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How to Travel the World On a Budget For a Year With Only $10K For Two

Last updated on March 9th, 2024

If you are secretly thinking about how to travel the world on a budget and find the cheapest way to go places, this post will definitely come in handy! Really, you don’t need to have a lot of money to be able to travel. It is totally possible even if you are on a tight budget.

In fact, I want to show you how to travel the world for cheap when you have only $10K and want to spread it out for as long as possible.

I know, lately, things have been changing fast. At first the pandemic and now the Russian war in my own country influenced inflation and made prices soar.

It became more challenging and more expensive to travel. With only $10K (especially if you have this amount for the entire year), it is now a more difficult task to travel qualitatively than let’s say it was even a couple of years ago. Yet, it is still possible. And I’ll show you how.

There are a lot of tips from different people regarding how much money one should have in order to travel long-term and feel comfortable.

I have personally seen reports with such numbers as $20K and $30K per year and then I met someone who spent around $15K when traveling solo around the world.

Honestly, I don’t think that having $30K for one year of travel is something extraordinary. Even $20,000 is still enough money. If knowing how to spend it smartly, this amount can keep you going for way longer than just 12 months. And yes, even in this time when prices are up.

And now, you don’t need to stay in hostels all the time, camp, or sleep in trains or buses. Also, rice and noodles are not the only dishes you have to eat.

There are still many ways how to travel for cheap, eat delicious and healthy foods , drink coffee ,  swim in infinity pools, go to spa centers , sleep in castle hotels , and hike trails in stunning places.

Just a couple of years ago Mark and I also traveled the world with little money and managed to spend around $10K a year using all those tips and tricks that I mention below (I accumulated them over a long period of time). If you are interested to know where we went and what we did, you can read this post .

But the goal of this article is to show you that there are ways to travel cheap. To be more exact, there are still ways to travel with $10K a year. And more than that, this amount will cover expenses for two people.

So let’s talk about them below.

General Tips on How to Travel the World on a Budget

1. set a plan on where to go and how much time to spend in one place.

Knowing where to go and how much time to spend in each place will help you understand how much to budget. And once you have that budget you can stick to, you are able to relax and enjoy the process. I don’t think making a step-by-step agenda with precise activities makes much sense. 

But if you want to travel the world cheaply and not stress out on the road over things that you could have planned before, then decide for yourself which countries you’ll travel to and in what order.

Also, make an approximate plan of which cities, villages, and attractions you would like to cover and what to skip. Do some research and find out what is the cost of travel in those places. Make a plan for how to move between them. It is very important because last-minute decisions always cost more.

Flights between many countries within the same continent are usually cheap but not if you are waiting until the last day. Some types of transportation (like first-class or sleeper trains, and ferries) sell out quickly. Nice accommodation on a budget is usually also booked in advance.

Do not hope to go with the flow and book everything along the way. Better have a precise idea of where you’ll go and when especially if thinking of travelling on a budget in Europe. Also, don’t plan to visit 50 countries in 12 months. In that way, you’ll end up spending all the money on transportation and getting places instead of experiencing them, not to mention being jet-lagged and tired all the time.

From my experience, I can tell that going without a plan (even an approximate one) can cost a pretty penny later. Mark and I used to travel without an idea where to go and when, and then when trying to make a last-minute decision, prices for everything were so much higher that we had to overpay.

RELATED POST: QUITTING MY JOB TO TRAVEL THE WORLD. IS IT SMART ENOUGH?

2. Do Not Plan Travel More Than 2 Months in Advance

One of my favorite ways to travel cheap is not to plan a trip more than 2 months in advance, often even one month in advance. And the reason for that is that travel planning with too much time ahead of you often means higher prices.

Many airlines, hotels, and tour companies offer discounted prices to fill up their remaining inventory when the date of travel is close. By booking your travel arrangements closer to your departure day, you may be able to find some great deals that weren’t available when you first started planning.

In my experience, the best way to find cheap airline tickets for long distances is within the 3-6 weeks range. So if you want to fly somewhere in 2 months, it is better to start monitoring prices but not buying tickets just yet. Wait and see how better deals are going to pop up as some time passes and you have 4-5 weeks left before the travel date.

Although do not wait for too long as with less than 2 weeks time left before your departure, airfare prices are going to increase again.  

The same is with accommodation. Oftentimes owners of many boutique and small heritage hotels decrease prices of rentals during the off-season even if there are still a few weeks of time left before travel.

We booked many trips at the last minute, including a recent trip to Cordoba while moving from Malaga to Tenerife island. And by the way, the trip to Tenerife with flights and accommodation, which we planned 2 weeks before departure, turned out to be quite cheaper than if we had stayed in Malaga during the same duration.

3. Get a Travel Credit Card Before You Leave

If you want to travel smart and cheap, get a travel credit card, preferably one with cash rewards. It will save you money on every purchase.

With a travel card, you don’t need to pay a foreign transaction fee. Also, what we found important is that when you pay in a foreign country with a credit card, the exchange rate set by the bank is always higher than the rate in exchange kiosks. So, in this way, you will be saving money too.

But besides savings, you can earn points on all transactions and later deposit them into the account as cash value and apply towards travel.

More and more places around the world accept credit cards, even small market stalls, so you won’t need to withdraw money on every occasion.

As for the card to choose, see what banks in your country offer. If you are from the US, from my experience I can recommend the Bank of America travel rewards card , Chase Sapphire Preferred , and Capital One Venture (although the last two have a yearly fee).

4. Choose to Travel Slowly to Be Able to Save

By traveling slowly I mean choosing one city in a new country where you’ll base for at least a month. Better if you make a base there for a few months. Especially in this time, with the corona, it provides more security to have a long-term base. In this case, you’ll be able to rent accommodation on a monthly basis, cook at home, get to know how locals live, and travel within that region. All of it will cost you way less than constant travels from one place to another. 

Traveling full-time can get really exhausting and also it takes more resources. Traveling slowly helps to remain positive and energetic . 

If you look at budget-friendly destinations, you’ll see that renting a nice but pretty basic room costs between $10-$15 a night. If you multiply by 30 days, it will add up to $300 minimum. But honestly, you cannot count on that. In one destination it may cost $10 while in other $20.

On the contrary, in the same destination, the entire apartment costs between $250-$350 a month. It includes a kitchen that in turn helps to cook at home from time to time and save on food.

With slow travel, you do not necessarily see less. You actually get to experience more, just in one country.

We have been living in slow travel for almost 4 years now. During this time we were based in many cities and traveled qualitatively around many countries. If you are curious to learn what are those places (that I believe are fantastic destinations for budget travelers to live while traveling slowly), check my other posts:

• 15 Countries to Live in Europe With $1000 Per Month For Two
• Life in Istanbul, Turkey – What’s It Like? Tips For Foreigners & Digital Nomads
• Moving to Turkey – Is Turkey a Good Country?  
• Life in Tbilisi, Georgia – Will You Enjoy It?
• How is Life in Ukraine For a Foreigner – What to Know & Expect
• Life in Kuala Lumpur – What to Expect?
• Living in Vietnam Under $1000 For Two – Amazing Country For Budget Travelers

5. Travel There Where You Don’t Need a Visa 

Most likely, if you are reading this post, you haven’t traveled much yet. Maybe you’ve seen a few places but I bet there are many more left for you to discover. And if I have to guess, you want to go everywhere.

So, my advice to everyone who is on a shoestring budget but wants to travel the world for a year (or more) – try to start with those destinations where you don’t need to pay for a visa or where at least a visa is cheap.

Different passports have different levels of power, I get that. Still, a lot of those passports enable their holders to travel to some destinations visa-free. Check where you need to apply for a visa or where you can just obtain an ETA and calculate how much it will cost.

Visa expenses in total can end up being a few hundreds of dollars. For someone on a tight budget that’s actually a lot of money. So if you are flexible about where to travel to, start with those destinations where crossing the border is free. Or at least where the cost of a visa is cheap. 

Mark and I personally use iVisa website to check if we need visas for every country we go to. It is a very helpful resource where all information is updated regularly.

6. Plan to Travel to Prime Destinations During the Off Season

Traveling to expensive destinations during the off-season may seem counterintuitive, but it can actually be a great way to save money while still enjoying all that the destination has to offer.

During the off-season, no matter where you go, prices for flights, accommodation, and activities usually drop. But with expensive destinations that’s not the only benefit.

Oftentimes, many expensive destinations during the low season besides lower prices also offer milder weather that is more comfortable for outdoor activities. For example, in destinations like Hawaii or the Caribbean, the off-season means lower humidity and fewer storms which is an ideal time to enjoy the beaches or go hiking. 

In southern Spain like Andalusia for example, off-season (meaning winter) is a perfect time to escape cold and enjoy winter sun on a budget.

One of the reasons how Mark and I managed to travel all over Spain and even live in one of the northern towns and then live in Malaga was because we mainly traveled there in winter and found cheap accommodation for a long term while it was still cheap. 

7. Choose to Travel to Cheap Countries 

I am sure you could somehow figure that this one was going to make the list. If you want to make sure your saved money will last you longer, choose to travel to cheaper destinations . Each continent has its own cheap countries. And Southeast Asia is not the only place. 

In North America, for instance, Mexico is pretty cheap. Look into Campeche, Merida, Guanajuato, Puerto Escondida, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara if you want to save money. Although it is also very possible to travel to Cancun on a budget together with Tulum and Playa del Carmen.

In Europe, look into the Balkans (all countries in this region are very cheap,) Eastern Europe, and some parts of Spain . We lived in Montenegro and spent the same amount of money there as we did in Bali . Bosnia and Herzegovina was even cheaper.

Ukraine, my home country, is one of the cheapest destinations in Europe for winter and for summer where to live comfortably but with very little money. Let’s just wait for the war to end and you can add Ukraine again to the places where to travel on the cheap. Even Istanbul in Turkey , where we used to live and return often, offers a lot of options for budget travelers. 

With Southeast Asia, you need to know where to go because some places can be more pricey than others. Singapore is obviously the most expensive, Taiwan is not that cheap and some parts of Malaysia, the Philippines, Bali can also surprise with prices. 

If you haven’t opened my post about the cheapest countries to live in Europe , do it now. I included all the countries where you can live with €1000 per month. Even if there is no plan to live in any of them, it’ll give you an idea of how cheap/expensive they are for travel.

8. Pack Everything You Need Before You Leave

Chances are you won’t be taking a lot of stuff when leaving to travel. Still, pack your bags wisely.

While you are still working and having an income stream, buy everything you may need for your voyage ahead of time. Glasses, sunblocks, a bathing suit, sandals, sneakers, towels, medicine, and even a hair muss if you need one. Do not plan to buy those necessities later. In a new country, you may not know right away where the best places to shop are or the same items can be more expensive.

Plus additionally, if you don’t pack all you need, it will mean you’ll buy it ina new destination in this way adding more weight to your bags. And extra luggage nowadays is quite expensive.

Many airlines charge additional fees for checked luggage or overweight bags. By packing everything you need in a carry-on bag, you can avoid these fees and save money.

However, it is not really about money only. Running around in a new place may steal your time.

9. Change Your Habits to Save More Money 

If you want to travel the world on a budget, you need to make some changes to your lifestyle.

We all have our own habits and small things that make us happy. For me, some of those things I love are a bowl of smoothie almost every single day, something sweet, and jogging. For Mark, that’s always a cup of coffee, workout, and beer. When we were living in America, we paid for all those things around $200 each month.

When we started to travel, we realized that we couldn’t have smoothies all the time (this type of food is pretty expensive everywhere in cafes), buy coffee on a daily basis (which our bodies don’t need anyway) and we couldn’t pay for a gym. So we made a lot of changes. No, we didn’t quit them but we changed the routine.

Instead of paying for a gym, we always follow home workouts, jog, and exercise outside when the weather is warm. For example, now while living in Istanbul , we are renting an apartment near the park and seaside. The only time we paid for a gym was during our long stay in Ukraine .

For smoothies and coffee, we decided to purchase a portable coffee maker and a compact travel blender that we pack in our suitcases for many trips. 

While I will never try to tell anyone to stop exercising and eating healthy, I will definitely encourage you to realize where you are overspending. Most likely you are spending more on long-held habits. Are you a smoker? Drinker? Coffee, fast food, soda addict? All of this will be taking a good chunk of money out of your monthly budget.

If you want to learn cheap ways to travel, cut your spending, and quit bad habits because they may be costing you more than anything else. 

10. Go Only There, Where Flights Are Cheap

Another thing that will help to travel the world for a year on a budget is to plan to go to those destinations where flights are cheap. I like to use an ‘Explore’ option with google to see which connections the city of interest has and which of them are the cheapest. 

There are a lot of countries that interest me and where I want to go. But when picking the next base for us with Mark, I always search for tickets first. The cheapest and most convenient flight always wins.

Before planning your itinerary, first of all, learn how to find cheap deals . Make a list of countries you want to visit and then start looking at which country is cheaper to fly to. Sometimes distance doesn’t matter. You may find a better deal to fly from the U.S. to Europe than to Costa Rica or even Mexico.

A few years ago, while being in Ukraine , we found the cheapest ticket to Chiang Mai and this is why we ended up there. But on the way, we had a fantastic 24 hours long layover in Doha , Qatar which let us visit a new country for cheap.

Play with different airfare search sites (we always compare on Expedia and Google Flights ), use some luxury travel hacks, make sure to check prices from Tuesday to Thursday (especially at night), look for connecting flights, and compare prices.

I recommend buying tickets for at least the first two months of your travels. The rest you can buy along the way.

Practical Tips on How to Travel the World for Cheap

11. find complimentary accommodation.

Complimentary accommodation does not always come as free. Sometimes you may need to do some work in exchange but it is worth it so much.

Getting this type of accommodation is good if you plan to travel to prime destinations such as Western Europe, Scandinavia , Australia, New Zealand, United States , Canada, etc.

With these countries, you can always house-sit , volunteer, camp for free or little money, couchsurf , or work in exchange for food and a place to sleep. Most of these opportunities, especially international housesitting , will cover your room and board and sometimes provide a car.

Before Mark and I left America we spent 3 months traveling from the West Coast of the U.S. through Vancouver and then to Banff National Park and then all the way to Vermont, staying in free accommodation. This is how we ended up paying less than $1500 for all that time. I talk more about what we did and where we stayed in this post on work in exchange for accommodation and food . Give it a read.

But briefly, here are resources to use to find complimentary accommodation:

• Housesitting – this website has the biggest number of hosts
• Couchsurfing – this is the largest resource with free accommodation 
• WWOOF & Peace Corps – a big number of community projects while staying with local hosts or in volunteer housing
• HomeExchange or Love Home Swap – the most popular websites for swapping your home with someone else’s in another part of the world
• BeWelcome – a non-profit hospitality exchange platform that connects travelers with local hosts who are willing to offer free accommodation
• Warm Showers – a platform that connects cyclists (if you travel by bike) with hosts who offer free accommodation, shower facilities, and sometimes meals
• University Living – great resource for summer travel for students that allows you to find a room for rent in university dorms around the world at a reduced rate. This can be a great option if you’re traveling on a budget and don’t mind sharing a bathroom or living space with other travelers

12. Or Choose to Stay With Locals

Another option for cheap accommodation is to stay with locals. Besides the money, it also provides an excellent opportunity to immerse in a new culture, get to know how people in that country live and experience something different than a hostel or even Airbnb.

Our favorite websites for short and long-term stays with locals are:

– Homestay – rent a room in someone’s home and let the host help you learn about local life 

– Servas – a hospitality exchange network, similar to Couchsurfing but with a mandatory yearly fee and stricter sign-up. It helps to connect travelers with local hosts who are willing to provide free accommodation in exchange for cultural exchange and friendship.

– HelpX – one of my favorite platforms that connects B&Bs, farms, hostels, homeowners with volunteers. With the help of this site, you can do all types of jobs in exchange for free housing and food. From volunteering in a hostel to helping to look after a luxury home, this site has it all!

– Agoda – this website has quite a few pretty awesome guest houses in Asia. 

