Tight Travel
Travel on the cheap might conjure up images of static caravans and enforced holiday camp fun, but it can be done on a shoestring- I manage it every year. It’s all a bit ‘who you know’ and with my family scattered across continents there is always a door to knock on and a dinner table to intrude upon. Family aside making friends and staying in touch can be a great experience when the season beckons. Here are a few ways to help in your quest to see the world on a pittance.

When holidaying, the cost of travel and accommodation can seem to get in the way of sampling the local delicacies, bringing back trinkets and taking part in the sort of mental activities you’re usually too feart to do (skydiving and bull running being popular choices).

Nail down this cost in two ways. Rather than be dictated by the price of flights instead opt for the cheap ticket philosophy; meaning that your trip is determined by the next available and most affordable method of transport.

It keeps the costs down and has introduced me to cities and countries I never would have considered before. Of course this has hasn’t always worked in my favour and I have occasionally been trapped in some of the most boring towns on a Sunday with no working toilets….but that’s all part of the fun. It can also be a great way of plotting a 3 or 4 destination trip; pick your start and end point and look into what buses, trains or donkeys can transport you in-between. You’ll probably not be surprised to discover that your ticket for this will cost a fraction of your SPT rail pass.

My first choice for affordable accommodation starts at hostelbookers.com a trusted source for hostels, B&B’s and Guest Houses. Laid out like a directory you can simply choose your destination, add your dates and results are then listed by price. You can filter through the feedback to see how other tourists have rated it. The folk at hostelbookers generate income from the places they list meaning there are no hidden charges or fees when booking with them- and no sneaky add-ons like certain airlines seem in favour of.

Another more courageous pursuit would be to join the couchsurfing community, their slogan: participate in creating a better world, one couch at a time. By joining this network of travellers you can secure a place on someone’s sofa anywhere around the globe. It’s quite a unique form of travel and broadens an understanding of culture by sharing hospitality with one another- and it’s free. Alternatively, you can host your own couch for visitors, bringing with them friendship and a place to bunk down come the summer. Go on, have an adventure!

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This article was published in Scotcampus (April 2010)
www.scotcampus.com