I wanted to see a bit of Switzerland before heading to Italy, but a week there wasn’t going to work with my budget. So I did two nights in Lucerne, then Milan and Bologna.

The hostel in Lucerne was still more than I wanted to pay for a dorm bed. Having a kitchen helped, though. I bought bread, eggs, yogurt and pasta at the supermarket and actually used what I bought. Nothing exciting, but it left me with money for the rest of the trip.

Lunch was usually a sandwich by the lake. I carried snacks too, because I kept getting hungry while walking around and those little purchases were adding up.

I skipped the mountain excursions this time. Would’ve loved to do one, but I was happy wandering around town and spending time by the water. Two nights felt enough for the version of Switzerland I could afford.

Then I took the train to Milan. Checked a few sites for the same departure and ended up booking through Eutrain because it was cheapest when I looked.

I only stayed briefly in Milan before heading to Bologna. Dorms again, but somewhere I could walk back to easily. I’d rather pay a little more for that than save on the bed and spend the difference getting around.

Food was easier on my budget in Italy. Mostly sandwiches or pizza for lunch, with a few sit-down dinners. After cooking at the hostel in Switzerland, going out for a plate of pasta felt like a treat.

Glad I kept Switzerland in the trip. I couldn’t do everything I wanted there, but a couple of days by the lake followed by more time in Italy worked out really well.

I knew Christmas flights were going to hurt but I definitely underestimated how bad it would be. I need to get from the US to Europe around December 20 and come back in early January, and anything with decent departure times is painful.

I can move either date by maybe 2 or 3 days and I could also leave from an airport a few hours away if it saves enough to make the drive worth it.

Anyone here do this every Christmas? Is changing the dates usually the thing that helps most or should I be checking every airport within driving distance too?

I want to go to Europe for a few weeks. My plan was start in Thessaloniki and go thru Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, to Slovenia. But the busses look cheaper but look like there are so many transfers, where as Flix bus (never has bathrooms and rarely stops:( ) is a more direct route per country, but is more $$, and what if I have to pee lol.

Are the train transfers as hard as they look? I’m Canadian and we never use trains!! Haha.

Just got back from three weeks dragging bags across Italy and Portugal, and my cheap amazon spinner literally shed a wheel in Rome. Carrying a broken three wheeled bag up train station steps was brutal. I always figured spelling over $100 on a suitcase was dumb since it is just plastic, but replacing dead bags, every couple trips is adding up fast. Dropping $400 on Away makes no sense for my budget either. Trying to see what is actually decent in that $150-200 range. Keep seeing Quince and level8 mentioned for having pure PC shells and better wheels, but do they actually survive rough streets, or do the wheels start wobbling after a year anyway? Would love some real world feedback before I waste more cash, of if I should just give up and get a travel backup instead.

I'm looking at an international flight and one of the smaller booking sites has a better price than the other options I found.

I'm not completely against booking third party, but I've read enough horror stories about trying to change flights afterward that I'm not just putting my card in without checking things first.

So what do you guys look at before booking through a site you haven't used?

I'm checking baggage, cancellation terms and whether I can find the exact same flight with the airline. Anything else obvious I'm forgetting?

I live in Glasgow and want to take weekend trips to different countries, so I was wondering which countries are the cheapest and easiest to travel to. I’m also open to exploring beautiful cities in Scotland if you have any recommendations!

I have about 10 days free this fall and I honestly don't care where I go. Europe, Central America, Caribbean, whatever. For once I kind of want to find a flight that looks good and figure out the vacation afterward.

Except I've apparently forgotten how to search for flights when I don't have a destination lol.

How do you guys do this? Make a shortlist first? Check a bunch of different airports? I thought having no destination would make this easier but now I just have an absurd number of tabs open.

Hello, my upcoming flight to Buenos Aires however the arrival time is terribly at 3AM at Ezeiza airport. Anyone experiencing early arrivals over there? how did you find kiosk to buy a SUBE card then get on public bus line 8 to city center? And is it possibly find a budget saving hostel that accepts early check-in?

Any help is appreciated!

