Cheap Cheap Travel Tips for the Best Budget Road Trips - Tips for How to Travel on a Budget

Want to get some traveling in this summer but you need to make sure that you do it on a budget? Here are some cheap travel tips that can help you make the most of what you have!

Cheap Travel Tips

It’s travel season! We LOVE traveling and seeing new places but, the thing is, traveling can get a bit pricey, especially with kids! That’s why I love coming up with ideas to make travel cheaper. Seeing that I just got back from another road trip myself, I thought I’d post some of our cheap travel tips!

If you’re on a budget this summer and don’t think you’ll be able to travel because you don’t have the money to do it, check out these tips. They are sure to help you make the most of a frugal trip – without even realizing you are saving tons of money (aka you won’t have to miss out on anything!!)

One of the biggest hassles of going on vacation (or planning them for that matter) is figuring out your budget. This can be a cause of stress and anxiety, but I’m here to tell you that there is a better and smarter way to plan your trips that can eliminate all of that!

Over the last several years, we have been searching for the best ways to make traveling cheap. And, lucky you, I’ve created this simple list of things that anyone can do to save money on their trip!

1. Search the web for tips. If you don’t think you can go far from home check out Trip Advisor, or another online service like Priceline/Expedia. You can pick where you want to go based on how much gas you want to use.

2. Get free travel guides. It’s always better to have an idea of what you want to do before you get to your destination. Stop by local travel centers and/or gas stations to find some! You can also find some at hotels, or places you may be staying. You can also order these in advance. Just do an online search for city or state websites to order free travel guides.

3. Search the town for free events. Take advantage of free museums and walking or driving tours. Also, ask around at local stores if they have any recommendations for fun, free things to do around the town. Sometimes towns will also list their events on their town website.

4. Bargain with hotel/motel owners. The least they can do is tell you no and you have to go to the motel across the street. This works best with smaller, locally owned hotels versus the big chains.

—Learn to Barter here for our best bargaining/haggling tips!

5. Buy gift certificates ahead of time. Want to eat at a fancy restaurant while on vacation? Purchase a gift certificate from Groupon before you go. Just search the city where you are staying.

6. Utilize local grocery stores. We actually don’t eat out at all on vacation! I like going to the grocery stores and local farmer’s markets to get things that are cheaper, easily made, or more healthy for us. Try and get a motel room with a small fridge or take along a high-quality cooler. (see below!)

–Here are my best tips for Making the Most of the Farmer’s Market.

7. Take a cooler. On a recent trip, I packed a loaf of bread and turkey to make sandwiches every day. I bought local produce to go along with the meal. Look for a good cooler that can keep food cold for days. I also like to have a smaller cooler along for daily excursions when we aren’t at our hotel room.

—Get some road trip snack ideas here.

8. Camp or check out cabin prices. Visit Recreation.gov view campgrounds and book very cheap cabins. We have used this before to get a cabin in Montana and Wyoming. I paid about $40 per night for a beautiful 8 person cabin complete with 2 bedrooms, a large kitchen and living room, and a pretty stream in the back. They also have listings for rustic campsites and more. Be aware that many of the listings are “off the grid” so don’t expect a 5-star resort.