Okay, you got your cheap flight….now what? The good news is that you have completed the single most expensive part of your journey. The bad news is, you still need to find acommodations, transportation, food, and activities. I’ve accumulated some of my favorite sites below that have helped me thoroughly explore over 75 countries without breaking the bank (no affiliate links here, just trying to offer the best advice I can!).

Accommodation

AirBnB is usually my first stop because you usually get more space than a hotel room, more free amenities, are in a local area (instead of a tourist district), and you can select an option that works for your needs. For example, we travel with my toddler these days, so having a room with a closing door is a must (something you can’t get unless you have a suite in a hotel). But we can also scour the pictures looking for places that have cribs, high chairs, toys, washer/dryer etc. so that we can travel lighter. My wife, 15 month old, and myself recently spent two weeks in Europe with just one suitcase, a backpack, and a day pack – and we never felt like we were missing anything!

If you prefer a hotel – do your searching on Trip Advisor. I like to sort by customer reviews and then scroll until I find a price that fits my budget. This is a much more effective way to find a good hotel than going based on star ratings.

Transportation

The hands-down most helpful site I have encountered for planning my travel is The Man in Seat 61. This guy not only gives you step by step instructions on how to book train travel anywhere in the world, but also when you should book to get the cheapest fares.

Once you are overseas, there are an increasing number of budget airlines that will get you intra-continent flights for super cheap. Here is a comprehensive list that covers all 6 continents (sorry Antarctica, but you don’t have any).

Try to use public transit as often as possible. Generally, European and Asian public transit are much more reliable and efficient than in the USA. Do a little homework ahead of time and see if you can get a Tourist Pass, or Multi-Day pass, that not only gets you cheaper transit, but also discounts on other tourist activities.

Activities

Sandemans offers free walking tours in a number of cities throughout Europe. I have taken a few of these different tours and the quality has been really good. The guides operate based on tips, so if you enjoyed it, please give them a generous tip!

I also like the budget travel section of Trip Savvy as a starting place of free/cheap activities in the city I am heading to.

Got any more suggestions? I’d love to hear what you use to find the best deals out there!