– Trustroots – another website similar to Couchsurfing. But here, you are able to find a host based on the same interests as you have. 

13. Also… Stay in Monasteries 

We accidentally learned about this option on our road trip from Bucharest to Brasov . And we almost stayed overnight in a beautiful Caraiman Monastery , perched on a hill overlooking the mountains.

While walking on its beautiful grounds, we noticed a message on a door saying that there were rooms available for rent. The price per night was less than €10.

Later, I decided to do some research and found out quite a few monasteries around the world where both male and female travelers can stay. That’s an amazing opportunity to save money on accommodation and experience something truly unique!

For a long time, religious institutions have been receiving pilgrims. And this opportunity stayed with us to this day. However, don’t expect much. Usually, monasteries offer overnight stays with very ascetic conditions – only a bed, a table, and very simple dinners. You may also need to visit a religious service.

But, stays are very quiet and peaceful and you need to be in bed by a certain time. So, it won’t work to get there late at night from the nearest bar.

Some monasteries have a fixed rate per night, like hotels, but others will be grateful for a symbolic charity contribution. To find out more details, see this article . 

To find a monastery or temple for the night, check these sites:

– Monasterystays – monastery stays in Italy, Austria, and Slovenia

– Goodnightandgodbless – mainly monastery and church stays in Europe 

– Templestays – stays in Korea 

14. Look for New Apartments on Airbnb

Honestly, I am not a big fan of Airbnb anymore. I used to be in the past when it has just come to the market and was relatively new to everyone. But after a while, after traveling for a bit and staying in various Airbnbs on three continents Mark and I noticed how much Airbnb changed for the worse. Lately, we started to use VRBO in those destinations where it is available.

Through Airbnb, many times we paid a lot of money for a place that was dirty and not the same as in pictures, some owners didn’t seem to try hard to provide the best service, sometimes Airbnb team didn’t care, other times we had issues with the apartment and nothing was done to fix it. Overall, we started to notice one pattern – prices for apartments are constantly unreasonably increasing but the level of service and quality gradually goes down.

Another thing that caught our eye is the fact that many Airbnbs are owned by real estate agencies, not locals as Airbnb promotes. And in turn, it creates a totally different experience.  

So, our trust got undermined.  Still, I recommend this concept in a few cases. One of them is when you travel long-term and need an apartment for a minimum of 28 days. To save money, when we book a flat for that much time (or more) we always go with new apartments only . 

The reason for that is an additional discount from Airbnb. Usually, when the owner signs up and is willing to rent out his home, Airbnb always suggests giving a discount to the first 3 people who book his property. Besides a regular long-stay discount, they are supposed to provide an extra one. Many times this discount is between 30% and 50%. 

If you look at some destinations, you will be surprised to find some amazing deals. For instance, when we were recently looking for homes in Norway , the average price was around $2000-$3000 per month but a new apartment that recently popped up on Airbnb cost around $800 in a good location in the Tromso area.

So if you are on a very tight budget but want to travel the world for cheap, always look for new airbnbs and book one as soon as you like it.

15. Look For Farm Stays 

Would you like another hack on how to travel the world on a low budget? Then choose to live on a farm.

No, I am not talking about WWOOFing or workaway .

I mean a farm stay without a need to work. There are quite a few farms in some countries that offer accommodation. You can stay on a farm you like, learn how it works (for example, see how the cow is milked), and enjoy outdoor activities.

The conditions of such a stay vary. It can be an ordinary tent or a luxuriously furnished apartment. Of course, the luxury cottage for a budget traveler will cost a lot. But, there are also cheaper options.

On average though, a modestly furnished room with amenities on a farm will cost around the same as a budget hotel in the same country.

You can find farm stays to save money on the following sites:

– Farmstay – farm stays in England, Scotland, and Ireland 

– Downunderfarmstays – farms in Australia 

– Traveletti – farms in Hungary, Ukraine, Poland, Greece, Portugal, France, Spain, and Italy to help you travel Europe on a budget. Their service is unavailable at this time due to covid but keep it in mind for the future. 

– Farmstayus – farm stays for budget travel in the USA 

– Farmstaycampingaustralia – stays in Australia

16. Or Look For a Home On Spot in a New Country

If you plan to stay in one place for as minimum as a month and haven’t found anything decent and affordable on Airbnb yet, do not panic. I recommend booking accommodation for the first 3-4 nights and once you get to your destination, start looking around among locals. Or, join local Facebook groups.

We always follow this strategy and always have success in finding something. This is how we found lovely and rather cheap apartments in Vietnam,  in Thailand, and in Bali . In Montenegro and Turkey, we found beautiful flats  through the Facebook group.

So do not worry if the choice of flats online is not ample. In many countries, you’ll find it quickly enough.

17. Rent a Car If Traveling in Europe

Yes, exactly, if you are wondering how to travel in Europe on a low budget, rent a car. It is a smart move that is going to help you save money and see more. And I’ll explain how. 

If you start searching for deals and try to book in advance, you can rent a car for as little as $20-$25 per week (sometimes per month!) There are endless offers from various rental companies that offer fantastic deals in different parts of the European continent.

We rented a car in Valencia for $28 for 10 days in late November, in Bucharest (Romania) for $25 for the entire month (which we canceled due to a change of plans,) and later we paid $85 per month, $45 per week in Sarajevo , $30 for 2 weeks in Milan and more.

Renting a car in Tbilisi and Montenegro was way more expensive but for the most part, renting a car in Europe was pretty cheap. Recently we rented a car in Turkey for as little as $8 per day.

If traveling solo , hiring a car may actually cost you more but for two people it is a perfect opportunity to save money on transportation. Buses and trains are not that cheap as companies try to promote and you may end up spending more for two people on one round trip between cities than on a car rental and gas for the entire week (which also allows you to be flexible.)

With this strategy though, you have to visit Europe during the offseason and also target to visit cheaper destinations. During the high tourist season, prices are so high, that you will end up spending much, much more.

18. Eat/Drink/Shop Smartly

Food costs always come second after accommodation costs and can take a lot out of your budget. To be able to travel the world not spending much, try to cook at home more, especially if you are traveling in Western World countries.

Eating out in Southeast Asia , surprisingly, is cheaper than when you cook at home, but only if you choose street food. Trips to restaurants and cafes add up and can cost a fortune. South America and Eastern Europe are very affordable in this sense too.

We always cook when we travel. Our daily food expense until this day in the year 2024 is between $15-$20, depending on the destination. This cost always covers meat or fish products, lots of veggies, fruits, smoothies, coffee, tea, and occasional eating out and desserts. There is never a moment when we say “no” to ourselves when it comes to food, and we always eat local food.

I honestly don’t understand how some people manage to eat only rice or vegetables in order to cut costs. Doing it they lose so much. Trying local foods is part of the experience, please, spend some money on local food. Also, you need to stay healthy and watch your diet by eating healthy whole foods. There is no way for your body to be healthy if consuming rice or vegetables only.

Another note is about alcohol and coffee. You would need to cut on those to save money too.

19. Be Selective When It Comes to Attractions And Entertainment

I know, when you travel you want to have fun and do as many activities as you physically can. But don’t be in a hurry. Price for those attractions matters.

Physically you can’t do everything anyway, but choosing one activity over another does not mean you don’t get to know the country. Each destination has plenty of free or cheap things to do, so there is a lot to choose from. Avoid attractions oriented solely on tourists, even in poor countries they cost a fortune. Choose those activities that locals choose for themselves too.

For certain destinations, like Cambodia , for instance, you still want to budget money to be able to do some sightseeing. Angkor Wat entrance ticket for 3 days costs $62, but it is well worth it.

Visiting ancient Pergamon in Turkey was also worth every penny, like many other sites we went to. Yet, every country has also hundreds of activities or places that don’t cost any money. Take advantage of that and have a fabulous time! 

Traveling the world for 10 thousand dollars a year is not a difficult task to do if you carefully plan your trip. I do advise though to put aside at least an extra $$$, just in case if there is a day when you need it. If you can have more, it’s even better. Having “emergency money” always makes you feel more confident even if you don’t make use of it.

Anya is originally from Ukraine but in heart she is a citizen of the world. She is working online and that’s why has an opportunity to travel a lot and live in different countries. At present time, she is based in Spain while waiting for the war in Ukraine to be over to be able to return home. On this blog, her main goal is to inspire others to travel to under-the-radar places and discover the world while working remotely.

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18 Comments

Oh, I love such articles! We spent way more during our yearlong honeymoon even though we still stayed within “bacpacker’s budget” – but I’m always thrilled to see how little money you actually need to see the world! 🙂 And about slow travel – yep, it’s actually the best, we realized that as well. You may “see” less, but you surely experience more!

Thanks for sharing your experience, Sandra!

Thanks so much for the helpful information. Dying for this to be over so we can get our location-independent selves out there. All the best.

So true! Hopefully this madness will be over soon! Stay safe wherever you are, Sharon!

Wow, so many tips! This is so encouraging because the financial aspect is probably what keeps most of us from traveling the world.

Such a great inspirational post! We are actually on our job-free year and were travelling around quite a lot. Since we´re stuck back home but still wish to continue our trips once the borders reopen this tips will come in very useful! We´ll have to definitely cut down our budget, happy to see it is actually possible 🙂

I am glad to hear Katja you find this post helpful!

Thank you for sharing such amazing tips with us, as I am about to visit Iceland soon so these tips will be sure of great help to me as well to all others who would be traveling along with me as I am sharing this amazing post with them as well.

Some of the tips are really technical and makes good sense to count these things before any trip plan like credit cards, deals info and especially visa free destinations. Both of them sounds good. However nice tips to keep in mind.Thank you!

I am glad to hear, Majid, you found them helpful!

I’m thrilled to have stumbled upon such an informative and interesting article. I am in the midst of what some might call a spontaneous adventure; planning my first euro trip and I couldn’t be more nervously excited about it. I’m traveling solo, and I’m curious about how long it took you and your husband to plan your trip? Thanks again you’ve already been so helpful.

Hi Samuel, thank you for your lovely comment, I am glad to hear this post came in handy! To be honest, it didn’t take a lot of time for us to plan our trip. I think it was around 4 months. We made a decision in February and then in the end of May we hit the road. Maybe the reason for that was a fact that we didn’t really own much. It was easy to let things go and leave.

The most time consuming thing was to give my car back to the bank. Mark sold his car quickly but my car depreciated a lot, so I decided to give it back to the bank. And that took around two weeks of my time. Other than that, everything else was pretty easy, probably because we were not tied to one place in a long-term.

This is a wonderful guide! Thanks for sharing all the resources and great tips for budget travelling. At 15, I think you confused Bratislava with Bucharest, as you wrote Romania next to it. I’m sure it was completely unintentional and that’s ok. I’m Romanian and it caught my eye.

Omg, I really did! Thank you for bringing it to my attention, Iulia, I don’t know what I have been thinking about 🙂

I’ve always liked traveling, the idea of seeing the world fascinated me, but I’ve never been able to make a very long trip, it’s always a few days never more q 1 week, but with these methods I’ll be able to enjoy my travels much more and go further away thank you so much.

My pleasure and I am very glad to hear you found this post helpful!

Loved your article. Nicely done and written. This post will be very helpful to your readers

It’s true that the biggest expense is actual traveling, by staying longer in location and getting familiar with surrounding will save you a lot of money (and time) 🙂

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9 Best Travel Trailers Under $10,000

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Thanks for your support! If you make a purchase using our links in this article, we may make a commission. And, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See the full disclosure here .

There are hundreds of new travel trailers on the market today. With so many choices and floor plans, you are sure to find an RV that fits your needs. 

There are many factors to consider when purchasing a travel trailer. Some of the primary considerations are the amount of space you need, and the maximum size rig you can tow with your truck or SUV. Determining how much you want to spend on an RV is one of the most important factors in your decision-making process. 

While there are lots of models at a wide range of price points, the selection is often limited if you are looking for an affordable camper trailer under $10,000.

We have researched the most popular travel trailer models, read hundreds of reviews, and examined floor plans and special features of each RV. Here are our recommendations for the 9 Best Travel Trailers Under $10,000.

We always recommend renting a Travel Trailer before you buy one so you can try it out to see what you like and don’t like. This will ensure you buy the right Travel Trailer with the perfect options the first time! We highly recommend using Outdoorsy for your RV or Travel Trailer rental and we have linked to their site here and throughout the article so you can check out rentals in your area.

1. 2020 KEYSTONE SPRINGDALE MINI 1800BH

• Dry Weight: 3,300 lbs.
• Length: 22′
• Price: $9,997

The Keystone Springdale 1800BH packs a big punch in a small space. This affordable travel trailer has a small kitchen, dinette, full bathroom, and three separate sleeping areas. Despite its small size, the camper feels spacious and well designed. The bunkhouse floorplan allows sleeping for six people, making it an excellent choice for families with children.

One of the features that we like the best with this travel trailer is the three-year limited warranty. Another great feature is the Furrion antenna that improves your reception for WiFi and 4G coverage. Finally, a large number of windows in the trailer makes the space feel larger, which is a bonus with this small rig.

The Keystone Springdale line gets excellent reviews from customers, especially those new to RVing. Definitely check out this model if you plan to travel with children in your camper trailer.

2. 2020 FOREST RIVER FLAGSTAFF E-PRO E12RK

• Dry Weight: 1,252 lbs.
• Length: 11′ 3″
• Price: $9,990

Weekend warriors will love the Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro ! If you are looking for a small camper that you can tow with most cars, you have to check out this model.

The E-Pro features sleeping for two, along with a rear kitchen complete with microwave, sink, and refrigerator. The E-Pro also comes already equipped with a WiFi router and signal booster, making it perfect if you plan to work or stream videos while camping.

The E-Pro allows you to explore the great outdoors with the ability to prepare meals and sleep in a comfortable bed at night. We highly recommend this travel trailer for anyone who is looking for a basic camper to elevate their camping experience. 

3.   2020 BRAXTON CREEK TEARDROP BUSHWHACKER

• Dry Weight: 1,300 lbs.
• Length: 13′ 2″
• Price: $9,995

Another great travel trailer that can be towed with most cars is the Braxton Creek Teardrop Bushwacker. This easy to tow camper trailer has a bed that can comfortably sleep two and comes with many excellent features.

The rear kitchen has a 2-burner gas cooktop, sink, and 12V Coleman Cooler along with plenty of storage space. If you travel with bikes or kayaks, you will love the roof-mounted gear rack that comes standard. Inside, you will find a high powered air conditioning unit and Bluetooth enabled stereo system. The aerodynamic teardrop shape makes towing a breeze, even for those new to RVing.

4.   2020 INTECH RV FLYER CHASE BASE

• Dry Weight: 1,120 lbs.
• Length: 13′ 9″
• Price: $9,042

If you are looking to explore areas where other RVs cannot go, consider the Intech RV Flyer Chase Base. This compact travel trailer is built for tough terrain, making it perfect for those who don’t want to sacrifice the ability to explore.

The Flyer comes with a heavy-duty roof-mounted rack for all of your outdoor gear. Bringing your bikes and kayaks is no problem for this tough trailer. There is also an attached outdoor storage box for your equipment and outdoor toy accessories.

One nice feature of this model is that you can add an optional add-a-room tent to accommodate up to three additional adults or children. The wide variety of add-on options makes this RV popular with adventurers.

The Flyer can also go off-road because of its 11.5″ ground clearance. You can add the off-road tires and gain another inch of ground clearance.

Because this travel trailer is so light due to its all aluminum fully welded cage frame construction , it can be pulled with nearly any vehicle, it is perfect for those with smaller cars or lightweight SUVs. The ability to customize the travel trailer in terms of add-ons and exterior color means that you can personalize the rig to your exact specifications, all for a low price.

5. 2020 GULF STREAM RV AMERI-LITE SUPER LITE 16BHC

• Dry Weight: 2,590 lbs.
• Length: 18′ 10″
• Price: $9,499

If you plan to RV camp with children, the Gulf Stream Ameri-Lite Super Lite 16 Bunk House needs to be on your list of potential travel trailers. You will be amazed at the features that are available in this compact floor plan. Budget-minded families will appreciate the low price on this excellent camper.

