Travelling is something I have become so interested in over these past few months/years. There is just something about travelling, discovering the world, getting to know more about different cultures and meeting new and interesting people. Travelling when you’re on a budget can be quite hard, as its something that is seen as a luxury. Since I am still a student in university who is only slowly ticking off places in the world that I want to see, I thought I would share some of my tips on how I always try to book a budget friendly city trip without having to save money by only eating at fast food chains or by not doing any fun activities.

Book your trip far in advance

One of the best things I have discovered about booking a flight, is that it’s cheapest when you book it in advance. I did this when I went away to Lisbon with my cousins. We booked our flights back in October and were surprised by how affordable the flights still were back then. The same goes for travelling by train. You usually end up paying a lot more money if you book a ticket up to 3 months before you’re off on your trip. So if you’re dying to go away on a little trip then I would say book your trip at least 5 months ahead of when you’re actually set to leave, this way you can save a lot of money on your ticket.

Don’t buy any add-ons for your flight/train ticket

It’s a psychological test for you to not buy any add-ons for your flight or train ticket. A free meal on the train or a bag to check in so you can bring lots, it’s all sounds like a good deal if you’re going away on a city trip, but I would stay away from any of these add-ons for your ticket. The add-ons usually end up being quite expensive, which means you’ll end up spending more money than you would like to spend.

Do your research on the city you’re visiting

As soon as you know you’re visiting a city, I would say its best to start researching. One of the things I have learnt from booking trips to London, Edinburgh, Milan and recently Lisbon, it’s that it’s so important to do your research online. This way you will the lay out of a city and its neighbourhoods. This is good to know, because you will then be able to realise what neighbourhoods will probably be quite busy and touristy or more quiet and local. Which brings me to my next point of finding an accommodation.

Search for AirBnB’s or hostels

Over the past few years I have come to the realisation that hotels are actually quite expensive to stay in. That’s why I personally like to save money on accommodations by either booking a hostel, Bed & Breakfast or by looking on AirBnB or Booking for an apartment. It’s become one of my most fun things about booking a city trip to find an accommodation that looks lovely, is in a local neighbourhood and to find something that is also affordable. One of my favourite things about staying in an apartment actually, is to be able to go to a supermarket and to get myself groceries to cook at night for when I don't feel like going out for food.

Look for local restaurants and bars

Doing research on a city can also really help you find all the fun and local places in a city. I personally much rather prefer to sit in a restaurant or bar with lots of locals instead of a touristy restaurant. It’s always hard to find something completely without tourists, but I at least like to try and find things in either in the neighbourhood I’m staying in or in another neighbourhood. It’s usually the restaurants and bars where no one really speaks any English that you will be able to find the tastiest food.

Explore a city by foot

It’s always during my city trips that my Apple Health app goes crazy. I always tend to walk at least 10-15 km’s a day whenever I am on a city trip because my friends and I like to do everything by foot. Not only is this a great way to explore everything of a city, it’s also the most affordable way to explore the city.

Check for free museums and activities

My final tip is to save money on any expensive cultural things to see. As much as I love visiting museums, it can really break the bank if there are 5 museums I am interested in visiting. I would personally recommend doing some research into the museums you would like to visit most. Other than that, I would say to find museums that are a little cheaper or free. If there aren’t any free museums out in the city you’re going to, I would always try to find other impressive landmarks in a city that are free or only charge little money to visit, such as churches, botanical gardens, parks and other historical buildings.