Free and Easy Travel Options for the Budget Traveler

No thanks to the coronavirus, the pandemic has left me grounded in Singapore in 2020. I don't know when it will be safe to travel again. But this year has been a strange year for me as I kept dreaming of travel excursions and funny travel blurps. I guess I was trying to feed my travel bug in my dreams even if I can't physically have an overseas vacation.

As we look forward to borders reopening gradually in the years ahead, some of us may want to start thinking of travel plans. But then our plans may hit the road block when we are faced with the reality of money constraints. Is it possible to travel at all on a limited budget without resorting to packaged tours? The answer depends on your choice of travel destination, mode of travel, and how you stay, eat, have fun in your chosen destination.

Destination:

Obviously if you are on a budget, try to travel to nearer locations especially those places where cost of living is lower than in Singapore. Places like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand come to mind. That is not to say further places are out of reach. South Korea, Taiwan, China are not very expensive destinations. Japan may be quite a stretch but if you steer clear of staying in ryokans, and you stick to bento meals at supermarkets or hole-in-the-wall eateries, you can still travel to Japan without burning a hole in your pocket.

Transport:

Once you have decided on your travel destination, consider different modes of travel. Do budget airlines fly to your destination? Use flight comparison websites to quickly compare airfares for different airlines, then book directly with the airline to skip middleman fee. Within the destination, consider subway, bus, long-distance train to get from place to place. If you are travelling in a group, there may be economy of scale in renting a vehicle with accompanying driver/tour guide for the cheaper destinations, eg Asean, Taiwan, China.

Accommodation:

With a plethora of refundable options available on many accommodation platform websites, there is really no reason why you cannot book your accommodation early. You can get cheaper rates the earlier you book. Besides the usual hotels, why not try home stays? These are usually more affordable and can turn out to be much more charming than a commercially-run hotel. Regardless of the type of accommodation, do consider the availability of free wifi as a criteria if you do not want to bust your data roaming charges.

Eat & Play:

As for meals, you can save money by eating like the locals and avoiding the tourist trap restaurants. Anyway, the best way to understand local culture is to sample local food. Besides filling your tummy, check out on the internet for free sight-seeing options, eg flea markets, parks, free museum visitation hours, free concerts etc. If you have a student pass or senior citizen card, bring along for your trip as you may be able to snag student or senior citizen rates for some entrance fees.

Travel Insurance:

My final take is never forget to buy travel insurance before you travel. There are many travel insurance comparison websites to help you clinch the best promotion deals. Travel insurance is a small price to pay for peace-of-mind when you travel. If you unfortunately meet some nasty travel incidents (eg transportation delay, lost baggage, injury, illness etc), claiming on travel insurance can save you hefty overseas bills. If you never have to make any claim on your travel insurance, that is good for you. But do not be penny wise, pound foolish.

So now we are all ready to make travel plans, just waiting for global travel restrictions to be lifted. Sigh...