The bunkhouse model features two large bunk beds along with a convertible dinette that sleeps two adults comfortably. In addition, there is a full kitchen with a closet and a full bathroom. Wow! The design and layout of the camper keep it feeling spacious despite the small length.

Another nice bonus of the Gulf Stream camper is the large tanks. With a fresh, gray, and black capacity of 36 gallons each, this model is an excellent choice for anyone planning on weekend dry camping. Outside, you will enjoy the awning that comes standard along with the small cargo hold.

6. 2020 SUNSET PARK RV SUNRAY 129

• Dry Weight: 1,980 lbs.
• Length: 15′ 5″
• Price: $9,000

If you are looking for a cozy camper for your next getaway, consider the Sunset Park Sunray 129. For less than 16 feet in length, you will be surprised at what this camper has to offer. Hunters, mountain bikers, and outdoor adventurers of all kinds will appreciate the compact size and conveniences of this camper.

The camper features a dinette that converts into a large bed, along with a convenient toilet that is neatly contained in a storage bench. Outside, a full outdoor kitchen makes cooking a quick meal a breeze. Complete with a two-burner stove, sink, large refrigerator, storage cabinets, and microwave, this kitchen has it all.

7.   2020 NU CAMP TAG T@G XL SE

• Dry Weight: 1,046 lbs.
• Length: 13′ 7″
• Price: $9,986

If you are looking for a towable, lightweight teardrop style trailer, add the Nu Camp Tag XL SE to your shopping list. You will not believe the style, look, and feel of this first-class camper! You can even customize your teardrop trailer by choosing your color, exterior graphics, and selecting from one of the two different floor plans.

Along with basic features like an outdoor kitchen complete with a sink and two-burner stove, you also get fantastic extras in even the basic model. Standard features include a 19 inch TV, air conditioner, stargazer window, and even a Yeti Cooler!

Additional features that you can get with the travel trailer include a Yakima roof rack and Yakima awning. All models have excellent storage, including extra storage space under the bed. The Nu Camp Tag sleeps two comfortably and is perfect for weekend getaways and even longer camping trips.

8.   2020 FOREST RIVER CHEROKEE WOLF PUP 16FQ

• Dry Weight: 3.031 lbs.
• Length: 21′ 5″
• Price: $8,995

If you are looking for a small rig that is big enough to allow you to hit the road for weeks at a time, look no further than the Cherokee Wolf Pup 16FQ. The Wolf Pup is one of the biggest travel trailers that we found under $10,000, and the price is actually well under that figure!

The Wolf Pup sleeps three comfortably with either a front couch and murphy bed combination or a standard bed. You can also sleep one more person on the dining booth that converts into a twin size bed. The interior kitchen has a large fridge and freezer combination, microwave, and two-burner stove. The kitchen features tons of storage space and even a small pantry.

Along with an outside shower, you have a full bathroom inside the rig, making it perfect for extended adventures. There is a good amount of interior and exterior storage as well.

Key features such as 13,500 BTU Air conditioning, a furnace, water heater, power awning, and stereo round out this fantastic travel trailer. We highly recommend this camper for couples or small families planning to take longer camping trips.

9. 2020 JAYCO JAY FLIGHT SLX 145RB 

• Dry Weight: 2,405 lbs.
• Length: 16′ 6″
• Price: $9,899

We love the style and finishes of the Jayco Jay Flight SLX Travel Trailer! Jayco is a leading manufacturer of travel trailers, and they know how to design a floor plan to maximize living space. This model is an excellent example of that. In the front of the travel trailer, you will find a large dinette, the largest we have seen in this size camper, that converts to a bed. There is also an additional couch that converts to a bed, allowing three people to sleep comfortably in this camper.

The interior kitchen in the Jay Flight has a fridge, microwave, two-burner stove, and storage. Perhaps our favorite feature of this camper is the large front window over the bed and dinette. The window opens up the camper and makes the smaller floor plan seem more spacious.

Most Jayco camping trailers also include a Torflex independent torsion axl e  suspension, E-Z Lube axles and the patented lifter system which is fully enclosed and protects against rust and road debris.

Along with a full bathroom, the camper also has a full wardrobe closet, a rare find in any travel trailer, let along one of this size! A standard awning and large tanks make this camper an excellent choice for anyone planning to take extended camping trips or weekend getaways. If you are looking for a lot of storage or seating in your travel trailer, this is an excellent choice.

Related Reading

Click Here to check out our article called 8 Best Small Camping Trailers with Bathrooms to see the best travel trailers with bathrooms!

We hope you enjoyed our article about the 9 Best Camper Trailers Under $10,000! We did not include toy haulers in our list since we feel they are in a separate category.

4 thoughts on “9 Best Travel Trailers Under $10,000”

Not one of these trailers is under $10000. Maybe update the blog…

Hmmmm….well I looked on RVTrader and found that two of the first three are under $10,000…And the one that isn’t is only $1000 over. Assuming no one would ever pay full price for an RV so I am very certain you could buy this trailer for under $10,000 too… I’m confused by your comment? Are you looking at MSRP Prices on the manufacturer websites maybe? Don’t ever pay MSRP if you are.

Best of luck,

1. https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2020-Keystone-Springdale-Mini-1800BH-5011832717 $11,995 2. https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2019-Forest-River-FLAGSTAFF-E-PRO-12RK-5010872436 $8,998 3. https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2020-Braxton-Creek-Bushwhacker-Standard-Model-5009948776 $8,995

One is $2000 over $10,000 but otherwise you are correct! (11,195 is 12,000).

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18 Best Travel Trailers Under $10,000 (for 2024)

Let’s face it. RVs can be expensive. But traveling the country and enjoying the great outdoors in something nice doesn’t have to break the bank. But even some camper trailers can be pricey. So what is the best budget travel trailer?

The best budget travel trailer is the Dutchmen Aspen Trail 2260 RBS. It is a very comfortable travel trailer and has a large cooking space, bathroom, and living space. It also has a comfortable sleeping area.

As great as this travel trailer is, it won’t be the best option for everyone. This led me to put together this list of the best 21 travel trailers under $10,000. There won’t be many new travel trailers that you can get for this price.

But it is certainly possible to find brilliant, used travel trailers in this price range .

1. Coachmen Freedom Express Travel Trailer

Check out this great family bunkhouse travel trailer!! 2022 Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite 257BHS #coachmenfreedomexpress #modernrvoftheday pic.twitter.com/yp1AxcdIma — Modern Trailer Sales (@ModernTrailer) May 26, 2022

This travel trailer has multiple models. You can check out the different floor plans on their website. The coachman freedom express is right at the top of the sub $10,000 price range. You may want to shop around for a used one if need be.

2. Jayco Jay Flight SLX

2022 Jayco Jay Flight SLX 7 195RB New https://t.co/VBthyMIEXa eBay pic.twitter.com/SWszO6JCnG — Trailers and Other Vehicles (@trailers_and) September 5, 2022

The higher-end models of the Jayco jay flight can sleep up to 14 people, and they have a mighty 15-foot awning. That should be plenty of room for most families!

There are many models offered by Jayco. They have different floorplans and different features. The more premium models will have double sinks, entertainment centers, and outdoor kitchen areas. They will also have more spacious bathrooms.

But if you are simply looking for a simple RV trailer that will be a great first buy, this is a great option to consider.

3. Lance Campers 650 Truck Camper

Have you seen our Lance 650 truck camper we got?! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/GUyipk1Ip4 — RV Leaders & Camping Outlet (@RVLeadersPage) September 24, 2021

This is a fairly comfortable camper for a reasonable price. The only issue is that the aluminum frame sometimes rattles while driving off-road. Some users also complain about the weight and maneuverability of the trailer when driving.

4. Prime Time Avenger 16 RD

2022 PRIMETIME AVENGER LT 16RD pic.twitter.com/ihKIaAqSgA — Middle Class Dad (@middleclassdad1) September 6, 2022

The kitchen space on this camper is quite nice. The sink is a little small though. There are two stoves for you to use and a couple of square feet of counter space. There is also a microwave and refrigerator.

5. Forest River RV Flagstaff Tent

Don’t want to tent camp but you aren’t ready for a big RV? This New 2022 Forest River RV Flagstaff Hard Side T12RBST could be just what you’re looking for. 👀 Discover the details here! ➡️ https://t.co/6w6VJd7Sh4 #GillettesInterstateRV #familyvacation #MichiganRVSales #camping pic.twitter.com/BAtf5K9QiZ — GillettesRV (@Gillettesrv) August 25, 2022

It is one of the most popular travel trailers on the market today. The living area is quite large for such a small trailer, so if you have young kids or pets, this is great.

The tent is very easy to open up, and most people will be able to do it. Even if you are old or small, it is possible. You should not allow children to do this job though.

There is space for two beds in this travel trailer. So, if you have a small family that you are traveling with, this is a good option to consider.

However, keep in mind that this travel trailer is a tent. So, you won’t be able to use it in a place susceptible to heavy rain or wind.

6. Forest River Viking Express 9.0TD

2022 Coachmen Viking Express 9.0TD pic.twitter.com/boEDrGKgMU — Middle Class Dad (@middleclassdad1) September 6, 2022

If you want to upgrade to the deluxe package, the camper also comes with a refrigerator!

However, upgrading to deluxe is going to cost a lot of money, won’t it?

If you don’t want to do that, then you can check out this recent article on my site. I talk about the best portable refrigerators for your RV. It is much cheaper than paying for a built-in one, and you can use it in other vehicles like a car or boat.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

The main benefit of this RV trailer is the size. Since it is so small, you can easily store it on your driveway at home. This is an important factor to consider since you are probably not going to be traveling for most of the year.

And if you do travel a lot, then you would probably invest in a proper RV.

7. Outbound Trailer Extreme

2022 Outbound Trailer Extreme Model😎 A higher quality, durable frame laser cut for precision is what you will find with this trailer! A 2,000 lb. upgraded torsion axle provides better shock absorption and even wheel suspension for a smoother ride.🔥 https://t.co/nD21hdOJSA pic.twitter.com/hPoeuzszg1 — RV Leaders & Camping Outlet (@RVLeadersPage) March 10, 2022

There is not much room on the inside, but that’s what you get at this price tag. This trailer has a sleeping capacity of two, so if you have kids, pets, or a large family, this is not for you.

8. Sunset Park RV Sunray 109

Our 2022 Sunset Park RV Sunray 149 Sport is light-weight, easy to tow, and full of amenities and storage space! At less than $30,000, this unit won’t last long! Come see us today! https://t.co/Mhn3EE10qY 4500 Grove Ave. Lorain, OH 44055 #markwahlbergrv pic.twitter.com/OoQqg1bmbh — Mark Wahlberg Airstream & RV Cleveland (@MWahlbergRV_Cle) July 13, 2022

9. Braxton Creek Bushwhacker 10SS

2021 Braxton Creek Bushwhacker 10SS 13′ Travel Trailer c603783: 2021 Braxton Creek Bushwhacker 10SS 13′ Travel Trailer c603783 Price : $12,500.00 Ends in : MOBILE DEVICES CLICK HERE to View on eBay nationalvehicle https://t.co/gBg2S7Ctys pic.twitter.com/Z0xD9CkqHq — RVCampers For Sale (@RVCampers4Sale) December 22, 2021

So, you can run your RV trailer’s electricity off renewable energy! If you don’t want to do that, there is space for a generator and battery at the back of the trailer.

10. Helio RV HE3S Micro

Helio HE3 Micro Trailer pic.twitter.com/esbs1nQiRv — Middle Class Dad (@middleclassdad1) September 6, 2022

So, if you don’t have a truck and you want a small camper for short trips, this is a great option. This RV trailer has a fiberglass construction and an outdoor battery compartment.

You may be wondering why fiberglass is such a popular material in the RV industry.

Fiberglass is an expensive material, and you may be wondering if it is worth paying for. To learn more about the pros and cons of fiberglass RVs, check out this recent article .

Just click the link to read it on my site.

This camper also has a wide-opening frameless window for excellent ventilation. So, it is ideal for those hot, humid camping trips.

11. Forest River Rockwood GEO PRO G19FBS

Do you have a favorite watering hole? 💦🏊 Let this New 2022 Forest River RV Rockwood GEO Pro G19FBS help get you there in comfort! See more photos and details here! ➡️ https://t.co/pOxNKLtZdR #puremichigan #camping #hamiltonsrvoutlet #nature #travel #hiking #outdoors #camp pic.twitter.com/SbP6ZXJKX4 — Hamiltons RV (@Hamiltons_RV) June 9, 2022

This trailer features large windows, a queen-sized bed, and a full kitchen. It also has a full bathroom with hot water! This is a super comfortable RV trailer, which is perfect for slightly longer excursions.

If you have a family to travel with, this is one of the best trailers you can get. It is, however, more suited for couples since there is only one bed. But if you have a small baby to look after, or if you sleep with your pets, it will be okay.

12. Oregon Trailer Do-Drop

DoDrop – Oregon Trail’R pic.twitter.com/vyxx2N9dGs — Middle Class Dad (@middleclassdad1) September 6, 2022

The trailer is small, and you won’t be able to carry a large tank of freshwater. This travel trailer does not have other features like a shower.

Also, it is a little bit expensive for such a small trailer. It is possible to find similar-sized trailers for under $2,000 if you shop in the used market.

13. Riverside Retro Travel Trailer 509

For the #minimalist couple, this Retro 509 Jr. travel trailer is ideal for you! You will love how easy to tow this #Riverside #RV #model is. pic.twitter.com/9czYZQpQU5 — RV Travel World (@RVTravelWorldCA) July 21, 2017

There is also an outdoor cooking area at the back of the trailer. However, it does not have a sink or stove. You will have to use your own stove or barbeque.

This is a simple travel trailer. Traveling in it won’t be the most comfortable experience, but it does the job. It is better than a tent.

In my opinion, it is better to have a trailer that is not comfortable. That way, you are forced to get outside and have some fun!

14. Keystone Springdale 1800BH

🚨🚨SOONER FANS!!!🚨🚨 Gander RV of OKC located at I-40 and Anderson Road is having their inventory reduction sale! 🚨ALL 2021 MODELS MUST GO!🚨 I have lots of stock including this 2021 Keystone Springdale 1800BH. MSRP: $24,564, REDUCED TO: $14,995! COME SEE ME!! pic.twitter.com/DtDKz0mwjS — Steven Carter (@StevenCarter96) January 21, 2022

As with most travel trailers, air conditioning is standard on this model. There are two stoves in the kitchen area, space for a microwave, and a mini fridge. This is a super comfortable RV trailer. I recommend this one if you are going to be traveling in cold conditions.

You may be wondering how it is possible to comfortably and safely camp in an RV over winter.

There are so many things that you need to consider, such as insulation, powering the RV, and how to stop your water pipes from freezing. In this recent article , I give you my top 21 tips for camping in an RV over winter.

Just click that link to read it on my site. Dining area, overhead cabinets, refrigerator. Toilet and shower. 3 stoves.

15. Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro E15TB

Looking for a way to break into the #RVlifestyle without upsizing your SUV? Forest River has designed a travel trailer just for you, the Flagstaff E-Pro. Thanks to tons of standard features it’s one of the most versatile travel trailers available! https://t.co/qPk2FNv4uS pic.twitter.com/InsLYsTKty — Lazydays RV – The RV Authority (@LazydaysRV) December 11, 2019

The indoor kitchen of this RV is quite nice. It has 3 stoves, a refrigerator, and a sink. There are also plenty of overhead cabinets for storage. My only gripe with the cooking space is the fact that it is right next to the toilet!

The toilet in this RV trailer is very cramped. There is a shower in this RV trailer, but there is barely space to move in there.

So, this RV was definitely made with outdoor comfort in mind.