Im trying to find the best travel credit cards for someone who travels enough to use points but definitely is not living in airports. Natural Intelligence Best Money, The Points Guy and issuer sites have been my starting points. Im comparing annual fees, transfer partners, travel credits and protections more than lounge access since I only take a few trips each year. Which benefits have ended up being useful in real life instead of just sounding good on the benefits page?

I’m thinking about spending a month in the Outer Banks this winter while working remotely. Are the monthly rental rates noticeably cheaper in the winter compared to summer, or is it one of those “discounts” that don’t seem that great once you factor in heating costs? Also, is the off-season pretty isolating, or are enough businesses still open year-round?

Im able to do the other highlights in Kazakhstan for around 50 USD like Bozzrhyra so Im happy with that. But to see mt botky it seems that around 200 to 300 USD is the price tag. Did you guys like it or overated? Its like buying a plane ticket haha

I'm Mexican and planning a solo round-the-world trip. My current idea is to fly from Mexico City to Guatemala between November 3 and 8, 2026, then continue through Central and South America before linking the other continents according to cost, season and logistics.

The challenge I have in mind is at least five countries in each of six regions: North America (including Central America), South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. That means at least 30 countries, counting Mexico as one of the five in North America. My premise is not to return to Mexico until I complete the challenge.

I have no fixed end date. I want to travel slowly, stay longer somewhere I enjoy, and change my route if I meet people or find something interesting.

My plan so far:

• Starting budget: about 60,000 Mexican pesos (MXN), plus around 6,000 MXN per month in recurring income.

• Travel style: hostels, public transport, buses, trains, ferries and budget flights when practical. I'm also considering accommodation exchanges or volunteering after checking the applicable immigration rules.

• Luggage: one backpack, including what I need to film and edit.

• Documents: Mexican passport, US visa and Canadian eTA.

• Content: I'd like to document the process and explore collaborations or content income that might help extend the trip.

• Interests: cities, small towns, markets, local food, volcanoes, nature, beaches and hostels where I can meet people. Keeping costs low and staying safe matter to me.

I'd especially appreciate a budget reality check and experience from long-term shoestring travelers:

1. What daily or monthly hostel-and-public-transport budget would you plan for Guatemala and the rest of Central America? Which stops give good value for longer stays?

2. Which countries would you combine to keep travel between them affordable while reaching five per region? How would you approach five countries in Oceania on a shoestring?

3. How realistic are my starting funds and recurring monthly income for this plan? If you've traveled long-term, where did you spend what per month, and which costs caught you off guard?

4. What would you book before leaving versus keep flexible, especially intercontinental flights, accommodation and insurance?

5. What would you change if you started again, including borders, luggage, money, pace, or balancing travel with making content?

If part of this is unrealistic, please say so. Actual routes, trip lengths and things you'd do differently would help, especially from people traveling on a Mexican passport.

Hey everyone! I am a 22-year-old female and I really want to visit Thailand and Vietnam for a moonth, but I currently have nobody to go with. I am strongly considering traveling completely solo and staying in social hostels to meet people along the way, but since I’ve never done this before, I’m looking for some honest advice.

Is Vietnam & Thailand generally safe for a solo female traveler, and what are the main safety hazards or scams I should look out for? I would also love to hear any tips on how to easily make friends in hostels, or any suggestions on the best way to connect with other travelers while I'm out there. Any advice would be amazing!

Hello everyone!

So in the end of this month I'll be in Milan for about 4 days, mostly to watch Milan x Inter, but I'll also like to visit some other places and enjoy the city while I'm there.

I already booked the hotel and the tickets, so aside those costs I was wondering if 300 euros would be a decent amount to spend with mostly food and transport over there... I don't intend to go on fancy restaurants or anything of the like, but I'd like to enjoy the best way I can, so would this amount be enough for about 4 days?

I don't have any plans of doing this soon, but I have been trying to figure out a cheap way to visit Hawaii for a while. Does anyone have any tips to travel as cheap as possible while still staying safe?

My thought was using campgrounds instead of hostels, as the hostels are pretty expensive.

