In the past, getting to the point financially where you could travel the world was a rare feat. Hardly anyone achieved it. There was the odd rich merchant or landowner here or there who could afford it, but it wasn’t common.
Then something changed. The 20th century happened, and technology brought the price of flights down. Now physically transporting your body across the planet costs about the same as a week’s pay. And that’s something that most people can afford.
It turns out that the cost of travel is much less than most people imagine. If you think that you have to spend hundreds of dollars on hotels every night to explore the world, think again. Today, there are so many ways to save money that the only real cost is your time.
In this post, we take a look at some of the reasons why you don’t need to be a millionaire to travel the world.
You Can Lodge With Other People
If you think that traveling is all about spending time on expensive cruise ships and going to five star hotels then, yes, it will eat into your budget.
However, it turns out that travelling the globe is actually considerably less expensive than you might think. For many people, the biggest cost is accommodation. But as sites like NetVoucherCodes.co.uk make clear, there are all sorts of special offers and discounts available.
What’s more, you don’t actually have to stay in a traditional hotel any longer. Thanks to various platforms, people are opening up their homes like never before. In many cases, you can rent out a bedroom for just a few dollars a night and take your own breakfast items with you to lower the cost even more.
You Can Travel Where It Is Still Cheap
Average income per capita in Switzerland is about $65,000 per person per year. That’s a lot of money. And it shows up in prices for many of the items that tourists want to buy. Average income per capita in Vietnam, by contrast, is about $2,000 per year. That means that everything that you want to purchase is significantly cheaper.
There are still plenty of cheap places to travel throughout the world. Southeast Asia is a good example, as are countries like Botswana and Tanzania.
When travelling, don’t look for luxury. Instead, focus more on the experience that you’ll have. Consider what you really want to get out of it. If you’re just looking for pampering, you should go to the local spa and save yourself some money, according to www.yahoo.com.
You Can Split Costs With Friends
Renting out a holiday home for two weeks for $2,000 is a lot of money if you’re the only person paying for it. But if you go with ten friends, that’s just $200 each – a bargain.
Cycle Between Locations
If you’re young and you want to travel the world, always go with other people. Get a group together and share all your costs. You’ll find that overall, you wind up spending much less money than if you had tried to do it all yourself.
Depending on where you are, you can also try cycling between locations. This way, your transport is essentially free (besides the bike hire).
You Can Work
For instance, those heading to Mediterranean islands often hire bikes to get around. Two wheels are much cheaper than either hiring a car or getting a taxi. Plus, you have sunny weather practically all year. Malta, for instance, gets over 300 days of unbroken sunshine each year.
Of course, if you’re really strapped for cash and can’t afford to take time off work to see the world, you can work. Working allows you to finance your adventures at the same time as having them.
Many people work in the mornings while travelling and then adventure in the afternoons. You’ll need to make some compromises, but they are fewer than you might imagine. Remember, many of the countries offering work visas to foreigners have low costs of living. That means that you usually can get by on just a handful of hours per day. The rest of your time is yours.
You Can Go Off Peak
There are vast differences in prices for peak and off peak travel. Just look at the discounts available during winter at some of the world’s top results. If you go in January or February, it’s often half price.
Look for deals online and don’t be afraid to take vacation time out of season. Your bank balance will thank you for it.