16. Gulf Stream RV Ameri-Lite Super Lite 16BHC

2022 GULF STREAM COACH AMERI-LITE SUPER LITE 16BHC pic.twitter.com/5RtfMU7yOX — Middle Class Dad (@middleclassdad1) September 6, 2022

Inside, the trailer has an air conditioning unit for those hot days and a microwave. The cooking space is good, but the stoves are right next to the wall. So, it might be difficult to use long-handled saucepans on there.

There are two bunks in this RV trailer. The bottom bunk is right in front of a window though. So you may want to get a shade for that, otherwise, you won’t have any privacy when sleeping.

You can get a roll-down curtain that sticks to the window with suction cups. Kind of like what they use on car windows where children sit.

The best thing about this RV is the fact it has a wet bath. The bathtub is a good size, and most adults will be able to comfortably use it.

17. Dutchmen Aspen 2260 RBS Trail Travel Trailer

2022 DUTCHMEN ASPEN TRAIL 2260 RBS pic.twitter.com/yZtjEO3iIu — Middle Class Dad (@middleclassdad1) September 6, 2022

The bathroom of this travel trailer is quite large, and there is a shower unit in there. There is not a bathtub.

The dining space is square-shaped, and the table can be adjusted. This helps to save space and use the dining area as a living area too. At the back of the trailer, there is a queen bed.

The kitchen space of this RV is super clean and nice. However, for some reason, there is a lot of wasted counter space behind the sink. So, you can only use the countertop for storage really, and not cooking. That’s because the faucet and sink are in the way!

This is a great RV travel trailer to consider for your next adventure!

18. American Dream Trailer

American Dream Trailer revives vintage camper with rowboat roof http://t.co/wDsMKcAKBJ pic.twitter.com/8BQpre1UBX — 🄳🄰🅁🅃🄷 🄵🄰🄱🄸🅂 (@superfabis) June 15, 2015

So, if you are the type of person that likes lakeside camping trips, this might just be the RV trailer for you. This trailer is based on simplicity and escaping day-to-day life. It does not have that “home away from home” feel to it.

The interior of this travel trailer is not that comfortable, to be honest. Neither is it really practical. The reason why I have included it on this list though is because of the simplicity. Some people really like the bare minimum stuff when it comes to camping.

So, if you want to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life and paddle along lakes, this is a good option for you.

There are plenty of options if you want a travel trailer under $10,000. If you want a more premium or larger travel trailer, you may need to shop in the used market to find an affordable model.

If you are going to be going on short trips, alone or as a couple, then a teardrop trailer would be great. These trailers are small, lightweight, and simple. They are very affordable too.

If you are an infrequent traveler, a trailer with a tent would be good. This is because they are small, lightweight, and easy to store. They are more affordable than other models too.

For people that want a solid RV travel trailer, you will be looking for an RV with an aluminum frame. If you can, get one with fiberglass siding, since it will be more durable.

Image by Rudi Nockewel from Pixabay

Jeff Campbell

Jeff Campbell travels on and off with his 3 daughters in a Newmar Baystar Class A Motorhome. He writes extensively on both RVs, campgrounds, parenting on the road tips, remote learning & schooling, and much more! Click Here to learn more about me. Click Here to learn more about my site. Editorial Policies.

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How Much Cash Can You Travel With? (TSA & International Rules) [2023]

So you have a load of cash and you want to transport it across the country or perhaps even internationally. But exactly how much cash are you allowed to travel with?

In this article, I will break down everything you need to know about traveling with cash including important rules and limitations when flying.

I’ll also cover a number of key considerations you will want to think about before taking your cash with you when going through TSA or even traveling internationally.

Table of Contents

How much cash can you travel with?

There are no limits on the amount of cash you can travel with but there are some major considerations you need to think about when doing so.

If you are traveling domestically, your primary concern is avoiding forfeiture of your cash.

If you are traveling internationally, forfeiture is a concern but you should also be focused on remembering to declare the value of your currency and monetary instruments totaling above $10,000. Keep reading to find out more.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Legal risks of traveling with cash

TSA is concerned about dangerous threats such as explosives and not with enforcing laws and penal codes. (This is why they do not  check for arrest warrants .)

Your cash money does not present a dangerous threat and so there should be no legitimate concern about it harming other passengers on the plane.

However, in the past there have been reports of TSA agents initiating the process for seizing cash from passengers under the suspicion that it is money gained from an illegal activity or money that is intended to be used on illegal activity.

Think drugs, weapons, and organized crime activities.

The seizing of cash can be accomplished under a number of different statutes including 21 U.S. Code § 881(a)(6) which governs forfeitures.

It states that you have no property right for:

(6) All moneys, negotiable instruments, securities, or other things of value furnished or intended to be furnished by any person in exchange for a  controlled substance  or  listed chemical  in violation of this subchapter, all proceeds traceable to such an exchange, and all moneys, negotiable instruments, and securities used or intended to be used to facilitate any violation of this subchapter.

It’s possible that if a TSA agent spots a lot of cash on you or in your bag (especially a lot of smaller bills like $20 bills) they could refer you to authorities (i.e., DEA) for some type of questioning.

The authorities may check to see if you are on some type of watchlist but even if you are not they may still deem that your cash is subject to civil forfeiture, which means that it will all be taken from you.

This can happen even if you have not been charged or convicted of any crime.

Some dogs that patrol airports have a nose for cash and a lot of cash has come into contact with illegal narcotics.

In fact, a study by Yuegang Zuo of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2009 found that about  90 percent of banknotes contain traces of cocaine . Traces of other drugs have also been found on cash like codeine, amphetamines and methamphetamines .

That means that “false positives” could be triggered, which could potentially be used as further evidence about your illegal activity (reportedly dogs don’t usually sniff out these faint traces).

If your money is seized you should have the opportunity to petition the process and to retrieve your funds.

It’s an odd legal proceeding where your cash is literally the defendant: “United States of America v. $50,000 in United States currency.”

That’s important because it means that the legal burden of proof is at the civil level which only requires it to be more likely than not that you were up to no good.

This petition process may not be very fun, could last a long time, and could be very costly. For example, you will likely need to hire an attorney which might cost you as much money as you have at stake.

Your success rate could also be very low.

In March 2017, the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General reported that over the course of 10 years, the DEA only returned money in 8% of cases.

And if you do get your money back, if you owe taxes or judgments, those will likely have to be paid out first.

For these reasons, I would try to limit the cash I take through TSA security to maybe just a couple of thousand dollars (If that).

Personally, the most cash I ever carry on me is a couple of hundred bucks.

This may be problematic for people who want to gamble at their destination or who are looking to do things like purchase a car with cash but you should make alternative arrangements to receive your cash at your destination if possible.

Tips for traveling domestically with cash

If you are thinking about traveling through TSA with cash my advice would be the following:

Keep the amount as small as possible

First, avoid bringing more than $2,000 in cash if possible. That should be well below the level considered to be suspicious, as the lowest amount I saw subject to forfeiture was $6,000.

Also, try to avoid $20 bills since those are customarily used in drug deals.

Notify a TSA agent

If you do bring cash consider notifying a TSA agent when you enter the line and see if you can get some type of private or secondary screening.

If you have TSA Pre-Check , an agent might consider you to be less likely to be engaged in criminal activity but that is not a guarantee.

But note that cash has been seized in cases where people notified a TSA agent themselves so this is not a full proof method.

And it goes without saying but do not attempt to conceal the cash on your body such as strapping it to your chest because the full body scanners will find this quite easily.

Avoid checked baggage

You might be thinking about putting the cash in your checked baggage but that is not a good idea.

For one, if the cash was detected you will not be there to explain the situation and you may be caught off guard later when you are brought in for questioning by the DEA.

Second, if your cash is detected it’s possible that an unethical TSA agent could simply decide to take your cash.

And finally, if your luggage is lost you will not be able to retrieve that cash and cash is almost always an exception to baggage insurance policies.

Bring documentation

If you are traveling with a lot of cash because you want to purchase a vehicle or take care of some other transaction make sure that you have all of the supporting documentation already with you in case you are brought in for questioning.

Presenting anything less than an airtight explanation for transporting cash can mean instant forfeiture.

Avoid transporting suspicious items

It is a good idea to avoid transporting other items such as marijuana along with your cash since that will only reinforce the image that you are up to some type of criminal drug activity.

This is even the case if the state you are flying out of has legalized marijuana.

Consider your criminal history

And finally, if you have any type of criminal history — especially cases related to drug infractions — the odds of you encountering an issue with forfeiture go up.

That’s because it will be that much easier for them to make a case against you. Remember, we are talking about a civil court burden of proof — not criminal court.

So you should really reconsider bringing a lot of cash if that applies to you.

The International cash limit of $10,000 and the need to declare

US Customs and Border Protection is clear that you can transport “any amount of currency or other monetary instruments into or out of the United States.”

The caveat is that if the amount of currency exceeds $10,000 or it’s for an equivalent then you will need to file a  FinCEN Form 105  (“Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments”) with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

This is a pretty simple form to fill out and basically just requires you to input the following information:

• Contact information including passport number
• Export/import information
• Shipping information if applicable
• Details of the currency or monetary instrument

You can file this form electronically at  FinCEN Form 105 CMIR, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (dhs.gov) but you can also file it in paper form.

In addition, if you are entering the United States you must declare if you are carrying currency or any other monetary instruments if they total over $10,000.

You can make this declaration on your Customs Declaration Form (CBP Form 6059B) and then file a FinCEN Form 105.

Do not blow off this requirement because failing to declare could mean forfeiture of your money and some pretty serious criminal penalties.

And remember each country has its own policy regarding traveling with cash so you have to make sure you are in compliance with the country you are headed to.

Monetary instrument

Unless you went to law school for three years you might be wondering what a “monetary instrument” is as it’s found on the  FinCEN Form 105 .

US Customs and Border Protection defines it as:

• Traveler’s checks in any form
• All negotiable instruments (including personal checks, business checks, official bank checks, cashier’s checks, third-party checks, promissory notes, and money orders) that are either, in bearer form, endorsed without restriction, made out to a fictitious payee, or otherwise in such form that title passes upon delivery
• Incomplete instruments (including personal checks, business checks, official bank checks, cashiers’ checks, third-party checks, promissory notes, and money orders) signed but with the payee’s name omitted
• securities or stock in bearer form or otherwise, in such form that title passes thereto upon delivery.

In this article we are mostly focused on cash which would most definitely fall under “currency.”

Specifically, 19 CFR § 1010.100(m) defines “currency” as the coin and paper money of the United States or of any other country that:

• (1) is designated as legal tender, (2) circulates, and (3) is customarily used and accepted as a medium of exchange in the country of issuance. 
• Currency includes U.S. silver certificates, U.S. notes, and Federal Reserve notes. 
• Currency also includes official foreign bank notes that are customarily used and accepted as a medium of exchange in a foreign country.

The big take away here is that this restriction applies to cash of the US and also other countries.

The cash of pretty much every developed country is going to meet the requirements for currency listed above so it doesn’t matter if you are transporting Great Britain Pounds, Euros, etc.

Keep in mind that each form of currency and monetary instrument counts separately, as well. So if you have $6,000 in cash and a $5,000 traveler’s check, you are above the limit.

And members of a family residing in one household entering the United States that submit a joint or family declaration must declare if the members are collectively above the $10,000 limit.

So if a husband has $4,000 and the wife has $7,000, that family must declare because they are collectively above the limit.  

Items that don’t count as currency

Some items related to currency do not officially count as currency but you still may have to declare them as “merchandise.”

For example, coins of precious metals, including silver and gold, do not fall into the definition of “monetary instrument” or “currency.” 

However, coins of precious metals must be declared as merchandise if they are acquired abroad.

Other articles of precious metals (including gold bullion, gold bars, and gold jewelry) also do not fall into the definition of “monetary instrument” or “currency.”

However, these articles must also be declared as merchandise if they are acquired abroad.

They also have a list of excluded items which includes:

• Warehouse receipts and bills of lading
• Monetary instruments that are made payable to a named person, but are not endorsed or which bear restrictive endorsements
• Credit cards and prepaid cards
• Virtual currencies including Bitcoin

So if you are traveling around with credit limits above $50,000 or a nice stash of cryptocurrency you don’t have to worry about declaring those items.

Factors to consider when traveling with cash

When you are traveling chances are you are going to want to spend some money on various expenses like dining and excursions. It is highly recommended to use a good travel rewards credit card for these expenses for a few reasons.

Getting through security

If you have a bag full of cash money, that bag is going to have to get through security at some point. This may be at the airport, a train station, etc.

As explained in detail above, if a screening agent notices that you have wads of cash in a bag this could potentially raise a red flag and a worst-case scenario of you losing your cash and never getting it back.

The theft risk

Traveling with cash is risky whether you keep that cash on you or you stored in your hotel room.

If you are walking around with cash on you there is always that chance that you could run into a thief. This could be someone who could pick pocket your wallet or cash right out of your clothes or bag.

Or in a more serious case, this could be someone who holds you up with some type of weapon and forces you to handover your cash.

If you are going to travel with cash on your person it’s recommended to have some type of hidden wallet and a dummy wallet in your pocket. Your dummy wallet will have a small amount of cash, perhaps a duplicate credit card and even a duplicate ID to make it look as realistic as possible.

The idea is that if someone were to take that dummy wallet they would only get away with a minimal amount of your valuables. You could then have your real stash of cash hidden beneath your clothing.

If you choose to store your cash in your hotel room you also need to be careful. Putting your cash into a hotel safe is not quite as secure as you might think . In some cases you may actually want to just hide your cash somewhere in the room where a thief would not think to look.

Either way you go, carrying a lot of cash on you is a risk that you need to weigh very carefully.

Travel insurance

You can get travel insurance by paying for your excursions and travels with a good travel credit card.

So if for some reason you purchase a nonrefundable hotel or tour and then you have to cancel because you get sick or for some other covered reason, you can get fully reimbursed for your purchase. In some cases this could put thousands of dollars back in your pocket.

But if you paid for something like your hotel with cash there is a good chance that you will simply be out of luck and get hit with the loss.

Also, you might struggle to even be able to pay cash for certain travel expenses like rental cars .

Foreign conversion fees

When you convert your cash into a foreign currency you will be paying some type of conversion fee and in some cases may be dealing with a subpar rate, especially at those kiosks .

Certain types of ATM cards will allow you to withdraw cash in the local currency with minimal fees but the best way to make purchases abroad is to simply have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees.

Travel credit cards are great about offering rewards on purchases made abroad.

You don’t have to look very far to find a credit card that will earn you extra bonus points on flights, hotels, and even your tours and events. Earning extra points on dining, even when dining abroad, is also easy with cards like the Amex Gold Card.

By paying with cash you are missing out on all of these valuable rewards.

Traveling with a lot of cash can be problematic because that is often how actors travel who are engaged in criminal activities.

Your best bet is to avoid bringing a lot of cash but if you must, try to bring as much supporting documentation as possible and be prepared for questioning and the possibility of you having to fight against the government to retrieve your money.

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo . He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio .

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How to save money for travel – save $10,000 a year

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Everyone wants to travel more. Having the ability to let go of everyday habits such work, kids, appointments and the same old routine means we can “let loose” and really come out of our shell. But sometimes our chosen destinations feel hard to financially obtain. So knowing how to save money for travel means you can be on your way sooner than later. Here are my best money saving tips for your vacation fund.

Further Reading: A cheats guide to saving money while traveling.

• How to save for a vacation on a tight budget

The purpose of saving money for a vacation is to make sure you will have enough money to go right. So having a savings goal in mind is a good idea.

I’m here to show you how you could potentially save up to $10,000 per year just by making some positive lifestyle choices. I currently save this exact amount each and every year in order to keep my travel dreams alive.

So once you have worked out how much YOU want to save for travel , you can get to work on:

a. How to save more

b. How to spend less

So while there are plenty of great ways to save for a vacation, there are also some particular lifestyle choices you can also address. These have the potential to keep the savings train well and truly turning over, ready for your next bucket list destination.

So ask yourself. Do you want to save for only one upcoming holiday?

Or would you love to become a frequent traveler with a fool proof strategy each and every vacation?

