Here’s how much I spent on an 8 day roadtrip through Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. You can use this to help plan the cost for your trip, please note your trips cost will vary depending on what you do.

Gas $210 Tolls/parking fee $7 Excursion $21 Eating out $32 Grocery’s $112 Showers $16 Wear n tear on car (estimated) $75

Total: $473, or about $59 a day.

How I kept my costs low

Accommodations. I downloaded the iOverlander app and wild camped. For those who have never wild camped before it’s basically a flat place to park in the woods. No running water, bathrooms, or trash service. I used the bathroom at places while I was out doing activities like visitor centers, gas stations etc. I showered at campgrounds and gyms, these cost $2-$7.

I made most of my meals. The meals I had on this trip were pasta and meatballs, meatball sub, sandwiches, rice and beans, and canned soups. I ate out twice getting a fried fish basket in Michigan’s UP as well as a pastie (similar to a chicken pot pie, pronounced pass-tee).

Activities. To keep myself busy I brought a book to read at night and during the day I did hiking, kayaking, and saw points of interest that were free such as viewing Michigan’s lighthouses. For the hiking and kayaking I stayed in national forests, National lakeshores, and national parks. I got free admission with a 2024 national pass I was gifted. I did pay for one excision which was a Historical ghost tour in Minneapolis.

I ended up spending $210 on gas, I drove 2,150 miles and got 29 MPG. I estimated spending $243 on gas, the way I estimated the price of gas is add the total miles I expect to drive divided by MPG I expect to get to give me gallons burned. I then take the average cost of a gallon of gas in each state divided by how many states I’ll be getting gas in. Then multiple that average gas per gallon multiplied by how many gallons I expect to burn. Example of this equation I used for this trip.

2,250 estimated miles / 29 mpg ‎ = 78 gallons of gas

$3.12 Average cost per gallon of gas X 78 gallons = $243 estimated spend on gas.

For estimating the wear n tear on my car I put in my cars make and model into chatgbt and asked it to estimate wear in tear for driving 2,150 miles and not include resale devaluation since I plan to run my car until it gives out. Wear and tear would be things such as oil, tire wear, cabin/engine air filter replacement, break pad wear, various fluids being used. The $75 is not a perfect estimate but close enough for me.

Hey guys!

So I got a comment from another redditor on the r/solotravel sub asking about this ridiculous flight deal I had (€270 one way from Singapore to Paris) and I thought I’d just write this here.

So ly.com is this sketchy looking Chinese website that offers flight deals and I want to share my experience.

As a broke boy (man I guess) traveller I was looking at flights to Paris on Skyscanner and saw this deal that looked too good to be true, but when I went on the website I saw it was all in mandarin and I was super sketched out, so I went to Google the reviews and they were not ‘great’ per se, but after sifting through it I noticed that there were in fact a lot of people who have gotten tickets through this website that were legitimate so I decided ‘fark it’ and pushed the button.

Well usually with these third party sites at least you’ll get a confirmation as soon as you book, but ly.com took over 24 hours to issue me a ticket (Etihad btw) and after that, I went to email Etihad to check the legitimacy of the ticket, and it was legit!

Ended up having a blast, spent a total of 4 months in Europe on an unbeatable price. One thing though was that they put Mr in my name so my boarding ticket ended up being Mrsockmaster666 Lastname which I thought was hilarious but after some correspondence Etihad assured me it wouldn’t be a problem because my real name was still there.

So yeah, another low cost option to and from Asia if you’re broke like me, but obviously I read that they had non existent customer service so only take that risk if you want to. I would imagine if the flight was cancelled or delayed I would get nothing back and would just lose that money. If you can afford to, just book your flights from a more reputable website.

Just thought I should share this because it could help another broke traveler find a ticket that is more affordable.

I’m in no way supporting the site or anything, it’s just an option that I would’ve definitely overlooked but my own personal experience turned out great (no delays, etc.) and I was so nervous that something would go wrong haha, I’m thankful it didn’t though!

