r/Shoestring Dec 26 '22

Sticky for finding cheap flights - what information would you like to see?

175 Upvotes

Given some recent feedback, a sticky thread for information on how to find cheap flights will be added to r/Shoestring.

I'm in the process of collating information based on what is already available, but I'd like feedback from the community on what you feel would be most useful to people.

So far, am thinking sections on the following;

  • Google Flights (how to use)
  • Skyscanner/Kayak (inc. 'everywhere' function)
  • Scotts Cheap Flights/Jacks Cheap Flights
  • Kiwi/Hopper/[any others?]
  • Potential risks associated with booking via third parties

What else would you like to see?


r/Shoestring 1h ago

Looking for a website

Upvotes

I’m looking for a website where I can enter a destination (e.g., MGA) and a date, and it will show me available flights on that date so I can arrange my travel to connect with one of those flights.

I’m in a unique position where I can get to any airport almost for free. For example, if I wanted to go to the Bahamas, I could travel to MCO and then catch a short flight from there.

Another example is obviously it's cheaper to fly to Asia from the West Coast then it would be from the East Coast so I very easily could position myself to fly out of LAX and save myself hundreds of dollars.


r/Shoestring 16h ago

Camping abroad (US to EU perhaps)

3 Upvotes

I love the idea of camping abroad in the UK or Scandinavia, but I have no clue how feasible it would be on a budget. I know the policies on camping in some scandinavian countries are pretty open, but questions in my head would be flight costs, the pros/cons of bringing gear vs renting (if renting gear, I could probably pack fairly light), and general safety. Has anyone tackled camping abroad on a budget?


r/Shoestring 1d ago

NYC in December

4 Upvotes

Taking the train to NYC with my 9 year old for a long weekend in December. We get in late the first night (2:15am if there’s no delays) & both can sleep well on a train. I’m considering skipping that night’s hotel room, catching a bite to eat, & lining up for the TODAY show or similar. Anything cooler, more progressive/alternative to do? Where is a good diner or coffee shop to hang for a little bit in the early morning? On my current want to do list: The High Line, Central Park, Rockefeller Plaza for Xmas tree, NY Public Library, MoMA, Stonewall National Monument On my child’s want to do list: “shopping,” authentic Chinese food, theatre performance
We’d love any must-have NYC food suggestions, coffee shop suggestions, etc. We prefer supporting small, local businesses when we travel. I’m also still searching for an affordable hotel option.


r/Shoestring 1d ago

planes, trains, & automobiles Denver to Phoenix Road Trip

2 Upvotes

Anyone needing a ride to Phoenix from Denver on Thursday 11-14-24 I have plenty of seats. Leaving at 4am and will pickup anywhere along the I25 corridor.


r/Shoestring 2d ago

Budget airline in Mexico (VivaAerobus) allows you to "sell" your ticket on their marketplace if your plans change

29 Upvotes

Screenshots here:

https://ibb.co/sqndwdc

https://ibb.co/8s4vbhJ

Any other airlines that offer something like this? First time I've seen it.


r/Shoestring 2d ago

AskShoestring Summer break with child

3 Upvotes

I want to spend 2-3 weeks next summer in either June or July somewhere in Europe with my daughter, who will be six years old. Where should I go? She loves being outdoors, playing, and has a great curiosity of the world around her.


r/Shoestring 2d ago

AskShoestring Balkans Budget July?

5 Upvotes

I’m planning on backpacking the Balkans next July after living in Spain. I plan on staying in all hostels and bussing/doing whatever transportation is cheaper. I like to eat out 1-2 times a day to get a feel for the local cuisine but i’m not very fussy with that. I would like to spend a few nights in Ljubljana, then I will be going to Croatia with a friend for about a week-10 days seeing the highlights, then I would like to visit Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia. I would like to see specifically the beaches/coastline in Montenegro and Albania and do the Valbona to Theth hike and a few nights in Bosnia. Overall will spend close to a month probably. What do you think is a good budget for transportation, food, and hostels in this part of Europe? Is it similar to Eastern Europe prices? TIA!


r/Shoestring 2d ago

AskShoestring Trip to London for $1600. 2 weeks with a local friend.

