Thinking About A Solo Trip? Here's How To Do It For Cheap – TheTravel
Paying for one person (yourself) to travel can be affordable from the get-go, but here’s how to save even more money along the way.
Flights, taxis, hotels, tours, restaurants–traveling is often more expensive than people’s budgets allow. That feels limiting, especially for solo travelers who have to foot the bill by themselves. Fortunately, there are legitimate ways to make travel more financially accessible and this article takes a look at them. The major budget breakers for most people are accommodation and transportation. Solo travelers often face additional fees called singles supplements when they book package deals and tours. Read on to learn more about saving on transportation, lodging, and how to deal with those pesky singles supplements.
Transportation is often the most expensive part of a journey. That means finding a low price can significantly reduce the cost of travel. How people do this will depend on their overall budget.
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Some people use rewards cards and SkyMiles. These pay off eventually, but may not reduce the price in the present. Paying attention to airline websites for travel deals is another way to catch a cheap ticket. Additionally, some research seems to indicate that flying on a Tuesday tends to be cheaper than any other day, and booking about 80 days in advance saves a few bucks.
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For some travelers, purchasing an airline ticket may be out of their budget. In this case, they should check out opportunities through companies like Canada Driveaway, Auto Driveaway, or Roadie. Driveaway hires drivers to transport vehicles from one part of the country to another. Often, the people who work these gigs can earn a little money as well as sightsee along the way. Roadie is a delivery platform that hires individuals to drive personal cars as a way to ship “stuff.” If traveling is what matters and not the destination, solo adventurers will likely enjoy working with one of these companies. They won’t have to spend anything on transportation and may even get paid.
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Accommodation is the second biggest item on most travel budgets. The good news is that it is also the easiest to reduce. Many people will offer a solo traveler a place to crash. Hostels with shared rooms and bathrooms are another option. Some budget travelers may choose to go camping which can cost just a few dollars a night. Others like racking up points through a favorite booking website. Later they cash them in for a free night’s stay.
"For solo travelers like me, one of the best options is Couchsurfing. It not only offers accommodation but also helps you plan your trip through a platform full of tips where you can exchange countless experiences!" pic.twitter.com/OMys6fN52v
Social media websites like Couchsurfing and Women Welcome Women Worldwide allow hosts to connect with travelers and provide a free place to stay. Using these platforms takes effort and time. First, it’s important to generate goodwill in the community and a high rating by hosting travelers and connecting with other users. Critics say that Couchsurfing has put both hosts and travelers in dangerous situations at times. That’s why female travelers may prefer Women Welcome Women Worldwide.
Many people like to travel solo, but not alone. That means they may want to join an organized tour group. Others prefer to have professionals work out all the gritty details for them and, simply, enjoy the journey. These travelers will probably pick packages that include hotel reservations, flights, airport transports, and meals. Finally, organized tours sometimes provide access to sites that people can’t reach on their own. Another benefit is that these tours can fit more into one day than independent travelers can. These factors mean that many solo travelers prefer booking packages, but they face an obstacle–singles supplements.
Many organizers plan packages and tours for couples, not solo travelers. That means when solo travelers want to book one of these experiences, companies charge a fee–sometimes as much as 100%. This practice used to apply to nearly all packages, but now there are more options.
A group of guys and gals enjoying their first post covid trip with us to Lebanon ? Oh, it really does feel good to be travelling again! pic.twitter.com/8phquMoH4a
The Solo Traveler World Website (https://solotravelerworld.com/solo-travel-deals/) advocates for people who like to adventure on their own. The modifiers of this site regularly publish deals and advertisements for travel packages, but they only share information about trips for which the singles supplement is less than 20%. Some of the companies that advertise through this website lower their singles supplement exclusively for Solo Traveler World. People looking for lower prices should regularly check the listings.
Other, more innovative companies, plan vacation packages only for single travelers. That means they don’t charge a singles supplement, and solo adventures won’t feel like “extra wheels” as they explore new locations. Encounter Travel is an Australian company that specializes in organizing group tours for solo travelers over 40. In the past years, they’ve won various awards for their travel experiences.
Another option is traveling with language students from local universities or community colleges. Professors and staff organize trips to international locations and sometimes allow people from the local community to join in. Also, avid travelers may organize vacations for local groups just because it means they can see new destinations for free. These more informal travel plans will likely be more flexible and less likely to charge single supplements. Travelers can find these groups through Facebook or other social media, but a word to the wise–travelers should only join one of these groups if they know and trust the organizer.
