r/Shoestring

A good buddy of mine asked me today if I would want to go to Japan with him sometime around February 2027. Neither of us have ever traveled outside the United States so I am heavily considering it. I have 11 paychecks between now and then and an okay amount of extra cash per check. The big thing I want to know though is what kind of cost is this going to be?

The trip was described as a two-week trip flying into wherever is cheapest (probably will be Tokyo). From there the plan was to rent an Airbnb somewhere in the country, 1. so it is cheaper (So we think, and hopefully we have more coming to split it out more.), and 2. to serve as a home base. We plan to travel via bullet train across the entire country in this period to see as much as possible.

I know for a fact that my plane ticket will be somewhere between 800-1k, and I can reasonably save 2.2K (3.3k if I push it) by this time with extra income. Leaving me with about 1.2K (or 2.3K) to spend on everything else. Is that enough? I have no idea what train tickets, or lodging will be like. Anything I buy will not have to be shipped or anything as I can comfortably fit a week of clothing in a carry-on suitcase and will bring an actual suitcase for anything I get,

I'm doing the classic 2 month backpacking loop through Europe. starting Lisbon ending somewhere in eastern Europe. Haven't locked the exit city yet since it depends how the trip goes. Budget is tight though. Maybe 40-30 euros a night total including transport so every flight leg matters. But somehow Google flights keeps showing me these weird single airline options that cost way more than they should. half the time it doesn't even pull in the cheaper budget carriers and the worst part… it wont mix airlines to save money either. What other option out there compares the whole trip cost across all the legs instead of one route at a time? Nearby airports too would be nice. It seems some of these small cities have like two or three options within a few hours drive.

I'm planning a trip from Boston to London for roughly October 7 through the 13th. I'm willing to take a bus to NYC, fly to a surrounding city then take a bus/train, etc to save money. Any tips?

I’ve always used Air Asia X but haven’t travelled in a long time and used it again last year Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo. During the flight from KL to Tokyo, the seats were pretty alright however the return flight was hell and I was nauseous the whole flight (Not complaining as I get what I paid for).

I’m wondering if the seats for scoot would be better as when I search for economy seats it does look better compared to Air Asia (not too concerned about legroom)

I’m planning on a trip to Osaka next year and would like to try out different airlines. I’m 18 and for a first time solo traveller would it be better to avoid transfers since I’d have to transfer if I chose Scoot, price wise they’re similar.

Hi everyone!

I’m 18F from Denmark and I’m currently on my first gap year after graduating high school this summer.

I’m seriously considering travelling around Latin America for around 5–6 months, probably starting in October or November.

I’ve currently saved around 78,000 DKK (\~11,000 USD), and if I keep working until I leave I might have around 90,000–100,000 DKK. My parents could potentially help me with another 20,000–30,000 DKK if absolutely necessary, but obviously I would prefer not to rely on that.

I have no idea if that is actually enough for 5–6 months, though. I’m not looking for luxury travel at all and I’m happy staying in hostels, taking buses, eating cheaply etc., but I also want to be able to actually do things like hikes, tours, activities and occasionally spend a bit more. So I’d also really love to hear from people who have travelled around Latin America for several months about what they actually spent.

The bigger dilemma is whether I should go alone.

Some of my friends are planning to travel later, but I really want to leave around October/November. I don’t currently have a friend who I feel is the right travel partner for a 5–6 month backpacking trip.

I’m quite independent and I LOVE the idea of being able to decide where I go, how long I stay somewhere, and what I want to do. I also really want to experience places more locally rather than just following a fixed itinerary.

So travelling solo sounds amazing to me.

But I’m also honestly quite scared.

My biggest concerns are safety and loneliness.

I’m a very social person, so I’m worried that travelling alone for 5–6 months could become lonely. I’m also obviously aware that travelling alone as an 18-year-old woman in parts of Latin America comes with safety considerations, and my family is quite worried about me going alone.

The alternative would be joining an organised group/backpacking trip.

I can see the advantages: I would have people around me from the beginning, I’d probably make friends, and I wouldn’t have to deal with the initial uncertainty of travelling alone.

But I’m worried I would feel restricted by a fixed itinerary. I really want the freedom to stay somewhere longer if I love it, change my plans, travel slowly and experience places more independently. I’m also worried that an organised trip might be significantly more expensive than doing it myself.

So I’m wondering if there’s a middle ground.

For example, I could travel independently but stay in social hostels, join day trips/hiking tours and meet people along the way. Maybe I could do a 1–2 week organised trip at the beginning and then continue travelling independently afterwards.

I’d really love to hear from people who have actually done this, especially people who started travelling solo around 18–20.

