My Best 6 Travel Hacks for Long-Term, Low-Budget Traveller Backpackers
November 28, 2022 | Tagged: Travel Hacks
My best 6 travel hacks for long-term, low-budget traveller backpackers can be summed up by the phrase 'Always Look For The Best Deal'. Making what money we do have, go a little further or 'how to get more for your buck'.
In another lifetime, my dad used to do private work for David Tomlinson, you know, the actor who played the father, Mr Banks in the film Mary Poppins, starred in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and the Herbie films amongst many others.
His advice and he was as rich AF, for my father who worked all hours God sent to keep the house, mom and 2 (at that time) kids, was "look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves".
This advice is just simply as apt as you can get.
This blog is primarily for people with more time than money but of course, everyone can learn a thing or two.
And this hack can be applied to any location. Though the hacks mentioned are backed up with facts and figures mostly, from my present location, Mexico City, they can be applied to every country in the world.
You have to weigh up the pros and cons. What things work out to be #FalseEconomy or #Foolish.
Of course after a lifetime on the road, I could list around 100 travel hacks to save you time, money, headaches and a whole load more besides but here are my 6 best ones which can be used with little to no inconvenience to yourself.
His advice and he was as rich AF, for my father who worked all hours God sent to keep the house, mom and 2 (at that time) kids, was "look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves".
This advice is just simply as apt as you can get.
This blog is primarily for people with more time than money but of course, everyone can learn a thing or two.
And this hack can be applied to any location. Though the hacks mentioned are backed up with facts and figures mostly, from my present location, Mexico City, they can be applied to every country in the world.
You have to weigh up the pros and cons. What things work out to be #FalseEconomy or #Foolish.
Of course after a lifetime on the road, I could list around 100 travel hacks to save you time, money, headaches and a whole load more besides but here are my 6 best ones which can be used with little to no inconvenience to yourself.
1. ATM Withdrawal Fees
Not all banks are created equal:
Why use the BBVA bank here in Mexico City to withdraw cash which charges 174 Pesos when you can use the Banorte bank which only charges 42 Pesos?
And why use Banorte when Citibanamex only charge 30.74 Pesos or when Inbursa has the lowest ATM withdrawal fees in Mexico at just 22.04 Pesos.
The ATMs listed above, that's BBVA, Banorte, Citibanamex and Inbursa are all within 4 or 5 blocks of each other. As I said, these hacks can be summed up by the phrase, Always Look For The Best Deal.
If you use the BBVA bank to withdraw your cash, once a week, that's 9048 Pesos a year, compared with 1508 Pesos if you use the BanCoppel for example, which is a saving of 7540 Pesos. That's 377 USD over a year.
Imagine what you can do with 377 USD!!
But you need to be asking yourself is where the Best ATM Near You is. No point taking the metro just to save 5 pesos, when the metro fare is 5 each way. False Economy.
Why use the BBVA bank here in Mexico City to withdraw cash which charges 174 Pesos when you can use the Banorte bank which only charges 42 Pesos?
And why use Banorte when Citibanamex only charge 30.74 Pesos or when Inbursa has the lowest ATM withdrawal fees in Mexico at just 22.04 Pesos.
The ATMs listed above, that's BBVA, Banorte, Citibanamex and Inbursa are all within 4 or 5 blocks of each other. As I said, these hacks can be summed up by the phrase, Always Look For The Best Deal.
If you use the BBVA bank to withdraw your cash, once a week, that's 9048 Pesos a year, compared with 1508 Pesos if you use the BanCoppel for example, which is a saving of 7540 Pesos. That's 377 USD over a year.
Imagine what you can do with 377 USD!!
But you need to be asking yourself is where the Best ATM Near You is. No point taking the metro just to save 5 pesos, when the metro fare is 5 each way. False Economy.
2. Coffee
The cheapest coffee on offer at Starbucks is 55 Pesos. That's almost 3 USD. And I don't know about you but 1 coffee does not hit the spot. 6 USD on coffee? I had a private room in Nicaragua for that.
An almost-decent coffee at one of the many cafes here will set you back 35 to 50 Pesos and that's for a very small cup. At least the smallest coffee on offer at Starbucks is the size of a bucket, so in that respect, a coffee at Starbucks is better value.
Enter the only US-branded business I am happy to give my custom to. McDonald's. Yes, the coffee here is almost the best value for money in Mexico. An 8oz Americano coffee, that's a decent size, bigger than what you get at one of these hipster cafes in Roma Norte, will set you back just 20 Pesos. That's 1 USD. And drinking 2 here is still less than drinking 1 at Starbucks.
At Starbucks, you have ambience, nice sofas and free WiFi. You are not paying for the coffee. The coffee is just an excuse in the hope that you will buy some overpriced cakes, which is where they make their big money. The coffee at Starbucks tastes like dishwater anyways. As I said, the coffee is just an excuse.
