Savvy Travel Tips

Y’all, I have this fear. It’s kinda silly, but it’s so real. I have a fear that some people just aren’t traveling because they think it’s way too expensive. I genuinely see people posting “I’d totally go here if I was rich,” and it makes me cringe. I want to scream from the rooftops!! YOU DONT HAVE TO BE RICH TO TRAVEL! Do y’all understand what that means? YOU should be traveling!

I see all of these posts labeled “Travel the World for Free,” but lets be real, they’re sort of outlandish ideas, and thats not what I’m all about. I’m talking about real, legit, honest ways to make travel way, way cheaper, while not skipping out on any of the fun extras you want to take part in.

1. Find flights with websites like Kayak, Airfare Watchdog, or Expedia. Being on top of flights is a big part of travel! Sign up for AirfareWatchdog.com! You can select your designated travel dates, and they will send you weekly updates on flight prices! We found flights on our own to Spain for $1,200 but Airfare Watchdog found them for $400. If that isn’t a massive savings I don’t know what is!

2. Check out AirBnB or other similar rental sites for cheaper rental accommodations! The average hotel in Toronto is $140 usd per night. You can rent an AirBnB for less than half of that! If you’ve never tried AirBnB before, you should check out my AirBnB Do’s & Don’ts post– There’s also a link for $40 off your first AirBnB stay there!

3. Plan ahead & do your research! This encompasses both of the two points I’ve already made. If you have the time, start planning asap. You’re able to find better deals, and you an capitalize on the exact moment airfare and stays are the cheapest! Pinterest is also your friend! When researching, Google usually has the same “Top ten places to eat in ____ City.” Instead of searching for that, hit up Pinterest and try searching “Locals guide to ____ City,” you’d be surprised at what you might find. Plan plan plan, but also remember to be flexible.

4. Read reviews! I can not stress this one enough. How the heck are you supposed to know if the hotel you just booked has rats running free? Trip Advisor would tell you that, but hopefully no one ever has to encounter that. I’m certainly not one to only base my plans solely off of someone’s review of a place, but they are a great place to start. Just because one person hates a restaurant doesn’t mean everyone does, read reviews, and read lots of them!

5. Research public transit. Now, this isn’t my strongest area, because, well I get motion sickness really easy. But on a trip to Boston a few years ago we used Ubers and Lyfts for the first half of our trip and spent close to $150, the second half, we used public transit, and spent $30 combined. Most of the major US cities have great methods of public transportation, and international destinations have even better methods! Check it out!

6. Travel Apps. You would be So surprised at how many travel based apps there are. Theres ones for public transit when you get there, theres ones to help you stay on top of your travel budget, and of course, there’s ones to help you translate all the crazy languages you might encounter! Using travel apps is definitely a new age thing, but it is changing the way we travel!

What Savvy things do you do while traveling?
Thomas and I are headed out to continue our #TourOfTheBallparks this weekend! Follow me on Instagram to see where we are headed!