When Can I Budget Travel?
I consider myself a late starter in the travel world. Some will not agree with me. Travellers around the world all have a story to tell, they all build up to the moment when they decide to travel, and age really has no meaning in that context.
My close friends from school were off partaking in Camp America, some were travelling around South East Asia, and others were still hitting some amazing spots on luxury cruises with their parents.
Some of my friends’ parents have gone travelling for months in one way or another, backpacks or caravans, and I have always admired that. But then again, there are many school students taking gap years to explore the world now too. As I said, age does not matter in the travel world. Especially with budget travelling.
There just needs to be some strategy to the idea:
Travel in off-season:
Europe in autumn is stunning. The jungles of South America and southern Asia during monsoon season are just phenomenal. Ski resorts turn into mountain bike treks, desert land is sometimes more bearable and easy to explore. Every corner of the world has an off-season, you just need to know when to go.
It is such a great feeling when you have a place to yourself. No long tourist queues, cheap entrance fees, even cheaper and more varied accommodation, and most of those travelling at that time are as perfectly like-minded as you.
Give yourself three months:
OK, so you don’t want to lose or quit your job. Totally understandable. Sabbaticals and unpaid/extended paid leave can be issued depending on your situation but most will not have these opportunities. However, everyone gets holiday allowance.
Give yourself three months of planning and saving the pennies before leaving. Save a third of your wage, if not half, each month so that you have a budget to work with. You may only travel for one or two weeks, you may travel for much longer, but ultimately you need some money to travel with initially, so think ahead. I will be writing a blog post soon about how exactly you can do that, and how you can earn dough on the road, very shortly…
Plan together with friends/travellers:
Do you have someone you want to take with you? Actually, it is a really good idea to travel with someone as it can save costs on so many levels. I know I am The Lonely Traveller, but I have travelled with friends and girlfriends occasionally in the past, and I believe that sharing accommodation and travel methods isn’t just safer, it is cheaper too.
If you don’t have a friend that shares your dreams at home, get on social media, download traveller apps such as Travello, and meet people doing what you’re doing. Share those itineraries!
Basically, there is always a good time to budget travel. It just depends on whether you’re ready to challenge yourself, and whether your chosen destination is ready to be the challenge!
My close friends from school were off partaking in Camp America, some were travelling around South East Asia, and others were still hitting some amazing spots on luxury cruises with their parents.
Some of my friends’ parents have gone travelling for months in one way or another, backpacks or caravans, and I have always admired that. But then again, there are many school students taking gap years to explore the world now too. As I said, age does not matter in the travel world. Especially with budget travelling.
There just needs to be some strategy to the idea:
Travel in off-season:
Europe in autumn is stunning. The jungles of South America and southern Asia during monsoon season are just phenomenal. Ski resorts turn into mountain bike treks, desert land is sometimes more bearable and easy to explore. Every corner of the world has an off-season, you just need to know when to go.
It is such a great feeling when you have a place to yourself. No long tourist queues, cheap entrance fees, even cheaper and more varied accommodation, and most of those travelling at that time are as perfectly like-minded as you.
Give yourself three months:
OK, so you don’t want to lose or quit your job. Totally understandable. Sabbaticals and unpaid/extended paid leave can be issued depending on your situation but most will not have these opportunities. However, everyone gets holiday allowance.
Give yourself three months of planning and saving the pennies before leaving. Save a third of your wage, if not half, each month so that you have a budget to work with. You may only travel for one or two weeks, you may travel for much longer, but ultimately you need some money to travel with initially, so think ahead. I will be writing a blog post soon about how exactly you can do that, and how you can earn dough on the road, very shortly…
Plan together with friends/travellers:
Do you have someone you want to take with you? Actually, it is a really good idea to travel with someone as it can save costs on so many levels. I know I am The Lonely Traveller, but I have travelled with friends and girlfriends occasionally in the past, and I believe that sharing accommodation and travel methods isn’t just safer, it is cheaper too.
If you don’t have a friend that shares your dreams at home, get on social media, download traveller apps such as Travello, and meet people doing what you’re doing. Share those itineraries!
Basically, there is always a good time to budget travel. It just depends on whether you’re ready to challenge yourself, and whether your chosen destination is ready to be the challenge!