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Hey Happy Travelers!
We love sharing tips to make traveling fit in your budget, so we're stoked to share these tips on finding free housing while on the road! __________ Everyone knows that when you’re out exploring the world, your two biggest expenses are your tickets and accommodation. Luckily, frequent fliers have figured out several hacks for cheap flights, so now it’s just a matter of finding affordable lodging.
Hotels have always been pricey compared to hostels and B&Bs, but these days it seems that downtown hotels are upping their rates by the minute. More people are discovering the cost efficiency of airport hotels, expanding said market, although that doesn’t mean much to the budget traveler given that finding a good cheap quality hotel at the airport can be a challenge. Anyone traveling on the cheap will probably stick with hostels and family-run inns. Then again, why would you need to pay for accommodation at all when there are a bunch of hospitality networks that offer free housing?
Here’s an overview of highly recommended online communities that you should consider joining: Couchsurfing
What started out as a small project back in 2004 is now a global community that pretty much ignited the boom in housing exchange websites. More than 10 million people from over 200,000 cities have signed up to Couchsurfing, giving you the chance to meet people from around the world and make lifelong friends, one couch at a time.
Warm Showers
Couchsurfing and Global Freeloaders are great networks to be part of, though people are more likely to feel closer to their community when they have common interests. If you love cycling holidays, then you’ll love this hospitality exchange that caters to touring cyclists. Hosts sup_ply their contact information on Warm Showers so that fellow bike enthusiasts from all over can stay with them and swap stories over a drink or two.
Staydu
Whether you want to work in exchange for accommodation, pay a small fee to move in with a local resident, or just need a place to crash while you’re in town for several days, Staydu doesn’t discriminate. The perfect platform for budget travelers, this is also a helpful resource when you’re getting acclimated with the local culture and lifestyle.
__________ This was a guest post written by Mike Redding. We hope these help you find some creative fun ways to have an amazing trip on a budget and travel happy! Skeeter
Comments
Last year, I did a Cheapest Cities to Fly to in Europe list for you. While most of those cities are still great deals, there have been some changes on who's on the list and who's the cheapest. With the Euro still struggling it's a great time to schedule a trip to Europe all while keeping your budget in mind. So! Here are your 2015 Cheapest Cities in Europe to Fly to from the U.S.:
Sometimes your primary destination's airport is more expensive then another one relatively close by. Picking another cheaper city can save you significantly and it's a great excuse to explore another beautiful location.
It's also shoulder season for many of these locations right now, so you might just snag a great deal this fall. I hope you have some fun travel plans to round out 2015. And no matter where you go, don't forget to travel happy! Skeeter So, I started this blog on my birthday in 2009. How things have changed since then! This blog has grown immensely and I've been able to do and share so many wonderful things from around the world. I've been really thankful for all the support I've received over the years. I am a couple weeks behind this blogiversary, which is on August 24th. It's a tradition that I share last year's wishes and my wishes for the coming year. Last Year: 1) I want to continue exploring new places with Pat 2) I want to find a new home in Oregon and make it our own 3) I want to bravely try new things 4) I want to be more physically active 5) I want to learn more about the world around me How'd I do? Not bad. Pat and I have been to new places. We went to Key West, I went to Japan and Seattle. We've done tons of exploring on the Oregon Coast...not too shabby! We found a new house in Oregon and have been working hard on remodeling it to make it feel more like ours...Check! Bravely trying new things. I've had lots of weird new food (squid guts!), started surfing, took sailing lessons. To be honest, I thought this was going to be the hardest one for me. I'm very danger adverse. So I'm pretty happy with this, but it's still something I need to be better at. Being more physically active, I'm going to call this a fail. I really need to step it up! Learning more about the world around me... I honestly can't remember if I had something specific in mind here. But, I don't think I did this very well. I'm going to call this a fail too. 3 out of 5 isn't too bad.
So, what should I have done by next year? Next Year: 1. I want to read more books 2. I want to learn how to relax more 3. I want my body to be stronger, more flexible, and be able to take on anything 4. I want to go on more adventures with Pat 5. I want to take more time for what makes me happy So, some of these tie into me taking some time away from the blog. There are only so many hours in the day after all. But it's also me realizing that most of the rules we live with are ones we put on ourselves. Most of the things I wish for every year are things I really hope to do all my life. Sometimes we have to realize that the goals we set for ourselves might be keeping us from accomplishing the things that really matter and that might make us the happiest. So, over the next year I'm going to strive to feel ok with "wasting" time in a hammock reading a good book, I'm going to wake up with a glass of champagne on Saturdays because I don't have to get anything done if I don't want to. And that's ok! What are you going to do over the next year? What do you want your life to look like, who do you want to be? "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~ Mark Twain* No matter what you do over the next year, don't forget to travel happy! Skeeter *note: This quote is often attributed to Mark Twain, but is likely not him. It was first referenced by H. Jackson Brown as a quote of his mother. Either way, I hope it inspires you to go on an adventure! |
Skeeter
Hi there! I'm Skeeter. I grew up moving a lot and that makes me a bit restless for travel and exploration. I started this blog with my husband Pat when we decided to backpack New Zealand for a year. We are always looking for the next adventure and are loving life. We're just your average couple with two sassy dogs and a love for travel. We're sharing our travels and the tips we pick up along the way. LIZHello! I'm Liz. Blogging is very new to me, but I'm so excited to finally write as much as I talk! Archives
December 2016
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