Everyone is shocked when I tell them that I've been travelling full-time for 2 years and spending as little as 5€ on international flights. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a family of airline employees, and travel has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. But for most, travel was taught to be a luxury, something that is next to impossible for the average person. So I made it my goal to make travel accessible for everyone.
Spontaneity and flexibility are the keys to travelling cheaply. The tool I use on my site is designed to show you the cheapest routes by using broad dates and broad destinations. Of course, you can change your location and dates as you need to for your trip, but this is how most nomads and I travel, being spontaneous and going to the cheapest option.
Tip #1 Widen Your Horizons!
Not choosing a specific destination and having more options dramatically reduces travel costs. By leaving the "to" section empty for a journey from Warsaw, for example, I could fly to Sweden, Hungary, or Croatia, all for only 5€.
Isn't it amazing! However, this option might be difficult for someone in Canada, for example, since all of the cheapest options will be national flights. Let's take a look at options from Calgary:
These 3 destinations are all in Canada, so to avoid this dilemma, the tool has country and continent searches. Let's try a trip to Europe!
Much better! A trans-Atlantic flight from Canada to Europe for less than 200€!
Tip #2: Avoid the Fees!
Some low-cost carriers love to take advantage of the uninformed traveller. Don't be this person! Research everything about the airline and their rules so you don't get surprised at the airport when you have to pay 100+ € in fees.
The main fee is a check-in fee. Believe it or not, some airlines will charge to check you in, since they gave you the option to check in online for free. You usually only get a small time window to do this, typically 3-24hr before the flight, depending on the airline. If you do not do this, you could get charged 5-10x the price of your airline ticket!
Another infamous fee is, of course, related to baggage. This one is more commonly known, but you would be surprised at the number of people I have seen who freak out at the airline workers for baggage issues. Remember, these workers are just doing their jobs, they did not create the policies, but they are paid to enforce them. If your bag is too heavy or you don't have the proper bag type that the airline allows, it is your fault that you did not pay attention to this. The nicer you are to the personnel, the more likely they will let it sneak past them; the meaner you are, the more they will want to punish you, makes sense doesn't it?
Ryanair Free Baggage Size Allowance
Pay attention to what type of bag you are allowed to bring. For free, all airlines allow a soft-shell bag only, like a backpack or a small bag. Ryanair and Wizz air do not pay attention to weight, so you can fill it up as much as you want, as long as it fits the size requirements, and is not a hard-shell bag.
Use the bag icon to specify how much extra baggage you will bring, and the cost will be factored into the total price of the flight. Sometimes, flying a premium airline will be the same cost as flying with a low-cost carrier if you are bringing a significant amount of baggage since they are usually included in a premium airline ticket.
Also, you can avoid currency conversion costs by paying in your bank's currency, the tool can charge in 30+ currencies without any additional cost.
Tip #3: Know Your Geography!
Europe is extremely accessible, I was once in 5 countries in 1 day travelling overland. By knowing your geography, you can use this to your advantage and fly to/from different airports that are near each other. Let's take Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, as an example:
The options are great, but let's see if we can make them better. Bratislava is a 1-hour train/bus away from Vienna, the capital of Austria; and a 2-hour train from Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Let's put all 3 airports in the search box:
With this, we have a new option to Warsaw, and it's even cheaper!
Tip #4: Bust the Myths!
We've all heard at least one of these before:
"Tickets are cheaper on Tuesdays and Wednesdays."
"Buy a round-trip ticket to get the cheapest price."
"Book with the airline for the best price"
"Buy your ticket as soon as possible"
"Book your ticket in incognito"
But the truth is, none of these statements are accurate. The only way you'll get a cheap ticket is by being spontaneous and flexible. There is no exact date or time that a flight is the cheapest. But by being open-minded with your dates and your destinations, you are guaranteed to get your ticket for the best price :)
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