Consider living, working, researching or studying for a longer stretch of time.

This is my favourite way of travelling. Not only does it pay for itself, you get to know the place you’re staying at much better and have a handy base from which to explore the area.

Personally I like to combine it with this:

But it’s possible to find low-cost accomodations by staying in hostels and discount hotels.

Hostels are a definitely worth considering if you’re looking for work. They often need staff and typically have people coming in from abroad as workers. And if you’re willing to be a cleaner, you might not even need to know the local language. The definite plus is that hostels often offer accommodation to their workers, sometimes even (some) food. They often charge a rent, but that is definitely lower than in a normal flat in the same area. (The same thing probably goes for hotels, though I have no idea as to what extent they offer live-in jobs. )

Down sides: the work, the people
Up sides: the work, the people.
Meaning if you get a good crew that gets along with each other and a good boss, it can be very nice, but it’s a good idea to watch your back and as Q said, “always have an escape plan” in case it turns out that, say your boss is an incompetent, idiotic, asshole with a napoleon complex.

On all my hostel gigs I’ve managed to save up money and have returned home with a nice nest egg for the winter. And I feel I’ve got to know the place much better than if I’d just gone there for a couple of weeks as a tourist. Though working at a hostel, you might not really meet that many locals, since a great deal of hostel staff are foreigners themselves.

Hint: if you can, try to negotiate your work week so that you work on weekends and have your days off during the week. All places are open then and there are less people about.

The first impulse is to rule them out, because (realistically) there is no way in hell you are going to be able to use it to actually speak the language. But I found that there were plenty of times when I could look up a word in English, pass the book to the helpful native-speaker, who could then read the translation themselves rather than my mangled attempt at it. It is particularly useful in restaurants, for some reason.

Also, for each country, (or language), make sure to memorize “Excuse me”, “Please”, “Thank you”, and “Where is the bathroom?” in the local language. The first three are generally enough to establish that you are at least trying, and recognize you are a guest in their country, and the last is just not something you really want to have to get across via sign language.

Oh, and a blank journal to get signatures (to go with your photos) from some of the wonderful people you meet (and to take notes) is a MUST!

Enjoy!

If flying is your thing though here’s some low-cost carriers in Britain and Ireland:
FlyBe: http://www.flybe.com/
RyanAir: http://www.ryanair.com
BMIBaby: http://www.bmibaby.com
EasyJet: http://www.easyjet.com
The tickets on these airlines are priced by demand, so they get more expensive as the flight fills up. This means you need to book well in advance, months if you can, and if you find a bargain buy as soon as you can – it may be more expensive the next day, or even later in the same day. I’ve bought flights between Dublin and London for as little as 99p plus tax, about £50 in total.

If you’re flying then travel light. Most European airlines now charge a surcharge for bags, typically low or not much (less than £10) for one bag up to 15kg, but often much, much more for more bags. In the worst cases (British Airways transatlantic comes to mind) an extra bag can cost more than your ticket!

Check the airline policy before booking as all the surcharges (baggage, taxes, surcharge for paying by credit card) can be a nasty surprise and can make a cheap ticket actually more expensive than a ticket with a higher face value.

I can also recommend Lonely Planet and Let’s Go! as excellent guidebooks. LG! hasn’t let me down with budget hotel recommendations *or* budget food.

About the off season – do not travel in July. Just don’t do it. September and October have low fares, as do March and April (unless it’s a spring break destination).

Check out last minute deals from airlines and on-line travel agents. American, for instance, announces cut rate fares for the same weekend on Tuesday or Wednesday. If you are flexible and live in a major hub, you can score some great deals.

European rail passes are not as good a deal as they seem. They save you a lot if you want to visit a new city every day, but if you plan to stay a few days at your destinations, single tickets are probably a better option.

Buy a guide book. Look for one with a lot of maps, and look for one which caters to your income level. Frommer’s is not the book for people travelling on a shoestring. I like the Rough Guides, the Berkely series, and the Let’s Go. Read a variety before settling on one. Guidebook reviews help you avoid icky hotels and hostels, and they can clue you into which days museums are free. They frequently also tell you which neighborhoods are rough, and which neighborhoods do not deserve their reputation.

Hostels are awesome, especially if you travel alone. They don’t all have age restrictions. You can meet other people there and have buddies to go sightseeing with, and they have kitchens so you don’t have to eat every meal out. Sometimes noise is an issue, so bring earplugs. Many of them have “family rooms” for those travelling with kids, or who just want a room of their own.

Remove the batteries from the vibrator and put it in checked baggage.