All travelers have different travel styles. Some like to go slow and steady. Others like to bounce around different places. Those who prefer world travel to domestic travel like to visit multiple countries on one trip to maximize their time off work. But how do you travel to many countries without breaking your bank?
Go on a Cruise
Cruising has become quite an affordable option to visit several countries on one trip. Each port of call is typically located in a new place, and every stop you make allows you to see a little bit of a lot. For example, the Caribbean is a hugely popular destination for cruise lovers. A ship makes many stops, and it’s possible to visit three or four island nations, depending on the itinerary. The only downside is that you typically do not get receive passport stamps at cruise ports.
Maximize Weekends for Short Trips to Nearby Destinations
This strategy works best for someone with a favorable geographical location. For example, if you live in the East Coast area of the United States, most Caribbean islands are just a short hop away. You can take short weekend trips to most of these islands, and there are always flight deals to these beautiful destinations. Similar logic applies of you are based in Europe or Asia and can reach many nearby countries by taking a short, cheap flight.
Plan Your Trip in the Same Geographical “Chunk”
This one might be obvious, but when booking a flight, fly into one country and out of another country that is not too far from the destination, which is called an open jaw. Open-jaw flights don’t usually cost more than a round-trip to the same city. The easiest to do this is in Europe, where countries are close together, but Central America and Asia are also the perfect regions for this type of travel. You can move freely between countries by bus or by train and visit a few of them on one trip. The key is to eliminate backtracking to save time.
Take Advantage of a Long Layover
View that long and obnoxious layover as a good thing. Your bags are checked through to your final destination, so why not use the opportunity to visit a new country or city you’ve never been to before? To maximize this opportunity, the layover must be during the day and long enough for you to leave the terminal, see a few sights and go back to the airport with enough time to go through security. I recommend eight hours or more, depending on how far the airport is from the city and how easy it is to get to the city center.
Utilize Stopover Rules If Booking an Award Flight
Some airlines allow up to two free stopovers on a round-trip award booking. A stopover is a layover that’s longer than 24 hours. In many cases, you can stop in one city for a few days or longer on the way to another city a no extra cost in miles. I recommend familiarizing yourself with the rules of these programs, such as United MileagePlus, Alaska Mileage Plan and Singapore KrisFlyer, and utilizing them whenever possible.
Do you enjoy globetrotting much? Which strategies do you utilize to visit multiple countries frugally?
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