We have rented a vacation home near Perpignan for the end of October, and I will ride there with my motorcycle. I have planned to take 6 or so days to go from Luxembourg to Perpignan. The route is not fixed but I want to visit some underrated areas, mainly along the Rhone, into the Provence and Occitania. I'm searching for affordable accommodation now, esp budget hotels, bed&breakfasts or camping sites with chalets (I don't want to bring my own tent). Unfortunately, season is coming to an end in October and many camping sites are already closed. So, I'm asking if you have some nice ideas for budget accommodation. I know of BB-Hotels which are affordable and don't seem too bad, but they aren't that nice for a vacation (I think). I see them as a last resort choice.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! Me (19f) and my friend want to travel internationally but im concerned about safety and budget mainly as its their first time abroad and theyve never been on a plane. Ive been to europe once so i was thinking going there again would be ideal but were also broke college kids so i was wondeeing if anyone had some safe budget countries in mind or tips on what to look for.

Hi! I'm 30 years old, bored, and a broke student who's been struggling for the last 5 years. Now, I want to travel around Europe for 10–14 days on a tight budget. Preferably France and Italy, but I'm open to taking trains or ferries through different countries and hitting up more places along the way.

I preferably want to stay in a small village or town where I can experience nature and see how the locals live.

Do you have any tips? Like what kind of train ticket I should buy (monthly pass or single tickets), and where to find the cheapest places to stay? I'm social, outgoing, and curious about people, so I'd love to go to places where I can easily meet others.

I know this budget is tight, so please only reply if you have any tips or ways to help me pull it off. I’m looking for encouragement and advice rather than reasons why it won't work.

I am trying to plan a trip to Buenos Aires, and Im traveling from San Diego, but I only have about $ 1,500 for the trip and am wondering if it is possible.

I want to go from Wednesday, September 30th, to Wednesday, October 7 (It doesnt have to be a week, but I have to leave on the 7th or 8th).

I plan on using the least amount of money possible, so no expensive steakhouses, or restauraunts, and exploring the city and learning new and cool things about Buenos Aires.

I am worried about the Airbnb prices and traveling (if I need it), and other necessities for vacations.

I am a huge Messi/FC Barcelona fan, but I've never seen him play live, and I believe he'll retire this year, so this is my last chance to see him play, and I want to watch him live for his last game for Argentina.

That game is the 6th of October, and I am waiting for the price of the tickets to be released, but they shouldn't be more than a couple hundred.

If you know any tips or suggestions on how to handle the trip, please let me know- anything that you've done to save money/cut costs and whatnot.

Looking to do a possible 180 on my life. Last summer I travelled for 24 days and spent $7k Canadian ($5k USD) in that time period. I'm thinking of traveling for a year.

In those 24 days I did London, Venice, Rome, Barcelona, Faro, Lagos, Lisbon, and Porto. I stayed in hostels.

I'm researching costs and people are saying they were able to do a year of travel for 20-40k. Obviously my units don't scale well.

Anyone who's done it before have any advice?

Thanks!!

Edit:

Went to bed and woke up to a lot of "How the fuck?" So I'll reply to a couple things here.

This was my first time leaving North America (I live in Canada), and second time travelling alone. The trip was last minute (ish), and there was a lot of last minute bookings of hostels (day before) and flights.

Also, the hostels themselves I thought would be cheap ($20-30 a night), a lot of them were $100 a night. I'd say that was around the average.

Never claimed for this to be shoestring travel, which a lot of people I think considered my post as me saying. I reached out because I acknowledge I spent a lot, and would like to travel again not spending as much.

I'm hoping to go back to Poland. After a couple of years. The flights and hotels together £235.

My friends have said the weather will be terrible and I should consider Portugal or Spain..

I'm already going to Spain this November and I'm traveling to Alicante and Madrid.

And I've already been to Lisbon and porto this. Have a feeling that both these places will be expensive.

I've done some research and it would be another hundred couple of hundred pounds on top of that for weekend trip.

That's really really cheap for Wroclow. I'm going in late February. And I want to save money for my New York trip in April.

Are there any cheaper destinations you would recommend or would you stick with Wroclow please..