By : Mike McLeish
Bicycle touring is one of the best things that you can do (although I’m a little biased)! The only thing is that it’s a little tricky to earn money while you’re on the road. So it’s likely that you’ll have to come up with some inventive ways to save a bit of cash and stick to a tight budget.
That’s exactly what I did on a recent cycling trip across Europe. Here’s some of my top tips!
Accommodation.
One of the biggest differences you can make to your budget is through your choice of accommodation. Especially in western countries, as even the cheapest places will set you back around 20 Euros a night.
But it’s easy to avoid paying for a place to stay at all. You can use a combination of Couching Surfing and/or the cycling specific version Warmshowers. Not only are these great ways to save money, but they’re also excellent ways to meet people from all over the world.
Being invited into complete strangers houses for an evening or two can add spontaneity and surprise to your trip that’ll give you some of the best experiences of your life.
Another great option for free accommodation is Workaway and HelpX. These options are designed primarily as cultural exchanges for working holiday makers. Here you get the opportunity to work during your travels abroad, stay with local people and gain practical experience.
The typical arrangement is to work for an average of four hours per day in exchange for free accommodation and free food. Not bad!
Stealth Camping.
Another great way to save on accommodation is to stealth camp. You can stealth camp almost anywhere. So far I’ve camped in people’s gardens, city parks and under big highway bridges.
Quieter places in nature are often nice, and you can spend the majority nights here. You can do this by taking a quick look at your map and cycling towards areas of green. All you need to do once you’ve reached the green is walk 100 meters or so off the road, and you’re ready to go.
Once you’ve done it a few times, you’ll develop an eye for where is best to stop off. Many people sleep in tents, but I personally prefer camping hammocks, as I feel that they’re easier to keep away from animals and bugs on the ground, plus they’re far more comfortable.
There are lots of tips to make the most of your stealth camping experience, and I’ve written about a few of them here.
Transportation.
When you’re on tour, you’ll usually be on the bike, but you may want to use a bit transportation during the boring areas.
I prefer cycling the less exciting areas as it helps me appreciate the nicer areas even more. Plus, some of the biggest surprises have happened to me when I least expected them.
If you must use transport make sure you take local buses.
Another way to cut down on transportation costs is to consider routes that are near your own house. Long flights to exotic countries make great adventures, but they can really cut into your overall traveling budget.
If you’re on the road and considering not cycling for a period of time, consider the classic hitch-hike. It’s fun. You’ll meet some of the most interesting people you’re ever likely to meet. And.. its free
Food
When you’re not spending money on transport and accommodation, most of your money will go towards food. It can get very expensive very quickly if you’re not careful. My number one tip would be not to eat in restaurants unless you’re in a country that’s incredibly cheap. I’m currently in Hoi An, Vietnam, and it’s ok to eat in restaurants, but I’d not be able to do it if I was traveling in Europe.
The food can be a little strange to what you’re used to, but that’s all part of the fun!
It’s a good idea to take a stove or to save even more money you could make one! I find it fun to get food from a local market and experiment with a few new recipes, During the harvest season, you can easily eat for nothing. You’ll find fruit almost everywhere, and it feels good to pick it from trees and gather berries and nuts.
You can also get the older bits of bread in bakeries and veggies in shops for less. As well as finding out of date food in supermarket bins. By law, the shops have to get rid of them, but they’re more than suitable to be eaten.
Another important choice is what you choose to drink. You can cut down on alcohol, tea, and coffee. It’s a little dull, but it can help you to feel a lot healthier by kicking these for a few months.
I like to just ask for tap water at houses that I pass or fill up water from local streams.
Other Expenses
In general, I’m a big fan of repairing everything as much as possible that gets broken. Almost anything on your bike, sleeping gear, and clothes can be repaired with a sewing kit and a bit of duct tape.
It helped to give me a lot of confidence on the road when I learned to fix things myself. Especially with regards to my bike. I also like to keep my eye out for useful stuff myself on my travels It’s incredible what you can find along the way.
Mike McLeish is the owner of the bicycle blog Pinch-Flat. He’s currently taking full advantage of the warm weather in SE Asia, where you can find him weaving through traffic in Vietnam. Follow him on Twitter @Pinch_Flat.
