Ways to Travel Cheap: The Exact Steps I Take to Find Killer Deals

Looking for ways to travel cheap?  They really do exist, and I’m going to show you how to find them.

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Not surprisingly, money is the number one thing holding people back from traveling, but I’m here to let you know that there are many ways to travel cheap.

Most people assume there’s no way they could travel around the world, or even for any distance in their own country, because it is too expensive.

Yes, travel can be very expensive, and there are plenty of people who spend a crazy amount on a single trip.  We are not those people.

My family and I have been traveling around the world for over a decade, having visited over 30 countries and 35+ US states, and I don’t spend nearly as much as most people spend.  As a matter of fact, I’ve never spent over $500 on any round-trip flight.  Ever.  

What do I do differently?

I follow the deals, not the destination.  If there’s a specific place we want to go but the price is more than I want to pay, I choose a different destination and wait until I can find the other one cheaper.

There are many ways to travel cheap.  In this article, I’ll show you:

• How to look for flight deals
• How to find affordable accommodations
• How to find experiences for less
• A simple strategy for using credit cards for cheap or free travel
• How to combine affordable cash deals with point redemptions so you have more options

Let’s get into it.

1. How to Travel the World on a Budget Begins With Finding Flights

The first thing I always look at with any trip is how to actually get there.  If your destination is one you can drive to, that’s easy, but if you need flights, that should always be your first step.

You never want to buy tickets to something in a given location and then try to find flights.  You could end up paying waaaay more than you want.

I always start with flights – and not just any flights.  I look for flights in several ways, and when I find a great deal, I grab it quickly.  Then I plan the trip around flying into that location.  This strategy is what has allowed us to travel abroad for more than a decade.  We’ve seen many places on our bucket list, plus many more that we had no idea we wanted to see.

So how do you find these flight deals?

First, you need to know that flight pricing is dynamic, which means it is constantly changing.  Timing is everything.  If you see a good price, you should book it quickly because it could change at any moment.  

You need a strategy for finding them when the prices are down.  Part of that strategy is to be as flexible as possible.  With a date range in mind, look for flight deals by:

• Search multiple booking sites.  I often start my flight search on Google Flights, but I also like Skyscanner, Expedia, and Kayak.  It’s always a good idea to compare prices on other sites, because they can vary.
• Set email alerts.  I often set flight alerts on Google Flights and Skyscanner, so I can be notified when prices change.  I set the alerts into and out of a few different airports to increase the chances of better prices.
• Subscribe to a subscription service.  There are paid services that search for great deals daily and email you when they find something from your airports.  My favorites are:
  • Thrifty Traveler Premium (Use promo code AMYTRAVEL to save $20 on your first year.)
  • Daily Drop Pro.

Recommended reading: How to Travel With Just a Carry On

2. Affordable Accommodations

The next biggest expense is often accommodations.  There are several ways find nice places without paying high prices.  Don’t think you have to stay in low-star hotels and hostels to avoid paying super high prices.

Seasonality

Like flights, hotel pricing also fluctuates.  One of the best ways to get lower prices is to avoid peak seasons.  This varies by location, but many times, this will include summer and holidays.

For example, the same boutique hotel in Florence could cost $400 per night in July but only $170 in October.  That’s a huge savings!  A bonus (if you ask me) is that the weather is much better in October too.

How to book

There are many booking sites you can search for accommodations, and many of them list different types of properties.  I use different ones for different purposes.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• Booking – This is one of my top picks because it is easy navigate, has lots of filters, has hotels and apartments, and has a reward program that gives you perks/discounts the more you book.
• Agoda – I also like this one.  It is similar to Booking in that it is easy, has many filters, has both hotels and apartments, and has its own reward program.  Sometimes the prices here are better, and sometimes not.  It’s smart to compare each time.
• Expedia – This one is also easy to use and now includes more than just hotels.  It has been around forever and is very reliable.

Loyalty programs

Almost all hotel chains have a loyalty program, and there’s no reason not to register for them.  They’re free, so sign up for all of them, and whenever you book one, you’ll be able to earn points and get other perks.