Traveling takes preparation, research and lots of planning. Then once you have achieved that we can look at all the great travel tips and easiest ways to save money for travel.

Further reading: Planning a trip overseas that you can actually afford

• Look at your current lifestyle for the biggest clues on how to save money for travel

Are you living beyond your means?

Take a look at how you live right now. The house you live in, the car you drive, the “toys” you own and the way you spend money in general.

Think about what ultimately brings you joy and what doesn’t.

Are you keeping a check on your spending and have a good idea what is going where?

Are you spending money on things that have no meaning or joy?

One of the biggest ways on how to save for a trip on a tight budget is to overhaul your lifestyle as much as possible.

Start with creating an everyday budget, because if you don’t know exactly where your money is going right now, it may be hard to save money for traveling.

Further Reading: How to save money for travel – stop wishing and start dreaming

When I make plans to travel I go into serious savings mode. I still want to live comfortably but I realize I’ll need to sacrifice a few things to make it happen. How much you want to travel, only you know. What you are willing to give up is the question.

Down grade your lifestyle

Track your spending, visit your bank manager, open a travel savings account, go hard on your everyday savings, stop eating out so much, buy a coffee machine, pack your own lunch, shop your groceries with a set shopping list, stop shouting everyone, change your mobile phone plan, pay your bills on time, cut back on power, shop around, have a few drinks before you go out, take snacks to events, ask for cash presents, start a join jar, conclusion to how to save money for travel, how to save money to travel.

So how much do you need for all those bells and whistles? Are you living within your means or just trying to keep up with the Joneses?  Do you really need that fancy new car when a second hand model would be sufficient, or a new Thermomix when you don’t really cook that often.

Downgrading your current lifestyle might be one of the harder things to undertake in order to save to travel, but it will be one of the most rewarding.

It can certainly give you more freedom and less stress in your life.

You could potentially save thousands of dollars by overhauling the way you live and what you spend your money on. many people live beyond their means and slowly get stuck in financial difficulties. A situation that is hard to get out of, let alone having extra funds to go spend on holidays.

You might be surprised what you can actually achieve if you get smart and savvy about it.

Savings start when you begin to understand what you are spending. Write all expenses down from utilities, food, clothes, insurances, fuel and anything else. Look at where the money goes and now decide what areas you can cut down on. Remember, it only takes a saving of as little as $50 per week to save over $2500 per year. That’s a nice little holiday for you to take right there.

If you could do that 2 or 4 times over you, you could really start making excellent travel plans for the next year or two.

Action : sit down and start calculating your weekly, monthly and yearly spend. If this seems a bit overwhelming start with keeping a daily spend sheet over a month or so and then go back and work out those big costs such as groceries, loan repayments, insurance, car and fuel expenses, internet and phone costs, shopping, eating out, family activities and individual activities, school fees, electricity, water and anything else you can think of. Now put each one into a single category and explore ways to cut this cost down.

When is the last time you spoke to your bank about your finances?

Maybe it’s time to bring in an outside opinion about how you can save more money. Understanding your finances will help you make better decisions and get your costs down. Bank fees are a good starting point, but also restructuring your loan repayments and seeing if you can get your debt paid off sooner could help in the long run.

If you haven’t spoke to your bank manager in a while or NEVER then it could be worth the trouble. I hadn’t even considered it myself until a phone call from my bank inviting me to come in for a chat. After a quick discussion I found out they had a lot to offer to get me saving more.

I changed my insurance, opened up a couple of new savings accounts to help track my spending and changed my credit card which gained me free travel insurance. It was a worth while visit so and only helped me reach my travel saving goals quicker.

Action: set up a meeting with your bank manager and draft a list of questions around how they might be able to help you save. Dive into loan repayments and whether you are on the best possible interest rate and how you could pay off your loans sooner. Also about your credit card repayments and how much you spend on interest per year. it might be a good eye opening experience and one that sets you off in order to change.

Let’s make it official!

Why not open a savings account so you have a proper place to inject your spare cash into. It will certainly give you an incentive to build it up knowing that’s your vacation flourishing right there.

Start with an amount you can afford on a regular basis and if you come across any extra funds it can go towards it as well.

Action: Try to set an amount you can already afford to contribute to your travel savings account. This might be $20, $50 or $100 per week or maybe more. Then once you have completed your budget as I talked about, you can readjust the amount to reflex your new savings.

That means really going long when it comes to accessing every financial spend you make that isn’t necessary.

Do you really need another pair of lulu lemon leggings? What about the 5 other pairs you currently possess? And didn’t you just upgrade your phone last year. is it really necessary?

Yes, those are the hard questions you have to ask yourself every single time until it becomes a habit. There is too much at stake, and the reason I’m being so over dramatic is because I know how absolutely amazing travel is when you have it regularly in your life.

If I could exchange every dust hanging item in my closet from the time i could shop with my own money, I would exchange it for a trip to the Galapagos, a cruise to Antarctica and staying in a glass igloo under the Northern lights in Finland.

So the only thing holding you back at everyday spending is your nifty ways to save and your ability to stop yourself wasting more money.

So I have prepared some ideas for you in the everyday spending category to help you save money for travel.

Easy ways to save money for vacation trips on every day spending

It’s nice to have a night off cooking but it’s not always cheap to go out every week. It’s also these types of costs that can go by without much notice.

Try cooking your favourite takeaway food as a cheaper option or you could always double up on your recipes and make enough for tomorrow night too. That way you’ll get to have the night off after all.

Potential Savings: Reduce your take out or dining bill by $20 per week and you’ll save $1040 per year

Love your coffee? Me too.

But I just can’t justify the daily expense when I have my heart set on cocktails on some tropical island instead.

Investing in a good quality coffee machine could help save you hundreds over time. They have become more popular and therefor cheaper to buy so now is a good time. For coffee on the go, use a thermos that will keep your drink hot for hours if needed.

Potential Savings : At $5 a day for takeaway coffee – 5 days a week ,that’s $1200 saved per year . Crikey!

Buying lunch every day just doesn’t fit under the cost effective banner. Even taking your own lunch 2 or 3 times per week can help you save over time.

I love to meal prep so I have no excuses to not take my lunch – like “I ran out of time”

You could use your lunch break to sit outside in the sun or go for a walk once done.

Potential Savings: taking your lunch at $5 per serve versus buying at $10 per serve (5 days) would save you $1300 per year

Food shopping without a shopping list can distract you from buying only what you need.

Consider making up you r weekly menu and creating a list from that. That way you won’t get carried away with food browsing.

Some more great tips include:

• meal prep for a busy lifestyle. Check what’s already in the cupboard and fridge/freezer and work out what you can create. Also, if you can use any other ingredients in another dish.
• never shop when you are hungry, it’s a tragic set up.
• grow your own herb garden or mini vegie garden, in planters for those with little outdoor space. It is very rewarding when you harvest your own produce and it tastes better too
• buy in bulk for overall savings – never buy in small packages if you can avoid it
• shop at local markets, discount grocers and for international produce, I find places like Asian, Indian & Lebanese grocers have really great prices

Potential Savings: if you can save $50 a week you will save $2600 per year

Are you a generous soul? Always splurging on your friends and family?

As generous as you may be, it might be time to tighten up the purse strings. You can still be generous in other ways such as donating your time or making up home made treats.

Maybe it’s time to get creative next time you plan to purchase a gift. I love making up hampers with lots of little treats. Beer, nuts and pretzels for the guys and lotions, candles, chocolates for the girls.

It also works for birthdays and Christmas. Put a spend budget on presents and stick to it.

Potential savings : put a spend budget of $10 cheaper than you current do over an average of 30 gifts given out – you save $300 per year

Compulsive buyers beware! You won’t hit your targets by being weak. You are saving for a holiday remember.

Do you really need 10 jackets, especially when you only really like 3 of them. We have all bought something that we didn’t love that much, only to have it sit in the cupboard year after year.

Shopping for ourselves can be a reaction to boredom or just making ourselves feel better. But it wont get you very far if you can’t control your purse strings.

For many, this will be a major savings if you can stop how much you currently spend.

For the things you do need – can you source them from the factory outlets? Can you purchase a lesser known brand? Can you get away with recycling something else in your cupboard or will what you have now last another 6 months or even a year?

Potential Savings: anywhere from $500 (moderate spending) to $2000 per year (major spending)

How much are you currently paying for your mobile phone plan?

I was paying over $100 per month for a phone plan which is outrageous, I know! Once my plan was complete I decided not to upgrade as usual but instead kept my original phone. I then changed to a prepaid plan at only $30 per month.

That’s a huge saving for not having to have the latest and greatest phone on the market.

And though i have recently purchased a new mobile phone outright, I took advantage of a Black Friday deal (saved $600). It was my first new hone in 3 years so hopefully this one will last the same.

You may be better also purchasing a phone outright and going onto prepaid plan. make sure you hunt around first and calculate the difference.

Potential Savings: up to $300 per year or more

Late payments can mean late fees so pay your bills on or before their due date. If you are like me and lose track of time, opt for direct debit or set reminders.

One of the easiest money saving tips is to also pay all your credit cards on time. Better still, stop using so much credit and get on top of things.

Potential Savings: up to $500 per year or more

Still asking yourself how to save money to travel? Electricity is one of the highest utilities we pay these days. So unless you are mainly on natural gas or solar energy , you should think about how to get your electrical costs down.

In fact, many people have already taken the initiative to cut back on power.

Investing in energy efficient light bulbs and buying power saving appliances helps a great deal. Also turn off appliances and lights you are not using.

It might be frugal but over time the savings should speak for themselves.

Potential Savings: the average house hold spends approx $400 per quarter so if you can drop this by 10% you will save $160 per year

Next time you need a new TV, fridge or straightening iron, shop around.

Even if you want the best TV on the market with exceptional picture quality, the same appliance may be $100 cheaper from a different supplier. So don’t jump the gun before you have researched where else you can buy it.

Also, with the amount of sales on all the time ( I feel there is always a sale on) you could probably wait and soon enough you’ll get it cheaper. Think about stock take season, special holidays, Black Friday and end of year sales. Are hey coming up?

Potential Savings: on everyday white goods and furniture, the average household can save up to $500 per year

Not driving tonight? Ask your friends around for a couple of before party drinks rather than buying them all whilst out.

Potential Savings: for 2 drinks you didn’t have to buy out per week , you could save $1040 per year

The cinema has to be one of the most marked up food locations ever.

Concerts, zoos, sporting events and even airports can have you forking out three times the price. So pack some snacks for the kids and yourself next time you go out and put the money you saved into that travel account we talked about.

Potential Savings: based on 1 event per month with a spend of $20 for snacks – save up to $240 per year

It might seem a little formal for everyone, but if you are comfortable to ask for cash then go for it. Alternatively, let your family and friends know you are saving for a holiday. Maybe they’ll get you a voucher or awesome travel gift you wouldn’t otherwise buy.

If you still feel a little awkward then at least drop some subtle but obvious hints next time your birthday comes around. Or your loved ones might ask you straight out so don’t forget…cash please.

The simple yet effective coin jar has to be one of the easiest ways to save a decent amount of cash for your holiday.

All that loose change floating around in your wallet or the bottom of your handbag needs a good home right. Watching that little pile of coins and small bills grow is weirdly rewarding and once you start, you really can’t stop.

Potential Savings: up to $500 to $1000 a year from my personal experience of having a coin jar. Even more if you getting cracking now.

Ultimately, you want to travel more than just once. it’s just so addictive right!

Remember to look at your current lifestyle and how you can give it either a minor detail or a big overhaul. Once you have worked out what your currently spend, you will have a better picture of what needs some work and what needs tweaking.

Don’t forget to read my extensive article on the many travel hacks to help you save for your travel goals and dreams.

Do you have any other tips on how to save for a vacation on a tight budget? Be sure to share in the comments box below.

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10 Flights You Can Take for 10,000 Miles or Less

Update : Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

When it comes to family travel, using points and miles can really help lessen the cost of your overall vacation. Instead of spending thousands of dollars out of pocket, you can potentially spend close to nothing if you maximize your travel rewards. Still, when flying with a family, the number of points and miles required for an airfare purchase can still really add up. Knowing how to use the least amount of points/miles to get to a destination is imperative. Here are 10 great opportunities to use 10,000 points/miles or less per person for a flight right now:

1. United Airlines 5,000 Miles Awards

Traditionally, most US-based airlines price domestic award flights at 12,500 miles one-way. However, United just announced that it is doing away with its award chart for flights starting Nov. 15 . While this is not great news overall, especially for those who fly at peak times or on "sweet spot" awards, there are some upsides. United awards are now starting out at just 5k miles one-way . (And this is not just for short-haul awards; many mid- to long-haul flights are showing these discounted mileage fares as well.) The downside for family travel is that these low-level awards will typically be available only during off-peak dates. If you have some flexibility in your schedule (flying out a day or two before or after the peak days), you'll have better luck snagging these lower priced award flights.

Those who have United elite status or are a United credit card holder will see the lowest pricing possible. All other members will still see discounted prices, but likely at rates about 1,000 miles pricier. This is why signing into your United account is important when searching for award pricing. While expanded award availability is a good reason to have a United credit card as long as award charts in play, it looks like the United Explorer Card and similar will continue to save you some United miles going forward.

2. Use LifeMiles on United Flights for Just 7,500 Miles

Although United is doing away with its award chart on Nov. 15, you can still take advantage of some very generous awards by using partner miles to fly on United metal — those award charts are still in effect and have not changed. For example, you can use Avianca LifeMiles to book a short-haul award within the US for a fixed 7,500 miles one-way. While using United miles might be better for those off-peak 5k mileage redemptions, there is a good chance you'll see a much better value using LifeMiles for that same route if you are looking to fly on more popular dates.

The Avianca LifeMiles program splits the United States into three regions. As long as you are flying between two city pairs within the same region, LifeMiles will charge you as little as 7,500 miles for that award redemption. The three regions include:

• United States 1: Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, Delaware, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington (DC)
• United States 2: Alabama, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin
• United States 3: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming

This means you can fly all the way from Minnesota to Florida for just 7,500 miles since they are in the same region. If you need to fly from United States 1 to United States 2, those award redemptions are still a favorable 10,000 mile redemption.

Avianca's LifeMiles program is also one of the few airline programs that allows you to use cash plus miles — you just need to have at least 40% of the required miles in your account, then you can pay for the remaining amount in a cash equivalent. This allows you to essentially purchase points at a relatively inexpensive price.

If you are short on LifeMiles, there are many ways to earn them as they are transfer partners of Citi ThankYou Rewards (1:1), Capital One (2:1.5 ratio), Marriott Bonvoy (3:1) and Amex Membership Rewards (1:1 ratio). Not only that, you'll often see promotions where you can purchase LifeMiles with a huge bonus offer .

3. American Airline Reduced Mileage Awards for Citi Credit Card Holders

Every quarter, American Airlines offers reduced mileage awards for those who have an American cobranded credit card, such as the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® or AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard. With many of the cards, you'll receive 3,750 miles off a one-way award ticket (or 7,500 miles off a round-trip). For flights over 500 miles, award tickets within the continental US typically cost 12,500 AAdvantage miles (although if you have flexibility you might be able to snag one of its Economy Web Special fares). However, if one of your city pairs is on the reduced mileage award list for the month you are flying, you'll get an extra 3,750 mile discount, which means you are down to paying just 8,750 miles for your one-way flight.

The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If you happen to be flying a route that is less than 500 miles , those award redemptions are typically just 7,500 miles. For these particular flights, you cannot get the full 3,750 discount, but instead you'll save 1,000 miles each way. This means those flights will cost you just 6,500 miles one-way.

If you act fast and book a flight on or before Apr. 30, you can receive a 10% mileage rebate on all flights booked with select co-branded American Airlines credit card. (This benefit is being eliminated on May 1) This benefit is in addition to the reduced mileage awards, as long as you are booking with an eligible cobranded card and have yet to meet your yearly max. If you take this additional 10% rebate into account, that means that flights longer than 500 miles will ultimately only cost you 7,875 miles and those shorter than 500 miles will cost just 5,850 miles.

