One of the most common questions I get asked is “How on Earth are able to travel full time?”
Even though the answer is pretty simple, which is “I save money“, I thought I could give you some useful tips on how you can do it too!
Before we dive in the actual post, please remember that people who really love traveling always find a way to keep exploring the world. It might be hard to stay away from family and friends, to work while traveling, to find the right time and the money… Whatever excuse is popping out in your head, it’s just an excuse. If you have a passion for travel, you just go and explore.
Now that we agreed on this, I’m gonna share with you how I afford to travel full time.
When possible, plan ahead
I know this is not always possible, especially if you are backpacking or simply on the road, but it’s useful to try and plan things ahead every time we are about to leave for a new journey.
For doing this, plan your trip and start budgeting. Decide which activities you really don’t want to miss and which are too expensive for you. Try to find a budget for anything, like food, visits, attractions and anything else you might want to do.
Once everything is planned, you’ll need to save as much money as you can. I highly recommend opening a saving account (for free) and transfer there all your “travel money”. As you keep on saving, you’ll see the amount of money growing there and you’ll feel even more inspired to travel!
Save money on flights
Try to book flights months in advance or at least try to get the best possible deal. I personally use Skyscanner.com and it worked perfectly so far.
You want also to consider where you are flying to. Bigger airports also mean cheaper prices, so always try to get to the big airport first, and then find a way to move around.
Pro tip: Simply check and compare all the flights you are looking for, but don’t book through Skyscanner. They will charge you for some fees and you’ll end up paying more than what you see. Instead, head to the single companies and check again there the same flight. Chances are you’ll find the same flight for a cheaper price with no added fees.
Consider other options too
I know that catching a flight is the easiest option (and sometimes the only one) but, guess what? It’s also the most expensive.
Try to consider other options like trains, buses, or carsharing.
If you are traveling in South-East Asia, traveling by bus is probably your cheapest option and the most reasonable. It will take much more time than simply flight, but you will be saving tons of money and you’ll discover new places along the way.
Pro tip: If you have to travel long distances, consider sleeping buses. You’ll find some actual beds or large and comfy seats and they will provide you with some water and food for the trip. This is the best way if you want to save some money on transport AND accommodation, as you will sleep on the bus for the whole night.
Save money on accommodation
That’s the trickiest part! You want to stay close to the main attractions, but you don’t wanna spend too much, right? You kinda have to find the right balance. There’s a lot of good options you can choose from.
Free Accommodation
A great way to get in touch with locals is to stay at their place. You can use websites like couchsurfin.com or stay4free.com and get yourself a free stay.
Staying in hostels/working hostels
Hostels are definitely the cheapest option you can get. Check Hostelworld.com or Booking.com to find great deals.
In some places, you can ask for a job in exchange for free accommodation, which is great when you’re backpacking. I personally never did that, but I met many people who did so. You can check this video and see what working in a hostel means!
Airbnb
This is a cool option, as you can get the whole room or the entire apartment just for yourself. It’s also great because you can really get in touch with local people and you can make friends while traveling.
House sit/Pet sit
If you love animals, this will be your favorite option. Imagine staying in a house during your holiday and be surrounded by cute animals all day.
Well, this is what pet sitting means! You can stay for free in the whole house/apartment while taking care of the house and/or pets. This is a great way to save money on accommodation and to have fun with the puppies you’ll take care of.
I stayed for over a month in a gorgeous little house in Sydney, while taking to park every day two lovely dogs. It was a super cool way to explore a different area in Sydney and meeting new people.
This option is more for long term stays, but you can easily find some great opportunities even for shorter stays.
You can check websites like Pawshake.com or Nomador.com
#vanlife
Yeah, I consider this a way of saving money on housing and meals! There’s an upfront investment but, after that, you will start saving tons of money. You can travel whenever you want you’ll just pay for petrol and groceries (… and parking fees!).
This is how I afford to visit Australia and save a lot of money in the meantime.
This lifestyle will also give you a lot of freedom, as you won’t rely anymore on train, buses, or flights. You can plan your whole trip at your own peace and start living slow.
Eat street food or in local restaurants
In some countries, especially South-East Asia, you can always rely on street food. Besides being delicious and typical of that country, it’s also super affordable and will save you a lot of money.
If you’re aiming to travel full time, you might also consider cooking sometimes. In most hostels/Airbnb you’ll be provided with a kitchen, so why not use it!
Free walking tours & free activities
That’s the easiest way to discover the city and the guides will always bring you to some free activities you may join.
Traveling full time means being flexible
In the end, you can’t plan everything and sometimes, if you really wanna travel, you have to adapt. You’ll have to catch early trains and wake up before sunrise, or you’ll have to sleep at the airport in order to not miss your next flight. And you don’t always have access to showers/nice restaurants.
However, the more you travel, the more you will open your mind and your eyes. You will start to see what it’s like to live in other countries and you will (finally) stop judging other people and cultures.
When you travel full time, you will slowly become more and more flexible, because there’s nothing else you can do! So you have to accept the situation and try to make the best out of it.
I missed countless flights and trains, and after the first hour in which I had to organize myself (and my trip) from the beginning, I ended up loving even more, as I had to see other countries before reaching my final destination and made new friends along the way!
I hope those pieces of advice will help you travel more and longer, but if I missed something, please let me know. Send me a message or comment below so I can update this post!
I wish you happy travels and hopefully, I’ll see you on the road 🙂
One Response