Garance Galore

Hello there !

I’m so happy to be back with this post. It’s been a while, life has been quite challenging lately, keeping me away from my keyboard… But my husband and I went to Bucharest, Romania a little while ago and this adventure inspired me today’s post!

In the last few years, we have been on quite a few trips: Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Greece… And I’m so grateful for these unforgettable memories we were lucky enough to make. For every single one of these trips, we were on a rather tight budget! Until recently, we were both full-time students and did not have money to spend on luxurious and lavish trips. 

But we made it work! And I loved our trips; each time, we got to experience so much and discover new places without breaking the bank. 

Since it worked for us, I’m sure it will for you too. Now, traveling the way we do might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if this is the season of life you are in right now, please take the advice you find useful and enjoy your coming adventures! 

Disclaimer: We live on a small island near Italy, and the destinations we choose are almost always big cities in Europe, so your experience might be different depending on your location and choices of countries. What works for us might not work for you. But I’m sure you will find a few tips that might be useful to you :). 

Pick your destination and the season wisely

First of all: destination! We usually try to go to countries where things are cheaper in terms of food, activities, and life in general. This allows us to do more with less, it’s the sad reality of life. 

From Malta, it’s very easy to find extremely cheap flights to go to eastern Europe, so we usually try to find a cheap flight first, and then we plan our holidays. We don’t necessarily book the flights in advance; whenever we feel like going away, we just look at the destinations and select the cheapest ones. We often find flights for less than 80 euros per person, both ways. 

Also, keep in mind that, for most places, traveling off-season is drastically less expensive! On top of that, you sweat less and can walk more, which means less money spent on transportation. 

Find the right place to stay

Unless it is financially more interesting (breakfast included for a reasonable price or a very interesting discount, for example), we always stay in a hostel. 

Now, I know hostels have a bad rep but staying in a hostel does not necessarily mean sleeping on bunk beds. We always book our own room, which often includes its own bathroom. Having access to a kitchen can help you save a lot. You can eat breakfast at home from time to time or have dinner at home one or two nights. 

Shared apartments and Airbnbs are also great alternatives to hotels. 

When I am talking about finding the right place to stay, I am not only referring to the actual place you are staying at but also the location of that place.

Like I said, we tend to travel in big European cities, which are very walkable and have great public transport, which reduces the costs in terms of transportation. I advise you to take this aspect into consideration when choosing a place. You might save on accommodation by choosing a place in the suburbs, but will it make sense in terms of time and finances? 

Pack the essential

This is the moment when my friends tell me ‘No way!’ but my husband and I usually only take a small backpack in order to avoid luggage fees. I know it’s tempting to bring your whole wardrobe to Budapest, but is it worth it? With low-cost airlines, adding even one piece of luggage can get very expensive. And right now, for us, it does not make sense to pay more than 100 euros for a five-day trip. You can plan your outfits and go for colors and textures that can easily mix and match. And if you want to feel extra put-together during your trip, accessories and makeup are your best friends! 

The best thing about traveling light is that you do not have to wait for your luggage at the airport, and that is my favorite part :)

Do your research ahead

Google is your friend! Don’t go somewhere without looking up places you would like to see or eat at. We found some gems by simply browsing on TikTok and watching YouTube videos. Not only is it exciting, but it’s also extremely useful! I’m not saying that you should plan your whole trip if that’s not your thing, but some of these travel bloggers do know what they are talking about. Doing your research ahead will help you avoid scams and target activities and restaurants that fit in your budget and that are recommended by others for their good quality. If you have a limited amount of time somewhere, what a shame it would be to spend it in the wrong places. 

Don’t sleep on traditional street food

So many traditional street foods (in most countries) are very cheap! This is the perfect compromise if you want a taste of the local food without having to pay for a three-course meal if you can’t afford it. You can easily make sandwiches for lunch and have some traditional street food in the afternoon, for example. We love doing this! And when you have very little time, it gives you a chance to try out quite a few things.

Free activities

Like I said, doing your research ahead of time will help a lot! Don’t hesitate to look for free activities; you’d be surprised at how many free activities there are in big cities. Most European cities have free walking tours with amazing guides. You also have free food walking tours where your guide will tell you about the history of the city and stop by several restaurants so you can try out traditional food. And yes, it is free! Well, you can leave a tip (which we always do) because these guides work extremely hard and provide you with the best experience! 

And even if you think that you are not a big history fan, you could be surprised! These tours are fun, engaging, and can cover a large range of topics. We did free tours in Madrid with Paul and Melissa about the Spanish Inquisition and ghost stories in Madrid. It was amazing. You can find these tours online by typping ‘Free tour + city’ !

Whatever your budget, you must try it! I promise, you won’t regret it. 

It’s important that you have fun and enjoy your trip; otherwise, what’s the point? We do not mind making these small compromises because we love traveling this way. Of course, we also have our more lavish holidays, but we make our choices depending on our needs and wants. Food is a big part of traveling for us, and we love walking as well, so this works for us, but maybe you have different priorities and wants. These tips are simply pieces of advice. If you are interested or curious about traveling this way, feel free to take what sounds good to you and leave what does not. 

Anyway, I hope these tips were useful to you! 

Stay well,

Garance xx