How To Travel Cheap Part 1
Whether you are traveling within your own country or you have bit the bullet and decided to go abroad there are many ways to help cut down the cost of travel. In fact there are ways to get free accommodation, discounts on flights, & cheap food.
First of all you need to change your mindset about what you actually need and think simplicity. In reality you need very little to live on and if you can give up some amenities you can travel very cheaply. Your expenses on the road can be significantly less than what you are paying at home. This is especially true if you are planning on traveling long term and have either rented out your home or are not a home owner and your lease is up at your apartment. If you are a home owner do not fret as there are home exchange programs available to you. We will discuss those a bit later.
The most difficult expense to reduce is transportation. Patience and planning is the key to getting a good deal on flights, bus tickets, and train tickets. Very often if you are able to purchase your ticket several months in advance you can get a pretty food deal. I got a one way ticket to Dublin Ireland from Chicago for $245.00 which wasn’t to bad. I purchased the ticket about 6 months in advance though. Consider a multi-stop ticket or a RTW ticket. These can save you a huge amount of money. It is cheaper to purchase a Multi-stop RTW ticket than it is to purchase a round trip ticket to Bangkok. The ticket will be good for a years worth of travel.
Train & bus travel are also good ways to travel and you can get good deals. After checking out Amtrack you can go from Cleveland to Sacrament California for $196 by train. I certainly cannot drive across country for that price. When in Europe be sure to look into a Eurail pass but do not overlook flights as they can be a great deal going from one country to another.