A few weeks ago, we attended the Travel + Adventure Show in Long Beach, California. We had the opportunity to sit in on a talk by CBS Travel Detective, Peter Greenberg.
I won’t go into the specifics of his presentation–a lot of it was aimed at middle- to upper-class, white, hetero people/couples. And as we are a queer, low-income, non-white couple, a lot of it didn’t really apply to us; or at least, we couldn’t really relate to it. But he did have a few pointers that we could relate to and implement into our travel adventures.
One of the things he said was to throw out your bucket list. Why? Because all the places on your bucket list, are most likely on everyone else’s bucket list as well. This means that more travellers to the same place, and, following economic rules of supply and demand, higher prices.
While we don’t totally agree with ditching your bucket list (give up Greece? No way!), we do believe that travel should fit your budget, not the other way around. So while you wait for that ideal destination to become affordable, here are some tips to pile up on adventure points by traveling within your budget.
1. Travel Locally
Listen, sitting in the car for hours on end may not be your thing, but it is an affordable thing. I can’t tell you how many times my Atlanta friends have road-tripped to New Orleans, Mobile, Savannah, Destin, etc. Road tripping is an easy way to see new places and log some adventure miles. If sitting in a car for a few hours really bothers you that much, airlines like Southwest, Frontier, and Virgin usually have on-going specials to nearby destinations based on your location.
2. Google It
Google Flights is an awesome way to search for affordable airfare. Simply select your home airport, your budget, your dates, and then hit “Explore Destinations.” I searched for flights under $300 for the weekend leaving from LAX and flights to Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Cancun, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Mexico City, Kansas City, and Houston popped up. I doubled my price point to $600 and more cities popped up including some in South America and Europe. You can also search for specific regions, like say Europe, and see where it’s cheapest to fly.
3. Holidays
You see ^^^that^^^ picture right there? That’s a city in Brazil during Carnival. Sure, it looks exciting and fun, but it also looks like the price of airfare, accommodations, and food skyrocketing to me. Beware of traveling on international holidays. It can often mean spiked prices on food and accommodations, and sometimes travel as well. This also goes for major sporting and cultural events as well.
We have always wanted to visit Greece and Thailand. We may not be going anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t traveling in the meantime. Don’t let the dollar signs stop you from seeing what else is out there.
If we missed any tips for traveling on a budget, let us know! And don’t forget to subscribe via email to Plate and Passport for more travel and food inspiration!
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