The Best Budget Travel Tip You'll Ever Receive, According To Rick Steves

Here's something not many people are ready to admit: Traveling on a budget doesn't have to mean sacrificing experiences. On the contrary, budget travel can be a game-changer for explorers looking to make the most of their adventures without necessarily breaking the bank. Whether you're planning a weekend getaway or a month-long expedition, learning how to travel cheap can help extend your trip and visit more destinations. From using online platforms to find cheaper places to stay to getting around via public transportation, cooking your own meals, and even finding free tours and attractions to visit, there are countless ways to save money while traveling.

Aside from the cost-cutting and deal-hunting, there's someone who believes in a specific budget tip that trumps all the others out there: Rick Steves. He shared the advice on his website, writing, "Understand what you are experiencing, and it becomes twice as rewarding." As a guidebook author and European travel expert, Steves has made a career of helping others travel far — and do it well. With decades of experience exploring Europe and sharing travel advice, his "most important budget tip of all" can actually help you snag a two for one deal that's hard to beat. So, what's his secret to getting more bang for your buck no matter where you go?

Put simply, Steves' budget travel tip revolves around maximizing the value of your experiences through the power of knowledge. By understanding the history, culture, and significance of the places you visit, the meals you eat, and the sights you see, you can transform even the most mundane things into something truly extraordinary. And then, suddenly, every moment is instantly "worth double," as Steves writes.

For example, visiting a historic site becomes even more meaningful when you know its backstory. In the same vein, trying a new local dish is also a lot more enjoyable when you understand its cultural importance. Ultimately, by equipping yourself with information, you're not just seeing new places — you're truly living them. And this deeper engagement with your surroundings can make even the most budget-friendly trip feel luxurious and rewarding.

Better yet, this approach doesn't even require you to spend any more money — so we're talking about really maximizing your travel budget. Instead, it involves investing time in researching your destinations before and during your trip. This could mean anything from reading guidebooks to listening to podcasts, doing a quick Google search, or even taking a (free) walking tour to gain firsthand insights that'll help to enrich your trip.