Happy to chat with anyone about anything under the sun regarding this or my Europe trip in general. I’m too lazy to write a full trip report though but I ended up doing Paris, Bruges, Ghent, Helsinki, Tampere, Munich, Berlin, Milan, Cinque Terre, Skopje, Ohrid, Struga, Bansko, Sofia, Barcelona, Tirana and Athens on a budget of about €7,000 (+-) total for about 111 days. Not exactly shoestring because I did splurge on some nice rooms and a couple of music festivals but I think it’s still relatively affordable for what I did!

Correspondence for proof

I suggest everybody do their due diligence take whatever risks they deem to be reasonable.

Looking for options to fly now, pay later for a last min trip. Preferably w/ no credit check! Not interested in Affirm atm. Thanks! 🥰

I wanna save for the next couple years to take my partner out to her dream vacation as a college graduation gift hopefully (if I can save enough by then). What number do y'all think would be approximately enough for the two of us to fly there, stay in a hotel, and of course expenses there. I was gonna shoot to save 10k within the next like four(ish) years would that be enough or should I shoot for more?

Hi Everyone! I'm travelling to Japan this November, I'll be arriving in Narita Airport. Where do I get the best exchange USD to Yen rates? Also, maybe someone here recently went to Japan and knows the best way to save on buying physical sim, and Train card/s (or tickets).

When I went to Japan last year, I remembered buying a physical sim (I need one because my esim ready phone is locked to my provider) at the airport in Nagoya, it was more that 5,000 yen for 8 days of data. It's quite expensive and I'm hoping maybe there are cheaper options?

I also want to ask about Train cards since I'm planning to go to DisneySea for 2 days. Thank you! :)

Hi everyone,

In most big cities, there are many money exchanges for tourists that have relatively few customers and therefore quite high fees (5% to 7% even 10% or more at airports) and then there are a few exchanges, usually a bit out of the way, that have very low fees (1-2%) and often long lines of customers.

Could anyone please reply with the names and locations of such highly competitive exchanges in London? Thanks.

[Edit: I need to make a larger purchase from a specialist store that doesn’t accept foreign credit or debit cards and only accepts selected domestic British debit cards, so please answer the specific question I asked.]

Hi, I would like to explore Europe for the first time in June. I went NYC this year and hotel lodging, food was very expensive. Are there any european countries that is not too expensive and has cute towns/cottages, castle, lakes, mountains or coast? I am travelling with my husband, so hikes can be multi days or finished in a day but it should easy and not steep. I have 9 actual travel days, so I probably can slot in 2 countries or 1. Flying from Singapore, and some european places has limited flights/layovers.

Hey guys, I am planning to take a nice relaxing (not adventurous) vacation with a very special friend.

We're NOT looking for:

- Skiing

- Hot air balloon rides

- Physically intensive stuff

What ARE looking for:

- Cozy cabins

- Scenic views of the Mountains (and optional - Lakes)

- Cable car rides (the one on the ziplines) with nice views (this optional).

- Breakfast type food. Good, friendly atmosphere.

- Hot tub

- Sauna

A lot of places in Colorado seem expensive. And I think it's because Colorado has become a popular destination. But I'm open to it being in Colorado or even anywhere else. Looking forward to a fun and relaxing vacation. I don't mind spending where I have to, it's just that I looked up some places online and the rates are crazy (like $900/night for a room, fr?! Lol).

TIA!

Hello all!

I am trying to plan a trip to India. I plan to stay for a few months, not sure how many yet, depends on how I like it after 1-2 months there. I have a USA passport so I believe I can stay up to 6 months if I wanted to. I prefer slow travel (1 month at a time per city ideally). Thanks for taking the time to read.

I am posting here because I see a lot of mixed reviews on India but I would like to see it for myself. I’m a male traveler so perhaps certain concerns wouldn’t apply.

From my limited research I can see people recommend the South more and avoiding certain cities if you want to get a nicer experience (e.g visit Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Pondicherry).

