Top 10 Budget Travel Myths

17.03.2024 - 16:05 / forbes.com

Whether it’s a long weekend getaway or a much-deserved multi-week vacation, travel can be an amazing way to relax and reset from the daily grind. Wanting to be able to afford such an adventure can be a struggle. Many myths about budget travel persist as a sort of “received wisdom” passed down from parents, friends, and across the internet.

Some of these myths might actually cost you money. Others might prevent you from considering travel since it’s “too expensive.” So lets take a look at some of the most persistent myths about budget travel, with the hope that you’ll be able to save enough money to afford more travel now and in the future.

If you’re interested in more of this kind of thing, check out my book Budget Travel for Dummies. It’s available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and wherever books are sold!

It’d be great if all travel was free, but unfortunately no one has invented transporters yet. At the other end of the spectrum, there’s a common mindset that all travel is expensive. The truth is somewhere in the middle. I’ve lived on $50 a day or less in cities all over the world. It’s possible to get cheaper flights and cheaper accommodations that make a trip anywhere far more affordable than it seems at first. Two weeks just about anywhere for $2,000 all in is certainly a lot more reasonable than the $5,000+ I’ve seen mentioned in endless travel blogs.

Flights are almost always the single largest cost of any trip. That said, there are ways to get less expensive flights. It might mean changing your schedule or plans slightly, but it could be the difference of hundreds of dollars saved per ticket. Booking months in advance might save you a little, but this is less true than is widely believed.

Skiplagging is the “hack” of buying a ticket to a cheap destination with a layover in an expensive destination, and then just getting off the plane at the layover. For instance, booking an $800 flight to Amsterdam that stops in London instead of a $1,000 ticket direct to London. This only works if you book one-way and have carry-on luggage.

Could this save you money? Yes, but it’s also a great way to get in trouble with the airline. Airlines have sued people and have canceled frequent flier programs for people who do it. It’s not a good idea.

When looking for places to stay, most people only consider hotels (and AirBnB, but we’ll discuss that next). In most places there are a lot more places to stay that can save you lots of money. Homestays, couch surfing, and hostels all offer unique experiences for far less money than hotels. Maybe you’re only looking for a luxurious getaway, in which case a hotel or resort is fine, but if you’re looking to save money there are a lot of fantastic options.

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