A few things I’d especially love advice on:

\- Is 80,000–100,000 DKK (\~11,500–14,500 USD) a realistic budget for 5–6 months of backpacking in Latin America?

\- How much did you personally spend per month?

\- How did you find the safety aspect as a young woman travelling alone?

\- Did you actually feel unsafe often, or did you get used to it?

\- For people who have done both: solo vs. group travel — which did you prefer and why?

\- And was the extra cost of organised travel worth it?

I’m basically trying to figure out whether I should just bite the bullet and go solo, or whether a group trip would give me a much better experience — especially considering that this would be my first time travelling alone for such a long period.

Any personal experiences or advice would be hugely appreciated! :)

I am going on my first long term solo backpacking trip through europe and asia, and since I'll probably be gone for a few months, I'm trying to cut costs wherever I can, especially on flights. CheapFlightFares seems to have the best prices out of all the sites I've checked. But I've never used them before and don't really know much about them.

Has anyone here booked with them before? Are there any tricks to get better prices or discounts if I get on their newsletter? I want to keep my flight costs as low as possible and avoid any extra charges that might come up.

I’m leaving for my first international trip this October and it’s going to be a two month solo adventure. I’ll be visiting New Zealand, Japan, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Spain, and Portugal. Specifically the South Island, Tokyo, Athens, Budapest, Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon. And for the Balkans I’m thinking Tirana, Sarajevo, Belgrade, and Zagreb.
I’m traveling on a tight budget and am basically trying to see everything that I can as cheaply as possible. My only luggage will be a 40L travel backpack. I have a good idea of everything I plan to do and see in New Zealand and Japan but not as much after that. I’m thinking Plitvice Lakes, Christmas markets, and architecture. I love hiking, visiting museums, meeting new people (trying to get out of my introvert shell), and eating good cheap food.
I’m looking for any tips and helpful advice for a first time solo backpacker embarking on this kind of trip. Saving money, packing, staying in hostels, what to prepare for, etc.

Trustworthy websites for flight, on way round trip. If it's the actual website or how there is booking.com (I don't travel by plane so I'm sketched by websites that are like StubHub).

For people who travel with almost no fixed plans, how are you searching flights now? I've got about 3 weeks left on my visa and can leave from a few airports, any date, to basically anywhere warm that's cheap. I keep bouncing between explore maps, nearby airports and cheap google flights searches, then checking each route one by one. Feels like there should be a simpler way to sort by “cheapest place I can get to this month” and work backwards from there.

Hi everyone,

I'm 23 and planning a 5-week trip from September 7 to October 12. I have a Sail Croatia tour week 1, followed by a Contiki Greek Island hopping tour for weeks 2 and 3.

Originally, I planned to spend the final two weeks (Sept 28 - Oct 12) solo travelling in Italy. However, my absolute priority for this trip is a true Mediterranean summer vibe: wearing summer clothes (tank tops, summer dresses, mini skirts, bikinis). I plan on visiting mainly south of Italy like Amalfi Coast, Positano, Sicily on the first week and then the second week I can visit places like Rome, Venice, Florence e.t.c. I plan to also go swimming too.

I’m realizing that late September/early October in Italy might be too cold for this, and that beach clubs will likely be closed.

Should I drop Italy and save it for next year? If I drop it, where should I spend my last two weeks instead to maximize the heat, beach vibes, and hostel party scene for people my age? (Considering Southern Spain or Cyprus?). Or should I even just cut my holiday short to just the two countries Croatia and Greece?

Thing is I want to do France and Spain next year instead and have a goal to have been to the southern areas of Italy, Greece, Spain, France and Croatia in my early 20's before age 25. If I move Italy to next year it will make it not only expensive but quiet difficult to meet this timeline.

Thanks

My friend and his family invited me and some of our friends to a 10 day trip to Florence and Rome. They are covering the flights and housing. However, I JUST got out of a crappy housing situation which ended up with me having to spend an extra couple thousand $, and I need to buy some pretty important things that I have been putting off for a while because I just didn't have the money. I also want to start to build an emergency fund so something like this doesn't happen again. I feel like I was just starting to get ahead when I'm hit with this dilemma. The people I'm going with are extremely wealthy, so I'm assuming we will go to expensive restaurants and do expensive activities. I don't want to be that guy that doesn't order anything at a restaurant and make everyone else feel bad/uncomfortable, but I also don't want to be that guy that looks ungrateful for not going on this "once in a lifetime" trip. The thing is, I feel like I should spend my money on things that I actually need, not things that I want. At least for right now. does anyone have any advice for me? Is there a way to spend a minimal amount of money on this trip (<$300), or should I just give it up and let someone else go?

