Cheap accommodation: how to find the best places abroad
Your ultimate guide to finding cheap accommodation around the world! From hostels, to cheap hotels, to work exchanges and more, you don't have to spend a fortune on a place to stay while traveling.
7min
When traveling, accommodation is often the biggest expense. You have to save a decent portion of your travel budget to afford a place to stay every night. If you’re looking to travel on a budget, it’s worth figuring out how to find cheap accommodation.
Whether you are exploring your home country or traveling around the globe, you can almost always find cheap places to stay. From budget hotels, to backpacker hostels, to volunteering positions, it is possible to travel cheaply!
This article will explore the topic of cheap accommodation. We’ll cover different types of cheap accommodations, as well as how to find them and how to book for the best prices.
Hopefully, this article helps future travelers plan their trips and feel more comfortable financially while traveling. Traveling cheap is easy if you can find the most affordable places to stay.
How to find cheap accommodation
These days, almost all accommodations around the world can be booked online. There are some amazing websites where you can browse and book places to stay, and we’ll cover most of the best ones in the following sections.
There are a few different types of cheap accommodation to consider. From cheap hotels, to hostels, to work exchanges, home exchanges, couchsurfing, and more, here are the best types of cheap accommodation.
Most of these are common enough that you can find them everywhere around the world. Hotels and hostels may not be as common in rural areas, but camping and work exchanges are widespread.
No matter where you are traveling, you are sure to be able to find some kind of cheap accommodation.
Do a work exchange
A work exchange is one of the most interesting and rewarding ways to travel on a budget. You put in roughly 20-30 hours per week doing any sort of task, and in exchange, you get free accommodation.
Every work exchange is different, but getting free accommodation is almost always the biggest financial benefit of work exchange. Some hosts offer you free meals as well, or free tours, laundry, and other perks.
Not only are you saving so much money, but you also get to have unique experiences. You can learn new skills or practice existing skills, and you can live with and learn from locals to really get a good understanding of the culture.
Common types of work exchanges include:
- reception, housekeeping, or bartending in a hostel
- childcare and language practice for a local family
- gardening, carpentry, or animal care on a farm or eco-village
- Photography, digital marketing, or social media for a local business
Worldpackers has thousands of work exchanges available all over the world. Here are a handful of top-rated work exchanges from all different corners of the globe.
- San Diego, USA: Work as a receptionist and housekeeper in a fun hostel
- Ban Na San District, Thailand: Help build a jungle homestay in the south of Thailand
- Cancun, Mexico: Teach yoga and fitness classes at a beachfront hostel
- Hawaii, USA: Work on an off-grid glamping campground on the Big Island of Hawaii
- Barcelona, Spain: Work the night shift in a fun party hostel in Barcelona
- Ubatuba, Brazil: Work at the “best hostel in Latin America”! This hostel has over 300 positive reviews from past volunteers.
- Geres, Portugal: Help out with cooking, cleaning, and reception at a bed and breakfast in a national park
- Drake Bay, Costa Rica: Help with gardening and growing food on a farm and eco-village
- Hanoi, Vietnam: Teach English to locals of all ages!
Those are just a few examples, but you can browse through hosts on Worldpackers and check out all the cool experiences available.
Stay in hostels
Hostels are one of the best forms of cheap accommodation. They are perfect for young travelers who want to meet other people and stay in a social environment.
Nowadays, hostels can be quite sophisticated as well. Many have free Wi-Fi, comfy beds, clean bathrooms, laundry services, a bar and or restaurant, a fun common area with games, and more. They are usually centrally located, and they are just fun places to hang out and meet people.
And most importantly, they are super cheap! If you rent a bed in a shared dorm room, prices can cost around 3-10 USD in cheap countries or around 10-30 USD in expensive countries. Either way, they are almost always cheaper than a hotel. You can even get a private room in a hostel that may be cheaper than a hotel.
Do CouchSurfing
CouchSurfing is another one of the best forms of cheap accommodation. This is when a local opens up their couch or spare room to travelers, free of charge.
Join the CouchSurfing online community to browse through hosts in various countries. The website connects people from all over the world, so you can find free places to stay almost anywhere.
Do a home exchange
A home exchange is like a house swap. Two people can agree to stay in each other’s homes for a set period of time. Usually, no money is exchanged, so it’s just a mutual agreement.
Staying in someone’s home is cozier than staying in a hotel, so this is a fun way to feel like a local when you’re traveling.
But of course, to do a home exchange, you must have a home to offer in return. So home exchanges are more suited towards older travelers who have their own homes.
