Types of budget vacations

Traveling overland is one of the best ways to reduce costs, with local transport and purpose-built vehicles providing just a couple of means of exploring an entire country – or several – in one tour. Seeing as much of real life as possible is essential for discovering regional variations, with rural communities often providing a hospitable and affordable reception as you stop overnight from one town, village or country to the next. Southeast Asia, South America and Southern Africa are ideal locations to cross borders, with overnight train journeys or quickly erected camps allowing accommodation costs to be drastically reduced in favour of traveling ever further. Overland tours also allow you to learn about what you’re seeing en-route as you travel with a tour leader and local guides who will impart their knowledge before letting you get some shut eye as you travel into the night.

Joining a small group lets budget travelers benefit from a tour guide, shared costs and experience the thrill of overland travel without the gamble on safety. Although you will be traveling as a group you’ll still find plenty of free time, as well as a choice of optional activities to enable you to enjoy a country at a pace and price that suits your budget. For solo travelers, single supplements are usually available if you want to guarantee your own room – but sharing trims the budget further. Knowing which places to avoid is just as important as knowing where to head to and if you’re not interested in queuing or wandering aimlessly in search of a local bar, restaurant or the best place to buy stamps then let your tour leader take out the hassle by pointing you in the right direction. Finally, where you stay can really intensify a travel experience, with homestays letting you immerse yourself within the day-to-day lives of local people and sometimes make friends for life in the process.