21. Book an Open-Jaw Ticket
A flight from Canada to Bangkok and then from Singapore back to Canada, for example, is an “open-jaw” flight. Even if it is generally more expensive, it can sometimes cost the same price, and it will save you from having to buy two separate one-way tickets between two cities (Bangkok and Singapore in this example) and save you time if you planned to visit both.
22. Book a Throwaway Ticket
Especially for long flights, one-way tickets are sometimes even more expensive than round-trips. So book a round-trip and throw away the return (don’t use it). Book the return as far in the future as possible (see tip #26).
23. Book Nested Tickets
A round-trip from Europe to Canada is often much cheaper than a round-trip from Canada to Europe. So if you plan to go twice, you can book a Europe-to-Canada round-trip nested between your Canada-Europe round-trip to save money.
24. Check for Currency Arbitrage
It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes buying the ticket in the local currency makes the plane ticket cheaper. Even more rarely, using a VPN to access the local version of the airline’s website can also give you cheaper prices.
25. Search for One Passenger at a Time
If there is only 1 seat left in the cheapest fare category and you search for 2 tickets, the results will show you 2 tickets in the highest fare category. So it can sometimes be worth searching for only 1 passenger at a time and booking the 2 tickets separately.
26. Take Advantage of Schedule Changes
If the airline changes the schedule of your flight, you are entitled to a free refund, so use it to bypass change policies. A schedule change also generally allows them to let you have a better flight for free if you ask, such as choosing a direct flight instead of one with a connection!
27. Travel on the Actual Holiday
If you want to fly for Christmas, the 23rd is obviously very expensive. But sometimes the 24th and 25th will be much cheaper, because most people don’t want to fly on the actual holiday.
28. Be Flexible on All Aspects
Flights at the worst hours are generally cheaper, flights with connections are cheaper... Be flexible on all aspects to increase your chances of finding cheap flights.
29. Travel to Countries with a Low Cost of Living
In many countries around the world (no, not only in Southeast Asia), a budget of $30 per day is enough to cover accommodation, food, transportation, etc. When you look at the total cost of a trip, it can even be worth paying a little more for the flights to go to an affordable destination, rather than paying cheaper flights but being stuck in a very expensive destination.
Preliminary list of the 40 cheapest countries to travel to
30. Sacrifice Comfort and Simplicity
Whether for travel or anything else in life, things are either simpler or more affordable — not both. If you want travel to be more affordable, you must accept sacrificing comfort and simplicity. The more simply you travel, the more you will travel.
31. Travel More Slowly
The longer you stay in one destination, the cheaper it is. Not only is it cheaper for accommodation, but also for travel between cities. It is also a good way to feel like a local, and it is really the key to saving money while traveling.
32. Stay in Hostels
When you travel solo, or even as a couple in expensive cities, staying in a hostel can be a good way to save money while traveling. You can find them for $25 a night in popular destinations like Miami, or even for only $10 in Bali. You can also meet other travelers who share your mindset during your stay.
33. Book Long-Term Rentals
If you adopt the “travel more slowly” mindset, long-term rentals can be a good way to save money, with platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, Sonder and Homes & Villas by Marriott which are good starting points for your searches.
34. Become a Housesitter or Petsitter
Becoming a housesitter or petsitter (looking after a house or pets) can be a great way to have free accommodation, but you have to do a little work (like feeding the cat or walking the dog) while you stay there. It also requires a bit more effort to convince someone to entrust you with their house and pets, but it is often worth it for free accommodation.
35. Try Couchsurfing
This is another great way to stay somewhere for free. It can allow you to meet new people and discover the local way of life. It is one of the few tips we don’t use ourselves, which shows that there are always ways to travel for less if you really want to travel for less. You don’t need to apply all the tips, but it is clear that the more you apply, the more you will travel.
READY TO PACK YOUR BAGS? 🛫
We find the deals, you make the memories. Compare the best flight offers from around the world right now.