These are some of the most well-known programs:

• Hyatt
• IHG
• Marriott
• Hilton

The benefits can be really nice, ranging from:

• Discounted rates – Be sure you are signed into your account when booking online or give them your member number if you book on the phone, and you will often receive lower pricing.
• Room upgrades – We often get room upgrades if they are available without doing a thing.  We show up to check in and are told that we’ve been upgraded.
• Early check-in and late checkout – These are very nice when you have an early arriving flight or a late departing flight.
• Free breakfast – This perk eliminates the need to pay for an entire meal.  Sometimes it can be a little lacking, but many hotels include a full breakfast.
• Free lounge access – Some hotels offer drinks and snacks in the early evening, and in some cases, you could get upgraded to include it.
• Free WiFi – Free WiFi is almost always included at hotels, but sometimes you could get a premium WiFi instead of the standard.
• Points – You will earn points for paid stays that you can use toward future stays.

Travel Anywhere for Cheap (or Free!)
Simple Travel Hacks and Credit Card Points to
Travel Anywhere in the World Without Paying Full Price
>> Get the course HERE.

3. Unique Experiences for Less

Travel experiences can range in price from free to very expensive.  I always like to save money when I can, but some things are worth spending a little more.  

Luckily, there are many options, so you can choose which ones you want to save on and which ones you are willing to pay more for.

Let’s look at a few types:

• Free – There are free walking tours in many cities led by very knowledgeable guides.  Just make sure you tip well. Some museums also have free entrance on certain days of the month.  Many public places are free, like parks and viewpoints, and check for any festivals while you’re visiting.
• Group experiences – We love group experiences, like cooking classes, food tours, and wine tours.  There’s a wide range of prices, many quite affordable.
• Guided tours – Sometimes you may want to know as much as possible and be able to ask questions, in which case you may want to book a guided tour for a museum or attraction (like the Colosseum or the Louvre).

Some of my favorite places to book experiences are with GetYourGuide and Viator. 

4. How to Use Credit Card Points for Travel

If you want to really get into the savings game, learning to use credit card points for travel is a complete game-changer.  

We use points, at least partially, on every trip, and I can tell you for sure that we would not have been able to travel as we have without using points.

Credit card “hacking,” as you sometimes hear it referred to, may seem complicated (and it can be), but simply stated, it is learning to use the right credit cards strategically, so the money you already spend every day earns you free travel. 🥳

It almost seems too good to be true, but it is a brilliant way to turn the money you already spend into travel rewards.

Once you earn points, you can use them book:

• Flights
• Hotels
• Rental cars
• Upgrades
• Experiences

Start very simply with one flexible spending card.  Here are some I recommend as starter cards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve 
• Capital One Venture
• Capital One Venture X
• American Express Gold

Travel Anywhere for Cheap (or Free!)
Simple Travel Hacks and Credit Card Points to
Travel Anywhere in the World Without Paying Full Price
>> Get the course HERE.

5. Combining Cash and Points

So, we’ve talked about finding the best cash deals on flights, hotels, and experiences, and we’ve talked about how ingenious credit card points can be.

Now let’s talk about how we use them together!

We use both on all of our trips.  I always start by using any points I have.  Sometimes I use them for flights, sometimes for accommodations, and sometimes for both.

Here’s how I decide.

→  If I find a really great price on flights, like, let’s say, $350 round-trip tickets to Paris, I pay with money.  That’s such a great price, so there’s no need to use my points for that.  I’ll save the points for hotels.

→  But if I find a great points redemption on flights, like 20k points on Virgin Atlantic round-trip to London (plus $320 in taxes— just did that in December!), I’ll book that and book an apartment with money on Booking.

→  If I have enough points for both flights and hotels, I do that.

→  And sometimes, I use part cash and part points on flights or on hotels.  You can do this on bank travel portals or on some airline and hotel websites.  For example, if I find round-trip flights for $500, but I don’t want to spend that much, I might pay $250 and pay the rest in points.

There are sooo many options, and I love finding great deals! 🤩

So…

I hope I’ve shown you that finding ways to travel cheap is very possible.  It’s just a matter of knowing where to look and finding the strategies that work best for you.

But this article is just the beginning!  There are many more ways to travel for less.

I recommend checking out my online course, Travel Anywhere for Cheap (or Free!) .  I have been traveling around the world for over a decade and have learned a lot about finding deals. I share my exact strategy and tips in this very informative online course. If you’re dreaming of traveling too (even if you don’t think you can afford it!), then you NEED this course.