Budget Travel Tips for a Shoestring Adventure

Share your top budget travel tips for a shoestring adventure. Do you have a favorite budget-friendly accommodation option? How do you find the best local deals on food and activities? What are some of your favorite free or low-cost activities in a new city?

Let's help each other travel smarter and stretch our budgets further. Join the conversation and share your favorite tips for a budget-friendly adventure!

Thank you for the information :)

Some budget travel tips I try are local grocery stores over restaurants, walking/public transit over taxis or rideshares, and checking out free walking tours in new cities.

Hostels are great for meeting people too. Any favorite budget activities you like when traveling? I'm always looking for new low-cost ideas, especially things that let me experience a place like the locals do.

I love using the Viator app (a Trip Advisor company) or one of your choosing to download walking, hiking or driving GPS tours for whatever location I'm traveling to. They're use at your own pace, when you want, for as long as you want. Share with the family in the car, or with a second person via sharing "two" earbuds. Super informational, educational, interesting, fun & most of all BUDGET FRIENDLY compared to all the other experiences you'll find on the travel experience apps. I've even enjoyed some in & around my home town, learning historical information I hadn't known previously.

That sounds like a great way to explore and learn about new places! It's always fascinating to discover historical information about your own hometown, too. Have you found any particularly interesting tours or destinations through the app? 🚶🌍

As a Mom of nine who loved to travel, I always checked out every coupon for discounts. Surprising how many are out there. Lots of buy one get one and kids under four are free. Don't be afraid to ask if the place you want to go has any discounts. We especially loved packing a picnic lunch so we could spend the money on entrance fees or other items. Plus for this was we ate healthier and I packed extra treats for everyone to enjoy. Now that it is just my husband and l traveling we still enjoy our picnic lunches so we can splurge on a good bottle of wine or a special dinner. It is definitely more expensive for big families but the joys of exposing your children to new adventures opens up a whole new world for them. We have done cruises where the third and fourth person in the cabin is free. Do your homework and ask other people. When we arrive at a new destination, I ask the locals about the best things to do and places to eat. I have gotten the best information that would never have been found in a guidebook.

Great article, thank you!

There are a lot of excellent ideas here! I'm sure I'm learning some new things for my next trip.

One budget travel habit that helps me is planning the boring practical items before the trip, not only the fun activities. Small things like refillable water, snacks, wipes, basic medication, a power bank, spare clothing, and offline maps can prevent unnecessary spending when something goes wrong. I also like checking grocery stores or local markets instead of eating every meal near tourist areas. Those little choices can save money without making the trip feel too restricted.