Updated Aug 2024
There are many types of travel. There is something for all personalities and budgets.
Luxury Travel
With this method of travel, you would stay in the best hotels, eat in the best restaurants, and go everywhere by taxi or rented car. Money is no object. I certainly cannot afford this, and most people cannot either. Some people choose this style of vacation even though they cannot afford it. If it is just for a one or two-week holiday, they have the remainder of the year to save money or pay for it. This is not for me.
All Inclusive and Cruises
Another option is to go on all-inclusive trips. You pay one fee upfront, and everything you need, including meals and sometimes drinks, is included. I have met people on this type of trip (it could be a cruise boat or a hotel), and they often had to hurry back so as not to miss their meal time. I want more flexibility than that. For this reason, I don’t go on caravan trips or cruises. I like to wander and explore the country at my own pace.
One thing about cruises is that they spend most of the time on the ship instead of exploring on land. The object seems to be more to have a nice time on the ship than to explore a new country. Lots of people enjoy this, but it is not for me.
Budget Travel
Most travellers are probably in this group. You stay in a nice hotel. Eat in moderate, family restaurants, with an occasional meal in a better restaurant. You make some of your own meals or just have coffee and a muffin for breakfast or lunch. You use public transportation but might rent a car for short periods.
Another method of budget travel is to get more time for your money. After my trip to Bermuda, I was talking with several people in the airport while waiting for our flight back to Canada. I found that I had spent the same amount of money for two weeks in Bermuda as they had spent in one week.
I stayed in a very nice hotel, but it was not fancy. There was no doorman and no one to carry my suitcase. This was fine with me, as I am quite capable of carrying my own suitcase and resent porters who grab your suitcase and then want a large tip for carrying it to your room. That is fine if you have too much to carry or ask for help, but often, they are just a nuisance. My room had a kitchen, so I could cook my own meals if I wanted to, and it even had a swimming pool.
I don’t need anything better than that. I booked the hotel myself by finding it in a guidebook and telephoning them. Travel agents say that they don’t charge a fee for their services, but it is included in the price, and they tend to get you the more expensive packages.
I made many of my own meals but ate a few in a restaurant. I travelled around Bermuda by bus.
Another option would be to have one week in Bermuda for half the money other people spend or two weeks for the price of one. I often choose the extra time instead of just saving money.
Cheap Travel
In this method of travel, you do everything as inexpensively as possible. Accommodation can be camping, hostels or cheap hotels. I do a lot of camping. Not only because it is cheaper than hotels, but because I prefer it. I would rather wake up in a National Park with birds and squirrels around me than in a nice hotel in the city.
In Cancun, I rented a hotel room for $35, compared to about $300 for the fancy ones on the beach. My hotel was nice but not luxurious. It was located in the city and not on the beach. I took a short bus ride to the beach. Not as good as the luxury hotels but a huge price difference. Breakfast was included. The advantage was that it was a very short walk to restaurants and the bus station. No taxi is required.
With Cheap Travel, you seldom eat in restaurants. But you should not skimp or live on junk food. I make my own meals and usually eat very well.
If you are staying in a country for three months or more, the most economical and practical method of travel is to purchase a camper van. You can then sell it again before you leave and if all goes well, get most of your money back. I have done this three times (in Europe, Australia and New Zealand). There is some risk involved in that you could have expensive mechanical repairs (that has not happened to me yet). But even then, I doubt if it would cost more than renting a vehicle. If you don’t mind sleeping in a tent, you can purchase an old car very cheaply, and then you would have very little to lose if something goes wrong with it or you can’t sell it.
Check these posts for buying and selling vehicles in a country other than your own.
New Zealand Buying a vehicle in New Zealand
Australia Buying a vehicle in Australia
Canada and USA Buying a vehicle in Canada or USA
Free Accommodation – Free Meals
What could be better than cheap? How about Free?
Couch Surfing
With Couch Surfing, you find a person who will give you free accommodations for one or more nights. You can find people for this on the internet. Accommodation could be anything from a couch in the living room to a nice spare bedroom or a shared bedroom or even a mattress on the floor. Why would anyone do this, you are probably asking?
They must be nice people who want to help out a traveller who does not have a lot of money to spend on hotels. (You should return the favour by hosting other travellers in your house one day if you can).
They enjoy meeting people from around the world and hearing their stories. (So don’t stay in your room or look at your computer all evening and ignore your host—unless they say that they are busy.)
I tried Couch Surfing when I was in Skagway, Alaska. A very nice young man put me up for the night, and I was very grateful.
You should show your appreciation to your host by doing something for them. This could be as simple as a thank you card, a box of candy or chocolates, some flowers, a bottle of wine, a small pack of beer, or a meal in a restaurant. I took my host out for a meal. The cost of one meal in a restaurant is very little compared to a night or two of accommodation.
House Sitting
Many people need someone to look after their property while they are away on holiday. Sometimes, you will have a few minor duties to perform, such as watering the plants, feeding the cat, shovelling snow, cutting the grass, taking the dog for a walk or collecting the mail. This is a great opportunity for free accommodation. The amount of work you have to do is usually very little. There are many websites on the internet to find house sitting positions.
House Exchange
If you have a house, you could trade accommodations with someone else. Say, for example, you want to go to France or Australia but cannot afford it. Someone in those countries might want to visit your country. So you stay in their house, and they stay in yours. Sometimes, a car is included in the trade as well. If you happen to live in a popular tourist destination, you could travel all around the world with this method.
Work Exchange
With this method of travel, you perform an unpaid job in return for accommodation and sometimes meals. Meals should be included for a full-time job, but not if you have very little work to do. Make sure you know all the terms and conditions before you agree. You should know what is expected of you, what you get in return, and how many hours and days per week you must work.
I have done this twice. Once, I was on a ranch near Whitehorse in the Yukon, Canada. I had a beautiful log cabin in the woods and fantastic home-cooked meals—all for free. In return, I had to look after the animals and perform a few other duties, like chopping wood. There were about 30 horses to feed twice per day.
Another time, I spent three months teaching English in Peru. I stayed at a luxurious resort in the Amazon with accommodation and meals included.
Also, you get to tour the area during your time off.
Two popular work exchange websites
Work Camping
Many campgrounds, both privately owned and government-owned, offer free camping in exchange for duties. Work might include office work, cleaning the campground or both. You should not have to work a full day in exchange for camping, which is worth about $40 to $50 per day at most campgrounds. Or perhaps a full day, but not every day. I have done this several times. The work is usually easy, and you meet lots of interesting travellers. You don’t save much money, but it adds up if you stay for a month. Check the websites of campgrounds in the area you wish to visit. You will need to have your own camping trailer or vehicle for this option. Accommodations are not provided. You get free camping, electricity, and other amenities.
My Thatched Hut travel tip
How to get your money in foreign countries
Happy Free Travelling