19 Realistic Tips on How to Travel More with Limited Time & Money

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Are you passionate about traveling, but don’t have as much time or money to travel as you want?

Tell me about it! I have over 50 destinations — and counting — on my travel bucket list, and I’ve barely scratched the surface. With me being a full-time employee, student, and blogger, there’s really not much time to travel.

But over time, I’ve learned a few secret tactics and strategies to travel more often than the average person. In this post, I’m going to share nine of them with you so you can do the same!

Ready, friend? Let’s go!

THIS POST IS ALL ABOUT HOW TO TRAVEL MORE.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TRAVEL MORE?

To travel more doesn’t necessarily mean taking more trips or spending more money during your trips.

Traveling more also means being more intentional with the trips you take throughout the year. It’s about choosing destinations that you really want to visit, and making the most of your experience — even if you’re limited on time or money.

HOW TO TRAVEL MORE WITH LIMITED TIME & MONEY

TAKE DAY TRIPS

Take day trips. A day trip is exactly what it sounds like: you visit a destination for entire day, and return home.

Typically, you’ll take the earliest flight there and the latest flight back home. As long as you can find a good deal, I think this could be a GREAT idea.

And not to mention, day trips are getting a lot more popular and common because people are so limited on time and money. I love that people are using their “free will” more and exploring the world — even if that only means twelve hours in NYC or seven hours in Chicago.

A trip is a trip, man! No matter how long it is.

A few tips for taking day trips:

• Instead of taking the last flight out, consider taking the second-last flight. I suggest doing this to avoid any issues in case the final flight is canceled. ‘Cause, um, you don’t want to be stranded in the airport, do you? That doesn’t sound too fun — not to me, at least…
• Factor travel time in your itinerary. Sure, you’ll be there from 9AM to 10PM, but remember you want to arrive at the airport with enough time to go through security and navigate to your gate. So the more realistic expectation is more like 9:40AM to 8PM. That’s still a good amount of time to explore, so don’t let that discourage you from going. You could easily get two meals, wander through a neighborhood, see a few sights and maybe even visit a museum if you’re feeling extra ambitious.
• Choose destinations that aren’t too far. You don’t want to spend half of your day traveling, so ideally each flight should be no longer than 3 hours, totaling no more than a 6-hour travel day.
• Plan in advance. Flights get expensive as you get closer to departure, and some activities can sell out quickly. You don’t necessarily need to plan a YEAR in advance, but definitely keep these things in mind.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BUSINESS TRIPS

Take advantage of business trips. If your job requires you to travel often, you can use that opportunity to explore the destination you’re in.

Of course this will greatly depend on how busy you’ll be while you’re there. But even just a few hours will be enough to stroll through a park, walk around a museum, or dine at a nice restaurant.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HOLIDAYS

Take advantage of holidays. I admit, this tip will save you TIME more than it will money. Because as you know, holiday travel can get ridiculously expensive.

Whether you’re a student or PTO traveler, I suggest taking advantage of holidays since you’re basically getting free time off. And you can use that time to visit a destination on your bucket list!

If I were you, though, I’d consider destinations that don’t get AS many holiday travelers. For instance, you’d probably want to avoid NYC around Thanksgiving or Christmas because, hello, that’s a pretty popular time to visit.

Consider visiting Chicago instead! I know that’s not the first city that comes to mind when planning a holiday trip, but there’s a good amount of stuff to do in Chicago in November and December.

I’m actually writing a guide on that soon, so stay tuned!

PRIORITIZE TRAVELING OVER OTHER EXPERIENCES

Prioritize traveling over other experiences. Sure, you could hang out with friends and eat out every other night. But if you really want to see the world, you’ll probably have to reassess what’s actually important to you.

That typically means saying “no” a bit more often and practicing self-discipline. While it may feel restricting at first, the reward will always be worth it. Because what’s better than taking a trip?

CONSIDER OCCASIONALLY TAKING UNPAID TIME OFF

Consider occasionally taking unpaid time off. Just because you don’t have enough PTO for a full trip, that doesn’t mean you can’t travel at all.

As I write this, I don’t have any PTO, but I’m still planning a 6-day trip to Washington DC and Philadelphia in July.

Ideally you’d want to use PTO when you have it, but keep in mind you can still travel even if you don’t have enough.

When doing this, I definitely suggest saving a bit more money for the weeks leading to your trip. That way, your bank account isn’t drained when you get back home. Because GOD KNOWS I hate when that happens.

It almost, juuust almost, makes me regret going on the trip, to be honest.