In Mcdonald's, other than good coffee, you get semi-comfortable seats, free WiFi, and cleanish bathrooms. They don't care if you sit in there for hours at a time nursing a single coffee.
It is my Go-To coffee anywhere in the world. I have been to 105 countries, and more than 1000 cities and if the town or city has a McDonalds I have been in there for a coffee. Only in Helsinki and Schipol Airport was I disappointed.
The Starbucks In Roma Norte is 8 minutes away in one direction. Mcdonald's is 15 in the other direction which is only 2 minutes from the aforementioned BanCoppel. The Mcdonald's is next to the Cuauhtemoc metro station so at no point are you going out of your way.
And even if Mcdonald's is my favourite place here, it is not the cheapest on offer. You can get pretty decent take-out coffees at the OXXO store. A 10oz black Americano is just 19 Pesos but you don't get anywhere to sit. An extra 1 Peso for that privilege is well worth it.
And at the 7-11 store you can also get an 18-Peso 10oz coffee. Some stores even have a small seating area, so this is probably the best deal. But the chairs are the deal breaker and of course, there are no bathrooms.
And as with Starbucks and Mcdonald's, you are never far from the OXXO or 7-11 stores in Mexico City.
So, let's do the maths.
Assuming you need 2 decent-sized coffees, I find an 8oz hits the spot, that's 40 Pesos (2 USD) a day if you get it from Mcdonald's. Coffee at one of the many cafes is about 6oz, so you need 2 or even 3 before you can think about starting your day. The average price here is now 40 Pesos, so that's 80 or 120 Pesos for coffee, 4 or 6 USD a day.
By going to Mcdonald's, you are saving yourself 2-4 USD a day, that's 760-1520 USD a year. If your boss gave you that, you'd be more than pleased.
If you need a coffee and are in a rush (are Long-Term Travellers ever in a rush?) or it's late at night or pissing down with rain, you can find a mobile coffee stall with bread on almost every corner and these can be had for less than 10 Pesos.
Of course, the obvious solution is to invest in a kettle and make your own or even just give up coffee, but c'mon, where is the fun in that?
An almost-decent coffee at one of the many cafes here will set you back 35 to 50 Pesos and that's for a very small cup. At least the smallest coffee on offer at Starbucks is the size of a bucket, so in that respect, a coffee at Starbucks is better value.
Enter the only US-branded business I am happy to give my custom to. McDonald's. Yes, the coffee here is almost the best value for money in Mexico. An 8oz Americano coffee, that's a decent size, bigger than what you get at one of these hipster cafes in Roma Norte, will set you back just 20 Pesos. That's 1 USD. And drinking 2 here is still less than drinking 1 at Starbucks.
At Starbucks, you have ambience, nice sofas and free WiFi. You are not paying for the coffee. The coffee is just an excuse in the hope that you will buy some overpriced cakes, which is where they make their big money. The coffee at Starbucks tastes like dishwater anyways. As I said, the coffee is just an excuse.
In Mcdonald's, other than good coffee, you get semi-comfortable seats, free WiFi, and cleanish bathrooms. They don't care if you sit in there for hours at a time nursing a single coffee.
It is my Go-To coffee anywhere in the world. I have been to 105 countries, and more than 1000 cities and if the town or city has a McDonalds I have been in there for a coffee. Only in Helsinki and Schipol Airport was I disappointed.
The Starbucks In Roma Norte is 8 minutes away in one direction. Mcdonald's is 15 in the other direction which is only 2 minutes from the aforementioned BanCoppel. The Mcdonald's is next to the Cuauhtemoc metro station so at no point are you going out of your way.
And even if Mcdonald's is my favourite place here, it is not the cheapest on offer. You can get pretty decent take-out coffees at the OXXO store. A 10oz black Americano is just 19 Pesos but you don't get anywhere to sit. An extra 1 Peso for that privilege is well worth it.
And at the 7-11 store you can also get an 18-Peso 10oz coffee. Some stores even have a small seating area, so this is probably the best deal. But the chairs are the deal breaker and of course, there are no bathrooms.
And as with Starbucks and Mcdonald's, you are never far from the OXXO or 7-11 stores in Mexico City.
So, let's do the maths.
Assuming you need 2 decent-sized coffees, I find an 8oz hits the spot, that's 40 Pesos (2 USD) a day if you get it from Mcdonald's. Coffee at one of the many cafes is about 6oz, so you need 2 or even 3 before you can think about starting your day. The average price here is now 40 Pesos, so that's 80 or 120 Pesos for coffee, 4 or 6 USD a day.
