Finding both an affordable and exciting travel destination is becoming easier and more convenient with all of the resources available to us. I've traveled throughout the world and have found that any city can be traveled to on a budget, especially if you are familiar with the free resources available to you.
Traveling abroad and living in other countries has given me a new perspective on life, so if you're not sure if you want to travel for a long duration of time, I think you should go for it!
This opportunity will give you the option to learn a new language, make friends from around the world, and experience foods that you wouldn't have otherwise tried.
If you're trying to score the best travel deal and go as cheap as possible, travel to the destination of your choice during the time of year that the least amount of tourists are there. Hotels, flights, and pretty much everything will be much cheaper. Specials are common, and finding these special deals is usually easiest by finding travel deals on Groupon.
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For example, it's cheapest to travel to these cities during this particular season or months:
Venice, Italy | Winter
Los Angeles, California | January
Chicago | April
Beijing, China | June
London | May
Certain months and seasons will bring cheaper options as it's off season. There are many perks to the off-season, too, so don't let that deter you from traveling during that time.
1. Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver is situated along the west coast of British Columbia, one of Canada's most ethnically diverse cities. The city is surrounded by water and mountains. The city is consistently ranked one of the highest when it comes to quality of life. Vancouver also has a thriving music and art scene.
Free Attractions:
- Granville Island
- Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park
- Grouse Grind Hike
- Stanely Park
- Lynn Canyon
Accommodations:
- YMCA Hotel Vancouver
- HI Vancouver Central
- Vancouver Backpacker
Peak Time:
- April – October
Off Season:
- November – Early March
2. Bangkok, Thailand
Thailand is well known for its ancient ruins and tropical beaches. The country is also known for being extremely cheap, offering hour-long massages for under $5 U.S. dollars.
Free Attractions:
- Lumphini Park
- Butterfly Garden
- Bangkokian Museum
- Most temples are free to visit
- Chinatown
- Khao San Road
- Erawan Shrine
Accommodations:
- Bangkok City Hotel
- Bangkok Suite Hostel
- Chatrium Hotel
Peak Time:
- November – March
Off Season:
- March, April, May hottest months
3. La Paz, Bolivia
La Paz sits on the Andes Altiplano plateau, which is more than 11,000 feet above sea level. From the city, you'll easily see the snow-capped Mt. Illimani, which is over 22,000 feet high.
Free Attractions:
- Witches Market
- San Francisco Church
- Jaen Street
- Valle le da Luna
- Parque Mirador Laikakota
Accommodations:
- Wild Rovers Backpacking Hostel
- Loki La Paz
- Pirwa Hostel La Paz
Peak Time:
- can be visited any time of year
- highland areas – April – October
Off Season:
- can be visited any time of year
- summer rainy season November – March
Related: I use Airbnb for most of my trips abroad. Depending on the city, I can get an entire apartment for myself for the same price as a hostel. Get some travel credit to your first trip here.
4. Madrid, Spain
Madrid is a beautiful city filled with well-cared for parks and European art. The city holds over 3.2 million people and is the third largest city in the EU, behind London and Berlin.
Free Attractions:
- Parque del Buen Retiro
- Plaza Mayor
- Prado Museum – Free visit Tuesday – Sunday from 6pm-8pm and Sundays from 5pm-8pm
- Reina Sofia Museum – Free visit Monday – Friday from 7pm-9pm or Saturday from 2:30pm – 9pm or Sunday from 10am-2:30pm
- Wander around Madrid Royal Palace
- El Rastro
Accommodations:
- Hotel Regina Madrid
- Hotel Nuevo Boston
Peak Time:
- September – November
- March – May
Off Season:
- June – August (Extremely hot and somewhat miserable)
- December – January (Pretty cold)
5. Lisbon, Portugal
Portugal sits on the Iberian Peninsula next to Spain. Fish is very popular in Portugal's cuisine due to it sitting next to the Atlantic Ocean.