4. 5th-Freedom Flight in the Caribbean for 4,000 British Airways Avios

Island-hopping in the Caribbean can be a ton of fun for a family, but quite expensive with cash. If you are flexible with where you want to go, you can actually pick up a fifth-freedom flight where you'll be able to redeem a minimal amount of British Airways Avios points to hop between islands. For those unaware of the term, a " fifth-freedom flight " is essentially when a carrier operates a flight where neither the origin nor the destination country is the airline's home base. Within the Caribbean, there are actually a number of different fifth-freedom routes , which will allow you to plan a beach-filled fun-in-the-sun family-friendly itinerary:

• Antigua – Saint Kitts
• Antigua – Tobago
• Nassau – Grand Cayman
• Saint Lucia – Grenada
• Saint Lucia – Port of Spain

Since British Airways flies these routes, this is the perfect opportunity to redeem your British Airways Avios points . And since they are all under 650 miles in distance, you can book them for just 4,000 Avios (off-peak dates) or 4,500 Avios (peak dates). Even though British Airways eliminated the option to book a flight for just 4,500 Avios back in 2016 , this only applied to flights flown to/from and within the United States. Flights in the Caribbean and all other countries are still able to book at the "Zone 1" level.

In fact, if you want to island hop in style, you can book a lie-flat seat for just 9,000 Avios plus taxes/fees. From Nassau to Grand Cayman in business class it would cost you just 9,000 Avios and $40 in taxes/fees.

This could be the perfect opportunity to combine a stay at the relatively new Grand Hyatt Baha Mar with the Westin Grand Cayman. You could use your hotel points on both ends and then your British Airways points to hop from one destination to another.

5. Use British Airways Avios for Flights Under 10k Miles

British Airways uses a distance-based award chart where the number of points you use to redeem for a free flight depends on the distance between the city pairs (per segment). There are three zones that allow you book for under 10,000 Avios points:

• Zone 1 (0–650 miles): 4,000 (off-peak) / 4,500 (peak)
• Zone 2 (651–1,151 miles): 6,500 (off-peak) / 7,500 (peak) **
• Zone 3 (1,152–2,000 miles): 8,500 (off-peak) / 10,000 (peak)

** Unfortunately, flights within to/from and within the US that are between 0–650 miles still fall into the Zone 2 category.

If you are looking to fly within the US, British Airways partners with both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. So even if you think of BA as an international carrier, you can still use your Avios points for partner flights and many times fly for less than if you were to redeem your American or Alaska miles. For example, you can redeem just 7,500 Avios to fly between New York (JFK) and Miami (MIA) where American Airlines would typically charge 12,500 AAdvantage miles for the same flight. Some other really good opportunities for redeeming just 7,500 Avios to/from and within the US include:

• New York City (JFK) to Bermuda (BDA)
• New York City (LGA) to Toronto (YYZ)
• Miami to Cancun (CUN)
• Miami to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)

Alternately, if you are looking to fly between city pairs outside of the United States, you can easily book flights for as low as 4,000 points (off-peak) or 4,500 points (peak) as shown in the island hop examples . This can be the perfect opportunity for your family to experience multiple cities within Europe and use your points and miles to get around (without having to take a European low-cost carrier ). Or, if you find a cheap fare from your home airport to a European city, you could jump on that revenue fare and then book an award flight to get to your desired city.

6. Southwest Fare Sales + Companion Pass

Southwest is known for its basically weekly fare sales , which sometimes last for a few days or even a few weeks. During these sales, you can book a discounted Southwest flight or even get a credit/points back if your previously purchased flight went down in price . The number of points that have to be redeemed for a free flight is directly tied to the fare price, so the lower the fare, the better.

For example, right now you can fly from Honolulu to Maui on Southwest for less than 3,000 Rapid Reward points on many of its flights. Even better, if you have the Southwest Companion Pass another family member (or friend) can fly with you for free (plus taxes/fees). That means two passengers can fly on this particular route for just 2,830 Rapid Reward points (or just 1,415 points if you want to break the cost down per passenger). Using miles on another airline would be double, if not triple, the cost!

With enough date flexibility, you can even fly from the mainland to Hawaii using Rapid Rewards points for less than 10,000 points each way! Shown below is Oakland to Maui for just 8,967 plus $5.60 in taxes!

Of course, not every one of its flights will price out this low, or even for less than 10k Rapid Reward points, but if you book early and keep track of flight price decreases, you can often get Southwest flights at a significantly lower rate than another airline.

7. JetBlue Flash Sales + 10% Rebate for Card Members

JetBlue often runs flash sales that can last from a few hours to a few days. On many Tuesdays or Wednesdays, you'll see an email in your inbox advertising these one- or two-day sales. If you follow JetBlue Cheeps on Twitter (@JetBlueCheeps), you'll be able to get first dibs on the sales that are typically valid for only a few hours. Many times, these flash sales offer discounted pricing on many routes on both paid and point reservations.

While the fares differ every time, it is typical to see a sale with flights starting at just $49 one-way or as low as just a few hundred points. With JetBlue, the number of points required for a free flight is loosely tied to the price of the flight, so the lower the fare price, the less points required. When those $49 fare sales pop up, it means you can often book that same flight for about 3,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points, but sometimes the deals are even sweeter.

Remember, if you have JetBlue Mosaic status and a fare decreased in the number of points required , a simple phone call to the JetBlue Mosaic line will credit you the difference.

If you have the JetBlue Plus Card, you'll further benefit by receiving 10% of your points back after making a redemption. This means instead of using 3,000 points, with the example above, you would be ultimately redeeming just 2,700 points for a one-way flight. This is an incredibly low number of points to use for a free flight.

8. Frontier 10k Value Awards

As long as you are looking to travel within the US or Puerto Rico, you can redeem just 10,000 miles for a free flight on Frontier Airlines .

Fortunately, with Frontier Airlines, these value redemption levels are commonly available and the airline even allows you to pool miles between family members if you have elite status or a Frontier credit card. I searched flights between Boston and Denver for the entire month of September and 10k mile award flights were available all but three days. When booking award flights with Frontier, try to book your flights at least 180 days in advance to avoid any booking fees. Booking anything within the 180 day time frame will cost you between $15–$75 in fees (those fees can be avoided if you have the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard or elite status).

If you plan on flying with your kids on Frontier on a Tuesday or Wednesday, you might be better off paying for your flight with dollars to take advantage of the Kids Fly Free offer .

9. Chase Ultimate Reward Points Within Europe

If you are looking to fly within Europe, you might find yourself flying on an airline that doesn't partner with any airlines on which you have accrued miles. This is where using points from your Chase Ultimate Rewards account can come in handy. For example, let's say you are planning a Greek Isles vacation this summer. Flying from Athens to Santorini is definitely the quickest method, but the cost of cash tickets can add up for an entire family. If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which allows you to redeem your points at 1.5 points per cent through the travel portal, you can fly during a peak day in August for less than 6k Chase Ultimate Reward points each way, per person.

Of course, your Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be used for any flights booked through its portal (not just flights within Europe), so you'll have to do the math of booking through the portal versus transferring your points to a partner airline.

10. New York to Vancouver With Cathay Pacific

One of the long-haul Cathay flights between New York (JFK) and Hong Kong (HKG) makes a quick stop in Vancouver, which allows you to book this fifth-freedom flight just for the North American segment. Since you are flying Cathay Pacific, you can expect more desirable and comfortable seats than on most US airlines, even at the economy class level. (Update, 9/9/2019: this flight will be discontinued in the spring of 2020.)

While you can use miles from Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and British Airways to book Cathay operated flights, you'll actually find that redeeming Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, at just 10,000 miles per economy seat one-way, may be the best method.

Earning Cathay Pacific miles is actually not as difficult as you might think since the airline is a transfer partner of both Citi ThankYou Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards . Here are more tips for earning and using Cathay Pacific Asia Miles . (And if you do fly into Vancouver, we highly recommend adding on a drive along the Sea to Sky Highway. )

Bottom Line

Minimizing the number of points and miles used will help maximize your family's vacations. Why take one vacation with your points and miles, when you can stretch them to take many more. At just 10,000 miles per flight (or less), that dream should easily become a reality.

Jennifer Yellin covers family travel deals for TPG and blogs at Deals We Like . Follow her family's adventures on Twitter and Instagram.

Is It Illegal to Carry $10,000 in Cash?

Common discomfort over the handling of large sums of money has led to some near-superstitious beliefs about how to do so safely and legally., snopes staff, published jan. 15, 2015.

About this rating

If you've ever had call to withdraw a sum of money from the bank that was larger than you'd customarily handle, you may have experienced feeling a corresponding sense of foreboding until the currency was safely transported to its destination.

It is often mused money is power; accordingly, being in possession of large sums of cash (for instances such as a private party car sale) can feel dangerous because it makes you a target of those who seek to acquire power. One of the most common tips bestowed upon travelers involves carrying as little currency as possible while away from home, so pervasive is our fear of being hoodwinked out of it when we're away from familiar places.

Moreover, the notion dealing in cash is a risky proposition is on the upswing. Credit and debit cards are now accepted nearly everywhere, and plastic offers formidable protection against being swindled or cheated out of everything you have. That's generally not the case with cash (which is far less frequently insurable): Even when we're being cautious, carrying a large sum of currency can feel like wearing a neon "rob me" sign; and were such a circumstance to come to pass, we'd expect to be asked with alacrity why it was necessary to be toting so much money around.

Common discomfort over the handling of large sums of money has led to some near-superstitious beliefs about how to do so safely and legally, including a common rumor simply having cash totaling $10,000 or more in your possession is illegal regardless of how you acquired it or what you intend to do with it. A quick online search reveals a number of variations of this belief that are fairly persistent: it's illegal to carry any amount of cash over $10,000, you are prohibited from flying with sums of that amount, or even having "instruments" (such as a check) on your that are over the magical $10,000 mark will provoke scrutiny and possible detention by law enforcement agents.

No U.S. law specifically prohibits an individual from possessing or carrying $10,000 or more. In fact, it's not technically illegal to possess sums far larger than that for a wide variety of purposes. (If it were, many small business owners would find running their primarily cash-based businesses impossible.) However, a few factors advance the belief that $10,000 is a threshold of illegality when it comes to money.

The most likely suspect is the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, also known as the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). Enacted to inhibit money laundering, and utilized by the United States Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the BSA mainly obligates banks (not citizens) to report transactions of more than $10,000:

The Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970 (which legislative framework is commonly referred to as the "Bank Secrecy Act" or "BSA") requires U.S. financial institutions to assist U.S. government agencies to detect and prevent money laundering. Specifically, the act requires financial institutions to keep records of cash purchases of negotiable instruments, file reports of cash transactions exceeding $10,000 (daily aggregate amount), and to report suspicious activity that might signify money laundering, tax evasion, or other criminal activities. It was passed by the Congress of the United States in 1970.

That legal requirement for banks' recording of cash transactions is invoked at the $10,000 mark, which has likely inspired the mistaken belief merely possessing that sum of money is illegal (while having $9,999.99 or less is perfectly within the bounds of the law). However, the BSA applies to "financial institutions" not individuals, and the $10,000 cash threshold is not the only element involved in reporting requirements.

In addition to reporting cash transactions exceeding $10,000 (not just single transactions, but transactions conducted over the course of a day that collectively add up to $10,000 or more), banks are required to keep records of "cash purchases of negotiable instruments" and to report any "suspicious activity that might signify money laundering, tax evasion, or other criminal activities." That leads to another critical aspect of the "legality of large sums of money rumor": namely, there is no specific dollar amount that enables a person to safely stay off Uncle Sam's radar. Any evasive or seemingly secretive movement of money, in any amount, could trigger bank reporting and law enforcement scrutiny.

A debate has long been underway about the circumstances under which the government may examine and even seize the property of American citizens under a collection of laws commonly described as " Civil Asset Forfeiture ." A variety of state and federal laws allow law enforcement agents to seize an individual's assets for a number of reasons, and critics of such laws assert reclaiming assets seized in such a fashion is next to impossible. The American Civil Liberties Union (who opposes the practice) described civil asset forfeiture on a page about the subject:

Every year, federal and state law enforcement agents seize millions of dollars from civilians during traffic stops, simply by asserting that they believe the money is connected to some illegal activity and without ever pursuing criminal charges. Under federal law and the laws of most states, they are entitled to keep most (and sometimes all) of the money and property they seize.

Some unwitting individuals have prompted such seizures by diligently avoiding the $10,000 threshold, believing doing so constituted adherence to the law. But deliberately ensuring that none of your transactions ever exceeds $10,000 can have the unintended side effect of provoking suspicion by creating the impression you are making efforts to avoid scrutiny. Thus, the intent of the BSA is much broader: the government isn't specifically focused on $10,000 but on keeping an eye on any transactions that may indicate a pattern of illegality (such as arms trade, drug sales, or other controlled dealings).

In respect to travel, the $10,000 number is again codified in law. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) includes it in its guidelines for traveling with valuables and currency, but only as a requirement to report. The transport of more than $10,000 in American currency isn't expressly prohibited, but possession of such a sum must be reported to Customs by Americans who travel internationally:

For international flights, you must report the transport of $10,000.00 USD or more to the U.S. Customs Service.

Again, the $10,000 threshold is used as a barometer for reporting, but is not a dividing line between the legal and the illegal. In all the scenarios described, the possession of that specific amount of money (or more) is denoted as one that requires reporting and perhaps explanation when you and your money pass through official checkpoints.

Notably, however, having a sum of $10,000 or more is not specifically illegal in any jurisdiction or under any law in the United States. You may legally store cash as you wish in your home and carry it with you in your travels, and if you're traveling privately you need not report the transport of your own money even if you carry $10,000 or more.

However, if you are pulled over by a police officer with thousands of dollars in your vehicle, you may be asked to explain how and why you're carrying so much money (ostensibly to uncover the trafficking of drugs and other contraband). And in many cases, law enforcement agents can seize large sums of cash and insist you provide proof you acquired the currency legally and do not intend to use it for illicit purposes. Legal justification for seizing money in that scenario is broad and complex, making it risky (even if not technically illegal) to transport large sums of cash.

By Snopes Staff

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How to Travel Internationally With More Than $10,000 in Cash

Many people wouldn’t dare cross international lines with a lot of cash on them.

The risks are just too great. 

But if you’re traveling to a country where a U.S. debit card or credit card won’t work, bringing cash might be your only option for accommodations, transportation, and food. 

Or, you plan to give that money out as gifts to family and friends abroad.

While it makes sense to travel with some cash, there are specific rules when you travel internationally with $10,000 or more in cash . 

Here’s what you need to know to avoid running into problems, or worse, having your cash confiscated.

Rules for Traveling Internationally With $10,000

You have the right to withdraw your cash whenever you want; and if traveling internationally, you have the right to bring as much cash as you need for your trip.

With that said:

You must abide by government rules to keep your cash when going through U.S. Customs and Border Protection or TSA (Transportation Administration Security).

To be abundantly clear, it’s not illegal to travel with $10,000 in cash internationally .

The truth is:

You can travel with as much money as you like internationally. So if you want to stuff $1 million in cash or monetary instruments into your carry-on bag, there’s no law prohibiting this. 

Reporting cash over $10,000

Just know that anytime you travel internationally with money, you’re required to declare any cash over $10,000.

You’ll have to fill out declaration Form FinCEN 105 and provide the exact amount of money on you. 

Having to declare more than $10,000 in cash might seem a bit odd. But the reason for this rule is similar to why banks have to report withdrawals or deposits of $10,000 or more to the IRS . 

Federal law requires financial institutions to report unusual or suspicious activity, which often includes large deposits.

A single deposit of $10,000 isn’t likely to raise too many red flags with the IRS. But if you make several large deposits, you’ll need to provide an explanation.

Similarly, traveling internationally with more than $10,000 won’t put you in handcuffs, but law enforcement may ask a few questions before letting you continue with your trip. 

Basically, you’ll need to disclose the source of cash and provide a legitimate reason for having a lot of cash with you.

