c/budget-travel-hacks

Serious question, who else thought those overnight bus rides were a terrible idea?

I was sure a 9 hour bus from Denver to Salt Lake City would be miserable, but I saved $120 on a hotel and actually slept okay. Has anyone else had a budget trick they were totally wrong about?

Found a free hotel breakfast hack in Bangkok that's almost too good

Stayed at a place near Khao San Road where the breakfast buffet had a 'make your own sandwich' station. I grabbed a couple extra rolls and some fruit at the end, packed them in a napkin, and had lunch covered for under 50 cents. Anyone else found a hotel amenity that basically becomes a free meal ticket?

Tried booking a flight to Lisbon for a Tuesday instead of a Friday and saved almost $200.

Am I the only one who just found out you can book a hostel bed for under $10 a night in some cities?

I was looking at a hostel site last night and saw a place in Sofia, Bulgaria for $8 a night. That's cheaper than a burger meal back home. I always thought hostels were at least $20 minimum. It makes a week-long trip seem way more possible on a tight budget. Has anyone actually stayed in a place that cheap and was it okay?

A chat at a hostel in Prague changed how I pack for trips

I was in Prague last fall, sharing a dorm with a woman from Australia. She pulled out a tiny pack of laundry soap sheets, the kind that dissolve in water. I asked about them, and she said she only ever packs for five days, no matter how long the trip. She washes things in the sink every few nights. I tried it on my next trip to Budapest, and it worked. I saved about 60 euros on checked bag fees with the budget airline I used. It also made getting around the city way easier with a lighter bag. I'm curious, does anyone else have a hard limit on how many days of clothes they pack, or another trick to avoid baggage fees?

Overheard a guy at the airport say you should always book the cheapest flight, no matter the time

He was telling his friend to just pick the absolute lowest fare, even if it lands at 3 AM. I think that's a bad hack because a $20 saved flight can cost you $60 in extra airport transit or a sketchy overnight wait. Has anyone else found a better rule for picking flight times without blowing the budget?

Question about paying for a checked bag on a budget airline

Dropped $60 to check a bag on Frontier for a trip to Phoenix. Could have fit everything in a carry-on and saved that cash for a good meal out. Anyone have a good system for packing light on a week-long trip?

Shoutout to the guy who told me to pack a tiny kitchen scale for my trip to Bangkok

I got so tired of street food vendors overcharging tourists by claiming a portion was 'extra large' and costing more. I bought a $12 scale and started weighing my mango sticky rice orders right there. It took me three whole days of awkward standoffs and pointing at the scale before vendors just started giving me the right amount for the listed price. Has anyone else found a simple tool that saved them a ton of money while traveling?

Appreciation post: I thought 'flight price freeze' offers were a scam until I tried one for a trip to Lisbon

I saw a deal on a travel site last month that let me lock in a $450 round trip price for 72 hours for a $10 fee. I was sure it was a trick, but I paid the fee while I checked with my friend. The price jumped to $620 two days later, but my locked-in rate stayed. That $10 saved me over $150. Has anyone else had a good experience with these price locks, or are some of them actually bad deals?

I thought those overnight bus rides across Europe were a terrible idea

My buddy convinced me to take a FlixBus from Berlin to Prague instead of a hostel for a night. I figured I'd be wrecked, but I slept pretty well and saved about 40 euros. Waking up in a new city at 6 AM with the whole day ahead felt like a win. Anyone have other routes where this actually works without being miserable?

Found a way to get a free night in Rome by asking a simple question

Back in 2019, I was booking a hostel in Rome for 5 nights and noticed the price per night dropped after 6 nights. I called and asked if they'd give me the 6-night rate for my 5-night stay, and they just gave me the 6th night for free. Do you think hotels are still open to those kind of deals these days?

Spent $40 on a local SIM card in Bangkok and it saved me from a huge taxi scam.

The driver tried to charge me 800 baht for a 15-minute ride, but having data let me pull up the Grab app to show him the real price of 150 baht. What's the best way you've found to get cheap data abroad?

PSA: A local in a small Greek town showed me a food hack that saved me over 100 euros

I was in Monemvasia, Greece, trying to figure out a cheap lunch. A shop owner saw me looking at a pricey restaurant menu and just said, 'Go to the bakery, get fresh bread for 2 euros, then the grocer for olives and feta.' I did that for three days straight, spending maybe 5 euros a day on amazing picnics. It completely changed how I saw eating while traveling. Instead of seeking out tourist spots, I started copying how locals actually shop. Has anyone else had a local tip totally shift your food budget in a new place?

