How I Planned My First Budget Travel Trip (And What I’d Do Differently)

 How I Planned My First Budget Travel Trip (And What I’d Do Differently)

I can still feel the nerves I had the first time I booked a budget trip. I didn’t only focus on being frugal; I made use of all my resources and found ways to learn while in the process. If you’re looking to go on your first affordable travel adventure, this article is for you. I’ll take you through my steps, the places I made mistakes and what I wish I’d done differently.

Step 1: Determining the Right Place for Your Trip 

If you’re trying to save money, where you stay is very important. I started the process by making a list of nations where the Rupee has good value. I was surprised by Southeast Asia – it cost less than I thought, looked stunning and had great culture.

My initial trips were all to Vietnam. The cost of flying was less than in Europe or Australia and it was easy to afford our daily meals and housing in Asia. I later realized that sticking with a budget-friendly country formed the basis of my entire trip.

Should have done more: I should have checked what events were happening before making the booking. I arrived at New Year in the city and everything except one restaurant was closed for the next two days. Lesson are learned

Determining the right place! 

Step 2: Making a Budget You Can Stick To

I decided to set a budget of INR 60,000 for 10 days to include flights, where I would stay, what I’d eat, sightseeing and added a buffer. Although it was close, it did the job.

I sorted out these categories like this:

Tickets for flights cost around INR 25,000.

Prices start from INR 12,000 for a night.

Food costs about INR 6,000.

The money for getting around and seeing local attractions: INR 10,000

For emergency and extra expenses, set aside INR 7,000.

I managed to keep track of every rupee using a very basic Excel sheet. I know it’s not exciting, but it really was useful for me.

If I could change anything, I’d have put aside a small amount for unforeseen things. I nearly ruined my day because of one unplanned taxi ride to the airport.

Budget plan!

Step 3: Do Airport and Hotel Bookings

I bought my plane tickets about two months ahead of time in the afternoon of a Tuesday (yes, it works – airline prices are often less on certain weekdays). I looked at fares using Skyscanner and Google Flights.

During my travels, I went with hostels and guesthouses. Not only can you afford them, but they help you meet others traveling as well. I did my search on Booking.com and Hostelworld.

My strategy now is to read more reviews, with a focus on both the cleanliness and the area I’d be staying in. A hostel looked nice in their pictures, but it wasn’t close to anything.

Airports!!! 

Step 4: Making an Itinerary

I made sure my schedule wasn’t too rigid. I packed ready for the journey which was as rough as you might expect.*

The first and second days are in Hanoi.

Days 3-4 are spent in Ha Long Bay.

Days 5, 6 and 7 will be in Ninh Binh.

You will return to Hanoi on Days 8-10.

I didn’t arrange all long distance travel in advance. It made life much easier for me, but it also meant stressing out near the final hours.

The approach I’d apply: Book in advance the main transportation tickets to avoid issues. Even though you can buy tickets anytime, it’s still a little frightening to not know about your travel plans in a foreign country.

Step 5: The fifth step is to pack efficiently.

I swear, I managed everything I needed for a month with just one light backpack (yes!).

4 t-shirts

2 jeans

I bought myself 1 pair of shoes and slippers.

Toiletries

Power bank and USB adapter

Copies of my passport and my visa

Passport and visa! 

Having things organized so simply helped make everything flow much easier.

If I could do it over, I wouldn’t leave a first aid kit at home. If you ever get a stomach bug in a foreign land, medicine as basic as paracetamol suddenly becomes extremely useful.

Step 6: Guarding Your Safety and Ties

I purchased a SIM card used here at the airport. I spent about INR 400 for 10 days and could use as much data as I wanted. It was absolutely worth spending time on it.

I saved my documents as digital files and sent them to my parents, just to be safe.

If I could do it over, I would let my bank know I was going to be abroad. My card was suddenly blocked the second day, so I had to dial a long — and costly — number to unblock it.

Safety authority! 

A Few Extra Ideas

When you eat in the area, you’ll find it tastes more genuine and you’ll pay less. The street food in Vietnam was some of the best I’ve had.

If you can walk, that’s always the way to go: You’ll save money, plus get to explore more.

Pick up some basic greetings in the area, as simple manners can help a lot.

 Final Thoughts

Getting started with budget travel may seem difficult, but it’s really one of the best things you can do for your future. You’re likely to make blunders — I definitely did. Still, each of them will give you new insights.

Therefore, because you’ve been patient, the time is right now. Think small at first and have big dreams—then just get moving. You don’t need to worry about every detail — just get things moving.

If you found this useful, let us know.

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