Bank Secrecy Act

The reason for disclosure has everything to do with the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, also known as the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970. 

This law was put in place to help detect and prevent drug trafficking and money laundering. 

Money laundering is the act of disguising money generated by criminal activity, by making it appear as if it came from a legitimate source. Some people attempt to deposit illegal funds in foreign banks.

The bottom line:

Always be upfront about any cash over $10,000 on your customs form.

If you’re not honest, you could have your cash seized. And unfortunately, it takes time to get your money back, if you get it back at all.

As a side note, you’re only required to disclose amounts over $10,000 when traveling to or from the United States.

For domestic flights, you can carry as much cash as you like.

Dangers of Carrying a Large Sum of Cash on a Trip

But even if you have a legitimate reason for traveling internationally with $10,000 or more—or any large amount of cash—it isn’t recommended.

Unlike traveler’s checks or credit cards, you can’t replace cash. And anything can happen on your trip resulting in losing possession of your money.

For example, there’s the risk of theft when traveling to a foreign country. Some people look to take advantage of travelers. They may observe you, watch your activity, and steal your money when given an opportunity. 

Even if you don’t run into criminal activity, there’s the risk of losing your cash.

So the less cash on you, the better. 

If you must travel with a large sum of cash, here are a few tips to protect your funds from loss or theft:

1. Lock your cash in a hotel safe

If possible, book with a hotel that has a safe in each room .

In addition to storing your cash, you can also secure your passport, jewelry, and other valuable items during a trip. 

You can set up a unique code upon checking into your room. When exiting the room, even for a short period of time, make sure the safe is closed and locked.

2. Separate Your Money

In the event that you don’t have access to a hotel safe, don’t keep all your money in the same place. 

Find two or three different hiding places, and keep your money separated. This way, if someone finds a hiding spot and steals your cash, you’ll have some money left for the trip. 

Avoid obvious hiding places like your suitcase.

Instead, stuff some cash inside socks within your suitcase or drawer, or perhaps within a toiletry bag.

3. Only carry what you’ll need

When enjoying outings in your destination country, only carry the cash you’ll need for the day. Keep most of your cash locked away in your hotel room, and travel with small bills. 

Don’t put your wallet in a back pocket or an outside pocket of bags.

Invest in a security belt with a hidden pocket or other on-body storage.

4. Don’t let cash out of your sight

When traveling through an airport, it’s also important to never let cash out of your sight. The worst thing you can do is put your money in checked luggage. 

Many people will have access to your bag before it’s returned to you, increasing the likelihood of theft. Keep your cash in your carry-on bag, buried near the bottom. 

If you have to remove cash from your carry-on bag, do so discreetly and out of public view.

Safe Alternatives for Traveling With Cash

Given the possible risks of traveling with a large sum of cash, consider safer alternatives before heading out of town.

1. Open a worldwide checking account

Depending on how frequently you travel out of the country, it might be worth opening a checking account with a bank that offers global services . 

Many financial institutions are able to accommodate international travel. You can deposit your cash at a U.S. bank branch. If you need to use an ATM in another country, the bank may reimburse your ATM fees. 

There’s also a good chance that you won’t pay any foreign transaction fees when using your debit card worldwide.

Foreign exchange fees are typically charged when using a debit card internationally. On average, the fee is 3 percent of a transaction.

You’ll not only save money, but the ability to use an ATM or your debit card in another country also means you don’t have to convert your money at an airport, which comes with its own expensive fees.

2. Use a credit card without a foreign transaction fee

While it’s good to have some cash when traveling internationally for cab rides, subways, and tours, it’ll be safer to keep most of your cash at home and use a credit card instead. 

But not just any credit card.

You’ll need a credit card that’s accepted worldwide, as well as a card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees .

3. Send the money abroad, instead

Maybe you’re visiting friends or family members in another country and you want to bring cash as a gift for them.

Carrying cash in your carry-on bag might seem like the safest, simplest solution. But, it’ll be safer to use other methods that involve sending money abroad.

For example, you can ask your bank about international money transfers, or use money wire services like Western Union or Money Gram. 

You’ll pay a fee to wire money and upload a prepaid debit card, and you might deal with exchange fees.

Compare your options to find the least expensive alternative.

Final Word: Should You Travel With A Lot of Cash?

Traveling with cash is risky, since there’s no way to ensure your cash will arrive to your destination safely. 

To avoid having your money seized, make sure you understand the proper way to travel and declare your cash.

And once you’re at your destination, proceed with caution to keep your money safe and out of the wrong hands.

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Best Travel Trailers Under 10000 Lbs

Published Date: December 30, 2020

Last Updated on March 23, 2023 by Camper Front

While going for big travel trailers might seem amazing as you get all the space and basic amenities you desire, they may be hard on your tow vehicle and may even be a road hazard depending on the type of vehicle you have, and they are super expensive to repair or maintain.

Going for campers under 10000 lbs is also a good option if you don’t require a lot of storage space.

That is why it is usually advisable to go for the best travel trailers under 10000 lbs. This type of travel trailer has lots of room and is also easy to tow.

And because the camper trailers are lightweight, towing them has little impact on your gas mileage, making them more affordable than larger travel trailers.

So, here are the best travel trailers under 10,000 lbs. you can get today.

Table of Contents

1. Riverside Retro Travel Trailer

If you are into retro looks then you will love this riverside RV camper as no other travel trailer can sport that retro look as well as the Riverside Retro Travel Trailer can.

It also offers the latest and greatest features that modern-day RVs have to offer. It has 18 floorplans that cover a wide variety of weights and sizes

The travel trailer version of the Retro features a 16,000/20,000 BTU furnace, radius windows and doors,pass-thru storage, and lots of different interior designs buyers can choose from.

There are optional features, packages, and standalone expansions available that you can choose from to take the look of your camper up a notch.

These optional features include an exterior grill, birch interior, flip-up sofa instead of the rear bed, power awning, outside speakers, and lots more! It is an affordable travel trailer that is under 10,000 pounds.

Key Features:

• 18 different floor plans
• Aluminum cage construction
• Spacious cabinetry with hardwood cabinet doors
• Powder-coated chassis
• Radius windows and doors
• 5/8-inch one-piece floor decking

2. Dutchmen Aspen Trail Travel Trailer

The Dutchmen Aspen Trail travel trailer has a spacious layout and 36 different floorplans that encompass major weight ranges and sleeping capacities which makes it easy to find the right camper for you.

The different available floor plans can make it difficult to make a choice so we are reviewing the  Aspen Trail 1700BH . The Dutchmen Aspen Trail 1700PHWhich is also one of the best camper trailers when it comes to affordability.

To start off, you must know that the 1700BH shares the same aerodynamic profile as the other floorplans.

It features bunk beds as well as a queen bed that can hold a total of 5 people in a 21.5-foot footprint, which provides you with a decently spacious room for more improvement with its numerous options available.

It features a shower/tub combo in the bathroom which helps to save space while also providing you with both of the features. It also has a 6-cubic foot size refrigerator, which is something that most travel trailer around 20 feet in length lacks.

• 36 different floor plans
• Radius overhead cabinets
• Seamless one-piece walk-on roof
• Hardwood cabinet doors
• Tinted safety glass windows
• High-output furnace with auto ignition

You might also be interested in : Best Campers For F150  

3. Starcraft Satellite 18MK

Although this travel trailer is small in size, it is equipped with every feature you need to be able to enjoy your camping trip.

This trailer sleeps three, it includes a convertible dinette, a bath, and a kitchen area with plenty of counter space , which are the basic things anyone would need in an RV.

The bath area includes a toilet, a stand-up shower, and every other essential needed to attend to your cleaning needs.

This travel trailer also has a well-equipped kitchenette that includes a 2-burner stovetop, microwave, and sink.

It has a lot of functional storage space , and you can use the dining space as a hangout zone; you can also convert the dining area into an additional sleeping area for extra sleeping capacity . Additional sleeping spaces can always be found with a bit of rearrangement.

This RV has an outdoor shower which comes in handy should in case you want to grab a quick shower after swimming on the beach or clean the RV itself.

The exterior is made out of durable materials that make it well suited for extreme circumstances; its outside walls are laminated and made with flooring insulation and foam insulation, which helps to keep you warm during cold nights .

During warm days, there is a 13,500 BTU A/C, which generates adequate cold air for the trailer.

It is also equipped with an electronic roof-mounted antenna, a cable and stereo, and satellite prep, which helps to provide you with all your needed entertainment. You will definitely enjoy your camping trip with a Starcraft.

Key Features

• Outdoor shower
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 3
• 13,500 BTU A/C
• GVWR: 3,790-3,950 lbs
• Length: 20’2”-22’3”

4. Forest River R-Pod Hood River 179

All of its floorplans are under 5,000 pounds GVWR , and you also get nine different layouts that span from 18 to 20 feet in length, providing enough room for four people.

This is an open floor plan RV that includes a sleeping area, a sitting area, a kitchen, as well as a dinette. Like many other travel trailers, you can convert the dining area in the Hood River into a sleeping area if needed for extra travelers or visitors.

The kitchenette includes a stovetop with two burners, a sink, a refrigerator, and a microwave.

The sleeping area includes a queen bed that sleeps two. However, this trailer has an uncommon type of bathroom .

It is a complete wet bathroom, which means everything within this restroom is able to get wet due to the shower being close to everything in a bid to save space.

• 13,000 BTU air conditioner
• Nine-floor plan
• Length:18-20
• Weight: 2342-2836 lbs
• Tinted safety windows
• LP, CO, and smoke detectors

You might also be interested in: 6 Best Ultra-Light Travel Trailers With Outdoor Kitchens   

5. The American Dream Trailer

If you are not into hardcore off-roading trailers, but still want an interesting camper, then the American Dream Trailer is the right option for you. It has a retro design that is stylish and widely popular.

This trailer has a simple design and was inspired by a vintage 1961 model. But do not let its simplicity fool you, this camper comes armed with some very fun features.

This is a very stylish camper that performs a whole lot more than is anticipated from it.

The roof of the trailer has a hull-like shape and is also a removable boat making it a perfect choice for those who love camping near a body of water.

The rooftop boat can be removed and is attached with five latches, and in case you are worried about exposing your camper’s interior when you take the boat off. Well, there’s actually a separate roof underneath the boat, that keeps your trailer enclosed when the boat is removed.

The roof boat can carry up to three people or 500 lbs of weight and It also has a motor mount that can handle a motor of 2 hp.

This trailer comes with oars for rowing your boat, curtains, oarlocks, a checkerboard floor, and a tailgate for food storage and preparation.

With the boat roof attached, the trailer may seem a bit bigger than it actually is. This camper is small, lightweight, and compact.

Optional features for the trailer include an interior table and two-tone color schemes, which take about 6-8 weeks to be delivered when ordered.

Aside from the detachable boat on the roof of the trailer, the American Dream Trailer also has a rear-mounted cooking, custom full-mattress, storage galley, and pop-out windows that help to ensure adequate ventilation inside your camper.

• Trailer Weight: Base: 1890 lbs.
• Ground Clearance: 16”
• Chassis Length: 13.8’
• Chassis Width: 7.5’
• Trailer Height: 6’

6. BCT Moab Gobi Trailer

The Gobi trailer is a small travel trailer that is equipped with essential features some of which you won’t find in any trailer.

The BCT Moab Gobi Trailer is very affordable and it is loaded with interior sleeping and storage arrangements which are quite spacious and luxurious.

It has a comfortable sleeping area, with a series of internal wood storage cabinets and even an exterior kitchen.

The kitchenette includes a functional sink and a dual burner camp stove which allows you to cook meals and also clean them up right after without any hassle.

The trailer features off-road tires for any off-the-grid adventures. The Moab Gobi also has its own electric brake system for safety and you can also upgrade it.

• 7-inch foam mattress that fits two people
• 2-burner cooktop
• 20-pound propane tank
• 24-gallon (91 liters) freshwater tank
• Tankless propane water heater

7. Airstream Flying Cloud

Airstream is known for its amazing campers and this is no exception. The Airstream flying cloud features a twin-bed floor plan, which isn’t bunk beds.

It has Panoramic windows that cover the front and side of the nearly 28-foot trailer, making it easy to get great views while lounging on the L-shaped Ultraleather couch, which can also be converted into another bed.

It also features a stylish kitchenette that has a 7-cubic-foot fridge, a convertible dinette , a three-burner cooktop, counter space, a convection microwave, and a stainless-steel sink with a cutting-board cover.

It has a split bathroom that places the toilet and sinks on the curbside and the shower across the hall.

Although this Airstream model has no slideouts, it has plenty of functional storage tucked into all the nooks and crannies including cabinets under the dining booth, a magazine rack, and coat and key hooks.

Key features

• Exterior Length: 23 ft.
• Exterior Width: 8 ft.
• Maximum Trailer Capacity (GVWR) (lbs.): 1,239
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 6
• L-shaped spacious seating

8. Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro Travel Trailer

If you are looking for a travel trailer that is lightweight as well as affordable then the Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro Travel Trailer is a great option.

This trailer usually weighs less than 3,000 pounds and offers seven different floor layouts.

Although this camper is known to be a small trailer, it makes use of its space inside to the fullest. It includes many features that make the Flagstaff E-Pro a great buy.

Some of these features include a Wi-Fi ranger, tinted bonded frameless windows, a 20,000 BTU furnace, a laminated vacuum roof and walls, roof and ground solar prewire, and 7 unique floorplans.

This trailer also includes external speakers and a manual awning that can be upgraded to a power awning . A power awning is great for tailgating or just enjoying an evening by the fire. For your off-grid adventures, this forest river trailer features a solar prep and a tongue-mount bike rack that is optional.

It has a different range of floor plans, and it is also lightweight yet affordable quality, It is not too big, not too small, and perfect for all your weekend getaway dreams. The Forest River Flagstaff travel trailer has sleeping spaces for 2-4 people which is the perfect size for a couple or a cozy little family.

• Hitch Weight: 1621 lb. – 2641 lb.
• Exterior Length : 11′ 3″- 20′ 2″
• 20,000 BTU furnace
• Sleeping Capacity: Up to 4
• Laminated Vacuum Roof

You might also be interested in:   Best Cars For Towing 1500kg Caravan  

Conclusion – Best Campers Under 10000 Lbs

Well, there are lots of best travel trailers under 10,000 lbs in the RV industry. Sometimes the search can be overwhelming, so this article has helped to narrow down the choices to a couple of the best.

Remember that your budget, the dry weight of the trailer, and the towing capacity of your tow vehicle all play a leading role in the purchase of any camper , so determine your preference and make the best-suited choice.

Best Travel Trailers Under 8000 Lbs

Travel trailers under 8000 lbs are perfect for anyone getting into RVing. They're big enough for families and groups of friends, and you can also tow them quite comfortably with a half ton truck .

But of course, there are many different designs and brands on the market, so getting it right isn't easy. There's lots to consider, so that's where we come in.

We have put our RV expertise together and brought you some of the best travel trailers under 8000 lbs. As well as reviewing individual models, we've also included a buyer's guide with general information of what you should look for in any travel trailer .

We've also included an FAQ section dedicated to all things travel trailers of this size, so you'll be well equipped with all the necessary info by the end of the article.

Things to Consider when Shopping for a Travel Trailer Under 8000 Lbs

When you're shopping for a travel trailer there are certain things to consider. If you're looking for one that's around 8000 lbs, it's likely that you have a family, and need the space. Other than space there will be a few things you should take into consideration.

Towing Capacity

Before you get a travel trailer you should know the towing capacity of your vehicle. If you're wanting a travel trailer under 8000 lbs, you should be fine with any midsize truck or SUV. That said, always consider the dry weight (GVWR) of the trailer, but also think about when it's full, because your towing vehicle will be taking it all on board.

