How to save money while traveling: 10 ways without losing comfort

You want to travel often, but your budget usually sets the limits. The total cost of a trip is made up of tickets, accommodation, food, and museum entry fees. On each of these items, it is easy to lose hundreds of extra euros if you book at random.

We have put together ten practical ways to cut costs without turning your vacation into an ordeal. Not every tip works for everyone. First, figure out how much comfort you are willing to sacrifice. Saving too aggressively turns rest into an extra headache.

Below, we will look at where you can save without losing comfort.

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How to save money while traveling

💡 In short:

• Book tickets and accommodation in advance and compare several carriers.
• Travel in the off-season and choose the suburbs instead of the center.
• Get city transit passes and catch free days at museums.
• Passenger rights and compensation: 09/2026, verified on the official EU website.

Savings on a trip come from small things, not from one big discount. It is a good departure day, accommodation two stops farther out, and lunch where the locals eat. Below are ten areas where such small things add up to a noticeable amount that you can then spend on new experiences.

Buy tickets in advance

The earlier you book a ticket before departure, the lower the price usually is. This is how both airlines and bus carriers work, so the cheapest fares are always snapped up first. Subscribe to carrier newsletters and compare prices, for example on Kiwi.com.

Watch for Black Friday sales. There is a lot of marketing there, but sometimes you find genuine deals. Separately, check whether the airline offers a free stopover. That way, on a layover you can stay in the city and see it without paying extra for the ticket.

For trips within Europe, compare flying with taking the train. On short routes, rail is often cheaper and has no baggage fees.

Package tours and ready-made itineraries

Sometimes an independent trip costs more than a ready-made package. Price out a cruise, a bus tour, or a last-minute charter, and the cost may turn out lower than your own DIY version. Ready-made cruises and tour packages are worth checking when your dates are fixed and you have no time to plan.

If you have a flexible work schedule, subscribe to last-minute tour newsletters. Companies sell off departures almost at cost, but sometimes you have to leave literally tomorrow.

Barter for accommodation and tours

Barter works where you have a skill that a hotel or tour company needs. If you run a blog or have built an audience, offer the hotel promotional content in exchange for free accommodation or a discount. Photographers and videographers arrange to join promotional tours in exchange for their work.

Write directly and do not expect quick agreement. You lose nothing except one email. Another path to cheap travel is earning money while traveling, when your skill pays for the journey.

Travel in the off-season

High season and holidays drive up prices for tickets and accommodation. Depending on the climate, summer may not be the only expensive period, because in some places the peak falls in winter or during the rainy season. Study the calendar in advance and go a couple of weeks before or after the main flow of travelers.

Carnivals and major events inflate prices just like holidays. If dates do not matter, choose the neighboring weeks and book them without stress.

Accommodation in the suburbs

Accommodation in the center of a big city costs more than on the outskirts and in the suburbs. Sometimes it is cheaper to rent a room outside the city and pay for the commuter train than to pay for a night in the center. Tour companies that run groups often do this.

Hostels and apartments are cheaper than hotels, especially if you are traveling with a group and splitting the bill. Comparing options by neighborhood and dates is convenient on Trip.com.

Public transit and city cards

Buses and the metro are almost always cheaper than taxi rides. If you are staying in a city for several days, look into transit passes and tourist cards: they often include free museum entry.

Buy tickets in advance and online, because sometimes you get a discount and you avoid standing in line at the entrance. Student IDs and age discounts work in many countries, so keep your documents handy and ask about concessions at the ticket office. For travel between cities, compare trains and buses, and look for discount coupons at the hotel front desk.

Free museums and tours

Some museums and exhibitions are always free, while others operate on a donation basis. Still others have free hours or days, and these are published on official websites. Sometimes you can get in for a symbolic fee if you arrive right at opening and wait in line.

This is how the Vienna State Opera and Milan's La Scala work, for example. They sell cheap standing-room or gallery tickets. Check the ticket section on the venue's website a couple of days before your visit.

Food without overpaying

Food is the hardest area to save on, but there are ways. All-inclusive is worth it if you spend the day at the hotel. If you are out in the city all day, it is better to take breakfast only and have lunch out. And bring a supply of tea and snacks with you, because in expensive countries a cup of tea costs as much as a full lunch.

Choose places where locals eat, cook for yourself, and buy groceries at markets or supermarkets, where prepared food and perishables are often marked down in the evening. Many restaurants discount their lunch menu at midday, so plan your main meal for the daytime. We have a separate roundup of all-inclusive hotels.

© Tekstman · CC BY-SAPhoto: Tekstman, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

Extreme ways to save

Hitchhiking and Couchsurfing are not for everyone, but they are worth knowing about. Couchsurfing gives you a free place to stay with locals around the world (as of Couchsurfing, 09/2026). There is also house sitting: you live in someone else's home and look after their pets or plants while the owners are on vacation.

For the bold, HouseCarers platforms with strangers' homes are an option. Home swapping works in a similar way, and HomeExchange swaps housing between owners. You can sleep at an airport, on overnight transfers, in a tent, or at a monastery. Volunteering in exchange for a place to stay also works, but it takes time and a willingness to do physical work.

Insurance and safety

Do not cut corners on health and safety. Get comprehensive medical insurance, especially for mountains and active recreation. You can compare options from different programs online, and choose a plan that fits your trip.

Stay out of dangerous areas, especially alone, and keep an eye on the situation in the country. Get the necessary vaccinations in advance, which is especially important for travel in Africa. Before you leave, save your insurance and consulate contact information.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to buy tickets to save money?

Booking early is almost always cheaper. The closer the departure date, the fewer seats remain at low fares. Subscribe to carrier newsletters and compare prices on several sites.

Does traveling in the off-season help you save?

Yes. Outside the high season and holidays, accommodation and tickets get cheaper, and museum lines are shorter. Consider the climate: in some countries, the peak falls not in summer but in winter or the rainy season. Shifting your trip by a couple of weeks often saves more than any sale.

Can you get a refund for a delayed flight?

Yes. For a delay of more than three hours under EU Regulation 261/2004, you are entitled to compensation of up to €600 per person (as of 09/2026, EU rules). These rights apply to any flight departing from the EU. On flights into the EU, they apply only if the carrier is based in the EU. Keep your boarding passes and file a claim with the carrier.

Is it worth taking a package tour instead of traveling independently?

Sometimes yes. If you add up a cruise, a bus tour, or a last-minute charter, a package can work out cheaper than putting it together yourself. It is convenient when your dates are fixed and time is short. If your schedule is flexible, compare both options first and only then book.

How do you avoid overpaying for accommodation in a city?

Compare neighborhoods, not just hotels. A suburb with a commuter train is often cheaper than the center, and hostels and apartments are better value for groups. Check whether breakfast and the tourist tax are included in the price, because both noticeably change the final amount per night.

In short: what is worth booking

Savings on a trip come from planning, not from one lucky discount. Book ahead, compare carriers, and do not pay for what is available for free.

If your dates are flexible, start with flights on Kiwi.com: booking early is almost always cheaper than booking spontaneously.

If freedom of movement matters more, compare accommodation by neighborhood on Trip.com and budget for the commute from the suburbs.