Go camping
Camping is another excellent form of cheap accommodation. Immerse yourself in nature and consider staying in a tent amongst the trees.
Camping varies depending on where you go. Some campgrounds are free, some cost money, Some have facilities like showers, toilets, and kitchens, and some have nothing.
And you don’t necessarily have to find a legitimate campground to go camping. If there is free public land where camping is allowed, you can set up anywhere at any time. But to do that, you have to have your own gear.
Camping is great for people who are road-tripping. You can store all of your gear in your vehicle and just park up whenever you want to camp. It’s also great for travelers doing hiking trips. Many national parks around the world have cheap campgrounds where you can book a cabin for the night.
Just do your research before you decide to camp anywhere. Check whether the land is regulated and whether camping is allowed, and check what supplies you need. Camping can bring you out to some remote areas, so be sure you are prepared and can stay safe.
Finding cheap hotels
Aside from the different types of cheap accommodation listed, hotels are still an option in most places. Although hotels are usually much more expensive than hostels or other forms of free accommodation, it is still possible to find cheap hotels.
If you’re wondering how to get cheap hotels, here are some budget travel tips that will help you do so!
Travel off-season
Traveling during the off-season is one of the best ways to save money. Flights, hotels, and tours are often much cheaper than during peak tourist season.
People tend to travel during peak tourist season because it aligns with holiday time and the weather is usually the best. But the off-season is just as amazing!
If you can get time off of work and you don’t mind a little bit of bad weather, then you can save lots of money on hotels during the off-season.
For example, traveling in Europe is much more expensive during summer when the weather is nice and people are on school holidays. The best way to see Europe on a budget is by traveling in the winter or even in spring or fall.
Hotel prices tend to drop when the weather is colder. Just pack some warm clothes, bundle up, and enjoy finding cheap hotels!
Book ahead with free cancellation
Try to book your accommodations well in advance to save money. Hotels tend to jack up the prices for last-minute rooms.
If you plan in advance and book your hotels a few months before your trip, you can get a better deal and sometimes enjoy perks like free cancellation.
Check multiple websites
When you find a hotel that you want to book, check the prices across multiple different platforms. Booking agents like Kayak or Booking.com or Agoda may charge different rates.
Shop around to find the best deals, as some websites may have specials on. Also, consider heading directly to the hotel’s website to see if they have a cheaper price than the booking agents.
Booking.com is offering 2% cashback to Worldpackers users that create a profile through their link. Signing up to Worldpackers is free, and you only need to get a membership when you decide to have your first experience through the platform. For members of Pack Plan, the benefit is even better: 4% cashback at Booking.com in addition to other advantages.
*Cashback’s benefit is limited to USD 200 per booking, and you must login to your Booking.com account to access Cashback.
Hopefully, this article has opened your eyes to the world of cheap accommodation! Traveling does not have to be expensive, and it is more than possible to travel the world on a budget.
Work exchange is one of the best ways to travel cheaply because you get to stay in amazing places for free. You get to live and work with locals, which is a truly incredible and humbling experience.
So with the right mindset and knowledge, you can find cheap accommodation all over the world!
Grant
Oct 23, 2022
B hun. B buyback by o
K I’m
isaac
Dec 08, 2022
Best Bitcoin Recovery Expert To Recover
Have you lost hope of ever recovering your money from scam brokers? I have good news for you and yes it is 97% possible for you to recover
your money through binary cash refund (BCRF)but to do this you need an expert ,I lost over 76,000$ to fake broker and I lost any hope of
ever making profit through binary trading until I met an awesome recovery Hacker known as Ultimate Hacker Jerry who introduced me to (BCRF)..and to recover any lost money to any Cryptocurrency i was able to recover my money and with an amazing recovery Hacker guidance I have been able to make profits after recovering my lost funds. l recommend Jerry to anyone email him at (Ultimatehackerjerry@seznam. Cz) Don’t forget to mention Isaac recommended you
Amanda
Apr 21, 2023
I was a victim of defi-lending.net defi- loan static income investment scam. The total loss of my retirement 401k has been put in storage. I lost 284,727.94USD. I saw a number of reviews on Google and contacted a few to weigh my options. I settled with CyberPunk because they explained they helped other people who were conned by the same website and they did not ask for upfront fees unlike others. They really saved me because I was on the verge of bankruptcy. Their email is cyberpunk (@) programmer (.) net
Didier
Apr 30, 2023
Recently, I was the victim of an online scam. I was desperate to find the person responsible and decided the only way to do this was to hire a hacker. I found CyberPunk to be efficient and I am pleased to inform you that the hacker was able to trace the scammer, and I am now in the process of initiating legal action. I wanted to tell you about my experience incase you or someone you know has been a victim of an online scam. It is important to take proactive steps to protect yourself from these types of crimes. Go to their site, punkerscyberorg, or you can email them cyberpunk @ programmer . net.