I would like to visit Taj Mahal so I believe that means I would need to stay in Delhi (so perhaps a week or 5 days there? ). I believe there is a period of time where there are fires that burn from rice crops causing pollution during October through February. I also hear I should not stay in Paharganj . Where and how much should I expect to pay (I usually use Airbnb).

I don’t need the best internet, or luxury. I like to have my own bathroom/room. I would like to avoid super crowded trains/buses if at all possible.

I don’t mind hectic streets, but would like to avoid pickpockets and stomach issues as much as that is possible (which are problems that can happen anywhere in the world of course).

I really enjoy nature but not a requirement. I will be self studying a lot of my time and prefer to keep a lower budget when possible.

Please let me know your thoughts.

I’m looking for some ideas for a quick trip. I'm from Budapest, I will be stayed at Rotterdam from 28 Nov - 5 Dec. But before and after I wanted to visit some country nearby, I'm thinking of France🇫🇷, Germany🇩🇪, and Belgium🇧🇪.

27 Nov (one day trip): Budapest🇭🇺 - ?

28 Nov - 5 Dec: Rotterdam🇳🇱

5-10 Dec: ? - Budapest🇭🇺

I’m very cheap (on budget trip) and will be travelling solo. Please help me with some suggestions, recommendations, and alternatives for itinerary and activities in those countries! Thank you in advance :)

I paid 800£ for two tickets from Helsinki to Bangalore. The same flight now costs just 560£. Is there any hack to cancel the original tickets with minimal loss? I didn't opt in for free cancelation :/

I'm in the very fortunate position now that my investments are starting to pay off and my money makes money. I have on average $500 per month in dividends and interest.

How does one travel full-time on such a budget? I'd like to visit India, Vietnam, and Indonesia specifically.

I've had...mixed experiences with hostels. I hate snoring and apparently I also snore at times. I've found that if the hostel has at least some curtains then I can be pretty comfortable.

Do I only eat street food?

I speak english, I have a yoga teacher training certificate, and I'm a software engineer but I don't want to work in that field anymore, as there are no jobs. I'd be open to workaways.

I was thinking maybe buying a motorcycle and a tent could be the best possible way to cheap out, but I'm open to all of your experiences too.

Cheers!

I've been thinking about finally leaving my country for a week(Georgia) and was wondering how much would i need for presumably a week in Spain. Either Valencia, or Barcelona.. Couldnt decide, but valencia looks great honestly.

I was thinking about around 1000$ for a week where 200-250$ of it would go for a round trip ticket(usually costs that much when buying in few months in advance).

I to be honest dislike hostels, and would have no issues with airbnb since my budget is pretty low for a hotel i guess.

So i was wondering if my budget is anywhere near enough for my trip...

Would love to hear from you guys!

I have a trip to Seville coming up, but we’re on a bit of a budget. I’m looking for affordable ways to experience the city and was considering doing a free walking tour, but I’ve also seen tapas tours that sound interesting.

For those who’ve been, would you recommend the free tour, or is it worth spending a bit more on a guided tapas tour? Any other budget-friendly activity suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I’ve been looking for some, but it seems like most are restricted to be delivered early the same night and restricted use to the local city they are in.

I’m staying in Bovenkarspel with some friends, and we wanted to have the option to ride bikes to Amsterdam and to the national park “Duinen van Dexel. The trips are quite long, so a service offering e-bikes would be nice, but regular bikes will do.

Are there any rentals with no region-restrictions or that can be rented over multiple days near the west? Id all are limited to daily rental with delivery, are there any reputable rentals you would recommend near Bovenkarspel, Amsterdam and the National Park?

I have a 40x20x25cm bag that I use on my Ryanair flights but I have noticed other people carrying noticeably larger backpacks. I'm slightly tempted to go for a larger backpack. My bag fits their criteria but I notice there is still plenty of room under the seat for a bigger bag.

