Choosing the right accommodation while travelling can make or break a trip, especially when you are on a budget. Whether you are looking for a free place to stay, a bit of luxury or something in between, there are plenty of options to suit every traveller. This guide breaks down the best and most affordable accommodation options for backpackers and budget travellers. No matter what your travel style, you’ll definitely find an option that suits you.
Free
Staying with friends or family
If you are lucky enough to have friends or relatives that live in a different part of the world, then staying with them can be a great option if you are on a tight budget. Not only does this give you free accommodation, you may even get your meals provided as well. As they are locals, they can give you recommendations on where to eat, can offer tourist advice and help you get around. This option can be a good way to get used to a new country, especially if you are travelling alone.
Couch surfing
Couch surfing is the practice of travelling around and staying with people you don’t know. There are several different ways that you can find someone who is willing to open up their home to you for free. The easiest is by using an app such as CouchSurfing.com. This connects travellers with hosts who are willing to offer them free short term accommodation. As the name suggests, you may end up just staying on someone’s sofa in their living room rather than having a bedroom to yourself. The benefit of using an app, over other methods of finding homes, is that you can read reviews on the hosts and have some protection if things go wrong. You can also find free accommodation through noticeboards in hostels or word of mouth. However, finding hosts this way means that you can’t be sure how safe a place might be. Couch surfing is a great way to travel on a budget and to meet people from all over the world.
Housesitting
Housesitting is a great accommodation option for backpackers with limited funds. How it works is you stay in someone’s house for free while the owner is away, often taking care of their property and any pets they have. They may ask you to carry out small tasks like watering the plants, bringing in the mail, or walking their dogs.
Like with couch surfing, you maybe able to find a housesitting gig through word of mouth, the local newspaper or a noticeboard advert. But the best and easiest way to find someone who wants their house looked after, is to check out TrustedHousesitters.com. For a small annual fee you can sign up to become a Trusted Housesitter which gives you access to homes all over the world. The properties available vary considerably, from rural farm houses, to city apartments. Some may only need a sitter for a weekend, others may need one for much longer, so there is something to suit everybody. The benefits of housesitting is you get to have all the comforts of home and your own privacy (plus a cute furry companion) all for free.
Working for accommodation
There are plenty of places which will allow you to work in exchange for free accommodation. The two most common ones are backpacker hostels and farms. Hostel and farm work can often be found through word of mouth, on social media, on job boards in hostels or through work programmes such as WWOOFing and World Packers. Generally, you will work a few hours a day in exchange for accommodation and some will even throw in meals for free as well. Not only do you get free room and board, you also get to try something new, gain some valuable work experience and immerse yourself in the local culture.
Sleeping in your car
It might not be luxury, but you can sleep for free if you have a decent sized car and a sleeping bag. Just pull up somewhere quiet and crash for the night. It is important to make sure that you are parked somewhere that allows overnight parking and that there are no parking charges. Also don’t be tempted to park somewhere too remote as you need to consider your safety, especially if you are by yourself. This is an option if it’s only going to be for one or two nights, or as a last resort. You will definitely start getting smelly and feeling uncomfortable if you are doing it long term.
Sleeping at the airport
If you have an early flight the next morning you could just go to the airport the day before and sleep there for the night. Most major airports are open 24 hours, so you can find a quiet corner and sleep there until your flight. If you can, try and go through security first as it gets it over and done with, plus the departure area generally has more amenities. The bonus is that you don’t have to get up as early the next morning as you are already right by your gate. Just make sure that you secure your belongings to prevent theft and that you definitely set your alarm. You don’t want to go missing your flight.
Sleeping under the stars
Sleeping under the stars can be one of those once in a lifetime experiences. I don’t recommend this everywhere in the world, but if you are in a relatively safe country, with a decent climate, and you can tuck yourself away somewhere, then you could get a free nights sleep outside. Just make sure you have a good sleeping or blanket in case the temperature drops at night.
Cheap
Camping
A small tent can be purchased relatively cheaply. Once you’ve bought the tent, you then have the option of wild camping for free or paying a little bit of money for a night in a campsite. The good thing about camping is that you can make it as cheap or as luxurious as you want. If you are just staying for one night here and there, then you don’t really need to worry too much about running water or a shower and could just pitch your tent anywhere (just double check that you are not camping illegally). However, if you’re camping long term, then you will probably need slightly better facilities, and this will cost more than wild camping. For long-term camping you may also need to purchase extra equipment such as a camping stove, mattress, cooking utensils and washing up stuff. All of these extras should be factored into the overall price when you are considering whether camping is going to be the best accommodation option for your budget.
Campervan
I have put the campervan in the ‘cheap’ section, because if you already own one, then this is a really cheap way to travel. If you are not moving to a new location everyday, then you can just park up somewhere for free and spend a few days enjoying the sites. If you don’t own one and are going to be renting a campervan, then this can increase the price because you will have to pay the rental cost as well as fuel and insurance. However, this still might be cheaper than paying for accommodation and an alternative mode of transport separately.
To make hiring a campervan cheaper, some companies offer campervan relocations. This is where the company needs the van moving from one depot to another by a certain date. If this fits in with your plans, then you can get one of these campervans for next to nothing, as long as you get it to where it needs to be in the timeframe. As with camping or sleeping in your car, make sure to check that wherever you park allows overnight parking and that there is no parking fee.
Mid range
Hostels
Hostels are one of the most popular and best accommodation option for backpackers. They are a budget accommodation because you are sharing a dorm room with multiple other people. They can range from dirty disgusting places to absolute luxury, and everything in between. Whether they are cheap or not really depends on the country you are in, what type of hostel it is and the number of people you share with. Generally, the more people who are staying in one room, the cheaper it is for a bed. Hostels are a great option for people travelling alone, as it’s easy to make friends when you are all sharing a room together. Plus there are often organised social activities which help you get to know people. Good websites to check out for hostels are Hostelworld and booking.com.
Airbnb
Airbnb is an app which allows you to book to stay in someone’s house. Much like with hostels, the price and comfort can range considerably depending on whether you’re sleeping in someone’s shed or have booked a whole castle for yourself (yes, you really can do that!). Some Airbnb hosts may also throw in free extras such as breakfast, the use of their bicycles, or giving you lifts into town. If you want to keep things on the cheaper side, then look for a host who is offering a simple bed in their spare room. You will probably have to share the kitchen and bathroom with other people, but it is a good option if you’re travelling on a budget.
Expensive
Hotels
Hotels can be a nice break from the usual backpacker accommodation of hostels and campervans. Great for if you want that bit more privacy and a comfy bed. Not all hotels are expensive, but most are going to be on the more costly side as you are paying for all the extras that you may not get in budget accommodation. En-suite rooms, housekeepers cleaning your room everyday, a swimming pool and free breakfast are often things which are included when you book a hotel, which is why they are more pricey. To keep the costs down, go for well known ‘budget’ chain hotels such as Travelodge, Easyhotel, Ibis Budget or Days Inn.
Renting an apartment
For backpackers who want more comfort, privacy and a home away from home, renting a house or apartment can be a great option. Whether it’s for a few weeks or much longer, having your own place gives you freedom to come and go as you please and the space to cook and relax. It is beneficial when you are going to be staying in one place for a long period of time. It is one of the more expensive options but can be worth it if you are working at the same time. To reduce costs, you can also consider getting a housemate to split the rent with. House rentals can be found via estate agents or on online property sites. Just note that you will probably need ID, references and proof of earnings, and may also need to pay an upfront deposit which you have to factor into the overall cost as well.
