Do you dream of travelling more but not sure how to pay for everything that’s on your bucket list? Here are ways to travel for less (and sometimes for free!):
Maximize Your Points
Without drastically changing careers or lifestyle, the simplest way to save on travel is to start using travel credit cards that offer great perks, including travel insurance! Here are my favourite cards for Canadians and why I like them. If you really want to do a deep dive (there are SO many cards out there), check out the recommendations and comparisons on Prince of Travel. Not Canadian? Check out The Points Guy‘s latest recommendations for US residents.
RBC Avion Infinite Visa
Pros:
Points aren’t tied to a specific airline.
You can also book hotels and rental cars with points.
Great insurance coverage (although still a low max amount so you may need to top it up).
TD Aeroplan Visa
Pros: Aeroplan is one of the best airline rewards programs out there. If you fly on Air Canada a lot, then having a card that helps you get more Aeroplan points quickly is worth it. You’ll also get insurance, a free checked bag and extra perks depending on the level of the card.
Scotiabank Passport Infinite Visa
Pros:
No foreign exchange fees.
6 lounge passes per year.
Not tied to any airline.
American Express Cobalt
Pros:
Top earning card
Points can be used for any airline.
You earn more if you use it at restaurants, groceries and gas stations.
Marriott Bonvoy AmEx
Pros:
1 free night hotel per year
(often worth more than the yearly membership)
Automatic Silver Elite membership
WestJet World Elite Mastercard:
Pros:
Yearly companion voucher (or trade for lounge passes)
Free checked bag per passenger (up to 8 booked on the card).
Since Costco Canada now only takes Mastercard credit cards in store, this is the one I use!
Get Status
I used to just look for the cheapest flight, no matter what airline. While that’s certainly a good idea if you only take a trip or two a year, once you start flying more and are collecting points, it may be worth being loyal and getting status with the airline that is most convenient for you. Elite Status can give you all kinds of perks like eUpgrade credits, free or extra checked bags, priority baggage and boarding and lounge access. Beyond the websites mentioned above, there are Facebook groups that can help you navigate how to achieve status faster, which perks are better and give advice or answer questions. For example, I joined this one for Aeroplan members.
Become a “Pied Piper”
Did you know that there are many tour operators and cruiselines that will offer a free spot if you can get a group of people to join you? If you are already the one that everyone looks to when organizing a trip, this would be a great way to get compensated for your hard work! I fell into this role without realizing it when I first started offering photo tours. Sadly, I didn’t always hit the numbers needed for a completely free spot in the beginning but I was able to get a nice discount on my spot based on the number of people I did bring with me. Talk with a travel agent who can help you find the right tour and tour operator for where you want to go next!
Get a Side Hustle or Change Your Career
Before you quit your day job, test the waters of a career in travel as a side hustle. Whether you want to get into sales as an independent travel advisor or if you want to become a freelance travel writer, photographer or content creator, it’s best to start while you still have a steady income. This is also a great industry to get into as a retirement plan, especially if that plan involves more travel! You can earn quite a comfortable income but it won’t happen overnight. Travel Advisors typically only get paid commission when a client travels which can be months after planning and booking a trip. One perk of being a travel advisor is going on FAM (familiarization) trips. While there is often a cost involved, it’s at a fraction of what you would normally pay while in exchange you are there to learn about a destination or resort in the hopes to sell it to clients when you get back. There is an etiquette to FAM trips, similar to press trips and if organizers feel you are just there for a free ride, you may get blacklisted so it’s important to always be professional and grateful for the opportunity and do your best to share your experience on social media and with clients. I have found that FAM trips have made me so much more confident in helping people plan trips in those destinations.
Travel Advisor Path: Join a host agency and do the training the offer. I love The Travel Agent Next Door in Canada for the way they support independent, home-based agents. In the US, take a look at this site with reviews of the many host agencies available.
Freelance Writing/Photography: As a travel writer and photographer, it takes time to build a portfolio, pitch and network with editors and PR companies to get to a point where you will be invited on press trips so in the beginning, try to pitch stories about trips you’ve already taken (one rookie mistake is to pitch BEFORE a trip – always wait until AFTER and take the time to develop good angles). I had no clue how to pitch a publication despite wanting to get published for years. I kept thinking “someone will notice my work” but I’ll let you in on a secret, nobody will notice you if you don’t put yourself out there. Editors are far too busy and there are enough amazing writers and photographers that are pitching them stories that they will reach out to first when assigning stories. In fact, many are so busy that you often won’t even get a response to a pitch. Having the guts to follow up 2 to 3 times is also something you need to get used to. What I learned that I found VERY refreshing was that they really don’t care if you have a ton of followers on social media, what matters is the STORY. How is it unique and different from what is out there and how well does it fit their publication and what their readers are expecting. Ask yourself, why now and why are you the best person to tell the story. Try to answer those questions in your pitch. Despite things like ChatGPT, there is still space for fresh voices telling personal stories that no AI bot can come up with. I paid for a couple of courses that really helped me get on my way:
Blogger/Content Creator: For content creators, it also takes time to build a big enough audience to be able to see good income from ads and collaborations and be able to ask for reasonable compensation. This is when the number of followers DOES make a difference and the more you have, the more you will earn. Since I don’t consider myself an influencer, I can say that if you go down this path, always stay humble. Many tourism board reps I’ve spoken to really dislike dealing with the egos and demands of influencers. Yes, they will host you and you will also get paid for producing content for them (usually there is a contract with exactly what you will need to produce) but it’s also a small world and they talk to each other so if you are difficult and demanding, you could get blacklisted. Where do you begin? Start a blog OR focus on a social media platform that you love. Most influencers started with a simple travel blog or a TikTok, YouTube or Instagram account that grew to the point where they could monetize it. There are tons who ALSO offer courses on how they did it and want to show you how. It’s the same in many industries so do your research and try to get as much free educational content as you can until you find something that you think will really help you get to the next level. Multiple streams of income seems to be the way to go and you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. Being adaptable is key!
For more information on starting a travel blog check out Nomadic Matt (that also has books and tips on how to travel for less) and Jessie on a Journey who has a lot of resources on how to launch and grow a travel blog.
Start Close to Home
Travel is a luxury but if you prioritize it, budget, save up and find ways to save, you can really go places and see just how amazing this planet is. That said, going into debt is never a good idea so don’t forget that people also travel to visit YOUR neck of the woods and there are probably a lot of really cool things to discover and explore in your own backyard. In fact, if you are interested in blogging or freelance writing, becoming an expert in your city/province/state/country is a great way to get started.
Feel free to reach out or comment if you have any other great tips or questions!
Happy Travels!