Hi. I'm travelling on a tight budget across Europe - so far, I've been pretty frugal i think, surviving on an average of €17 a day, including accommodation (I think this is pretty low budget looking at other accounts, but im sure some will call this comparatively extravagant). I am having good fun on this budget, but would also like to go out for the occasional meal or otherwise "treating myself". However, for some reason, I can't help but feel guilty or wasteful if I do so. Has anyone else had a similar experience, and if so, how did you deal with it? Suck it up and remain frugal, or just deal with the guilt?

Alternatively, if anyone has any tips for activities that are cheap but still feel like a treat, suggestions would be appreciated.

For context, I am currently in Budapest, which is quite expensive, but will be heading into Serbia and Montenegro in the coming days/ weeks.

Freelancer in Berlin, Monday to Friday free. Working mornings, free from 1pm. €200 to €250 total including transport.

I want somewhere slow with a view, coast or hills, where I can shut the laptop at lunch and sit outside. Hostel or guesthouse, nothing fancy.

What I've worked out so far is that flying anywhere with a warm sea eats over half the budget at this notice, so the coast options collapse into either the Baltic or a long bus. Mountains seem to hold their price better in August.

Which of those two is the better trade at this budget, and where specifically?

I need a renewal faster than routine and every price I find seems to be quoting a different thing. One site advertises from $119, another shows a few hundred at checkout, and then somewhere in the small type there's a line about the government fee being separate.

So is the service fee always stacked on top of what I owe the State Department, or do some of them bundle it? I'd rather work out what this costs in total before I commit to anyone, because right now my mental number and the real one are clearly not the same.

Hi guys,

I want to do a trip to Vienna, Austria for the first time, but on a budget.

I am 23 years old, but I have never stayed in any hostels only apartments (through Booking/Airbnb) or hotels.

What are some of the best tips for someone that is staying in a hostel for the first time ever?

I have been reading a lot on the internet about it, but I still want to hear your experiences!

I do have a few questions though and all replies are appreciated!

1. Do most of the hostels have a locker (and is it generally located inside the room or outside)?

2. Where do I change, do hostels have a separate room for that or can I do it in the bathroom?

3. What are the people in hostels usually like (the other guests)? I am kinda introverted, so I'm not really usually the first person to engage, but I don't mind any travel buddies (I'm just really bad at breaking the ice first).

4. Would it be recommend for me to stay in a smaller style dorm (4 people) instead of a 8 person dorm for my first time in a hostel?

Thank you!

Hi! I'm a 22M, solo traveling for the first time, in London at the end of August for a couple of nights. I don't know which hostel to choose. I want to meet people to have fun with. I'm not too into partying but don't mind the scene, and I want a clean place to stay. If you guys have any recommendations from experience, I would love your input. Thanks!

To start off, I am a senior in high school in America. I am hoping to have $10,000 USD cash by the time I graduate. I am also putting money away in an investment firm that I will not touch unless I am dead broke and need to get home to America.

I want to volunteer and offer something to these countries other than tourism. I also need the time to travel that country and not be stuck there for a year+. Volunteering is not necessary but I would enjoy teaching kids english or something to do with the locals.

Im not as interested in visiting packed cities rather to visiting country side and meeting locals. I want to see as much culture as possible. Im trying to visit places where locals have almost never seen tourists.

Im wondering where I should travel, how to make those experiences with locals, and anything that you think would help me out.

Hello fellow travelers. I'm planning to go to poland this christmas to see my family (I live in spain). I did so last year with cheap plane tickets I found, however, having to fly caused a severe anxiety that lasted for a month before the flight and my whole visit (I am aerophobic, usually I travel with a family member or a friend, but now i'm an adult and with no reassurance when solo traveling i usually have panic attacks). Therefore; I have decided to go with either train or bus. I've never went to somwhere that far though, and the pages to book tickets get too confusing. I also have no experience finding good deals.

Does anyone here who is more experienced than me in this can advise me on how to find a good deal? It doesn't have to be fast, just cheap.

In October I will turn 30. I usually don't celebrate my birthday, but this time I have some money saved and it is a special occasion. I am based in Spain, and I met a Thai girl who was solo travelling through Europe. We had a few dates and became pretty close. I was really inspired by her stories since I always wanted to travel. I think based on my experience and current budget, somewhere in Europe would be a good start. I plan on visiting Thailand in the future since she offered her place and to be my guide, but I would like to start off with something easier. I don't really know what is the way to enjoy solo traveling, meeting people, having experiences and what kind of places to book. Are flights the best option? Hostals over hotels? Staying at one city or traveling around many of them? Any secret tips and tricks? I just don't even know where to start, but adventure calls me. Thank you! ;)