By: Nick Callos
What prevents people from traveling more?
Well, 52% of folks cite cost as the primary reason they can’t travel, according to a survey from the U.S. Travel Association. The second biggest reason is getting time off work. This shouldn’t come as any surprise.
It’s a shame people can’t travel more. Money, work, family and commitments get in the way. Time goes by, and trips become few and far between.
These statistics and thoughts bring us back to the point of this article: How to travel the world for cheap.
We’re not here to provide some magic secret or lotto ticket. Rather, this article will teach you a variety of ways to achieve cheap travel, such as tips to reduce expenses and alternative ways to see the world. With a little resourcefulness, flexibility and open-mindedness, you should be able to use some of these strategies to travel to your dream destinations at a much lower cost.
Just let us reiterate: If you want to know how to travel the world for cheap, be prepared to be resourceful, flexible, and open-minded. If you’re not, making the necessary compromises to travel on the cheap becomes near impossible.
Without further ado, we know you want to know how to travel the world for cheap. Let’s start explaining.
Use Rewards Miles and Points to Get Free Flights, Hotels & More
When thinking about how to travel the world for cheap, using points and miles comes to mind. However, it can take time—and a lot of trips and money—to accrue enough points for a free trip. For instance, you usually earn 5 miles per $1 spent with Delta Airlines, and most domestic one way tickets cost around 10,000 to 12,500 miles. That means you have to spend $2,000+ just to earn a free plane ticket.
Thankfully, there is a great shortcut: travel credit cards.
Travel credit cards regularly offer signup bonuses for spending a certain amount within a few months. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, for example, is one of the most popular cards because bonuses usually range from 50,000 to 60,000 points for spending roughly $3,000 in the first 3 months. Depending on what and when you book your travel, that’s anywhere from $500 to $1,000+ worth of free travel money!
Once you get the signup bonus, you’ll have enough points for a free round trip flight and potentially hotel or rental car, depending on where you’re going. How amazing is that?
To stay updated and get helpful, actionable advice, check popular sites that have all the latest points and miles news, such as:
- The Points Guy: One of the pioneering sites of miles and points travel hacks
- Nerd Wallet: Offers a wealth of financial advice plus updates on the latest travel credit card deals.
- Upgraded Points: All the latest travel credit card deals, plus travel advice
Travel During Off-Season to Save Money
Photo by Marc Fanelli-Isla on Unsplash
It may make the most sense to travel during the holidays and summer when you have more free time, but it will cost you a lot more. Just consider these examples published in a USA Today article:
- Miami hotels reduce rates by around 50% during slow times.
- Prices for safaris in Africa drop by as much as 40%.
- Rail prices drop by 20%+ in North America.
- Airfare can be as much as 3x cheaper.
If you’re asking how to travel the world for cheap, understand the rule of supply and demand. Traveling during off-season and slow times can yield huge savings.
Use the Fly-Anywhere Tool to Find Cheap Flights
Photo by Lucas George Wendt on Unsplash
If you just want to travel somewhere that intrigues you, consider using the fly-anywhere tool that Google Flights and Kayak offer. You simply input your home airport and search. What you’ll get is a world map of various destinations and prices. The system will automatically show you the cheapest deals as well as the interesting destinations.
To give you an idea, below is a fly-anywhere search with New York City as the departure point. Dates are for October 8—22, 2024.
Look at that! You can fly from NYC to Lima, Peru for just $341 round trip. That’s quite a good price.
The key to finding the best deals with the fly anywhere strategy is to be flexible. You can opt for any week or weekend in a month, for instance. Using this tool, chances are you’ll find a destination you like at a price you can afford.
Consider Geoarbitrage to Travel the World for Cheap
Do you work remotely?
If so, it could be time for an extended workcation or even a full dive into geoarbitrage. Geoarbitrage involves moving to a place with a lower cost of living while maintaining your income.
Think about it: If you work for a company in New York City and live in New York City, you may feel the financial pinch due to the cost of living. That could mean no money to travel. Instead, you could pack your bags and live short-term abroad in cheaper locations you’ve always wanted to visit, such as Thailand or Costa Rica. By staying longer, you can still work and then sightsee and explore during free time.
To learn all about geoarbitrage, check out our resources:
- Ultimate Guide to Geoarbitrage
- Best Geoarbitrage Cities in Asia
- How Much Geoarbitrage Can Help Your Finances
Semi-Retire and Travel the World
Photo by Amanda Sixsmith on Unsplash
No, we’re telling you to semi-retire if you have an important career and commitments and obligations, such as children and community involvement. But if your current lifestyle allows, you could consider semi-retiring and traveling as you work part time. It’s one of the best ways to travel the world for cheap.
When you semi-retire, you open up time to travel while still ensuring you have income to fund that lifestyle. Consider this: You work part-time remotely, doing what you’ve done before, but now travel as you do so. If you’re a software developer, you could work as a contractor to maintain positive cash flow and backpack around Europe simultaneously.
It sounds like a nice life, right?
Of course, you have to prepare properly for a semi-retired traveling lifestyle. If you’re considering this option, read our articles on the topic:
Now You Know How to Travel the World for Cheap
If you wanted to know how to travel the world for cheap, we hope we’ve answered your question. To emphasize, flexibility, resourcefulness and open-mindedness will help you save incredible amounts of money on your travel.
So, which cost-saving strategies would you use? Do you have any other ideas on how to travel the world for cheap? Share your thoughts with Frayed Passport on Facebook. We’d love to have a conversation!
About the Author
Nick Callos has always had a passion for reading, writing, and discovering the new and unknown. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Nick holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Boston College. He currently splits his time between his hometown, Chengdu, China, and the open road. A full-time travel writer, Nick hopes his work can inspire others to explore the world more deeply and enjoy the digital nomad lifestyle.
Featured image by Savelie Antipov on Unsplash