This guy in a Lisbon hostel kitchen taught me the real meaning of 'budget travel' with a single sentence

He was making a full meal from leftover bread and market scraps, looked at my instant noodles, and said, 'If you only eat to save money, you're not traveling, you're just hungry in a new place.'

I always booked the cheapest hostel bed until a night in Barcelona changed my mind

Used to grab any $12 bunk without looking at reviews, figuring sleep was sleep. Then I got stuck in a place off Las Ramblas with zero lockers and a broken window in January, shivering all night. Now I spend an extra $5 for a place with good security and heating ratings, even if it's a 20 minute walk further out. Anyone have a go-to site for finding those solid budget spots that aren't just the absolute rock bottom price?

Just got back from Lisbon and the free tap water thing is real

I was eating at a little place in the Alfama district and asked for water, fully expecting to pay for a bottle. The waiter just brought out a chilled carafe of tap water, no charge. Saved me like 3 euros a meal, which adds up over a week. Anyone know other cities in Europe where this is common?

Just watched a hostel in Lisbon go from $18 to $45 a night in two years, and it's not just inflation.

A $12 bus ticket from Berlin to Prague turned into a 9-hour nightmare

Booked a cheap FlixBus for a quick trip, but it broke down just outside Dresden. We sat on the side of the road for four hours waiting for a replacement bus that never showed. Ended up having to buy a last-minute train ticket with three other strangers to finally get moving. Has anyone else had a budget bus company totally leave them stranded like that?

My cheap travel pillow popped on the plane to Denver

It happened about an hour into the flight last Tuesday, and the little foam beads went everywhere. I had to use my jacket rolled up for the rest of the trip, which was pretty uncomfortable. I guess paying $8 for it at the airport was a mistake. Has anyone found a budget pillow that actually holds up?

Just tried booking a flight to Lisbon two different ways

I checked the price for a round trip on one airline's site and it was $780. Then I looked at the same dates but booked two one-way tickets on different budget carriers, and the total was $520. Saved over $250 just by splitting it up. Anyone know other cities where this trick works well?

I booked a 'cheap' hotel in Prague that ended up costing me way more than the nice one

I was so focused on the nightly rate, I didn't check the location properly. The place was a 45-minute tram ride from the city center, and I spent over 60 euros on transit passes and taxis over four days just to get anywhere. I could have paid 20 euros more per night for a central spot and saved money and hours. Anyone else get tricked by a low price that hid extra costs?

Back in 2017 I paid $40 for a city museum pass in Prague and it was a total waste

I bought it thinking I'd see everything, but the lines were still long and I only ended up using it for two places. I rushed through a gallery just to feel like I got my money's worth, which kinda ruined it. Now I just pick one or two spots I really want to see and pay at the door. Anyone have a better system for those multi-attraction passes?

My brother said to always book a hostel bed for the first night, even if you think you can wing it.

I ignored him in Prague, got in at 11 PM, and everything was full or triple the price. Ended up paying $80 for a taxi to a sketchy motel on the outskirts. Anyone have a better plan for late arrivals in a new city?

Back in Bangkok after a decade, the street food game is different

I was in Bangkok for a few days last month, first time since 2014. The big thing I noticed is how the street food has moved. It used to be you could get a full plate of pad thai for 30 baht, about a dollar, right on Khao San Road. Now, a lot of those carts are gone or they've doubled their prices. The city cleaned up a bunch of areas, pushing vendors into specific markets. It's still cheap by western standards, but the real hack now is to walk a few blocks away from the main tourist strips. I found a lady near the Phra Khanong BTS station selling the same noodles for 40 baht, and it was way better. Makes you work a little harder for the good deals. Has anyone else found spots in big cities that are still holding out against the price hikes?

Just realized I've spent under $200 on hotels in the last year

I was looking at my budget spreadsheet last night and the number really jumped out at me. It happened because I started using a mix of house sitting through a site called TrustedHousesitters and staying in private rooms in hostels, like one in Lisbon that was $22 a night. I also took two overnight buses instead of paying for a place to sleep. It made me think how much travel has changed since I first started trying to save money on the road. Has anyone else found a specific trick that cut one big cost way down?