• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Road Affair

Stop Dreaming. Start Traveling.

Hide Search
  • Home
  • Browse
    • Guides & Tips
    • See & Do
    • Tech & Gear
    • Work & Volunteer
    • Places to Stay
    • Blogging
  • Destinations
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Caribbean
    • Central America
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • North America
    • Oceania
    • South America
  • Resources
  • Contact Us
  • Start a Blog
Show Search
Female skipping along the road
Olga Danylenko / shutterstock.com

Guides & Tips

Spontaneous Travel: 8 Things to Consider

Jazzy Williams January 22, 2021
Share
TwitterPinterestFacebookFlipboardEmail
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

As we were about to book our tickets, we realized that the spontaneous decision to board a plane and go wherever, was “bound to be Legen…. wait for it … dary “(In the words of Barney from “How I Met your Mother”).

But then it hit us, we knew nothing about the country we were about to go to, and we started to feel as though we were completely unprepared for this trip.

So how did we manage to survive in this unfamiliar country, you ask? Well, though there was a lot of trial and error, we just winged it and hoped for the best.

To help you avoid making some of the same mistakes we made, we compiled a list of things you should consider before traveling spontaneously.

1. It Can Be More Expensive

Traveling without reserving a flight or hotel room in advance could end up being more expensive than having everything pre-booked. However, depending on the season, there are last minute flight and hotel deals that spontaneous travelers can take advantage off.

When we spontaneously decided to fly from Chicago to Cancun, our tickets definitely weren’t the cheapest. However, going to the airport and purchasing a one-way ticket to a random destination was totally worth it and we wouldn’t change that experience for anything. The opportunity to learn about a country’s culture by not reading about it but by actually living it, is priceless.

2. Buying a Return Ticket

The Golden Question: Should you purchase a return ticket? If you don’t know where you are headed or for how long you are going to stay, we recommend you buy a one-way ticket. You can always book a return flight later, when you have a better idea of when and where you’ll be leaving from. However, one important thing to keep mind is that some countries might not let you in if you can’t show proof of onward travel. Check out how Wandering Earl solved his issues of not having a return ticket.

3. Finding a Place to Stay

There are a few lodging options that accommodate spontaneous travelers looking for last minute places to stay. Some of them are:

Hostels are the budget travelers’ best friend. Travelers can book a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory like room, for cheap. Prices vary based on location but it is usually cheaper than a night stay in a hotel. Hostels are usually a sharing environment, meaning bathrooms and kitchen are shared by all occupants, which can give the travelers the opportunity to meet other like-minded people. Most major cities outside of the US will have them and are a good last minute option for backpackers. Two good hostel website for finding hostels near you are Booking.com or Hostelworld.

Couchsurfing is our preferred method of finding accommodations. It is a community of friendly people around the world that open their homes to travelers for free. Not only is it the most budget friendly way of traveling, it also allows you to stay with locals who can give you some tips on what to see and where to go. Some might even be able to show you around. Keep in mind that some people take longer than others to reply to requests, so make sure you send out a number of them. There are also groups called “Last Minute Couch Request” that have helped us out in the past.

Airbnb is somewhat similar to Couchsurfing however instead of crashing on a couch for free you pay for a private space (can be a room, entire house, treehouse, etc.). Using Airbnb can be cheaper than staying at a hotel and if you are traveling with somebody else it might even be cheaper than a hostel, because most times you pay for the room and not per person. With Airbnb’s “Instant Book” option, people are able to book last minute without having to wait for the host’s approval.

Note: Click here to receive $40 off of your next Airbnb stay with our Airbnb coupon code.

Camping might be a good option if you enjoy nature and don’t mind sleeping in a tent. We for example, always travel with a lightweight tent, sleeping bags and pads, because you never know when you might need it. There are two ways of camping, one is to pay for a camping spot on an official camping ground. The other option is called stealth camping, which is our preferred way of camping. To learn more about stealth camping click here.

