It’s not always easy to save money on travel, but there are a few frugal travel websites out there that can help.

Travel doesn’t have to cost as much as you might think – there are a lot of ways that you can bring down the expense. With a little bit of know-how, you’ll find many frugal travel websites that are designed to help you find better deals on your worldwide adventures. Some will help you to find cheaper deals on flights, others will give you ideas for affordable destinations while others will connect you with free accommodation, food, tour guides and much more.

A little bit of knowledge goes a long way and when you plan out your travels smartly you will be amazed at how much you can save. Here are five great examples of frugal travel websites you should know about if you want to travel the world cheaply.

Great Frugal Travel Websites

Travel doesn’t have to be as expensive as you would think.

Budget Travel

This online magazine is put together by the guide book publishers Frommers and it is all about how to travel as cheaply as possible. It is one of the most popular frugal travel websites and the stories are about affordable places to go, tips for finding cheap flights, budget itinerary suggestions and much more.

Get in the habit of checking this magazine regularly and you will get lots of ideas for where you can go on your next trip. You’ll also learn more about the art of traveling cheaply. For example, check out this great post about 10 Travel Apps that Save You Time and Money.

You’ll also find a lot of other interesting travel related content, such as tips for packing, advice about how not to embarrass yourself in a foreign country advice for staying calm and relaxed on a flight and much more.

WWOOF International

If you are interested in seeing the rural countryside of your destination – you may want to consider WWOOFing. WWOOF stands for Willing Workers On Organic Farms and it is an organisation that connects travelers with farms who are looking for volunteer help

Essentially, you can work for a few hours per day on the farm doing odd jobs such as chopping wood, milking cows, feeding chickens, picking fruit, etc. In exchange, you will receive free food and accommodation.

This is a great way to stretch your travel budget further, as you can stay for a while and not have to spend any money. Also, it can be very interesting to live with a local family and get to know what life is like for farmers in your destination country, adding to a deeper and more meaningful travel experience.

Couchsurfing

Another great website for frugal travelers is Couchsurfing, which allows you to connect with generous locals and stay on their couch for free. (Yes, you read that right. Strangers whom you have never met before are willing to let you crash on their futon or in their spare room for free.)

You get a free place to stay and often a local guide who is eager to share their city with you. In return, you can share your tales of the road and perhaps offer to treat them to dinner or bring them a gift. Lee and I did some couch surfing during our trip across Canada and we had wonderful experiences.

It’s a beautiful hospitality exchange network (with millions of members around the world!) and it will really restore your faith in humanity.

Skiplagged

Did you know that sometimes you can save money on your flight by booking your destination city as a stopover and getting off there? This interesting website finds flights with these “hidden cities” and exposes loopholes in airfare pricing.

For example, let’s imagine you want to fly from New York to San Francisco. The direct flight might be more expensive but a flight from New York to Seattle with a layover in San Francisco may be cheaper. Skiplagged allows you to book the flight with the layover, then simply get off at the layover and not take the second leg of the flight to the final destination.

Apparently this is a legal thing to do and can save you a lot of money. You’ll only be able to travel with carry on baggage however – if you check bags they will end up at the final destination. However, this may cause some issues and Skiplagged warns that you might upset the airline – so proceed with caution.

Global Greeter Network

A greeter is a volunteer who loves their city so much that they want to meet you and show you around – for free. This is a great way to get a tour of a destination without having to spend a lot of money hiring a private tour guide. Sometimes the cost of private tours can be significant, so this website could save you a lot of money!

Your greeter will show you around and point out the best shopping spots, architectural marvels or hidden treasures that are specific to each city. The website has greeters in a wide range of country, from Australia to Canada to Croatia to Thailand to France to Sweden.

Having a local person to show you around is wonderful when you are traveling and it can help you to find things to see and do beyond the pages of your guidebook. Plus, you might really get along with your Greeter and make a new friend!

These are just a few of the frugal travel websites that you should have bookmarked, as they can be incredibly helpful.

Do you know of any other great websites for saving money on travel? If so, please share them in the comments below.