The main reason people don’t travel is because they think it’s too expensive. Seeing the world is much more affordable than you would think. Just this past year I’ve been to Thailand, LA, Miami, Toronto, Tokyo, Atlanta, New York, Paris AND Rome. I have insatiable wanderlust and a full list of places I want to visit and I want to share some tips to help you cross some of those places off your bucket list as well by showing you how to travel anywhere for cheap.

My top favorite site to search flight deals is Skyscanner. It’s the best tool in my opinion because it let’s you fully view the prices for each date and you can even search by “cheapest month”, so if your dates are flexible, you can find amazing deals for off seasons. Also if you don’t know where to go, just enter your nearest airport and search “to anywhere” and they’ll show you the best deals to just about anywhere leaving from where you are located.

Google Flights is also a good resource, like Skyscanner, it shows you prices by day and provides a price graph for alternative dates and departing/ arriving at different airport locations that could save you more money. You can also set email alerts if you’re watching a flight to be notified about price changes. I’m a big fan of their map feature which lets you view different destinations and see the best prices for each place from your origin airport.

Agoda used to be my first go to when searching for flights. For some reason it always showed me better deals than the actual airlines site would show.

Travel Pirates is a site I like to browse regularly because they offer great vacation packages to lots of destinations for group or solo travel in domestic and international locations for really amazing deals. Most of these packages include flights and accommodations with tours, so you don’t have to do much planning on your own.

Groupon Getaways also offers great vacation packages. Most of these are priced for two people, so be aware if you’re traveling alone, because there’s usually an added fee for single travelers. 

Scott’s Cheap Flights is an email list that you can sign up for where they regularly send you flight deals departing from several airports. They alert you to sales and error fares. You have to book quick on these deals, because they usually only last for a day or two. There’s a paid subscription version of this, but the free one works just fine for me. 

Southwest flights don’t show up in other sites’ flight searches so I always make sure I check their site separately. As you probably already know, they have sales often and are popular because they’re one of the very few where bags still fly free. This is the airline I typically use to travel domestically. 

ACCOMODATIONS: 

I’ve pretty much given up on hotels and stay exclusively at Airbnbs because mostly they are cheaper and in my opinion, all around better depending on your location. I’m sure most of you have used this site before, but if not, sign up here to save $40 on your first booking. 

TIPS:

ALWAYS set your browser to private or incognito mode when searching for travel. Your prices will be higher depending on location so make sure you turn it off. 

Book activities with Klook I can almost guarantee that you can find any tour or activity you planned to book at your destination here for a cheaper price. They have everything from park admission tickets to private drivers to local SIM cards. I always check Klook first before I buy tickets for something in person or elsewhere online. Use the code MOBILE10 to get $10 off your first booking made in the Klook app.

Fly out of a different airport than the one closest to home. Depending on where you live, international flights can get very expensive if you aren’t leaving from a major airport. Check prices out of bigger international airports like LAX, JFK and ATL to your intended destination then just book a domestic flight from home to that airport. It’s usually way cheaper that way. I’ve found that best Flights to Asia are out of LA and best to Europe (especially Paris) is from New York. 

I’m notorious for overpacking, but try on your outfits before you go and ONLY BRING WHAT YOU WILL WEAR. It’s all fun and games until you’re paying big bucks at the airport for overweight luggage. Double check the weight limits per each airline you fly (as some differ, especially internationally) and try to weigh your suitcase ahead of time. If you have to pay for luggage, do it at the time of booking because it’s always more expensive afterward. Also you’ll want to have space for what ever shopping you do on your trip. 

Make the most of your layovers. Most people are turned off by long layovers, but I treat them as another passport stamp. It’s basically a free destination. If you have enough time to leave the airport, do it! Take public transportation to the city center and take in some of the sights there. I wouldn’t recommend doing this if your layover is less than 6 hours. Just pack what you’ll need for the day in your carryon and let them check your luggage to your final destination and be on your way. 

Travel domestically WITHIN foreign countries. Compared to North America, countries on other continents are in much closer proximity to each other so it’s easier to travel between them. For instance, if you’re already in Europe, utilize day trips, you can take a train and be in the next country within a few hours. Pull out the map and see what other destinations you’d like to visit are nearby and go there while you’re already near. You can also take advantage of the smaller regional airlines that service that specific area. When I was in Thailand, I found flights between the islands for $30 ROUNDTRIP! No kidding. 

Book multicity flights. This is an option that not most people use. When searching flights, instead of doing roundtrip, use the multicity tool to make a stop at another destination along the way. You don’t have to fly out of the same airport you flew in to. This cuts costs dramatically because instead of making two trips, you’ve combined it into one. 

Most importantly, if possible, be flexible. The best deals depend on dates. Obviously prices will be lower outside of peak seasons. Do your research beforehand and find out when is the destination’s “busy” season, then book outside of that.

For any other questions or advice, feel free to message me on Instagram @Kaitlyn_amor I’d be more than happy to help.