How to Travel Cheaply in the USA – Tips for Traveling on a Budget

Traveling in the USA is a dream for many of us. But, if you are on a budget you know the US can be expensive.

In this article I want to share practical tips for how to travel cheaply in the USA because yes, that is possible!

There are plenty of ways to be smart with your money in everyday life, and that also goes for when you are traveling. For example, if you need to send money to the USA, you should research the best transfer options so you’ll save money and time.

But let’s get back to traveling on a budget.

I’ve published a general article with tips on how to save money when traveling. I highly recommend you read that as well, but here I want to focus on some more specific tips that help you save money while traveling in the USA.

How to Travel Cheaply in the USA

1. Pick Your Destination(s) Wisely

Yes, New York City and San Francisco might be popular places to visit, but they are also two of the most expensive cities in the USA.

If you want to travel the US on a budget there are many other great places to visit that cost a lot less!

So before you narrow down your list of places to visit in the US, compare the costs of accommodation, food and transport. This might make you decide to skip certain places and perhaps add cheaper alternatives.

But, even the most expensive cities can be visited on a budget, and the next tips will help you with that.

Also Read: 3 States to Visit in the USA Beyond the Obvious

2. Look Into Different Transportation Options

Renting a car is the most convenient way to get around most of the US, but it’s not cheap.

Flights within the US are also generally a lot more expensive than flying around Europe or Asia.

Therefore it’s worth looking into traveling by bus or train. They may take longer, but will help you save a lot of money and often see some beautiful sights along the way.

Greyhound is the main bus company in the US. But also have a look at Megabus.com which sometimes has extremely cheap deals. And Comparabus.com is a good website to use if you want to compare bus prices.

Amtrak is the name of the train operator throughout the US. They offer Rail Passes that can be a great way to travel cheaply in the USA, depending on where you want to go.

Make sure you have both the UBER and Lyft App installed on your phone to get around cities. But most cities also offer (electric) bicycles and scooters for rent these days, which are a fun and often less expensive way to get around.

In many parts of the US car sharing services such as Zipcar and Turo are cheaper options to rent a car.

And if you do decide to rent a car, compare car rental prices online before you arrive to get the best deal. And check if your credit card offers car rental insurance because that can save you a lot of money!

3. Fly Strategically

The shortest, most direct flights are often also the most expensive ones.

If money is more of an issue than time, compare flights that have an extra stop or a longer layover. It might save you a lot of money.

Many major US cities have more than one airport. It pays to find out which ones are used by low-cost airlines.

But, the airports used by low-cost airlines are often further out of town. So do factor in the potential extra cost of getting into the city.

For more information about flying strategically, I’ve written a detailed article about how to find the cheapest flights.

4. Ditch The Extras

Many airlines offer extras on top of their basic fares. If you’re traveling on a budget, say no to all these extras.

Some American airlines can be quite persistent with their offers during your online booking. Don’t pay extra to select your own seat unless you really want to. And you most likely already have travel insurance so you don’t need theirs.

Traveling light will also help you save money. Checked luggage almost always comes at an additional fee these days. Check what size carry-on you are allowed to bring for free and try to fit everything you need in there. Wearing your heaviest and bulkiest items on the day of your flight helps you save space and weight.

Avoiding non-inclusive airline meals and drinks, by taking your own will also show good savings. Don’t purchase your sandwiches or snacks at the airport as these tend to be overpriced. Instead, just buy them on route to the airport from a local supermarket.

5. Find Places to Stay in the US on a Budget

Hotels can get very expensive in the US, especially in major cities.

Airbnb used to be a cheaper alternative, but prices have gone up a lot in recent years, making them often almost equally expensive. It’s still worth checking both AirBnb and VRBO, but hostels might be your best budget option.

If you want to enjoy America’s stunning nature, camping is a great and budget friendly way to travel the US.

Also Read: 7 Of the Best Camping Spots in California and Visiting Redwood National Park – a great destination if you are on a budget

Alternatively, Couchsurfing is a platform that helps you find locals who are happy to host you at their homes for free.

If you plan to travel in the US for a longer period of time, pet sitting is a popular way to find free accommodation. Or, if you have a home that you are leaving empty while you travel, there are several websites you can join to, safely, do a home exchange with someone in the destination you want to visit in the US.

6. Look for Free Things to Do

There are so many things to do in the US that don’t cost money.

From visiting beaches to free walking tours and certain museums that offer free entrance.

Just Google ‘free things to do in [insert your preferred destination]’ and you’ll find a whole list of options.

To save money on attractions that aren’t free, most cities offer a CityPASS. These cards give you discounts on major attractions and restaurants, and often offer free access to public transport as well.

Groupon and LivingSocial are two large websites that offer all sorts of activities at discounted rates throughout the US.

If you want to visit several national parks and forests while in the US, there is an annual pass that can help you save a lot of money.

7. Save Money on Food

Having to eat out three meals a day can really eat into your budget. So, that also makes it an easy way to save money if you are traveling the US on a budget.

If you choose to stay in a hostel or Airbnb, cook meals there instead of eating out. If you don’t have a kitchen, get food from the supermarket and have a nice picnic in a local park.

There are many cheap grocery stores in the USA. Walmart, Aldi and Grocery Outlet are some of the biggest ones. And even Dollar Tree stores are worth checking out as they offer some cheap food items as well.

Too Good To Go is a great app that works in a growing number of cities in the US. It partners with restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets and others to sell whichever products they have left over. It’s a great way to save on food and help prevent food waste!

When you do want to eat out, look for happy hour deals and do some research to find cheap places to eat before you arrive.

8. Travel Off-Season

Destinations in the USA, much like any country, have their busy times.

Although you can generally count on school holidays and major holidays being expensive times to travel, it does vary depending on where in the US you are traveling. So if you plan to visit multiple destinations, do check what the busiest and most expensive times are for each place.

If you can be flexible and avoid these peak times the savings will show.

9. Plan a Trip During Weekdays

If you are heading for a place popular with tourists, arriving on Friday night and leaving again on Sunday evening tends to cost more than arriving on Sunday and staying until Tuesday.

This is because airline companies need to keep their aircraft as full as possible when flying to destinations or returning from them. So to achieve this they discount unpopular times to fly, incentivizing people to choose those times.

Hotels and other accommodation options are also often more expensive on weekends than during the week.

So if you have the flexibility, plan to travel during the week.

Traveling the USA on a Budget – Conclusions

I hope this article has given you an idea of how to travel cheaply in the US!

If you want to save money when traveling to the USA you should do some research before you go and be a bit flexible. But traveling in the US definitely doesn’t have to be expensive and being on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t explore this large, beautiful country.

Enjoy traveling in the US and if you have any other money saving tips, leave them in a comment below!

And, depending on where you are from, you might need to apply for an ESTA to travel to the US. This article about applying for an ESTA shares everything you need to know about that.

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Author: Sanne Wesselman
A traveler, wanderer, digital nomad, and entrepreneur. Owner of marketing company A to Z Marketing.
I spend most of my time living and working abroad and use this website to share “the good, the bad and the ugly” of traveling and living abroad. Visit the About Me page for more info.