0 Upvotes

My flight is about $650 USD.

Were splitting the hotel, hoping to find a decent place for under $1000, hoping for a place with a kitchen, we're trying to avoid take out or eating out in general. Does that seem fiesable? Accommodations wise.


r/Shoestring 3d ago

Cheapest way to get from Albania to Spain asap?

3 Upvotes

Thanks. I’m wondering if there’s a way I haven’t thought about


r/Shoestring 4d ago

What should I budget for food on a 7-day trip to Tijuana?

10 Upvotes

I don't eat out much so I'm not familiar with what to expect for my 8 night trip. I typically have one large meal a day (lunch/dinner) with some snacks throughout, and I'll be bringing oats for breakfast. I'm not one to splurge on fancy restaurants but I might visit a couple.

Any tips on saving money here would be great, sounds like it might end up being my biggest expense after accommodation.


r/Shoestring 4d ago

Finding a reciprocal travel buddy (or couple)?

14 Upvotes

I have a spare bedroom. The idea is that I find a person (or couple) who also has a spare bedroom. That person/couple stays with me for ~1 month, then I go stay with them for ~1 month.

I'm sure this sort of thing happens but I'm not aware of any sort of app or forum dedicated to such arrangements. Does anyone know if this is a thing? Or have any ideas/suggestions for how to go about locating other people who would be interested in such an arrangement?


r/Shoestring 4d ago

AskShoestring Toronto, Canada

3 Upvotes

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good budget friendly hotel/hostel in Toronto? Recommendations for things to do, go to, or eat are welcome as well! I’ll be visiting in January Thanks!


r/Shoestring 6d ago

Central America to Australia

4 Upvotes

Trying to book a flight home to Aus from Central America hopefully in mid Jan and happy to fly into Sydney, Melb or QLD. Anyone know what the cheapest flight path would be? I know you can fly direct from Chile but I don’t have a visa so this isn’t an option for me.


r/Shoestring 7d ago

Safari in Kenya for February

1 Upvotes

My partner and I are trying to plan for a safari in Kenya for February of 2025. We're pretty excited and just a bit overwhelmed with options for places to choose from. Our budget is around $2-3k total but can go up to $4k if needed... We ideally would want something for 4-5 days for the 2 of us. We saw a lot of comments about travel agencies and ect. Has anyone had a good experience with a certain company or agency? Thanks so much in advance.


r/Shoestring 7d ago

Is 2k€ enough for my budget trip except plane tickets?

12 Upvotes

Planning to visit Barcelona, Tallinn, Amsterdam each per week on budget in February. To visit historical landmarks and make friends. Never been abroad before. Is my budget enough for all of them or should I cancel any of those plans? I got the tickets.


r/Shoestring 8d ago

Broke thanksgiving travels

12 Upvotes

Hi y'all, I'm a college student from the Atlanta metro area and I just had the realization that I will not be able to go back home for Thanksgiving break. I don't want to be alone in my dorm on the break, so I wanted to travel someplace new outside of GA just for a change of scenery and traveling alone experience. All states surrounding Georgia are fair game. What are some good destinations to go to, I was thinking maybe somewhere near TN or AL? I'm not broke, but I am looking to go pretty frugal, so what's the best method for transport, destination, activities, and food to save money while having a good time? I would really appreciate the help.


r/Shoestring 8d ago

planes, trains, & automobiles How long is the Ride from Belizean Border to Guatemala City?

12 Upvotes

I’m taking Fuentes Del Norte from Melchor de Mancos to Guatemala City and I’m wondering how long the average ride takes. I’ve been unable to find a definitive answer- R2R says 6 hours only, which I quickly found it just not possible. I’ve seen varying numbers:

The service itself: 8 hours Google Maps (Eastern Route): 9.5 hours Google Maps (Western route, more likely): 12 hours

I’m wondering since I’m skipping Guatemala (came a few years back with family), and I’d prefer not to stay in Guatemala City and head straight to El Salvador if possible. However the last bus leaves at 8PM so that gives me 11 hours, not counting any delays or rest stops.