Free Attractions:
- Coleccao Berardo
- Rua Augusta
- Igreja de Sao Roque
Accommodations:
- Home Lisbon Portugal
- This is Lisbon Hostel
- Equity Point Lisboa
Peak Time:
- March – May
- September – October
Off Season:
- June – August
- November – February
6. London, England
The capital of England and the United Kingdom, London is a modern city with incredible historical value dating back to the Roman times. Dozens of movies are filmed here, such as Harry Potter, Shaun of the Dead, A Clockwork Orange, and much more. Seeing on London on foot is the best way to explore the majestic city.
Free Attractions:
- Watch the Changing the Guard ceremony in front of the Buckingham Palace
- Check out the famous Abbey Road, which is where the iconic The Beatles album cover was made
- Greenwich Park
- Holland Park – Japanese Garden
- Listen to the chimes of Big Ben
Accommodations:
- Travelodge London
- St. Christophers Inn
- Qbic Hotel London City
Peak Time:
- Peak season is year-round, but late spring and early summer are the busiest
Off Season:
- November – March
Related: Use Ebates to get up to 10% back on flights and other travel-related expenses. Ebates also works for any kind of online shopping and it's really easy to use. Get $10 for signing up here.
7. Cusco, Peru
Cusco is a city that sits in the Peruvian Andes. The city holds an incredible amount of history which shows in its many museums and monuments. The city is incredibly safe and has a booming nightlife.
Free Attractions:
- Explore the city by foot
- Plaza de Armas
- Wander around in the markets
- Inca Museum
- Choco Museo (I made chocolate here and it was an amazing and affordable experience!).
- American Inca Trail Cusco Tour Company – My friend's tour company. I used them for a Machu Picchu 4 day hike, Sacred Valley tour, horseback riding on top of Cusco, as well as four-wheeling throughout the Sacred Valley and to the Salt Mines. Extremely affordable!
Accommodations:
- Ecopackers
- Hitchhikers Cusco
Peak Time:
- May – August
Off Season:
- September – April
8. Shanghai, China
Shanghai is a city situated on China's central coast. It's both China's largest city and known for being a global financial hub. The city is filled with unique skyscrapers that sit along the Huangpu River.
Free Attractions:
- Shanghai Museum
- Shanghai Natural History Museum
- Explore Ancient City Park
- Explore water towns such as Qibao, Zhujiajiao, or Fengjing.
Accommodations:
- Shanghai City Central Hostel
- Shanghai Rock and Wood International Hostel
- Laoshan
Peak Time:
- October
- April – May
Off Season:
- November – March
Related: 10 Affordable Essentials For Traveling
9. Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is broad, but I made it broad for a reason. Eastern Europe is constantly overlooked, despite its historical value and beautiful cities. Eastern Europe is much cheaper than western Europe.
Cities to Visit:
- Budapest, Hungary
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Krakow, Poland
- Warsaw, Poland
- Bratislava, Slovakia
Related: Ibotta is a free downloadable app that gives you cash back on groceries (even fruits and veggies!) as well as plenty of other items and services. Get $10 in your account by signing up here.
10. Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo is famous for its cherry blossom season, which lasts for around 2 weeks in April. The city is filled with different districts that offer something unique to each visitor. Hit up Shinjuku for shopping, Harajuku for unique clothing and crazy hairstyles, and Ginza for more expensive shopping stores. Tokyo is also the most populous metropolitan in the world.
Free Attractions:
- Explore the Imperial Palace and the park it's situated in
- Watch the Shibuya Crossing
- Explore Harajuku
- Senso-ji
Accommodations:
- Hotel Niwa Tokyo
- BakPak Tokyo Hostel
- Sakura Hostel
Peak Time:
- April – during Cherry Blossom season
- September – November
Off Season:
- December – February
Related: 10 Affordable Cities To Visit In The United States
Even the most expensive cities can be traveled to on a budget. Obviously, accommodations will be higher, but if you go grocery shopping, stay in hostels or Airbnb, and get local travel tips, you should be able to save a lot of money. So what are you waiting for? Book your next trip now and tell me where you're going! 🙂
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Have you been to any of the above destinations?
