Budget Travel
Smart travel tips and tricks to explore the world without emptying your wallet.
How I Saved $5000 for Travel in 6 Months Working a Regular Job
I opened a separate savings account on January 2nd and set up an automatic transfer of $200 per week from my checking account. My salary was $52,000 per year af...
How Exchange Rates Affect Your Travel Budget and How to Play Them Smart
In January 2025, I planned a trip to Japan and budgeted $3,000 for three weeks. The exchange rate was 148 yen to the dollar. By the time I booked my flights in...
How to Travel During Peak Season Without Paying Peak Prices
Everyone tells you to travel during shoulder season. "Go in May or September," they say. "Avoid July and August." But sometimes you cannot choose when you trave...
Eating Well on the Road Without Blowing Your Budget
I ate a bowl of pho in Hanoi that cost 40,000 dong ($1.60). It was the best bowl of soup I have ever eaten, the broth was 12 hours in the making, the beef was s...
Free Activities in 15 Major Cities That Tourists Always Miss
The best thing I did in Berlin cost nothing. I stood in the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a field of 2,711 concrete slabs of varying heights arranged...
How to Get Travel Insurance That Actually Covers What You Need
I broke my ankle on a hiking trail in Patagonia, 15 kilometers from the nearest road. The rescue, which involved a horse, a local gaucho, and a four-hour ride t...
The $50 a Day Challenge: Can You Really Travel Mexico on That
I stood at a taco stand in Oaxaca at 10 PM, eating tlayudas, large crispy tortillas topped with asiento (unrefined pork lard), black beans, quesillo cheese, and...
How to Use Public Transportation Like a Local Anywhere in the World
I boarded the wrong bus in Istanbul. I knew this because the bus was heading east across the Bosphorus Bridge into Asia, and my hostel was in Sultanahmet, on th...
Camping While Traveling: The Ultimate Budget Accommodation Hack
I pitched my tent on a beach in Montenegro at sunset. The Adriatic Sea was 20 meters away, the water was glassy and reflecting the orange sky, and the only soun...
The Hidden Costs of Travel Nobody Warns You About
I arrived at the airport in Bali and was told I needed to pay a 150,000 rupiah ($10) "tourist tax" that was not mentioned when I booked my flight or my visa. I...
The Real Cost of Backpacking Southeast Asia in 2026
I kept a spreadsheet for every dollar I spent during four months in Southeast Asia. Not because I am obsessive, but because every travel blog I read before the...
The Cheapest Countries to Visit in 2026 That Are Actually Worth It
The map on my wall has 47 countries marked with pushpins, but I have visited 23 of them for less than $1,000 per trip. Budget travel is not about deprivation; i...