How to Book a Spontaneous Trip on a Budget

Ahh, the travel bug — it comes to haunt us all, doesn’t it? A few weeks ago, it influenced me to book a spontaneous trip with any serious consideration. And I did it for less than $150.

Unsure of where to travel next and on a budget, I took to Google Flights to determine my fate. Thirty-minutes later, I had a flight booked to Dallas, Texas.

Possibly the most impulsive travel move I’ve made, I’m thrilled knowing I have an adventure to look forward to!

While I’m not making a lot of money and am starting my first real savings, I had to figure out how to travel on a budget. The first and most obvious step was to find an inexpensive flight.

I thought of traveling to specific places like Cancun or Los Angeles, but even the lowest prices featured were far over my budget. If I wanted to travel for cheap, instead of searching for a specific destination, I had to prioritize affordable plane tickets.

So I figured: Why not just roll the dice and see what life gives me? My goal was to find low-cost flights for under $150.

I opened the Google Flights map, highlighted my birthday week dates, and here’s what I found.

Flights to New Orleans, Atlanta, Boston, and Dallas: all under $140.

With my research, I found some great and cheap travel options. If I didn’t choose Dallas, New Orleans would have been my second choice.

Now, I’m working to figure out the trip details. I booked hostels (with free-cancellation) through booking.com and am SO EXCITED to go back to Texas and finally visit Austin!

I don’t know what came over me, but my spontaneous trip purchase was a great move. By finding my flight the way I did, I’m feeding my travel monster without breaking my bank.

My Advice for Spontaneous Budget Travel

If you really have the desire to travel but money is an issue, this method might help you travel on the cheap, starting with saving you hundreds on flights.

Also important if you do this: be excited to go! If you don’t really feel it, don’t spend the money.
I was able to envision myself in either New Orleans or Texas, so the choice was easy to make.

Unless you absolutely are set on a destination, check what low-cost flights are available on the dates you’d like to travel so you can choose a destination that fits your budget.

No regrets here.

How To Book A Spontaneous Trip

Some simple step-by-step directions:

1. Open Google Flights (use Google to Google it)
2. Highlight preferred dates without entering a destination
3. Use the map to view ticket prices across the world
4. Try adjusting dates — other destinations may come within budget 
5. Pick a destination and buy your ticket

Happy Spontaneous Traveling!

If you needed this advice, share this article and inspire random travel.

 

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