In 2020, my husband, Joseph, & I made the pact that we would visit all 50 states in the United States together. We still have long to go, but since our first road trip to Colorado up to now planning trips to North Carolina, Montana, Wyoming, Vermont & New York for this year, we have learned a lot about how see the most of these amazing & diverse states without breaking the bank.
If you have the same daunting goal as we do, or if you are just planning a trip for this upcoming summer, read on for my top nine travel tips that will give you a budget-friendly trip that is fun & full of adventures.
1. Google is your friend in planning an itinerary
Whenever I start planning a trip, the first thing I do is search online for the best places to go & things to do in that state. You can find so many great ideas online, sometimes including full itineraries! I always cross reference these to other sources to make sure I am getting everything I want on my personal itinerary. However, if you find one you like online, there is no harm in following it! This is especially convenient for places you are not familiar with, or if you are not conformable making your own itinerary.
As a side note, I recommend staying away from the official tourist sites & instead reading blogs of fellow travelers. Tourist sites sometimes recommend places that make them the most money or places that have paid for advertisement, rather than the best spots. Travel bloggers (like myself) can also recommend secret hidden spots they stumbled across, places they heard about from locals, & other unique spots to eat, rest, etc. that you wouldn’t normally find on a tourist website.
Based on the information I find online, I next head to Google maps to plan out my itinerary. I have my top destination points, & based on where those are, I add other items based on what’s nearby or what is close to our road trip route.
2. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone
This tip goes along with the last one, but it’s important enough to get its own spot on my list. When you are picking activities for your trip, don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone. Often when planning budget-friendly trips, it’s easy to just pick a few things that you are familiar with & then base the trip around those activities. But we have all been to the beach a million times, & while it’s fun, I find it much more interesting & rewarding to try new things that are unique to each place we visit.
When Joseph & I plan a trip, we have four categories of activities we have to complete in order to say that we really visited the state & can cross it off our list. First, we have to hike at a national park (this is our favorite activity, & if we didn’t have this list, it is probably the only thing we would do). This is a wonderful opportunity to really see & experience the place you are visiting. Plus, it’s a great way to stretch your legs & get in some fresh air after a long flight or car ride.
Second, we have to walk a main street. This is a great way to get a feel for the culture of the place you are visiting & an opportunity to talk to locals to find out what they like to do & where they like to go if you have some extra time in your itinerary.
Third, we have to eat at a local restaurant. This usually goes along with our main street visit, & we will often ask locals where they love to eat. We try to find something that is also a local cuisine (i.e. Mexican food in San Diego, or pretzels & cheesesteaks in Philadelphia) so we can get a real taste for where we are staying.
Last, we have to do a tourist attraction. This is always our least favorite & most expensive part of our trip, but sometimes we end up having a great time. It’s a fun way to experience the place we are visiting, & a great way to find out what unique activities each place we visit has to offer.
3. Always add a time buffer into your itinerary for each activity
When planning activities, always account for an extra hour than the time actually needed. When I am planning my itinerary, I always search online for the average amount of time it takes to complete each activity. How long does it take to explore the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or how long does it take to drive from San Diego to the Redwood National Forest, or even how long does it take to hike Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park? Once I have my average answer, I always add an hour on top it. This gives time for us to relax, take photos, & enjoy conversation, & it keeps us from worrying about what is coming next & whether or not we will be on time.
I have learned this one from experience. I used to plan my itineraries based exactly on the average time, & then I was stressed any time we spent too long on the top of a mountain enjoying the view or we got stuck in traffic. But these things are part of the adventure! Allot for extra time in your itinerary, & if you find you have too much time on your hands, you can always slip enjoying a cup of coffee at a local cafe.
4. Be flexible about your flight times
Now that you know what you are doing on your trip, it’s time to decide when you will be going. If you can, be flexible about the actual dates you are traveling. This will allow you to find the cheapest flights within the time frame you wish to take your trip.
Whether or not you can be flexible with the dates, my next recommendation is to be flexible with the flight times. I personally recommend booking an early flight out & a late flight back. Early morning & late evening flights are often the cheapest, & flying in early allows you to get an early start to your trip (you can always take a nap when you arrive at your destination or even on the plane), & leaving late allows you to get the most out of your vacation. As long as you don’t have anything planned for the day after your trip, you will have plenty of time to rest & recover.
