SkySurf.Travel is currently seeking someone to travel the world to eight different cities. The selected applicant will receive $2,000, which will go towards his or her trip, for an adventure of a lifetime. Here are some tips on how you can travel the world for only $2,000!
- Use SkySurf.Travel to build your round-the-world multi-city itinerary. I was able to build an itinerary from New York City to eight European cities and back for under $600. That leaves me with a little over $1,400 for spending. Remember to pack light! Some airlines charge a fee for carry-ons. Be sure to read the baggage policy for each airline before booking.
- Try Couchsurfing. You can stay with locals for free and it’s a great way of meeting new people. If you can’t find a host or you aren’t comfortable using it, you can try hostels or private rooms on Airbnb for cheap accommodation. If it’s warm outside, you can even try camping. Ask your hosts or hostel staff for cheap and free local things to do.
- Go grocery shopping and cook at your hosts living space. It’s a good idea to cook and then wash the dishes for your hosts as a token of appreciation. Taking the Host out, bringing a small gift or some other gesture are also good ideas. This can cost you about $70/week, and even a lot cheaper, depending on which country you are visiting. That’s about $500 for two months of grocery shopping. That leaves you with $900.
- Use public transportation, trusted carpooling services such as BlaBlaCar, or hitchhike. Here’s the guide to hitchhiking the world, and here’s a price list of public transportation in 80 cities around the world. For example, a day pass in Prague costs 5 euros, while in Paris a 1-day pass costs around 11 euros. Let’s say I set aside a budget of $75/week for transportation. That’s a total of $600 for two months, which leaves me with $300! You can try a service like Rome2Rio for searching the cheapest public transportation to any destination. Stay away from taxis if you can. Public transportation is the best way, IMHO, to explore any city. Also, try renting out a bicycle if you can; it’s cheap or can be free, a great and fast way to see and explore any city, and it’s good exercise!
- Use free Wi-Fi and apps like Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Viber, Skype, etc. to make calls anywhere abroad for free.
- Transacting money directly from the debit card in the local currency is a better way than exchanging money to the local currency.
- Try out some free city tours, for example with a service like Freetour.com
- If you are a student, make sure to bring your student ID with you. Many museums and such have student rates and the savings can add up quite a bit.
- Some cities may offer tourist cards. These can be big money savers. Pay a small price for free museums, discounted public transportation, attraction discounts, and more. Do some research to see if the city you will be traveling to has tourist cards.
- Be vigilant at all times. A great way to save money is not to lose it! So be aware of pickpockets, especially in big cities.
- You can pick up some freelance work while you travel to earn some extra money, such as with Upwork, a global freelancing platform where businesses and independent professionals connect and collaborate remotely.
- Explore nature. Hike a mountain or go swimming in the ocean. Take a ton of photos. Catch a tan on the beach and relax to the sound of the waves, while doing a yoga class. There are plenty of activities you can do in the great outdoors, and many are free.
- Pub crawls can be free or cheap and a great way to meet people and to check out the local nightlife party scene. Sometimes a free beer or shots are included. It’s not required to drink when you pub crawl and you can always grab a soda or juice.
- Research the internet for free local events, museums, parks, things to do, etc. Also download some free travel apps, such as:
- Google Trips. This app automatically maps out a half day or a full day with suggestions for things to see and do.
- Rome2Rio. Use this app to discover how to get anywhere by plane, train, bus, ferry & car
- Meetup. Meetup provides a way to connect with individuals with similar hobbies and interests. Join in on a local soccer game, learn a new language, or even learn local cuisine by taking a cooking class.
- Party With. Use this app to link up with locals and fellow travelers for local nightlife. Keep in mind that alcohol can be expensive at bars and restaurants, so try to set a small budget aside for it, or don’t drink it at all.
- All Events. An easy way to find activities to explore. Search for local concerts, sporting events, and local food.
- Geosure may be one of the best travel apps for safety information. It provides comprehensive street-level scores using crime and safety information from government organizations, local authorities, and crowd generated responses to assess a neighbor’s risk level.
- CityMapper. Travelers in search of easy transportation will see that CityMapper makes finding the best route simple. Whether your car sharing or taking local subways the app saves time and money in route.
- Like a Local. Like a Local is meant to help travelers find fun spots to hang out in a place, just as a local would do, from restaurants and bars to art galleries and holiday parks. The app works completely offline and features cities like Munich, Brussels, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Vienna.
- Hostelworld. Use this app to find and book cheap hostels around the world.
- Sygic. Sygic Maps is a free, great app for getting around a city by walking or driving when you have no internet access. Make sure to download the maps of the countries before visiting.
These are just a few free travel apps I recommend. There are many travel apps out there, so it’s a good idea to research a few, as well as any local travel apps, before your trip. With all these apps nowadays to meet new people and find things to do, you should have an eventful and fun experience. You can even try dating apps. Who knows? Maybe you’ll fall in love with a special man or woman in a foreign country (that’s if you’re single, of course 😊 ). The possibilities are endless of what one can do without having to spend a lot of money, or any at all. Traveling on a budget can be a more fulfilling experience. It’s really about the experience and the people you meet, and not just what you see and how much you spend.
Once a SkySurf.Travel travel job applicant is selected and starts his or her journey, we’ll provide handy travel tips and advice along the way so that the trip can be as smooth as possible. If you haven’t already and are interested in traveling the world and getting paid for it, please read more details here. If you’re not interested, but know someone who may be, please share this post. This can be a great opportunity; for example, for art or history students, photographers, travel writers, or anyone who just wants to explore the world. If you have any questions, please contact us from the footer of the SkySurf.Travel homepage; and if you have any comments or tips you’d like to add, please post below.
Safe travels!