STACK TRIPS WITH PURPOSE

Stack trips with purpose. What I mean by this, is to combine the primary purpose of traveling with one other purpose.

For instance, if you want to see a concert in San Francisco, consider extending the trip by a day or two to explore the city.

I actually do this all the time as an avid concertgoer. Traveling and attending concerts are two of my absolute favorite things to do, so combining them is like heaven on earth! I admit, figuring out the logistics of everything is quite a beast, but it’s usually worth it.

Another example is if you’re touring a college. I planned a trip to Chicago to tour DePaul University, but I turned it into a full Chicago trip since I had a few extra days to spare. And the funny thing is, I ended up not even touring the school, so I basically just used it as a regular trip!

VISIT MULTIPLE DESTINATIONS DURING ONE TRIP

Visit multiple destinations during one trip. I love doing this for two reasons.

First, it allows me to maximize my time and money. I don’t have unlimited time to travel (and I assume you’re in the same position), so hitting at least two cities on each trip is really nice. It feels like two trips in one!

Of course there are only so many areas you can do this. And it also depends on whether it’s your first time visiting a destination. So this is a better idea if you’re traveling the east coast or Europe, and have never been to a particular city in your itinerary.

Second, it allows me to visit some destinations that would otherwise be too expensive to see. On my first solo trip to Washington DC, I paired it with Boston since it’s not exactly the most budget-friendly destination. I think it worked out pretty well!

TRAVEL ON A BUDGET

Travel on a budget. As you’d expect, one of the simplest ways to travel more (with limited time or money) is to travel cheaply.

I know you’re probably thinking, “Is it even possible to travel on a budget nowadays?” The answer is yes. It’s more challenging, but certainly not impossible.

And the content on this blog is living proof of that if you still don’t believe me. Just check out literally ANY of my destination guides and you’ll see how much effort I put into making them budget-friendly.

Let me reassure you that traveling cheap doesn’t equate to having a boring experience. You can very much travel on a budget and still have the time of your life. It’s all about being intentional with everything.

Here are a few ways to travel on a budget:

• To save money on food, eat locally or buy groceries and cook at your accommodation. Local restaurants tend to be more affordable since they don’t have as much tourist appeal. And cooking at your accommodation is a great way to save money, as you can buy groceries and make meals that last several days — especially if you cook cheaper meals (that are still tasty, of course!).
• To save money on accommodations, stay a bit farther from the city center. The touristy areas tend to be more expensive, so you can save money if you stay about 1-2 miles away. Make sure there’s a transit station nearby for quick & easy access to the restaurants and attractions on your itinerary. Just try not to stay TOO far, as that could bite you in the butt and you’ll end up spending MORE money on traveling throughout the city.
• To save money on flights, use Google Flights or Skyscanner. You won’t necessarily get discounts by using these platforms, but they’ll help you find affordable airfare. Being flexible with your dates can have a massive impact as well, and I always recommend trying to be flexible with at least ONE aspect of your trip.
• To save money on transportation, use the city’s public transportation as much as possible. Taxis and ride-share can get expensive, so using public transportation is a great way to save money. Consider getting a multi-ride pass for even more savings. Be sure to do your research and make a few calculations first, though, as sometimes it might actually be smarter to pay as you go.

TAKE WEEKEND TRIPS

Take weekend trips. I know when you think about traveling, you imagine spending a week in Mexico or two weeks in Europe.

But don’t forget that weekend trips exist! You can travel locally or go a but farther out. The great thing about weekend trips it that they naturally cost less since they don’t last as long. If you pair that with some of my other budget travel tips, you can see some serious savings.

And on top of that, you don’t have to use your precious PTO if you don’t usually work weekends. I unfortunately don’t have that luxury, but if you do, I encourage you to take advantage of it.

GO ON STAYCATIONS

Go on staycations. Similar to the last travel tip, you can travel more by traveling locally. Not every trip requires an eight-hour flight or five-hour Amtrak ride. You can simply drive a few hours away and still have a great time.

COMPLETE SCHOOL ONLINE

Complete school online. As crazy as it sounds, I specifically chose to complete my college degree online because I love to travel. And it isn’t exactly easy to travel when you’re juggling five classes and extracurriculars.

If you’re a college student and like to fulfill your wanderlust cravings, consider doing the same. You don’t even have to do it fully online — just try to have a healthy balance of online and in-person classes so you’ll be able to travel more.

STUDENT TRAVEL TIP: As an online college student, try to complete about week’s worth of classwork before you leave for your trip. This way, you won’t have to worry about it while you’re out enjoying those scenic views and delicious food.