Hotels, though more expensive than any of the above mentioned options, you can pretty much count on finding them anywhere. Two websites for finding good hotel deals are Hotels.com and Booking.com

4. Informing Your Bank

This can be a tricky one. Our suggestion is to do this while you are waiting for your flight in the airport terminal, that way you can use your local phone service that you already have. If however, you are already away from home or you don’t have service on your phone, you can look for an Internet Café or public WiFi and chat with one of your banks representatives online.

You really want to make sure to inform your bank of your travels because if they notice an unusual behavior on your bank account, they will put a hold on it. You don’t want to be in a foreign country without any money.

5. Visa Requirements & Restrictions

If you are the owner of a “First World Passport”, most countries will provide you with a tourist visa (usually valid for 90 days) at point of entry. However, each country has different visa requirements and restrictions, so make sure you find out before getting there.

When we arrived in Cancun we didn’t know that we could stay in Mexico on a tourist visa for up to 6 months legally. Not knowing any better, we told the immigration officer that we only plan on staying for 30 days. But later on we decided to stay in Mexico for longer and the process to extend the visa is quite tedious. Our options are either to do a visa run, meaning we go out of the country and come back to get a new visa or go to the Immigration Office in Mexico and extend our current visa. Both options cost money that we wouldn’t have to pay if we were a little bit more informed before arriving.

Learn from our mistake, because even if you don’t plan on staying for the maximum amount of time, at least you will have the option.

6. Getting Around

If you are going somewhere new it always helps to know how to get around. Most destinations will have taxis you can rely on. However, depending on where you are, taxis might not be the most budget friendly way of getting around.

To save money, do as the locals do and take local buses instead. Don’t forget to check the bus schedule, as the buses might not be running at all times, and you don’t want to get stuck walking (we speak from experience :D).

7. Don’t Know the Language

Not knowing the native language of a country can be one of the worst issues one can have while traveling. It’s extremely frustrating when you can’t communicate your thoughts to others. This same frustration can lead you to either hate your spontaneous travel decision or it can make you want to learn the language.

To help alleviate some of the burden of not knowing the language, find a store that sells books and buy a dictionary. In our case we purchased a basic Spanish phrase book as well as a Spanish– English dictionary the moment we got into Cancun.

If you have a phone or tablet we definitely recommend you also download the Google Translate App. It will make communicating with locals so much easier and faster.

Another helpful app we have found is Duolingo (Note that only a number of languages are supported) and if you are serious about learning a language it is a must have.

P.s. When locals see that you are trying to learn their language, they are more open to helping you. So show some effort and learn at least the basic words such as Thank you, Please, Hello, Goodbye, etc.

8. Keeping in Touch with Friends & Family

We live in the age of technology and there is really no excuse for not staying in touch with friends and family. Some useful apps that we recommend are:

Whatsapp allows you to send free unlimited text and picture messages internationally however you cannot call from this app.  This app is free up to a year. Both parties need to download the app as well as you will need a phone number to confirm your registration.

Talkatone is a great app for free unlimited calling and texting over WiFi and the best part is that the other person doesn’t have to have the app installed on their device.

Though spontaneous traveling can be difficult, it doesn’t have to be impossible.

People have been doing it way before the invention of the internet. But if you have a little time to do some research before you get on the plane, we hope this post will help you make the process of spontaneous traveling a lot smoother.

Share
TwitterPinterestFacebookFlipboardEmail

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Will Tang says

    September 10, 2014 at 1:30 pm

    I’ve never done spontaneous travel before so this is good to know! Wish I had the flexibility too though!

    Reply
  2. Jazzy says

    September 10, 2014 at 8:56 pm

    There is always time, you just have to find it Will. You have to do it at least once, it’s totally worth it.

    Reply
  3. jennifer says

    September 12, 2014 at 10:17 am

    I am a complete planning maniac, to fit everything into my tight “I still have a full time job” schedule. I cannot wait until this is all over and I can slow travel, travel spontaneously, and all that fun stuff that motivates me to put every penny I can into my RTW fund.

    Reply
    • Jazzy says

      September 14, 2014 at 12:30 pm

      I know how you feel, I am and still kind of a planning maniac, to do lists are my best friends. However, once you have the chance to let go and travel, it will be an amazing feeling. You will love it for sure. I freaked out when Ben suggested we go to Mexico, without any planning or any knowledge on the country but I am happy we did. Because, I love the 24/7 nice weather and the beautiful beaches not to mention the awesome locals here.