By going to Mcdonald's, you are saving yourself 2-4 USD a day, that's 760-1520 USD a year. If your boss gave you that, you'd be more than pleased.
If you need a coffee and are in a rush (are Long-Term Travellers ever in a rush?) or it's late at night or pissing down with rain, you can find a mobile coffee stall with bread on almost every corner and these can be had for less than 10 Pesos.
Of course, the obvious solution is to invest in a kettle and make your own or even just give up coffee, but c'mon, where is the fun in that?
3. Alcohol
If a beer or 3 is something that you can't or simply don't want to live without, you can still make your hard-earned cash go a little further.
A bar, pub, call it what you will, is your worst enemy. The markup on alcohol is incredible. The local supermarket and the hostel roof-top and balcony are your new best friends.
A single 33ml bottle of Corona will set you back, 40 Pesos in a cheap bar. If you are with friends, get a bucket of 6 and save yourself a few Pesos.
I regularly buy a 6 pkt of Carta Blanca 330ml at the local Bodega Aurrera for 60 +/- Pesos. That's just 10 Pesos a can. 30 Pesos saved right there when compared to the cheapest find in a locale. Assuming 1 beer is not enough, you can save a minimum of 2 dollars each time, say 3 times a week, 6 USD a week, 312 USD a year. Go figure.
If you prefer the stronger stuff, the country you should head to is Russia. In Russia, vodka is cheaper than water.
Have you ever considered why vodka is so cheap? It stops the alcoholics from drinking anti-freeze.
A bar, pub, call it what you will, is your worst enemy. The markup on alcohol is incredible. The local supermarket and the hostel roof-top and balcony are your new best friends.
A single 33ml bottle of Corona will set you back, 40 Pesos in a cheap bar. If you are with friends, get a bucket of 6 and save yourself a few Pesos.
I regularly buy a 6 pkt of Carta Blanca 330ml at the local Bodega Aurrera for 60 +/- Pesos. That's just 10 Pesos a can. 30 Pesos saved right there when compared to the cheapest find in a locale. Assuming 1 beer is not enough, you can save a minimum of 2 dollars each time, say 3 times a week, 6 USD a week, 312 USD a year. Go figure.
If you prefer the stronger stuff, the country you should head to is Russia. In Russia, vodka is cheaper than water.
Have you ever considered why vodka is so cheap? It stops the alcoholics from drinking anti-freeze.
4. Accommodation
If you are travelling slow, get a long-term rental and save yourself some big bucks.
My preferred modus operandi for finding the best deals on accommodation is to source a hotel on Google Maps and then message the owner. There may even be the opportunity to bag accommodation for free if you're doing something like teaching English overseas.
Last year I used this method to great effect in Guatemala. I'd ask how much the price per night was and then ask how much was the weekly rate.
Recently in Kenya, I got some great deals on rooms in Kenya and Madagascar by searching on Google Maps. In Bujumbura I had a cracking room at the Camel Africa Hotel in Bujumbura, Burundi for just 10 USD a night.
It's suicidal to commit to more than a few days without having seen it first. Location is everything. Any hotel can be located next to the freeway or a construction site, whether a room costs 10 USD or 100 USD. So a 5 USD room next to the freeway or above a bar is a bad investment.
I know of two friends who booked a month on Airbnb without having checked the location. Both had found a great deal on the room but the location was as bad as it could get. Their great deal was miles from the centre and one, they weren't even near the Metro or MetroBus route.
Or sometimes I would just book a place online for a few nights and then spend the first day looking for a better deal.
If I am in a big city, I want the hotel to be around 6km from both the central area and the main transport hub. I travel light, so walking 6km is no big deal. But any more than that, it just gets less convenient.
My preferred modus operandi for finding the best deals on accommodation is to source a hotel on Google Maps and then message the owner. There may even be the opportunity to bag accommodation for free if you're doing something like teaching English overseas.
Last year I used this method to great effect in Guatemala. I'd ask how much the price per night was and then ask how much was the weekly rate.
Recently in Kenya, I got some great deals on rooms in Kenya and Madagascar by searching on Google Maps. In Bujumbura I had a cracking room at the Camel Africa Hotel in Bujumbura, Burundi for just 10 USD a night.
It's suicidal to commit to more than a few days without having seen it first. Location is everything. Any hotel can be located next to the freeway or a construction site, whether a room costs 10 USD or 100 USD. So a 5 USD room next to the freeway or above a bar is a bad investment.
I know of two friends who booked a month on Airbnb without having checked the location. Both had found a great deal on the room but the location was as bad as it could get. Their great deal was miles from the centre and one, they weren't even near the Metro or MetroBus route.
Or sometimes I would just book a place online for a few nights and then spend the first day looking for a better deal.