WORK REMOTELY

Work remotely. As a remote worker, you get the luxury of working wherever you want. You could either work at your at-home office or in a 5-star resort in Costa Rica! Use this opportunity to travel more.

LOOK FOR A JOB THAT OFFERS GENEROUS PTO

Look for a job that offers generous PTO. Of course, this tip is more beneficial if you’re not actively looking for ways to travel more with limited time. Most jobs here in the US only offer a disappointing two weeks of PTO.

But there are jobs out there that offer a much more generous amount, like four weeks or even unlimited PTO! If you’re able to find one of those jobs, that’d give you more time to travel the world.

LOOK FOR A JOB THAT REQUIRES FREQUENT TRAVEL

Look for a job that requires frequent travel. If you want to travel more (and potentially for less money, as jobs often pay for required travel), I think it’s a good idea to pursue a career that allows you to travel often.

The great thing about this is that you usually don’t have to pay for flights or accommodations, which can save a good chunk of money.

Here are a few careers that require frequent travel:

• Freelancer
• Travel Nurse
• Flight Attendant
• Hotel Professional
• Traveling Housekeeper

STAY WITH FAMILY

Stay with family. Accommodations are probably always going to be your biggest travel expense. So staying with family can be an excellent way to save money.

Plus, they can provide transportation for you AND you can share meals with them, which are two other great ways to save money when traveling.

CONTRIBUTE TO A TRAVEL FUND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

Contribute to a travel fund throughout the year. This is one of the smartest, best ways to travel with limited money. Make room in your monthly budget for a travel section.

Allocate a good amount (this will highly depend on your income and expenses) to it each month and don’t touch it until you’re ready to travel. Even just $150 a month equals $1,800, which can pay for a roundtrip flight and a few nights at a four-star hotel!

TRAVEL DURING OFF-PEAK SEASON

Travel during off-peak season. If you’re unfamiliar, off-peak season is when a destination is the least busy. There won’t be as many tourists as shoulder or peak season, and the weather is generally less favorable.

BUT this is a good time to travel if you don’t have much money to spare.

Also consider shoulder season, which is my number-one recommendation for almost any destination. It’s like the goldilocks of travel, if you will. The weather is somewhat unpredictable, but crowds and prices are minimal, making it the perfect season for solo travelers.

USE A TRAVEL CREDIT CARD FOR EVERYDAY EXPENSES

Use a travel credit card for everyday expenses. Nowadays, I almost exclusively use my travel credit card for everything I buy, whether it’s food, clothes, or even bills.

The specific card I use — the US Bank Altitude Connect — gives me 2X points on dining and 1X points on everything else. While that may not seem like anything to gush over, those points add up over time. Before I know it, I’ll have enough points to cover a one-way flight or a hotel stay!

Just be sure to use your card responsibly. In other words, use it like a debit card: only charge what you can pay off in full before the due date. Otherwise, this tip can backfire and leave you in debt.

And, uh, speaking from experience, that’s no fun. Like, at all.

TRAVEL WITH FRIENDS & FAMILY

Travel with friends and family. I know what you’re thinking… yes, this is a solo travel blog and you’re likely a solo traveler at heart. But just because these are true, that doesn’t automatically omit any other kind of travel.

I still travel with my family every now and then, and I think it’s a great way to save money.

As you know, solo travel tends to cost more since you have nobody to split costs (like accommodations, transportation and food) with.

Traveling with someone can help you divide those costs, making your overall trip less expensive. This ultimately allows you to travel more, as you aren’t spending as much money on each individual trip.

FINAL THOUGHTS: HOW TO TRAVEL MORE

In this post, I taught you how to travel more with limited time or money. I know how it feels to see all these people online having the time of their lives in Europe and Asia.

So if you’re in that position, I wanted to make a guide to show you that it’s possible to do the same, even if you don’t have as many resources.

Now, friend, it’s your turn. I’m opening the floor for you to start a conversation in the comments. Here are some discussion topics:

• What’s your number-one strategy for traveling more often?
• How often do you travel?
• What was your favorite tip in this guide?

I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you feel more comfortable chatting with me directly, shoot me a DM on Instagram or email me at demarcus@thesolosolstice.com.

ABOUT DEMARCUS

DeMarcus is a Midwest-based travel content creator and the founder of the solo travel blog, The Solo Solstice. He began his solo travel journey in December 2025 and since has been creating practical, in-depth travel guides for a like-minded community of first-time solo adventurers.

Visit the About Page to learn more about DeMarcus, and visit the Ethical & Responsible Tourism Page to learn more about his efforts to promote responsible tourism.