      Reply
  4. Amy says

    September 13, 2014 at 11:55 am

    Great tips! I rarely get to travel spontaneously these days with the limitations of my job and having a dog, but I do love the rare spur of the moment trips when I can take them. There’s something so freeing about just going.

    Reply
    • Jazzy says

      September 14, 2014 at 12:35 pm

      You said the magic words Amy, freeing. Spontaneous travels provides so much freedom and flexibility it crazy. I should do it more often. Hopefully, soon you can get the chance to do more spur of the moment trips, because they are worth finding the time for and the money.

      Reply
  5. Tim says

    September 20, 2014 at 5:04 am

    Not much is better than taking off on the spur of the moment. Loved the fact that you guys chucked in the Illinois hitchhiking and ended up in Mexico :)

    Reply
    • Jazzy says

      September 20, 2014 at 7:19 pm

      Totally agree with you Tim. It was one of the best decisions we have made so far and it is always fun to see peoples faces when we tell them how we got here. :D

      Reply
  6. Jessica @ Green Global Travel says

    June 8, 2015 at 6:23 pm

    Wow, these are great tips! Spontaneous travel can definitely be a rewarding experience, but sometimes it’s easy to have so much fun that you forget the “practical concerns”. I really enjoyed the links and resources in the “Finding a place to stay” section. Thank you for this informative post!

    Reply
  7. Wayne Seto says

    June 17, 2015 at 3:07 pm

    I’ve done a spontaneous trip once to Cabo as there was a cheap flight that left within 2 days. However, it was Valentine’s weekend and finding a place to stay last minute was a bit tricky. But there was something exhilarating about getting up and going on a whim. Great tips!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Beautiful Airbnb in Miami, Florida, USA

15 Best Airbnbs in Miami, FL

Places to Stay

Happy hipster traveler people enjoying the alternative vacation - car with tent on the roof and beautiful young woman sit down outside looking at the forest around - outdoor activity

10 Best Rooftop Tents

Tech & Gear

Breakfast with coffee and croissants in a basket on table

Gluten-Free Paris: A Travel Guide for Celiacs

GF Guides

ourist in the ancient city. Young man with backpack coming to ancient monuments. Siem Reap, Cambodia

10 Days in Cambodia: The Perfect Cambodia Itinerary

Guides & Tips

Street scenes in the historic colonial district of Georgetown, Penang

3 Days in Penang: The Perfect Penang Itinerary

Guides & Tips

You might also like...

Guides & Tips

7 Companies That Will Enhance Your Travel Experience

Group Of Friends Standing By Car On Coastal Road At Sunset

Guides & Tips

7 Tips on How to Be the Perfect Couchsurfing Guest

Couple Man and Woman sitting on cliff

Guides & Tips

Why World Nomads is the Best Travel Insurance

Apartment decorated in white and gold furniture

Guides & Tips

9 Reasons Why You Should Use Airbnb While Traveling

backpacker in Khaosan Road, Thailand

Guides & Tips

10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Get Travel Insurance

Hostel Packing List featured image

Guides & Tips

Hostel Packing List: 10 Things You Can’t Go to a Hostel Without

How to save money while traveling featured image

Guides & Tips

57 Tips on How to Save Money While Traveling

Young man and woman are looking through window at airport

Guides & Tips

16 Essential Tips for Flying with Budget Airlines

Footer

Browse

  • Guides & Tips
  • See & Do
  • Tech & Gear
  • Work & Volunteer
  • Travel Resources

Destinations

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Caribbean
  • Central America
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • North America
  • Oceania
  • South America

Resources

  • Best Travel Backpacks
  • Best Travel Insurance
  • How to Save Money for Travel
  • Packing List for Backpackers
  • How to Start a Blog

Company

  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Subscribe

Get more travel inspiration, tips and exclusive offers sent straight to your inbox

© 2021 Road Affair. All Rights Reserved.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest