Savvy Travel, Places to Stay

In 2022, from the months September to December I traveled to 11 different countries. I did not have an unlimited budget so I had to be strategic about how much I spent in each country. I wanted to create a series for people who long to travel but think they can't afford it. It is more affordable than you might think so here is my part one, where I give my inside scoop of how I was a savvy traveler, what is worth splurging on, and how to make the most of traveling in a short period of time.

I studied with a program called Semester at Sea. Essentially, I just studied on a boat for four months while stopping every few days in a new country. If you want to read more about Semester at Sea and the logistics of it then head over to my post titled "What is Semester at Sea?" This program made my travels much more affordable because the ship took us place to place, we did not have to figure out how to get from one country to another, but we did have to figure out how to get city to city. The program also allowed us to sleep on the ship if we wanted to. My friends and I would always stay on the ship for a night or two in each country, excluding Croatia, to cut down our cost. Another luxury of the program was eating on the ship while in port. Eating out for every meal adds up very quickly, but the food on the ship was already paid for, so my friends and I would occasionally eat on the ship to save a few dollars in port.

There were many other ways that I stayed savvy while traveling for four months. Let's start with places to stay. I traveled to 6 different countries in Europe. I started in Amsterdam then Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Greece and Cyprus. I found these countries to be affordable in terms of places to stay. We mostly stayed in Airbnbs because they are affordable and we could pick the location. A few days before arriving in port, we would check out Airbnb.com. Most people assume the earlier they book, the better. While sometimes this is true, I think most of the time it is better to wait. Especially in European countries. If you wait a few days before you get there, the price will drop because the host would rather have someone stay for cheap than no one stay at all. The sweet spot is typically 3-4 days in advanced but I even waited till day of to book on multiple occasions. Keep in mind, I was traveling during a less busy time, so this may not always work. Another benefit of Airbnb is the amount of people allotted to stay can range drastically. In Spain, a group of 12 of us stayed in an Airbnb for $20 a night each. It will be less expensive per person if there are more people. If you look hard enough, you can also find hidden gems. We stayed at an Airbnb in Croatia that overlooked the entire city of Dubrovnik. The view left me speechless. If Airbnb isn't right for you, for one reason or another, then I suggest hostels. My friends and I only stayed in one hostel in Portugal. There are some questionable hostels but there are nicer ones as well. We got lucky and got two private rooms. We had eight girls so there was four and four in each room, with two bunk beds in each room. I thought the rooms were decently clean and they locked which was a huge plus. We didn't have to worry about getting our belongings stolen. I would recommend getting locks for your belongings so nothing gets stolen when you are not there. There were also separate boy and girl bathrooms but neither were very nice. If you only plan on sleeping and getting ready at the place you stay, then the hostel route is the way to go. We stayed two nights for less than $20. You definitely get what you pay for, so don't expect anything more than a mediocre place to stay, but it gets the job done and you save money. Another tip that I did not know before traveling was that if you book overnight excursions, the company will typically put you in hotels. In Morocco, Jordan, Kenya, and India I did overnight excursions that were affordable. We got a really cool experience, a place to stay, and typically two meals. For example, in Morocco I booked a camel trek. We stayed at a luxury camp overnight, rode camels, did Arabic rituals, got breakfast and dinner included all for $70. In India, we booked an excursion where we stayed at three different 5 star hotels plus got to see three major cities, all at an affordable price. Lastly, my friends and I very rarely stayed at hotels unless provided by a company we booked an excursion through. But, we did stay at an all inclusive resort for a night in Cyprus. I found this to be worth it because we got unlimited food and drinks, it was right on the beach, a nice pool, and clubs to go to at night. But, I would not recommend doing this more than once or twice. I would take a more authentic route if you want to see more than just the resort.

Finding a place to stay can definitely be tricky but the key is to not jump at the easiest option. Yes, it is definitely easier to call a Marriott and book a hotel room. But, that adds up. The experience you will get is worth taking the extra hour to search for a cool Airbnb or hostel. The places you stay will add to your experience. It might not go perfectly but that is okay, it will be a funny memory one day so don't give up just because your hostel smelled funky. In the end, you'll have more money to spend on doing things in the country. You might just find a hidden gem and it won't break your bank account.

Happy Travels!

-Serina Murphy