With a little bit of know-how and a little bit of planning, travel really doesn’t need to be expensive. Here are our best budget travel hacks for all you wanderlusters out there.

1. Stay in hostels

Shared accommodation is the cheapest way to go. And if you value your peace and quiet, rest assured that not all hostels are party hostels. The shared accommodation option of renting a room in someone's house through Airbnb is also a great way to keep your budget down.

2. Go undercover

When you are booking anything travel related online, in particular flights, delete your cookies and use a private browser window. No doubt you’ve been researching your adventures online in the lead-up, companies know that and will increase prices. Don’t fall for it!

3. Eat street food

One of the huge misconceptions about budget travel is that eating at street food stalls to keep costs down will make you ill. It’s simply not true. Just be sure to head to busy stalls with lots of local people. Staying out of restaurants will save you some serious dough.

4. Go off the beaten track

Many wanderluster bucket lists are full of popular places. Which is great! They’re popular for a reason, right? However, often times this means they come with a heftier price tag. So venturing to lesser known places not necessarily on your initial radar can be an awesome budget hack.

5. Walk everywhere

If you’re in an unknown city it can be all too easy to get a cab or jump on a metro to get from a to b. But not only will walking allow you new experiences and to see a whole new side to a place, it will also make sure you are keeping your costs down.

6. Be flexible

Building flexibility into your travel schedule is crucial when it comes to saving money on the road. If it’s cheaper to fly at 6am, that’s what you go with. If you planned to move on tomorrow but there’s a group going to the same place as you today, jump in and share costs.

7. Do your research

Don’t be hasty when booking tours and excursions. Talk to fellow travellers and do thorough online research to get the best deals. Also, take some time to research free stuff to do. Free access to museums, free walking tours, hiking, it’s all there when you look. https://www.instagram.com/p/BlXtv-XA9pP/?taken-by=thewholeworldornothing

8. Take packed lunches

Airports are notoriously expensive, yet many backpackers fall into the trap of rocking up and paying a tenner for a Burger King. Plan ahead and take a packed lunch with you. No, you can’t take liquids over 100ml through, but a sarnie and a bag of crisps is fine.

9. Travel at night

Unless it’s not safe to do so, if you are doing a long distance bus or train journey taking the overnight option will nearly always result in a cheaper price. What’s more, you’ll also be saving a night’s accommodation cost too. Winner!

10. Drink local beer

When you are travelling in an unfamiliar place it can be second nature to reach for what you know and this applies to alcohol. But instead of going for what you usually drink, find out what the local brew is, try something new and save yourself a few quid.

11. Travel slow

Taking your time on your travel adventures is one of the best ways to save money (unless you are only travelling for a limited period). This is because transport will be one of your biggest expenses, so spend a few more days and experience fewer places a little deeper.

12. Use a water filter bottle

Our last tip is an excellent one for the budget savvy backpacker and an even better for the environment. Pack yourself a water bottle with a good filter and save yourself the cash and the planet the extra plastic from buying single-use plastic bottles of water.