10 Ways to Save on Your Next Trip

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When traveling, money has a way of evaporating into cushy lodging and themed souvenirs, but ... it doesn't have to to. And you can still have a great getaway without breaking the bank.

We went on a mission to track down creative travel "hacks," or ways to save money without sparing adventure.

And the guru of travel hacks happens to be ... none other than Betsy Talbot of Married With Luggage.

You may remember Betsy's story on LearnVest about selling nearly everything she owned and quitting her job to take a five-year trip around the world, without going into debt or anything. (Update: She and her husband Warren just returned from a trek around central Mongolia!)

Now, we’re back for more.

We’ve compiled a slide show of Betsy’s top ten travel hacks, complete with first-person accounts of her travels in Thailand, Amsterdam and Ecuador. She’s got you covered with haven't-heard-that-before ways to save on every travel front: sleeping, eating, getting around and more. She even has tips on how to make buddies with your fellow travelers!

To view the slide show as one long list, click into the show and choose “list view.”

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Find out more about how Betsy and her husband Warren achieved their financial goal to travel around the world in their book “Dream Save Do: Stop Dreaming and Start Living.” You can read more about their journey to live the good life on their website, Married With Luggage (and get a free guide on how they used Craigslist to make some serious cash for their trip).

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  • Jromaine

    I was unable to see what the other 9 tips were for saving money when traveling

    • LibbyKane

      Hi there! To see all of the tips, click into the slide show (through the image or through the pink button at the bottom) and either select “list view” or click through the slides using the arrows.

  • Carol

    The code “married” does not appear to work for the $60/year house sitter option.

    • Jen

      I had the same issue as Carol. Is this something that will be resolved?

      • LibbyKane

        Hi there! So sorry about that. Betsy and Warren reached out to Trusted House Sitters, who have fixed the issue and are offering an additional promo code, good for 50% off the membership fee until mid-August, 2012. The code is: “temptravel”

  • Shazzer4400

    Great tips! One thing I have found (the hard way!) is that even if you are in a country where the water is safe to drink, you may still have issues as there are different bacteria / organisms in the water than what you may be used to back home. So, a Steri-pen or purification tabs are a great investment!

    • http://twitter.com/betsytalbot Betsy Talbot

      Shazzer4400, you make a great point. We joke that we’ll probably get sick from the water when we make our way back to the US this fall after 2 years away. :)

  • Katie Scott

    Bottled water is a perfectly safe bet for water. Steri-pen costs around $50, often more! So how is this a way to “save” on travel? Unless you’re chugging hundreds of dollars a week in bottled water, this is far from a cost effective tip for traveling. If you still don’t have access to bottled water, just carry the tried & true iodine tablets to plop in your bottle. A pack of 30 costs less than $15, far cheaper than a steri-pen. Or better yet, buy a Bobble instead. It’s a water bottle with a built-in filter, and costs even LESS than the Steri-Pen http://www.containerstore.com/shop/needIt/under10?productId=10027894

    • http://twitter.com/betsytalbot Betsy Talbot

      Katie, depending on how/where you travel, you may not be able to find bottled water (or like we found in China – fake bottled water). We have used our steri-pen a lot more often than we thought we would, both for safety and convenience – and for not littering the planet with plastic bottles as we go around it. The savings from using the steri-pen is not just on bottled water but on doctor visits and lost time from getting sick on contaminated water.

  • http://cathrynlouis.com/ Cathryn Louis

    I especially liked the ‘repositioning cruise’ tip. I hadn’t heard of it before. Thanks!

  • Lee

    The steri-pen is an excellent option. I have a Bobble and on the label it informs you that it does filter out some hard metals but does not eliminate all bacteria, only odor, chlorine and some organic contaminants. In fact, it is designed for tap water and on the warning sign, clearly says NOT to use where you are unsure of the water source.

    Also, some bottled water has been shown to have bacteria in it as well so I definitely feel that getting proper sterilization equipment is important.

    • http://twitter.com/betsytalbot Betsy Talbot

      Lee, we were also surprised to find out some of the street vendors in Beijing were selling “fake” bottled water. No one wants to get sick on a trip, so making sure your water is safe is easy to do with the steri-pen.