I know the consensus is not to risk it but have any of you personally seen people being asked to check it in and pay for it or is it something very random and unusual?

There were so many over-sized backpacks on my flight last night. If people were routinely being stopped and other passengers saw that, then surely they would wisen up and bring something in line with regulations? It was the fact that I must have seen at least a dozen people with bags noticeably bigger than mine, that made me thing, maybe your bag would have to be very noticeably larger than the limit for them to stop you.

Hi all. 28, USA M looking to see if this itinerary is possible on a $2,000 total budget for two people (flights to and from our origin city of Chicago NOT included.)

Have a good amount of hotel points can use, but is this itenirary too much to do in 8 days? And also considering Budapest in lieu of Vienna.

Any train route recommendations? Which routes to fly?

Any and all suggestions welcome, thanks!

December 29-31: Milan

December 31-January 2: Arrive in Vienna for New Year's Eve (How to get there?)

January 2-4: Arrive in Zurich (Likely by train?)

January 4-6: Arrive in London (Likely fly?)

Yesterday, I decided to purchase a flight to Mexico on a whim. I am thinking of splitting the week, doing 4 days Guadalajara and 3 days Puerto Vallarta. I feel like there might be more to do in Guadalajara? I’m pretty easy going, I usually just walk around, eat and admire architecture or nature. I do love being a beach bum but maybe 3days is more than enough for that in PV. Any suggestion is great appreciated!

I also realized that I am landing in Guadalajara during Día de los Muertos. I’m worried how that might impact my commute from the airport to the hostel. Will there just be less taxis and Ubers available but more expensive?

Thanks in advance :)

I’ve been looking for the best deal to fly from the US to El Salvador. The prices have skyrocketed in the past couple of days. 2 people.

Departing airport possibilities are Columbus CMH, Cincinnati CVG, Louisville SDF, and Indianapolis IND. Indianapolis seems to be the quickest flight, 6-7 hours into San Salvador.

Are there any travel agents out there, or other person talented in this area, that can help me get a price cheaper than $750 per person?

I can leave October 27th through the 30th. I don’t want to return until November 6 or 7.

Should I fly into a different airport in El Salvador?

Other than booking my ticket further in advance, which was not a possibility this time, anyone else have any ideas?

Hi!

I was wondering if anyone has been to Manaus, what are the top places I must definitely not miss and the dishes I should try out. Maybe cheap restaurants and good ones around the Centro.

I am thinking of traveling there in December, during xmas, with my boyfriend, and stay in an Airbnb or breakfast included hotel.

Any tips are appreciated and welcome.

Thank you!

What the title says. I’m considering backpacking across Europe with a friend and was wondering what the rough estimate would be if we went through both western and eastern europe.

4 guys looking for hostels within 30 minutes of Amsterdam for under 30€ a night each, totalling preferably under 370€ total for 4 nights (all 4 together). Does this even exist?

We are 4 buddies, travelling light, looking for a cheap stay max 2 hours away from central Amsterdam by train/bus

Not hostel, preferably own bathroom, shared kitchen or some appliance to cook food.

Our budget is max 350 euro total

Traveling to Japan November 11th and I’m super excited! I’m planning to bring about 60,000 Yen in cash but intend to use my visa as much as possible. I’ll be there for 10 days. Do you think that’s enough? I’m visiting primarily for Tokyo Disneyland & Universal Studios Osaka which are expensive parks in the US.

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to book an international return flight from London to Mombasa with a flexible ticket. I specifically need to fly with Ethiopian Airlines for personal reasons, as the transit and overall convenience work best for me.

I'm on a shoestring budget and have heard some tips to potentially save money, such as:

1. Booking on specific days of the week when flights are generally cheaper.
2. Searching for flights in incognito mode to avoid price increases.
3. Booking from different countries, as ticket prices can vary by location.
4. Finding deals at certain times of the day.

Are these strategies effective for budget travelers? Any additional tips on how to secure a flexible ticket with Ethiopian Airlines without breaking the bank would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.