How to travel for cheap?

If you want a change of scenery, but you have a small travel budget, you've come to the right place. In this guide, we'll go over a few ways to travel on the cheap, whether it's finding cheap plane tickets or great promotional deals.

Compare and book your flight in advance

Flying can be expensive, but it does not necessarily have to be. We identify two main ways to save on your plane ticket; be flexible with your dates and book in advance.

Indeed, what many travellers fail to take into account is that the price of a plane ticket is highly dependent on offer and demand. Because some days are more sought after by holidaymakers, they tend to be more expensive than others.

For instance, if you were to book a flight from London to Lagos on a Saturday, you may end up having to pay 50% more than you would have if you were to fly on a Monday. Don’t let your holiday plans dictate your exact departure date, think ahead and plan accordingly instead.

Booking in advance is also important. Given the recent health crisis, we understand that this is something that many are reluctant to do, nevertheless, it remains one of the most efficient ways to get your hands on a cheap flight.

This is again because prices are heavily influenced by offer and demand, and the earlier you book, the lesser demand tends to be.  

For example, the cost of a flight from London to Port Louis averages 1 200 £ when booked a week in advance. When booking a month in advance however, you’ll be able to find fares as low as 678 £.

Travel during an off-peak period

Traveling outside of traditional holiday periods is a great way to save money on your plane ticket, but also on your hotel, and sometimes on activities.

If the destination you are travelling to is subject to significant weather changes during the year, be careful to try and book right before or after the high season. These are often the times you will be able to make the most of your holiday all the while spending less.

To avoid any bad surprise, be careful to check one of the many specialized websites on the best time to travel to your preferred destination. These often also include a monthly average pricing graph which can be quite useful.

For example, a round-trip to the Canary Islands, averages 350 £ in August. In September, however, you’ll be able to find tickets as low as 150 £. Despite this significant price difference, you’ll be surprise to know that temperatures, sunshine and precipitation are the same between these two periods.

As a general rule, the best way to pay the minimum is to avoid the months of July, August and December, as well as the school holiday periods. Again, it also depends on your destination, be especially careful if you’re planning to visit a country experiencing a rainy season, such as Thailand.

Keep an eye out for discounts

If you are truly looking for the best price, keep yourself informed, visit specialized websites and subscribe to newsletter to be the first to know when a discount is available. 

Last minute flights and promotional offers from travel agencies or airlines are always a great way to travel on a budget.

We can only think of two challenges when it comes to discounted offers.

The first challenge with this approach is that you will need to be ready to jump on it as soon as the offer is made public. Great prices always attract attention, and as such, they do not remain available for very long. This is why we recommend that you set up alerts on various websites.

The second challenge, it’s the uncertainty. With this approach, you will not always have the opportunity to choose your destination. If you have strict time constraints when it comes to your holidays, you could also not find anything to your liking. It can be a bit of a gamble.

Swap houses

After flight costs, housing is without a doubt one of the most expensive component of a trip. House-swapping is a novel solution which can drive this cost down to nothing.

The concept is simple. All you have to do is to register on one of the many existing platforms offering this service in order to find a family with whom to exchange your accommodation, for a weekend, a week or more. .

It allows you to save on your accommodation cost, but also gives you the opportunity to experience your destination like real locals, in a different setting than that of a hotel. 

If you're a plant lover or have a pet, home swapping could also make your life easier. Indeed, it is not uncommon to agree on this kind of service in the context of a home exchange.