Marcus
May 10, 2023
I encourage anyone who needs the service of recovering their lost Bitcoin to use Wizard Web recovery. I chose to invest in cryptocurrencies and unfortunately, I lost all of my crypto to another investor. The person who was meant to manage my account turned out to be an impostor the entire time. It was a disheartening experience, to say the least. I invested a significant sum of 306,000 USD, and initially, everything appeared promising with good reading and profit margins. However, when I attempted to withdraw, I couldn't and that's when I discovered that I could no longer contact my supposed account manager. It was then that I became very concerned. That's when I found out about Wizard Web Recovery. I had read some evaluations of their service and how useful they had been for many individuals who had lost their money. I contacted them right away to ask for help and intervention. Wizard Web Recovery worked tirelessly to locate and recover my lost funds. The stolen Bitcoin was successfully returned to me, something I thought would never happen, Please do not hesitate to get in touch with them if you find yourself in the same situation. Wizardwebrecovery(@)programmer.net
Doug
May 11, 2023
I do online trading, I was a scam victim of BTC investment and SpyWare Cyber recovered my Bitcoins amazingly. Have you experienced the same loss of cryptocurrencies to phony internet investments that I did? or the incorrect wallet? Get in touch with SpyWare Cyber right once if you want to get your BTC restored or need legal advice on how to proceed. I lost about 3.18 BTC. I bought into the promise that I would receive 25% of my investment each week but it led to my loss. SpyWare Cyber did the ultimate job by getting back my lost BTC with effectiveness. They merit praise because of this, and I'm overwhelmed. The contact information for SpyWare Cyber is: Spyware(at)cybergal(.)com Phone/text +19892640381 Website at : https://cybegal.net
Gaston
May 12, 2023
I'm writing to the public to provide knowledge about Coder Cyber Services. Look no further if you ever demand hacking services, When i lost more than $100,000 USD in bitcoin, individually i found myself in a challenging situation, i was inconsolable and believed i had reached my lowest point, i had no hope of getting my invested money back. All that changed when i discovered about Coder Cyber Services and everything was transformed. The company intervened and helped me get all my money back within a short period of time. Their services are top notch and they ensure maximum satisfaction to their clients. You can contact them via [email protected] & +1(403) 407-3407.
Gaston
May 12, 2023
I'm writing to the public to provide knowledge about Coder Cyber Services. Look no further if you ever demand hacking services, When i lost more than $100,000 USD in bitcoin, individually i found myself in a challenging situation, i was inconsolable and believed i had reached my lowest point, i had no hope of getting my invested money back. All that changed when i discovered about Coder Cyber Services and everything was transformed. The company intervened and helped me get all my money back within a short period of time. Their services are top notch and they ensure maximum satisfaction to their clients. You can contact them via [email protected] & +1(403) 407-3407.
Serge
May 20, 2023
With today's online brokers, one must exercise caution. A few months back, a broker I met online conned me into making a binary trade option. I made a $340,000 investment that I lost, was unable to withdraw, and gradually lost access to my trade account for more than two months. I felt discouraged and irritated. After some time, I made contact with Spyware Cyber, A recovery specialist who collaborates with a law firm to help victims of Bitcoin fraud recover their stolen money. I was guided through the process of getting my money back. Without delay or hesitation, anyone who is in a similar scenario can get back their money with support from Spyware Cyber.
Their Contact Information is below:
EMAIL: SPYWARE(AT)CYBERGAL.COM
PHONE NUMBER: +1 989 264 0381
WEBSITE: https://cybegal.net/
julie
Sep 06, 2023
Really enjoyed reading your blog.It is highly informative and builds great interest for the readers. For the people like us your blogs helps to get ideal information and knowledge. Thanks for providing such blogs. https://chicagojacket.com/
Mike
Sep 08, 2023
I met someone on an online dating app. At some point, the scammer instructed me to send crypto assets to what I believed was a legitimate banking app based in Singapore. But the scammer provided fake instructions so that my money went into the crypto asset wallet belonging to the scammer instead. I deposited Ethereum (ETH) into the scammer’s account on three separate occasions, eventually losing thousands of dollars. I hired HACKWEST AT WRITEME DOT COM who specializes in crypto assets recovery and other hacking services and was able to locate the scammer’s wallet through blockchain forensic analysis and was able to retrieve my entire funds they stole from me. Its about 673,000 USD in total. Although Hack West didn’t do this for free, it was worth it. I will always tell everyone about my experience with West and his team.
