Taking the bus, eating at local restaurants, and setting your expectations right are among the key tips from these TikTok travel experts
If you ever find yourself scrolling through TikTok, you may have come across the dulcet tones of an influencer describing their villa on the Amalfi coast, island hopping in the Caribbean, or swimming with turtles in the Galapagos.
But while many desire a life of sun and beaches away from the commute and daily grind, international travel can feel inaccessible for many amid a cost of living crisis.
But a group of digital nomads turned travel influencers are trying to change that. The i Paper talks to those who sharing their tips for a cheaper, more authentic form of travel.
Travel cheap
Bailey Turvey said he has travelled to more than 50 countries across six continents with “very little money”.
The 25-year-old from the UK makes budget travel videos on TikTok while abroad and has more than 58,000 followers. As a self-styled budget and solo travel expert, he posts regular videos of himself travelling the world with titbits of info like how to fly from London to Tokyo for £200, or how far £10 will get in Japan.
“I started producing cheap travel content about a year and a half ago. I started off by travelling a lot through Europe – living in cheaper destinations like Croatia, Albania, and Montenegro – rather than the better-known, more expensive parts of Europe, like France or Italy,” he told The i Paper.
Maddison Brookes also makes budget travel TikTok videos while travelling the world. The twenty-six-year-old from Florida got her start in the industry after working as a freelancer to do travel copywriting.
“When I graduated from college last year, I didn’t have much money – so it teaches you to be wiser about how to spend it,” she said.
The “big travel sis” who has more than 330,000 followers online said the most important thing to know when travelling on a budget is “what your exact budget is”: “Know how many dollars you want to spend in total and then divide that by the number of days you want to travel.”
After deciphering your budget, when picking your destination, it’s key to “prioritise your interests”.
“If you love history or culture – you may not necessarily get beaches – so be practical. Sofia in Bulgaria and Budapest in Hungary are cheap cities. They may not have beaches, but they very much aligned with my interest in history.
“I love London, Paris, and Rome – but I would not travel there in the summer – it’s so crowded and way more expensive. And if you want beach resorts – like Mykonos in Greece – go to Cyprus, Malta or Croatia, where it’s cheaper.”
While the free movement of UK citizens to these countries is still allowed for 90 days in any 180 day period post-Brexit, places like Cyprus, Malta and Croatia also offer digital nomad visas.
This means you can pay tax in the UK while working remotely in most European countries, as well as countries like Japan, UAE, and the Bahamas.
Visas tend to cost between £50 and £200 and allow you to live in the country for between one and two years.
Live like a local
TikTok influencers can often make it seem like “best” is synonymous with “most expensive”.
But Brookes said the real secret to saving money is to “live like a local.”
“You don’t have to go to five-star resorts or the most popular restaurant in the area. Often, you’ll find the best food is in the local homemade places. Cook at home, go to a hostel, buy local fresh ingredients – you’re still having that cultural experience,” she said.
Turvey also says that luxury hotels are not his thing. “I prefer hostels… great way to meet people. I’d rather see the place for what it is.”
Take the train or bus
For those who want to work and travel on the move, interrailing is one of the most popular ways to travel across borders throughout Europe.
According to Interrail, more than 600,000 passes are sold every year, allowing backpackers to experience the diversity Europe has to offer.
But Turvey said he considered the passes “overpriced and you will often have to pay additional costs”.
“Sometimes you do not get a seat and you have to even sleep on the floor,” he said.
Instead, he recommends using Flix buses. “They’re very cheap. I think people expect the journeys to always be longer by bus, but that isn’t always the case. I got from Prague to Vienna quicker on a bus than train for a quarter of the price,” he said.
And when booking flights Turvey also recommends booking early – and avoiding package deals in the summer.
Brookes also suggests using cheap travel websites and to take advantage of where your airport’s most popular routes are, as they will be the cheapest.
“My favourite travel destinations in Europe would have to be Porto – it’s so much cheaper than Lisbon. I just think the city is so affordable and has really nice weather – and the atmosphere – more local vibes and less tourists,” says Brookes.
