Budget Travel: 12 Money-Saving Hacks for Your Next Holiday

A dream holiday doesn't have to be expensive. With these 12 tried-and-tested money-saving hacks you'll get the most out of your travel budget.

1. Find the Best Flight Prices

For most trips, the flight is the biggest expense. The trick: be flexible with dates and departure airports. Flight-comparison sites like Skyscanner, Google Flights and Kayak show you the cheapest days at a glance. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are statistically the cheapest days to fly. Book 6–8 weeks before departure for short-haul and 2–3 months ahead for long-haul.

Tip: Use incognito mode when searching – some portals raise prices after repeated searches.

2. Try Alternative Accommodation

Hotels are convenient but rarely the cheapest option. Holiday apartments pay off especially for families and groups – you split costs and have a kitchen for self-catering. Hostels no longer mean dormitories only: many offer attractive private rooms at half the hotel price. House-sitting platforms even let you stay for free in exchange for looking after a home and pets.

Holiday apartment: 30–50 % cheaper than a hotel, plus a kitchen
Hostel private room: Hotel comfort at half the price
Couchsurfing: Stay with locals for free
House-sitting: Free accommodation in exchange for pet care
Camping: From 10 EUR per night at beautiful sites

3. Travel in the Off-Season

The simplest money-saving hack of all: travel outside peak season. The price differences are enormous – in the off-season you often pay 40–60 % less for flights and accommodation. Bonus: fewer tourists, shorter queues, more authentic experiences. Best off-season for Europe: May/June and September/October. For South-East Asia: April to June.

4. Eat Like a Local

Tourist areas are expensive – everywhere in the world. The cheapest and tastiest food is found where the locals eat. In South-East Asia, street stalls are unbeatable (1–3 EUR per meal); in Europe, lunch menus at local restaurants are great value. Cooking for yourself in a holiday apartment saves the most: shopping at the local market is cheaper than any restaurant and an experience in itself.

In concrete terms: in many southern-European countries, a set lunch (Menu del dia, Prix fixe) costs just 8–12 EUR including a drink – the same dish ordered à la carte in the evening costs double.

5. Discover Free Activities

The best travel experiences often cost nothing. Free Walking Tours are available in almost every major city – you simply leave a tip at the end. Many museums have free-entry days (e.g. the first Sunday of the month). Nature is free anyway: hiking, beaches, viewpoints, parks.

Free Walking Tours (available in almost every city)
Visit museums on free-admission days
Explore local markets and bazaars
Hiking and enjoying nature
Sunrise/sunset from viewpoints
Explore cities on foot or by bicycle

6. Get a Credit Card with No Foreign-Transaction Fees

Standard debit and credit cards charge 1.5–3 % in fees for payments and withdrawals abroad. On a budget of 2,000 EUR that is 30–60 EUR in unnecessary costs. Several fee-free travel credit cards work worldwide without charges. Apply 2–3 weeks before your trip.

7. Choose Affordable Destinations

Your budget stretches three times as far in some countries as in others. In South-East Asia, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Morocco or Central America you can get accommodation, three meals and activities for 30–50 EUR a day. By comparison, you need 150–200 EUR for the same standard in Switzerland or Scandinavia. Choose your destination with your budget in mind.

8. Save on Local Transport

Taxis and hire cars eat through a budget fast. Public transport is almost always the cheapest option – and often the more interesting one. Many cities offer multi-day transit passes that pay for themselves after just three rides. Long-distance coaches (e.g. Flixbus) are unbeatable for intercity routes. Ride-sharing via BlaBlaCar is another alternative.

9. Be Smart About Travel Insurance

Good travel insurance saves thousands in an emergency yet costs very little. Annual policies are cheaper than single-trip cover: international health insurance starts at 10 EUR per year. Trip-cancellation insurance is worthwhile from a trip value of around 500 EUR. Watch out: credit-card insurance often doesn't cover everything – read the fine print!

10. Reduce Your Luggage

Travelling with hand luggage only saves 20–60 EUR per leg on budget airlines. A 40-litre backpack is more than enough for a one-week holiday. The trick: roll clothes instead of folding, use travel-size toiletries and wear the heaviest items on your body. Washing clothes in the sink or at a laundrette is cheaper than excess-baggage fees.

11. Use Budget Apps

Keep track of your spending with travel-budget apps such as TravelSpend or Trail Wallet. Log your expenses every day – that way you notice immediately if you are overspending and can adjust. Set a daily budget and stick to it. Most travellers spend too much at the start and have to scrimp at the end.

Use our budget calculator to plan your travel budget in advance! To the budget calculator

12. Save on Drinking Water and Beverages

It sounds small but it adds up: a reusable water bottle saves 2–5 EUR per day in water costs. In many countries you can drink tap water (almost everywhere in Europe, North America, Australia). In countries with unsafe tap water there are often free refill stations. Buying alcohol in the supermarket rather than at the bar also saves enormously – a beer costs 1 EUR in a shop, 5 EUR at the beach bar.