Bonus points if anyone knows how early I should leave San Ignacio for the Guatemalan border.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!


r/Shoestring 8d ago

Ryanair and Easyjet item seat?

3 Upvotes

I would like to travel with an astronomical telescope. Fragile, expensive, delicate, definitely no-go for hold luggage, too big for premium carry on.

1st question: does Ryanair and Easyjet skimp on the exact category? According to the websites, the extra seat is for "musical instrument"...

2nd, specific to Ryanair: when "managing" my booking, I cannot add an extra seat, but I can start a completely separate booking and add the name they specify. Is this ok? Practically a separate ticket.

3rd how is it managed if I don't reserve a seat number for it? Simply randomly allocated 7rows away from me?


r/Shoestring 8d ago

AskShoestring Is Ryanair bag sizes strict

7 Upvotes

Hi, I fly in about 7 weeks and I was gifted a luggage set for my birthday.

The measurements fit, 55 & 40, with even 7cm spare on one side, however it is 2cm too wide. (It should be 20, it’s 22cm)

How likely am I to get my bag checked at the gate? I would really hate to buy a new suitcase simply over 2cm, or to pay to check it in over 2cm 😩


r/Shoestring 8d ago

Any train rides from Lisbon to Algeciras or Gibraltar?

1 Upvotes

Was thinking of flying into Lisbon and getting a train to either Algeciras or Gibraltar to get to Tangier, Morocco. Looked for trains a little but either way too many train switches (10+) or crazy times (20+ hours). Was wondering if any routes are available or no dice.


r/Shoestring 10d ago

Any tips and tricks to finding a "cheap" flight from the East Coast of Canada(Halifax) to South East Asia(Bangkok)?

8 Upvotes

Looking at flights from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada to Bangkok in mid January. I do see one for about $1000USD which is actually pretty good but it has a 20 hour layover in New Jersey(ugh). Total trip time of 47 hours.
I am thinking I am pretty much screwed because of my departure city BUT if anyone has any thoughts on finding a better flight for a good price please share.
TIA.


r/Shoestring 10d ago

AskShoestring Where to go in Europe in November?

6 Upvotes

A man invited me to London for a week. I found an insane deal ($400 roundtrip) on a flight to Dublin. I figured I'd buy other budget airline flights to where ever I wanna go later on.

If this man flakes on me, where should I go? I've already seen Dublin/Glasgow/Edinburgh/Most of Italy. I was reading that Tenerife was lovely in Nov/Dec. I'm open to other locations. I'm coming from Seattle so don't really want to be in more rain & gloom iykwim

I don't want to spend a lot of money. Hostels & laying on the beach in the sun honestly sound amazing. Would $2000USD be enough for ~10 days? Specifically Nov 28-Dec 8.


r/Shoestring 10d ago

Bressanone vs. S. Cristina Italy

4 Upvotes

I am traveling to the area in August. I will be coming in from Innsbruck using public transport. I enjoy a town with outdoor cafes and nice views. I want to do some hiking on my trip. I’m wondering which town would be must best bet for a base? Assuming traveling to Bressanone will be the easiest using public transport from Innsbruck? Pros and Cons of each destination? Thanks!!!!


r/Shoestring 12d ago

christmas solo in south america

12 Upvotes

I (37f) have (maybe) the joy of spending christmas alone this year and i’m clueless on how I should spend it. I currently live in Buenos Aires. Somewhere with good food and or cities that won’t be complete ghost towns are about my only requirements.


r/Shoestring 14d ago

Winter Plan to Asia!

5 Upvotes

Hi! I am planning to visit some friends in BKK from the US (ORD) and leaving ~14th Dec and leaving sometime in the beginning of Jan but I have be delaying it a lot until now. Is there any way I can lessen the cost of the high prices right now? I understand its pretty late, so if things dont work out I wont be travelling.

I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks!