How We Travel on a Budget
Since returning from our trip to Europe earlier this year, I have received several questions on social media about how Caleb and I traveled overseas on such a tight budget. This post is a compilation of the most common questions you have asked. If you have additional questions, please send me a direct message on Instagram.
Q: How did you find affordable plane tickets? (Leslie P.)
I attempted to answer this question in a few short sentences but wrote an entire blog post instead. You can find all of our tips and tricks here.
Q: How did you find unique places to eat without blowing your budget? (Kirsten S.)
Our brother-in-law likes to say, “The more research you do, the more money you save.” Before our trip, we planned almost all the restaurants we wanted to eat at and added them to our daily itineraries. We also made reservations for many of our preferred dinner spots before our trip. This allowed us to read menus and plan how much money we would need to set aside. We did most of our research on Pinterest and Trip Adviser or asked friends and family that had been to London and France for recommendations.
Q: How did you do touristy things without spending a fortune? (Kayla S.)
You can’t see all of London in one trip. London is a place to travel back to again and again. We decided ahead of time that this would not be our only trip to London, allowing us to prioritize what we wanted to pay for on this trip. There are plenty of free things to do in London, so don’t stress about fitting every major attraction into your itinerary and budget.
Q: Is it better to eat out or to buy your own groceries? (Sarah H.)
Caleb and I chose to eat out while in London. We ate a late English Breakfast every morning (provided by our hotel) and skipped lunch so that we only had to pay for 1-2 meals a day. Choosing a hotel that provided English Breakfast saved us a tremendous amount of money. If you are worried about expenses, you could try splitting meals as well.
One thing to note is that it is difficult to find grocery stores in London. We did not travel much outside of the city, but grocery stores appeared to be pretty limited in the areas we visited. When we did finally find one, it was very overpriced.
During our time in France, we purchased fresh ingredients at a local market and made our own dinner one night. The ingredients ended up costing about the same as a semi-nice dinner out. It was fun to make our own dinner together in our cute Airbnb kitchen, though. If you are going to make your own dinner, be sure to find an Airbnb that has a fully stocked pantry of any basic items you may need (olive oil, cooking spray, etc). These basic items add up quickly—don’t make the same mistake we did. So, although it is possible to save money by buying your own groceries, we stayed within our budget pretty easily while eating out. Eating out allows you to experience the culture too.
Is it cheaper to stay in a hotel or Airbnb? (Stephanie C.)
It just depends on what you want. Both options can be very affordable. Just keep in mind that an Airbnb may appear much cheaper than it actually is. The cost of an Airbnb can add up quickly once you factor in cleaning fees and additional taxes, but can often find good deals when you plan well in advance. You may also want to consider an Airbnb over a hotel if you want to buy your own groceries to make your own meals. Airbnb’s are unique in that they often offer full kitchens, added privacy, and other great amenities.
Hotels can also be money savers. For example, booking a hotel in London saved us the cost of breakfast and lunch each day because The Byron Hotel offered a complimentary English Breakfast—and it was a large spread too. We scheduled a late breakfast between 10 and 11 AM and skipped lunch so that we could spend our money on nicer dinners. Our hotel was also located in the heart of Kensington near many of the places we planned to visit. This location was certainly a time and money saver too.
*If you are unfamiliar with London, be aware that many Airbnb and hotel accommodations include shared bathrooms. Some of the really cheap deals are only cheap because you will share a bathroom with your neighbors. There are ways to limit your search in order to avoid this (or maybe the good deal is worth the lack of privacy to you). Check out Hotels.com and Priceline.com if you are on the hunt for a hotel deal.
Did I miss your question? Leave it in the comments down below and be sure to check back over the next few weeks as I answer more of your questions about budget traveling.