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I visited Shanghai last year, and the city is the best one I have ever visited. The Bund is one, and what I loved about the city is there are so many great places to pay a visit in the city, and Jing’an temple is one found in the heart of the city. I just wish more Chinese would know the English language, as it’s hard to get around the city faster except you have a tourist guide.
Kelly recently posted…Trading the Financial Markets
I’m always so surprised to hear that China and Japan don’t have many English speakers. Thanks for the tips! I’m looking forward to visiting there.
Hi Kelly, I am hoping to travel to China alone, are there any travel tours that I can book once I get there that can speak English?
I love how you’ve added peak months and off-season ones – this can make all the difference to the price!
I can vouch for Madrid, as it’s right around the corner from me (well, a 45-minute flight – can I call that “around the corner”??) from me. It’s a beautiful city and the food is amazing. The nightlife is also amazing, even mid-week. Most people will leave work and meet their friends at a bar, which creates an awesome “this is where it’s happening” vibe 🙂
Being Polish, I’ve wanted to visit Poland for the longest time. Would be fun to go to the “mother land.” Also, my family is Orthodox Christian, so Russia would be a must-see for us as well with all the churches.
My wife and I went to Ireland a few years back relatively inexpensively in November. We stayed in Dublin for my 30th birthday and even took a bus trip to Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was amazing and we got to see things like the Book of Kells without any line. Normally, the line would be out the door, but we went in the offseason in November. We also got to see the Guinness Storehouse, which is worth it just for the complimentary pint alone! 🙂
David Domzalski recently posted…Take the #ImSavingFor Pledge for America Saves Week 2017
I made a friend from Poland and she made me want to visit the country so bad! I’ve yet to go to Ireland. It’s such a beautiful country rich with history. I also hear the Guinness House is amazing!
Thanks for this great list. When we are able to make trips cheaper and go to free attractions, we can cross more places off our bucket list faster. Thanks again!
Andrea Palmer recently posted…Is There Really Such a Thing as Good Debt?
Thanks Andrea!
It’s funny that you mentioned April being a good place to visit Chicago, because we were planning to take our kids there for spring break during that time!
We lived in Shanghai for a little over a year and absolutely fell in love with the city. It has all the amazing city features and places to visit, but isn’t nearly as crowded as other big cities.
Fantastic guide and so helpful with the free attractions and accommodation suggestions.
Thanks Mike!
Gosh I haven’t been to any of these! Although in my own defense I would much rather travel in the U.S. There are so many states and cities I have not been to yet that I figure I should visit the places around here first, then I would be more interested in traveling abroad.
I totally understand, Holly. I believe a lifetime could be spent traveling the United States alone. 🙂
Thanks Alexis! Btw, love your name. 🙂
Great list! I have just recently came back from my trip to Poland, and I was so pleasantly surprised with my trip! I didn’t really expect much but it turned out to be one of the best trips I have been on! For the most of the time I stayed with my friend in Warsaw and I loved it so much! It is very unique and beautiful city with many amazing spots to go to. One of the places that I liked was a bar in downtown called Bubbles. It was very cozy and casual, the atmosphere was amazing. We had some champagne and delicious dinner, which was delicious. The place was so great that we didn’t want to leave :p
I hope to visit Warsaw again soon, but also go somewhere from you list!
That’s so awesome! I want to go to Poland so bad!
This post is so helpful! I will be studying abroad in France in the spring and blogging about it! I’m wanting to travel as much as possible, but I won’t have a lot of money! I can’t wait to visit some of the places you mentioned! http://carleehebert.com/
Carlee Hebert recently posted…Top Ten Tips for College Move In Day
That’s so amazing!