Helen
Sep 25, 2023
Thank you for the information!
Judy
Sep 26, 2023
I fell victim to fraudulent crypto asset scam after scammers directed me to the website “liquldohn.com/h5.” I met Fergus Lee through LinkedIn, and then communicated through the online app Line. Fergus showed me how to set up an account on Crypto.com and gave me the link to“liquldohn. com/ h5.” I started with $4,000 and got back $2400 on my first trade. Fergus then convinced me to withdraw from my 401(k) retirement account, and transfer to Liquldohn. I sent almost $80,000 in three separate transactions. At some point, I believed I had made a profit of more than $300,000. But when I tried to withdraw the funds, Liquldohn’s “customer service” told me that my account would be frozen and I would have to deposit $28,000 to” unfreeze” it. I have not been able to recover funds until I came in contact with “HACKWESTAT WRITEME DOT COM” who clearly told me “I have been scammed” and promised to help recover all my money which he did in less than a week. I never believed it was possible but West recovered my Ethereum and also disclosed the identity of the guy, I didn’t regret paying Hack West.
sodik
Oct 17, 2023
Nothing has seemed more satisfactory to me in recent times than the unmatched and professional services received from Daniel Meuli Recovery when I contacted them following a friend's recommendation regarding the $40,000 I had lost through a wrong Cryptocurrency transaction. I thought nothing much could really be done before I wrote to them but still decided to give it a try just so I can be sure. Though way beyond my expectations, I got marvelled at the outcome as Daniel Meuli Recovery was able to track and recover my lost money. I think they should be the best out there or at least one of the best, as I can testify to their topnotch services and highly recommend them to anyone battling same or related issues bordering lost of Cryptocurrency to contact them for assistance. Daniel Meuli Recovery can be contacted via: Danielmeuliweberecovery (@) email . com
Patrick
Oct 31, 2023
I highly recommend the service of Mark Wizard Recovery Solution for a fantastic job at recovering my life savings which I naively put in a fake crypto investment scheme. I had a stressful situation going on and they were so patient with me and did help me through this. The staff members seemed legit, not just classifying the problem and charging not without good response. I must commend them for recovering my money from the people who stole from me. If you are ever in need of such service, you can contact them via: ([email protected]) “Thank you for your hard work, I really appreciate that you have been able to get my funds recovered.
Katherine
Nov 04, 2023
Losing assets or crypto is common these days, and I don't see why anyone should be ashamed to admit it. The frightening thing is that anyone can become a victim, regardless of their intelligence. The good news is that there are recovery agencies that can help you get your money back; all you have to do is phone one that is reliable. I went online to look for help after losing money, and I came upon an article about victims' optimism. You can reach out to them by email Alisterrecovery @ gmail com. I decided to give them a chance, and I was pleasantly surprised by how professional and dedicated they were to getting all of my money back.
Grace
Nov 12, 2023
I invested the sum of $25k on a crypto exchange trading platform with a guarantee of 250% returns, two months after my capital deposit i ended up realizing i have spend more than just my invested capital all in the hope that am getting 250% return which i have not been able to access on the trade platform due to my withdraw denial by the exchange, i discover i have been scammed of $413k, i tried all i could to get back my funds but i couldn't get a help so i felt i lost it all until i discovered Alister Recovery who i decided to contact for the last trial time and it happened that with them i was able to have my funds back. All thanks to the Alister recovery. Alisterrecovery @ gmail com is their email if you are in such position you can send them a mail
Annabelle
Feb 17, 2024
Lack of good information is very bad, I’ll like to share my experience about crypto theft here and how I got my money recovered. One faithful evening I was going through the internet and I saw a lot of ads about this investment website. I tried to give them a try to gain financial freedom after giving me their contract agreement and all. Along the line they kept their promise until I made a huge deposit to get massive profit. I discovered the website crashed and their support team is not responding to their mails. I was devastated and came on this forum then I found reviews about " motivfundsrecovery@gmail com " on Quora and google sites and I gave him a try to help me recover my funds cause I never imagined crypto could be retrieved and then he did a great job by getting my lost funds back completely. I urge you to write him now for help via e-m-a-i-l : motivfundsrecovery@gmail com