Explore budget travel stories

Go with a plan. Come back with a story. Discover iconic recommendations, insights and experiences curated by Lonely Planet contributors.

Continent:

Europe Asia North America South America Australia & Pacific Africa Middle East Caribbean Central America Antarctica

Category:

Budget Adventure Art & Culture Beaches Couples Events Family Food & Drink Outdoors Road Trips Sustainable Travel Travel Advice

Results (479)

Young man stand-up paddleboarding during a beautiful sunrise in Mexico

Apr 1, 20228 min read

Playa del Carmen on a budget is glam without the cost

MARCH 9, 2017: The Metropol Parasol (officially called Setas de Sevilla) is a structure in the shape of a pergola made of wood and concrete.

Mar 24, 20228 min read

How to visit Seville on a budget

Mar 18, 20225 min read

The best Nashville hotels for every travel style

Two girls jumping into the sea at Puerto Vallarta

Mar 10, 20227 min read

The best free things to do in Puerto Vallarta, from art walks to beach days

View of the Yosemite Valley National Park with a huge waterfall

Mar 4, 202225 min read

From Acadia to Zion: A complete guide to all 63 national parks in the United States

wild royal bengal tiger in open during monsoon season and wildlife lovers or tourist or traveler safari

Mar 2, 20226 min read

Top tips for spotting animals: a guide to watching wildlife around the world

Saint Georges church and a red footbridge across the Saone river in Vieux-Lyon, bright pink clouds on the right in an otherwise blue sky.

Feb 25, 20225 min read

Explore Lyon with these 15 free things to do

Enjoying the early morning sunrise at a camping trip to Kassab, Musandam, Oman.; Shutterstock ID 1122297419; your: Brian Healy; gl: 65050; netsuite: Lonely Planet Core Demand; full: Oman on a budget

Feb 22, 20227 min read

Traveling to Oman on a budget: how to get the best out of your trip

People walking on Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis

Feb 19, 20225 min read

How to enjoy Minneapolis on a budget

Young woman using a laptop to work out her travel itinerary and pay with her credit card.

Feb 18, 20226 min read

Save money on your long-awaited 2022 holiday with these 11 tips

Feb 11, 20225 min read

Markets, galleries and late-night spectacles: the best free things to do in Yangon

May 17, 2018: Girls sitting on the hill of Arthur's seat overlooking Edinburgh.

Feb 6, 202211 min read

Edinburgh on a budget: how to make your money go further

Charlotte city skyline during sunset, as seen from the southeast.

Feb 4, 20224 min read

How to road trip the Southeastern US on a budget in 2022

A woman carries her baby through the vines of a French vineyard

Jan 30, 20228 min read

Burgundy on a budget: how to enjoy the chateaux, chablis and countryside on the cheap

The eye-catching, colourful gopura at the Hindu Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Chennai. The temple's tower is covered in hundreds of sculptures of Hindu deities, all painted in bright colours.

Jan 26, 20228 min read

15 free things to do in Chennai, India's southern capital

The rooftop of the Z Lot car park, whose 27 storeys each feature the work of a different street artist.

Jan 20, 20225 min read

Detroit on a budget: food trucks, freebies and FAST buses

Open every Saturday and Sunday since 1992 Berlin's Flea Market at Bode Museum is a great place for antiques, books, clothes and bric a brac. There are about 60 vendors.

Jan 17, 20224 min read

Berlin's best flea markets for vintage lovers and bargain hunters

A female hiker watches sunrise from a mountain outside Boulder, CO

Jan 5, 20228 min read

Getting the best out of Boulder on a budget

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA -27 JUL 2017- View of the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), an art museum located in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Dec 20, 20216 min read

The 12 best free things to do in Brisbane

A little girl sits on rock next to the ocean, wearing a Hawaiian lei and playing a ukelele. (Maui, Hawaii)

Dec 3, 20214 min read

8 fun free things to do on your next trip to Maui

Adventurous woman, outdoor woman, friend, guide, Badass, strong, happy, content, risk taker, whole/complete, competent

Dec 3, 202110 min read

The 18 best free – or almost free – things to do in Patagonia

Comwy, Wales - April 9, 2015: Conwy Castle and a Passenger Train North Wales. The railway lone runs along the base of the medeval castle and the Virgin Trains service passes the castle. People can be seen on the catsle walls. The sky is clear and blue.

Nov 25, 20216 min read

How to travel around in Wales: enjoy epic scenery as you go

Couple Canoeing in Vermont

Nov 23, 20214 min read

The top free things to do in Vermont are always outdoors

Man walking along aandy beach in Malibu

Nov 16, 20216 min read

The best ways to enjoy Malibu for free

A popular activity in Sihanoukville, Cambodia is the Dolphin Shack booze cruise which takes backpackers out to swim and party at various islands

Nov 15, 20215 min read

Cambodia's less-traveled islands visitors need to know about

A hiker looks at Bowtie Arch outside of Moab, Utah.

