pence/cents to you could be worth a lot more to the seller who has a family to feed. Get a good deal but try to avoid getting it for less than it is worth. On the same note, getting an idea of prices is a good idea first, as most sellers will automatically ask very high amounts way above what locals pay if you are foreign and you come across as not in the know. If this happens frequently, it can cause difficulties all around. On a daily basis in India I witnessed drivers, vendors, porters etc. almost fighting to get the business of foreigners but shunning far less profitable business from local people. If too many people are prepared to pay way over the odds it can result in prices going much higher for everyone, both locals and travellers, and can encourage a culture of harrassing tourists.
When not to go cheap - safety matters.
No matter how low your budget, you cannot put a price on personal safety. Paying a bit extra for a secure hotel room in a safe area is always worth it over a hotel in a bad area with questionable security. Paying for a taxi is always worth it if the public transport is not very safe or infrequent at night. Paying extra for an internal flight is always worth it if overland travel is not advised due to military activity. The examples could go on but you get the idea.
Links
Here are some other sites with lots of budget tips for anyone travelling on a budget:
Money Advice on carrying cash, bargaining, living cheaply and dealing with beggars from a guy who travels very cheaply.
Travel on the really cheap Lots of ideas - some more practical than others. The site has a South East Asia focus but most of the advice is suitable for anywhere.
Globalbum For the extreme low budget traveller. Some of the ideas are very good, others depend on whether you are prepared to lie and cheat. I found this site very entertaining though.
Financial strategies Usueful site about various ways to carry money when your away and managing finance back at home while travelling.
Cheap travel tips Ideas for saving money on the road.
Everything about travel - cheap travel This site has a focus on travel in the USA but like the 'travel on the realy cheap' site above, it is mostly relevant anywhere.
Road Junky - cheap travel Collection of articles about travelling and living cheaply.