If I am in a big city, I want the hotel to be around 6km from both the central area and the main transport hub. I travel light, so walking 6km is no big deal. But any more than that, it just gets less convenient.
5. Flying
The best deals on flights are for those that leave (mostly)at inconvenient times. When I still had a base in England, at my dad's, Luton Airport was the nearest. But to get there for even a 9 am flight necessitated taking a 30 quid taxi. Christ knows what it costs now. And then you had a limited free luggage allowance, you had to pay for a glass of water on board, and there were jokes that they were gonna start charging for the air you breathed.
The local train station was an 11-minute walk away. Trains to Euston used to run frequently and was easy to jump on the Tube to LHR. The flight departures were considerably more convenient, with no need for a peak-time rail ticket to London, you could check-in up to 20 kg for free, and they used to feed you.
For me, the extra I paid for these flights over the cheap and nasty budget airline flights was outweighed by the comfort and convenience and the costs involved in getting to the airport at an unsociable time. #FalseEconomy.
The local train station was an 11-minute walk away. Trains to Euston used to run frequently and was easy to jump on the Tube to LHR. The flight departures were considerably more convenient, with no need for a peak-time rail ticket to London, you could check-in up to 20 kg for free, and they used to feed you.
For me, the extra I paid for these flights over the cheap and nasty budget airline flights was outweighed by the comfort and convenience and the costs involved in getting to the airport at an unsociable time. #FalseEconomy.
6. Travel Light
I can't recommend the concept of travelling light enough.
I travel light so I do not have to rely on public transport or taxis to get to and from my hotel, saving myself money in the process.
'Why take a taxi when you can take a bus or metro. Why take a bus or metro when you can walk?'
Choosing a hotel within a 6km radius of both the bus or train station and the central part of town is essential. Of course, I have walked much more in my 30 years as a long-term, low-budget traveller backpacker.
After an 18-hour bus ride, I relish the idea that I can stretch my legs again. Who wants to sit or stand in a bus or taxi after having been immobile for so long? Hell, I love a good walk after even just a 2-hour bus ride.
If you are a long-term traveller but still like to switch places every few days, have a 20 kg backpack and chose a room 15km from town, that is nowhere near the metro route, imagine. 2 or even 10 USD every few days soon adds up.
I have travelled through 110 countries; that's more than 1000 different cities or towns and villages.
I have walked or taken cheap public transport to the hotel from the bus station and downtown almost everywhere.
I walked in Pretoria, dumb idea, Pietermaritzburg, even dumber idea, Cape Town, yeah this one nearly cost me my life. I walked in San Salvador. I took the metro in CDMX.
In Bali, Senegal, China and many other places I have walked with all my stuff, all freaking day. In another life, I walked 1071 miles from Lands End to John O'Groats for fun. So I am not averse to this MO.
But I am happy to say I took a taxi in Honduras when going to and from the bus station with all my stuff #BeingSmart. I weigh up the odds. Putting yourself at risk is not worth the 4 USD taxi ride.
Even in CDMX, the main bus station is within walking distance but it would mean passing through some sketchy areas. The metro costs just 5 Pesos. To walk would be #foolish.
I travel light so I do not have to rely on public transport or taxis to get to and from my hotel, saving myself money in the process.
'Why take a taxi when you can take a bus or metro. Why take a bus or metro when you can walk?'
Choosing a hotel within a 6km radius of both the bus or train station and the central part of town is essential. Of course, I have walked much more in my 30 years as a long-term, low-budget traveller backpacker.
After an 18-hour bus ride, I relish the idea that I can stretch my legs again. Who wants to sit or stand in a bus or taxi after having been immobile for so long? Hell, I love a good walk after even just a 2-hour bus ride.
If you are a long-term traveller but still like to switch places every few days, have a 20 kg backpack and chose a room 15km from town, that is nowhere near the metro route, imagine. 2 or even 10 USD every few days soon adds up.
I have travelled through 110 countries; that's more than 1000 different cities or towns and villages.
I have walked or taken cheap public transport to the hotel from the bus station and downtown almost everywhere.
I walked in Pretoria, dumb idea, Pietermaritzburg, even dumber idea, Cape Town, yeah this one nearly cost me my life. I walked in San Salvador. I took the metro in CDMX.
In Bali, Senegal, China and many other places I have walked with all my stuff, all freaking day. In another life, I walked 1071 miles from Lands End to John O'Groats for fun. So I am not averse to this MO.
But I am happy to say I took a taxi in Honduras when going to and from the bus station with all my stuff #BeingSmart. I weigh up the odds. Putting yourself at risk is not worth the 4 USD taxi ride.
Even in CDMX, the main bus station is within walking distance but it would mean passing through some sketchy areas. The metro costs just 5 Pesos. To walk would be #foolish.