Nov 3, 20216 min read

Top free (and almost free) things to do in Moab

A man performs at Botero park during the Hip Hop Festival "Your voice counts", in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia on September 22, 2012. The festival, sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is the result of a competition of cultural and musical groups that use hip hop to spread positive messages. AFP PHOTO/Raul ARBOLEDA (Photo credit should read RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/GettyImages)

Oct 21, 20215 min read

Medellín's top free things to do are also the city's must-do activities

Female hiker standing at the top of a mountain in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

Oct 19, 20219 min read

The top 15 free things to do in Nova Scotia

Woman bouldering on an overhang at the Buttermilk Boulders near Bishop California..

Oct 14, 20212 min read

Cheap thrills: the 10 best places in the US to have an adventure for free

Woman looking out van window at bison in Yellowstone

Oct 6, 20217 min read

Montana's free things to do include more than just mountains

An aerial and panoramic view of the historic Plaza de Cesar Chavez in San Jose, CA.

Oct 6, 20216 min read

11 free things to do in San Jose, CA: Insta-worthy adventures

August 2018: People relaxing near Ross Fountain in Princes street gardens, with Edinburgh Castle above.

Sep 27, 20218 min read

Budget Edinburgh: the best things to do for free in Scotland's capital

Aerial of Honolulu Harbor, Aloha Tower & Marketplace and the downtown city skyline.

Sep 23, 202111 min read

Things to do in Honolulu without spending a dime

Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the Smoky Mountains.

Sep 23, 20216 min read

Free things to do in the Smoky Mountain's quaintest towns

Charleston South Carolina Skyline

Sep 21, 20216 min read

Cheap and cheerful Charleston: the best free things to do in Chucktown

Hiker in Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska

Sep 17, 20216 min read

Explore Alaska on the the cheap with these 10 epic experiences

San Diego's Balboa Park at twilight in San Diego California USA

Sep 14, 202110 min read

21 best free things to do in San Diego

The rock formations at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado received a nice dusting of snow. Cheyenne Mountain can be seen in the distance

Sep 2, 20218 min read

More than nature walks: 9 free things to do in Colorado Springs

Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland is home to wild horses. These wild horses are actually feral animals, meaning that they are descendants of domestic animals that have reverted to a wild state.

Sep 1, 202119 min read

51 affordable discoveries across America in 2021

CHATTANOOGA, TN - SEPTEMBER 8: The Delta Queen riverboat hotel as seen from Coolidge Park on September 8, 2014 in Chattanooga.

Aug 18, 20217 min read

Top 17 things to do in Chattanooga

Panorama of Stockholm Old City, Sweden

Aug 13, 20217 min read

The best things you can do for free (and nearly free) in Stockholm

Fall sunrise reflected in Lake Tahoe, California.

Aug 10, 20217 min read

Lake Tahoe's can't-miss experiences that cost next to nothing

Getting lost in beach paradise!

Jun 29, 20215 min read

Can't-miss Tulum experiences that cost next to nothing

McMullen-Coachman Log House in the Pinellas County Heritage Village

Apr 26, 20216 min read

Free and cheap things to do in Tampa

Father and son saving coins for vacation

Apr 2, 20213 min read

How to save money when you're traveling

Hailed as an example of outstanding civic Architecture the City Public Library at Salt Lake City has a high reputation, Utah

Mar 25, 20215 min read

14 free things to do in Salt Lake City

Man skakteboarding on ramp

Mar 23, 20218 min read

Top 15 free things to do in Houston

C89DB0 U.S.A. New Mexico, Albuquerque, murals along the Route 66

Mar 8, 20218 min read

Free things to do in Albuquerque

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 7, 2014: Above ground view of Las Vegas Strip hotel resorts and casinos. Over 39.7 million people visit Las Vegas each year.

Feb 12, 20215 min read

The best things you can do for free in Las Vegas

Piggy bank on a suitcase.

Jan 8, 20215 min read

How to manage your money as a digital nomad

nora dunne budget solo travel.jpg

Dec 15, 20205 min read

How to solo travel on a budget

Sunrise at St. Mary Lake from Wild goose island viewpoint, Glacier National Park, Montana

Nov 11, 20202 min read

US veterans and gold star families can now enjoy a lifetime of free national park access

Golden Gate Bridge seen from Marshall’s Beach.

Oct 8, 20206 min read

The 14 best day trips on the US West Coast

Chicago River reflects the sunset colours with the Chicago skyline above.

Sep 25, 20204 min read

The 10 best day trips in the US Midwest

Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC at sunrise.

Sep 24, 20205 min read

The 14 best day trips & weekend getaways in the US Northeast

Travel to Saguaro National Park, Arizona, USA

Sep 22, 20204 min read

The 12 best day trips in the US Southwest

Nashville, Tennessee downtown skyline at twilight.

Sep 18, 20205 min read

The 12 best day trips in the US Southeast

Railway road with mountains in background at sunset, Portugal

Aug 17, 20203 min read

Ask Lonely Planet: is traveling by sleeper train in Europe safe right now?

Lake Kabetogama, evening, Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA.

Jul 29, 20205 min read

15 unbelievably cheap private islands you can rent in the US

Bolivia

Jul 28, 20206 min read

Can visiting lesser-known places offer a better travel experience?

1
...
5
6
7
8

Explore More

Explore

Attractions

Explore

Destinations

Shop

Books