5. Book Airbnbs for cheaper & more unique lodging
Airbnbs are a great alternative to traditional lodging. They range in cost, but you can almost always find a more affordable option than a hotel room. And, you have the opportunity to stay somewhere that gives a local cultural feel, or somewhere that is super unique! Do you want to stay in a log cabin in the mountains, a camper in the forest, or even a treehouse – Airbnb has a unique stay just for you!
When choosing your Airbnb, make sure you click the Superhost option. Superhosts are verified by Airbnb & have tons of reviews to be excellent hosts, which means a much less stressful vacation. It’s no fun getting to your Airbnb late at night, only to find that it is not what you were expecting.
6. Rent your car with a reputable company
Now that you know when you are going & where you are staying, the next step for many trips is to rent a vehicle for transportation. Despite the prevalence of Uber & Lyft, we have found that renting a car is still often more cost effective, especially for trips that involve lots of traveling (which ours often do).
When choosing a rental car company, I highly recommend going with a larger, more reputable company, rather than a smaller company that seems cheaper. Many smaller rental companies have hidden fees that add up fast. When you rent the car, call first to speak with a representative & ask up front if there will be any surprise fees & what they may be. For most larger companies, there will be minimal if any fees, but asking ahead of time gives you the advantage of knowing what to expect & the opportunity to compare companies to find what’s best for you.
Also, do not let the rental company talk you into buying rental insurance for your vehicle. Check your car insurance plan to be sure, but most people have car insurance that covers damage to a rental vehicle. This is one of the unnecessary costs of renting a car that you do not have to be tricked by.
7. Remember there are grocery stores every where
No matter where you are visiting, the locals have to get there food somehow, & it’s not all from restaurants. Getting food from a grocery store is an underrated way to fuel while you travel. It’s cheaper than anything you will find in a restaurant, & you can even get local fruits, cheeses or meats or try local food brands.
For most of our trips, Joseph & I bring a small cooler that we can fold up into our suitcase for easy portability. We stop at gas stations along the way to refill it with ice, & we keep it stocked the whole time with fixings for sandwiches, protein-rich snacks like cheese sticks & hummus, & veggies & fruits for snacking. We try to eat breakfast & lunch from our little cooler while on the road, & then we treat ourselves to a restaurant for dinner. It’s an easy way to save money while on the road, & it saves you time in your itinerary. Eating on the road or even stopping for a picnic is much faster than any rest stop.
8. If you’re going hiking, remember to be safe
This isn’t really a budget-friendly tip, but I thought I would remiss not to share it. If you are going to be hiking in the wilderness, always bring some emergency supplies & more food & water than you think you need. Before you go, give a copy of your itinerary to someone you trust. A lot of national parks do not have wifi service, so it’s a good idea to also bring downloaded maps.
Even if the hike seems simple, accidents happen, so it’s good to always be prepared & have someone else know where you are in case something does happen. Other than rolling my ankle, I have never been injured on a hike, but I have been lost plenty of times, & the extra food & water really made a difference in keeping my energy up & getting me back home safely.
9. Pick a fun souvenir that you can find almost anywhere
It’s always fun to bring home a memento from your travels. But, if you have ever gone shopping for souvenirs, you know how over-priced they can be. When you’re in the moment, you may be more apt to buy multiple souvenirs on your trip, & before you know it, you can spend your entire budget on these items. And let’s be honest, did you really need another T-shirt?
Think of a type of souvenir that you love & that can be found almost anywhere, & then collect only that. It could be a magnet, coffee mug, shot glass, baseball cap, book, snow globe, keychain, or so much more! When you walk into a souvenir shop, resist buying the first thing that catches your eye. Instead, look for the special item that you are collecting. It’s a guaranteed way to make sure you save money on your trip, & you will start to have a very cool collection of special memories on your bookshelf at home.
Joseph & I personally collect the Starbucks Been There… series mugs. There is a unique mug for every place, & we love looking at the designs on the mug & pointing out the places we went to & things we saw. I also have been personally collecting snow globes since I was a little girl, & I often pick up one of these, if I think I can keep it safe for the entire plane ride home.
Most importantly, enjoy your trip & travel safe!
If you want to share your favorite travel tips with me, or share about your latest adventure, leave me a comment below!