Travelling is too expensive? I give you some tips to save money

1 - Example: my trip in Asia

You can find below the real budget of my six months trip in Asia, in duo and in winter conditions.

Category

Cost

Comment
Flight tickets 481€ Paris – Jakarta, Istanbul – Paris
Transports 130€ ferry Java – Sumatra, Sumatra – Malaysia, Black Sea and a few buses
Accommodation 15€ one hotel night in Uzbekistan
Food & water 770€ some nice restaurants, else sandwiches and street food
Equipment 657€ only 50€ of shoes definitely non-reusable
Vaccines and drugs 210€ hepatitis A/B, japanese encephalisis, typhoid, and one drug box for malaria
Visas 278€ Cambodia – Laos – China – Uzbekistan – Azerbaijan – Iran
Insurance 326€ for 8 months, 42€ per month
Miscellaneous 40€ postcards and gifts
Home expense 10€ phone subscription

Budget: 2917 €

Note*: you may have to do a vaccine for rabies (165€), and check if you are up-to-date with DTP (Diphteria, Tetanus, Polio) (20€)

Warning: plan some extra expenses in case – think about the expenses not depending on the trip: loan, subscriptions, rental in your home country – keep some money for when you are back home, the time you look for a job

With this budget there are only a few extras. If you plan many activities, guided tours, restaurants… add another expense line.

2 - The minimum budget

The same trip Jakarta – Istanbul with the lowest expenses and avoiding some countries

Category

Cost

Comment
Flight tickets 355€ going back home hitchhiking
Transports 100€ no bus at all
Accommodation 15€
Food & water 700€ with less expensive restaurants. Usually hosts cook for you, but if you stay more than 1 night try to participate somehow!
Equipment 237€ +1.8kg and more volume, less comfort
Vaccines and drugs 210€ difficult to do less
Visas 125€ avoiding Laos, Vietnam, and Iran
Insurance 252€ for 6 months, 42€ per month
Miscellaneous 40€ we keep the gifts budget
Home expenses 10€ we keep a phone subscription for safety

Budget: 2044 €

-30%

Note: for the same kind of trip, I recommed you to save at least 3000€. You are not safe from extra expenses, you may need more comfort than expected, or money when you are back home.

Advice to lower your expenses

Savings on the destination

€

 Comment
Do it in summer -200€ without warm equipment
Without flight tickets -400€ for another continent, just leave from home
Not paying any VISA -200€
No need of vaccine -150€
Out of malaria transmission zone -80€ for medicine, depending on your prescription

Note: if you are European citizen and you travel in Europe, insurance is not as necessary. However try to get the insurance of a Visa Premier or a Gold Mastercard (-35€/month)

Savings on equipment

€

Comment
Tent +500g -150€ find it for 150€, you lose quality and comfort
Sleeping bag +700g -160€ find it for 70€, less compact
Backpack +600g -80€ find it for 40€, be careful with your back: test it
Windshell waterproof -40€ find it for 30€, you lose quality and comfort
Mattress -40€ find it for 10€, no insulation <5°C
Without silk sheet -30€ you dirty!

Note: the saved amount meet the prices quoted in “select your equipment“.

Savings on your travel style

€

Comment
Always sleep with locals – savings on hotels and food – be careful not to abuse, participate to the expenses
Eat only sandwiches and street food – you may miss opportunities to discover local food
Never take a bus – sometimes a 2€ ticket saves a few hours or even a day
No gifts – it’s really not nice
Work for locals – it’s called wwoofing, usually paid in kind
Street show – music, costumes, magic tricks, photos with locals…
Sales – bracelets, objects of your homeland… Use your talents!

You can also:

Ask your friends or unknown people for help: collect money around you or use a platform – leetchi, tilt, shareagift, payit2, gogetfunding

Find companies to sponsor your project: they can be from your region, your country or even international. You’ll probably need a project in return.

Get a grant from an association, your city or your government.