If there is any experience as personally enriching as a deep self-realization meditation, it has to be travelling. Travelling is the gateway to understanding your soul, and realize that there is more to this world than being cooped up in your own daily life. You need to travel more, not just to expand your horizons and gain more perspective/knowledge, but also to learn more about the world and your own self. 

But travel can be expensive!

However, you can afford to travel just about anywhere you want without putting your finances through a coma. All you need is smart planning and plenty of knowledge. That’s it! That is how you save more. But I have travelled extensively and found plenty of shortcuts. So, here’s some experience talking.

Great ways on how to save a lot of money without doing anything overly esoteric:

Coupons

I cannot stress enough how important coupons are, when it comes to saving money. Travelling companies expect user retention through discounts for first-time users. Coupons can be found via the company itself, but I prefer coupon websites who stock a lot of travel and flight coupons, and even have exclusive ones for every merchant or category. You not only save on your travel (be it flights, buses, or trains) but also on rentals, hotels, and food. They also stock exclusive deals, which companies don’t advertise, making the offer only available to a selected few.

Book Off-Season

Whether off-season or shoulder season, this is smart travel planning. Why? Some destinations only have seasonal traffic, based on holidays. The rest of the year, they rely on isolated customers. To make these destinations much more attractive, they heavily reduce the pricing. Hotels, especially, utilize huge price slashes to fill their rooms. Unless the location has some unique or popular tourist spot which opens only seasonally, you can always visit these destinations, enjoy your location, and save a massive load of money. I always prefer mountains just before or after the winters, when the ice melts or forms. That way, I get the cold weather, but not too cold so that I can’t go out, nor warm enough to not enjoy the weather. Not to forget, minimal crowds!

Homestays

If you want to spend little to none on your accommodations, homestays are your best bet. Although Airbnb popularized the idea, homestays have been quickly been picked up, and now there are social groups on Facebook where you just need to contact the owner. You can get great food, an authentic experience of that place, and local insights and information. Not to forget, since owners rely on these businesses, your safety is virtually guaranteed, giving you local support for a diverse place, like India. They also host unique activities and celebrate festivals all year around. How cool is that?!

Hitchhiking

Want to save on road travel? Hitchhiking is your best bet! Travel across the countryside without spending a buck and experience the best mode of travel: on the road. You get to meet new people who are as thrilled as you are about travelling, make life-long friends, and even meet some really interesting people. Hitchhiking can be a risky method, especially if you are travelling alone in a not-so-friendly country/region. So, be careful and travel smart.

Plan Your Journey

The most effective way to save money (aftert coupons) is to plan your journey thoroughly. Talk to locals, use the internet to know more through various forums, and contact people who have visited the place. Don’t rely on online booking; go there and stay at local hotels. Eat at local shops, for authentic dishes at a minimal cost. Travel in groups so that you can split the cost between your group. If possible, take your own car. Once you start analysing and corking the cost stream, you will realize the number of places you can save on is only limited by your imagination!

And with that, we come to the end of my suggestions and useful tips on how to save more if you are travelling somewhere. Travel will change you and how you handle situations. It will give you the clarity you never thought you had. It will give you the confidence to face the world, and most importantly, it will give you everlasting memories. So, go out and roam free like a bird! 

And if you want to add some more suggestions, don’t forget to do that in the comments! Don’t forget to let me know where you are travelling and if you want to share your experience, you can do that as well. 

Happy and safe travels!