After camp travel, on a budget!

Our best bit of advice is to be realistic and spend good time planning it all out - work out where you want to go, how you’re going to get there, what you will do when you get there, what you’ll do for food, etc. Planning all the nitty gritty bits may seem like a long process, but you’ll be thankful you set a strict daily budget, instead of blowing it all on day 1 (it happens!!)

Budgeting is never easy and to be truthful, no two trips are the same so only you can be in full control of setting yourself a realistic budget. We are just here to try and give you a few tips into how to save money on your after camp travels, so maybe you can stretch that budget a little bit further than you imagined!!

People

Travelling solo can be fun, and may be the route many want to go down, however if you can find a couple of friends to join you on your travels, you get to split the costs between you…plus, you’ll have a bunch of people to share the memories with!! Also, be sure to make the most of your newly found American friends. There’ll be no-one better to show you all the hidden hot spots, and they are so hospitable it’s likely they’ll offer to drive you and offer you to stay at theirs and take our advice, when American’s say “you can come and stay at my place” they truly mean it, not like us Brits!! Making friends with not only the Americans, other internationals too, means you’ll travel on a budget for the rest of your life - heres to many sofa’s to sleep on around the world!

Accommodation

If you don’t have a load of new American friends who are willing to offer you a place to stay, you’re doing something wrong. HA! joking. But it’s likely you’re going to want to travel further afield during your travel days, so be sure to take our advice…the first being travelling with other people. Hotels can be deemed expensive at first, but if there’s a few of you travelling, make the most of it and split the cost between you. The best thing about the US is you pay per room, not per person, so what’s the harm in having one of you spend the night in the hotel bathtub if it’s going to save you some money?!  Top Tip - if you do want to stay in hotels, be sure to look on sights such as hotels.com or booking.com where you can often reserve a room weeks or months in advance and just pay on arrival…perfect if you don’t have the budget available at the time of planning (just don’t forget!)

Also, don’t rule out hostels! Hostels are often considered daunting, dirty spaces but you’ll be surprised what you could find yourself in. Nowadays, many hostels are soaring as social environments, providing the perfect place to rest your head at the end of a busy day exploring, with the opportunity for more friends to be made. They are often centrally located and many even host evening activities, so perfect for all your budding, sociable travellers!!

Or, if you’re travelling as a group, consider looking at renting out properties on AirBnB - perfect way to have your own place and space!

Transport

Again, if you’re travelling as a group, consider looking at a car rental. Split between a big group it shouldn’t cost too much, it’s convenient to store your luggage and it will be the perfect way to experience the ultimate American road trip; getting off the beaten track! Having a car will mean it would be easier for you to utilise campsites which will definitely keep the cost down, plus, when we say campsites, they are better than just a UK field. Bare in mind, care hire is often only reasonable for drivers aged 25+!

If you don’t want the commitment of having to drive yourselves, there are plenty of other options.

One thing people often shrug off is the thought of travelling by bus. We’ll admit, it’s not the quickest or most comfortable mode of transport, but it’s dirt cheap!! Check out the likes of Megabus or Greyhound - you do have to make sure you more mindful and careful of the people you meet (as it’s such a cheap service), but it can get you from A to B as low as $1-$10!!  

Domestic airlines aren’t too bad either, especially if booked in advance. We recommend researching on sky scanner, but just be mindful that the majority of airline fares domestically, do not include baggage, so you’d have to add that on top! With flying, you also have to consider the cost of getting to the airport and the extra time needed for checking in/collecting baggage etc.

Food

This can depend on where you go and where you stay. A lot of accommodation in the states offer free breakfast and our best advice is to one, fill yourself up so you start the day off strong. You can also grab piece of fruit or muffins from the breakfast bar, so if money is that tight, you can stock up for snacks during the day, and save your dollar for some better evening meals!

If there’s a group of you staying at a campsite, or at an air BnB, definitely make the most of cooking as a group - you’ll be surprised what you could cook up and I’m sure you’ll create memories along the way…and it’ll save you a LOT!

In all fairness, you can get food fairly cheap across the states, particularly if you don’t mind a fast food diet. It’s hard not to blow all your budget on food, especially when you read our FOODS OF AMERICA blog.

Activities

Make the most of the free activities in the area you’re visiting…you’ll be surprised what you can come across when you have a good google! Why spend $30+ dollars on a visit to the Top of the Rock if you can go on a rooftop bar with a $10 drink, for a similar view. Also, when looking at any attraction tickets, make sure you check out any online offer codes or group discounts.

In a nutshell, be realistic with your budget, travel with others, make use of the people you know (and what they know) and always read reviews before booking!