1. Determine dates and locations

  • Some countries are significantly cheaper to fly in and out of internationally. So do your research, especially if you plan on going to multiple countries and cities.
  • Choose countries that are logistically close and easier to get to. This will make transportation costs much cheaper if you can hop on a $30 night train instead of a flight.

2. Create a basic itinerary

  • # of days will you stay at each place (3-4 per location is recommended)

3. Explore transportation options

  • Find flights to/from each place
  • Determine best transportation: flight, night trains, buses, etc.
  • Sometimes a flight is worth the extra $50 if it means you won’t be wasting an entire day getting from point A to point B. And an extra $20 to get a direct flight vs. multiple stops is COMPLETELY worth it.

4. Estimate cost of the trip

Create an excel sheet and begin estimating all major travel expenses based on your itinerary and dates:

  • flights
  • train rides
  • hostels/hotels
  • tours
  • day trips
  • country duties and fees

If you haven’t booked things like this yet, do your research and record comfortable estimates based on your dates of travel. If anything, estimate prices slightly above what you think. That will give room for unexpected changes!

5. START SAVING

How many weeks until your trip? How much do you need to save each week to achieve your estimated budget? Figure it out and get saving 🙂