What we love

• Supports a 60 x 80 inches queen bed
• Slide-out provide space for dining and sofa sets
• Spacious kitchen area with refrigerator and pantry
• Has the gross vehicle weight rating of 7,598 pounds
• Features a practical shower with 34 x 34 inches dimensions

Quick Specs

• Sleeps: 4-6
• Number of Floorplans: 1
• Number of Slide-Outs: 1
• Length: 29 feet 5 inches
• Width: 96 inches
• Weight: 6048 pounds

This Palomino Puma travel trailer can be your best bid if you want something affordable yet high in quality. It has everything that a travel trailer should have in order to help you feel comfortable while out on your roadtrips. 

The 60 x 80 inches queen-sized bed is a major attraction. As it is slightly larger than the usual beds in recreational vehicles, it offers plenty of comfort. The gross vehicle weight is 7,598 pounds, which stays under the limit of 8,000 lbs. And it also helps you in saving up on your fuel expenditure. 

Moreover, there is a spacious kitchen with a practical cooking space. It also has a pantry and a refrigerator , which helps in keeping things fresh. A dinette accompanies the kitchen in a slide-out space at the side of the trailer.

There is a sofa set as well, which converts into a bed as does the dinette, allowing you to get up to 6 people. The bathroom is very spacious, with a walk in shower. And there's plenty of storage throughout the trailer.

Runner-up: Airstream Flying Cloud

• Quietstream   Climate Control
• Ultraleather Seating
• Three-burner gas stove, with Baraldi cooking vent
• Handcrafted Cabinetry
• Memory Foam Mattress
• Number of Floorplans: 8
• Number of Slide-Outs: -
• Length: 23-30 ft
• Width: 8 ft
• Weight: 6000 pounds

The Airstream Flying Cloud is as good as you might expect from any Aistream camper. There are 13 floorplans, of differing lengths and layouts, but generally they sleep between 4 and 8 people.

All layouts have a master bedroom with either a large bed or 2 twin beds with memory foam mattresses . If you go for the twin bed floorplan, the center aisle is completely opened up, which creates more physical moving space throughout the interior.

Airstream has been pioneering innovative RV technology like refrigerators, toilets, screens doors, and showers in travel trailers and you can see in the Flying Cloud, and any other Airstream, the quality of the amenities.

I haven't even mentioned the Flying Cloud’s interior is, yet. With light wood walls, cabinetry, and trim, all designed to complete Airstream's dome shape.

The dinette converts into a bed, as does the ultraleather sofa. And the shower is separate from the rest of the bathroom, so there'll be no arguing over who wants to use what first.

The Airstream Flying Cloud also boasts a quiet and efficient heating and cooling system, which will keep you and your guests comfortable, no matter the season.

AIrstream really need no introduction and it's for good reason. They're not cheap, but the design, luxurious amenities, and quality construction is second to none.

Best for the Money: Coachmen Apex Ultra Lite

• Vacuum-bonded Laminated Azdel/ Fiberglass Walls
• Hot/Cold Outside Shower
• Prestige Poplar Cabinetry
• Overhead Bedroom Cabinets w/Side Wardrobes
• 14.5K BTU Ducted A/C 
• Number of Floorplans: 12
• Length: 26 feet 2 inches
• Weight: 7000 pounds 

There are a total of 12 distinct Apex floor plans, there's plenty of options with the Coachmen Apex Ultra Light. The 211RBS is one of the bigger Apex Ultra Lights, but at 7000 pounds, it's a travel trailer that easily makes the weight limit for our review.

The thing about the Coachmen Light series is that they come with class and offer all the luxuries you'd need, but at an affordable rate, so we have included this as the best travel trailer under 8000 lbs for the money.

The master bedroom is at the front of the trailer and it boasts a large queen sized bed with very useful  storage underneath it . Walk out of the bedroom and you're immediately in the main entertainment living area, which boasts a breakfast bar with stools.

Opposite there is the slideout, which houses a dinette and double bed at night. Beind the breakfast bar is the kitchen, which boasts all the amenities you need. The kitchen cupboard are all made with ash colored poplar, which is high quality timber and it looks really nice.

The bathroom as at the far back of the trailer, and there's plenty of storage and wardrobe space throughout. All in all, this makes the Apex Ultra perfect for families and groups of friends.

Grand Design Imagine 2600RB

• Gel Coated Fiberglass Exterior
• High-Capacity Water Pump
• Solar Power Inlet
• Aluminum framed walls retain their shape
• 3-Burner Range with Oven, Double Door Refrigerator
• Length: 29 ft
• Height: 11 ft 2 inch
• Weight: 7850 lbs

The Grand Design Imagine 2600RB is an absolute must for anyone who wants a luxury travel trailer. With 8 different floorplans, most of them are over our weight limit, but at 7850 pounds the 2600RB is a quality travel trailer under 8000 lbs.

It boasts premium construction and interior finish, giving you the luxuries of home while you're out on the road. The layout boast a queen sized bed in the master bedroom, with plenty of storage and nice sized windows either side of the bed, so you get to wake up and feel the nature immediately.

The kitchen is next to the bedroom and boasts large countertops, microwave, 3 burner stove, oven , double door refrigerator, and plenty of cupboard space, and a large pantry to keep all the  accessories at bay.

 Oppossite the kitchen, there's a dinette, and sleeper sofa, where the slideout is, ensuring you have plenty of space while spending time in your RV.

The bathroom is so spacious it's unreal. Boasting everything you need, including a walk in 30x36 shower, with a skylight, and there's also a window on the back wall, which helps with airing the RV.

Outdoors, there's an impressive 21' awning, coax TV hook up, and a spray port, which is perfect for cleaning the hiking boots after a long trail. 

LANCE 2185 TRAVEL TRAILER

• CNC-Laminated Floor, Ceiling, Walls Insulated
• One-Piece Roof
• Exterior Propane Connection
• Exterior Wash Station
• Enclosed Underbelly-Insulated & Heated Hldg Tanks
• Length: 26 ft 1 in 
• Width: 96 inches 
• Weight: 7900 pounds 

The last of our Travel Trailers under 8000 lbs comes from Lance. Coming in at 7900 pounds the trailer boasts everything you need and sleeps up to 6 people.

The master bedroom has a queen sized bed with wardrobes and storage. Walking out of the bedroom you enter the living area, where the slideout is, which houses the u-shaped dinette. This converts into a bed and sleeps an extra 2 people.

Opposite the slideout is the kitchen area. It's a bit small compared with the others, but the Lance is cheaper, and although the kitchen prep space is limited, it should be fine for most people.

Towards the back is a shower and toilet, which is pretty compact, and a separate wash basin opposite. Tucked in at the back is the bunkhouse , with 2 bunk beds . There's another wardrobe right at the side of the bunkhouse.

Outside, you have an awning, propane connection and a wash station, so the days muck can be washed off before entering the trailer after a long hike.

Cautious Considerations to Keep in Mind Before Buying

Buying a new travel trailer can make you nervous, especially if you are doing so for the first time. People want to make sure that their investment is safe, and they will get the true worth of their money. 

We understand this, so we have enlisted some cautious considerations to keep in mind before buying a travel trailer.

Slide-Out Space

Well, the presence of a slide-out space is welcomed by everyone as it ensures more space in the interior. But, since it is on the outside, it should be able to deal with all the weight that you put on it. So, go for the travel trailers that have a well-tested slide-out space.

Interior Height

The interior height is quite important because it determines the ease of movement inside the trailer. The ceiling should be high enough for you to walk around easily without ducking your head.

Now, the price is definitely a major aspect to consider while making a purchase. You need to choose a travel trailer that has the lowest price with the highest quality. A comparison of available options will help you make the right decision in this regard. 

Can you really find an affordable and quality travel trailer?

Yes, you can find a quality travel trailer that is very affordable. travel trailers under 8000 lbs are bigger than many, but they aren't the biggest. Yes, you'll get plenty of luxury features with them, and that will cost, but you can definitely find a trailer that's affordable.

What kind of truck can tow an 8000 lbs travel trailer?

Full sized SUVs and half-ton trucks can tow travel trailers that weigh 8000 lbs quite easily. 

What is the towing capacity of a 3/4-ton truck?

It depends on the brand, but generally you're looking at around 20,000 lbs. But always check your manufacturer's handbook before trying to tow anything that weight.

Can you increase towing capacity?

No, you can't increase the towing capacity of your vehicle unless you re-engineer the vehicle. This is because trucks are made specially with towing capacity in mind, so don't try and push your towing vehicle as it could be dangerous.

Travel Trailers under 8000 Lbs

Travel trailers under 8000 lbs are mid to large trailers. The size should be enough for most people, and with it being a trailer, personally I wouldn't go much higher than 8000lbs. This is because trailers are difficult to tow and the heavier they are, the harder they get.

All of the above trailers are highly recommended, and depending on your budget and needs, we're sure you'll find at least one there. If not, keep looking as there are many others we haven't reviewed, and of course, it's such a big investment.

We're sure, however, that the travel trailer you go for will be the best decision of your outdoor life and be the base of every future memory you make. Happy camping!

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The Best Ways to Use 10,000 (or Fewer) American Airlines AAdvantage Miles

Andrew Kunesh

Former Content Contributor

69 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 28 U.S. States Visited: 22

Director of Operations & Compliance

1 Published Article 1166 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 10 U.S. States Visited: 20

Redeem For Short-Haul Awards Within Australia and Fiji

Upgrade full-fare flights, redeem for newspaper subscriptions, redeem american aadvantage miles for a lifelock subscription, redeem for hotel stays or rental cars, donate american aadvantage miles to charity, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

American Airlines AAdvantage ® miles have a  ton of great redemption options. You can use them to fly on any of American’s worldwide partners like Qatar Airways, Qantas Airways, and Japan Airlines, or you can opt for domestic flying on American and Alaska Airlines .

But what if you have 10,000 or fewer American AAdvantage miles in your account? You’re not out of luck. Thankfully, American has a suite of low-points redemptions that can be used to maximize even the smallest number of miles.

Some of these redemptions are a better value than others.  This article will show you the best ways to redeem American AAdvantage miles and specifically focus on which ways give you the best value for your points.

Redeem For Short-Haul Awards

American Airlines charges 7,500 miles for one-way domestic redemptions on flights under 500 miles. This is 5,000 miles cheaper than a standard domestic award ticket and often provides excellent value for a small number of miles.

For example, a one-way flight from Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) to Bloomington, IL (BMI) costs 7,500 miles given the cities are only 135 miles apart. However, a paid flight on the same date in April 2019 is $295, giving you a cent per point value of 3.8 cents.

While these domestic destinations aren’t the most exciting ways to use your American AAdvantage miles, it’s one of the best ways to get maximum value for a small number of miles.

Like short-haul awards in the United States, flights within Australia and Fiji can also be pricey.

Thankfully, one-way economy flights within Australia can be booked for just 10,000 American Airlines miles one-way. Furthermore, intra-Fiji flights can be booked for just 5,000 miles one-way , so you can save a nice chunk of change on your next excursion to Pacifica.

Hot Tip: American Airlines doesn’t operate Intra-Australia or Fiji flights. This means you’ll fly partners like Qantas and Fiji Airways on these redemptions. 

Another way to redeem a small amount of American AAdvantage miles is by upgrading domestic flights from full-fare economy to first class.

Currently, flights within the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Canada can be upgraded for 5,000 miles one-way. On the other hand, flights from the contiguous U.S. to Alaska, Hawaii, and Central America can be upgraded for 8,000 miles one-way.

Keep in mind that full-fare economy flights can often cost more than discounted business class flights on these routes. So unless you’re already booked in full-fare economy, these flights may not be the best way to redeem your miles.

You can redeem small amounts of American AAdvantage miles for newspaper subscriptions too. To do this, go to American’s Newspaper Rewards website and find a newspaper subscription that you’re interested in. Each newspaper subscription offered has a different redemption rate with some offering better value than others.

Proceed with caution if you go this route, though. Many subscriptions will automatically renew to the credit card on file at the end of their term, so make sure to cancel before you’re auto-billed if you don’t plan on keeping the subscription past its first year.

With identity theft on the rise, it may be worth investing in a LifeLock subscription. LifeLock protects your online and real-world identity from theft and exploitation.

You can redeem 2,500 American AAdvantage miles for a 6-month subscription to LifeLock Standard™ . After this period, your LifeLock membership will renew to your credit card on file with a 10% discount. This subscription is $9.99 a month, giving you a value of nearly 2.4 cents per point.

You can redeem American AAdvantage miles for car rentals and hotel stays booked through the American Airlines portal. The number of miles you’ll need for a redemption depends on how expensive the award is; the more expensive car rentals and more hotel stays will cost more miles.

For example, a one-night stay at the a&o Prague Rhea hotel costs $46 for a one-night stay in May. The same room can be booked for 9,300 points, giving you a cent per point value of only 0.49 cents per point.

Hot Tip: Hotel bookings made through the American Airlines portal often aren’t eligible for upgrades and other hotel elite status benefits.

This is relatively low compared to other redemptions on this list, so this isn’t the recommended route for redemption.

Finally, you can donate American AAdvantage miles to charity. There is no minimum donation and you can donate your miles to one of three charities that American supports:

• Miles for Our Social Good — donates miles to organizations that improve the healthcare and financial stability of people in need
• Miles for Our Well-Being —  donates miles to organizations that raise awareness for specific medical causes
• Miles for Our Heroes — donates miles to organizations that work to support veterans and active-duty military

Many people think that you need tons of miles to cash in on award redemptions; however, great redemptions can start with less than 10,000 AAdvantage miles.

Overall, stick to redeeming your miles on short-haul award tickets if possible . This will often give you the highest point value, ensuring that you’re not leaving any value on the table—even if you’re just redeeming a small amount of miles.

If you’d prefer to save your miles for a higher-end redemption , consider signing up for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select ® World Elite™ Mastercard ® . This card will let you earn American AAdvantage miles on your everyday purchases so you can quickly build a stock of miles.

Safe travels!

The information regarding the Citi ® / AAdvantage ® Platinum Select ® World Elite™ Mastercard ® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i earn american airlines miles.

You can earn American Airlines miles by using an American Airlines co-branded credit card, flying on American Airlines or partner flights, or using one of the other many ways we’ve highlighted here .

Can I transfer miles from my credit card to American Airlines?

Currently American Airline’s only transfer partner is Marriott Bonvoy. You can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to American Airlines at a rate of 3:1, meaning that 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy points yields 3,333 American Airlines miles. You will get a 5,000 mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred.

What is the best way to redeem small amounts of American Airlines miles?

We recommend sticking to short-haul award tickets. These can often provide excellent value, especially if you’re traveling between two smaller cities.

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About Andrew Kunesh

Andrew was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and now splits his time between Chicago and New York City.

He’s a lifelong traveler and took his first solo trip to San Francisco at the age of 16. Fast forward a few years, and Andrew now travels just over 100,000 miles a year, with over 25 countries, 10 business class products, and 2 airline statuses (United and Alaska) under his belt. Andrew formerly worked for The Points Guy and is now Senior Money Editor at CNN Underscored.

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UP's Bonus Valuation

This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

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VentureOne vs. Venture vs. Venture X: Card comparison

February 13, 2024 | 7 min read

If you travel regularly, you may have considered using a travel credit card to earn rewards on your purchases. With several different options for every type of traveler, it’s worth checking out the Capital One suite of travel and miles rewards credit cards . But which one is right for you? Learn more about Venture cards, the rewards they offer and how they can elevate your travel experiences. 

Key takeaways

• VentureOne, Venture and Venture X are three of Capital One’s travel and miles rewards credit cards.
• VentureOne offers unlimited 1.25 miles on every purchase and unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• Venture cardholders earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase and unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• Venture X cardholders enjoy premium benefits and earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other purchases.

Earn 75,000 bonus miles with Venture

Redeem your miles for flights, vacation rentals and more.

Capital One Venture travel rewards cards

With Capital One travel credit cards , you can earn unlimited miles on every purchase. When you’re ready, you can redeem those rewards for things like flights, hotels, rental cars, gift cards, statement credits and more. Miles don’t expire for the life of the account.

VentureOne Rewards, Venture Rewards and Venture X Rewards are three of Capital One’s travel and miles rewards cards. 

VentureOne vs. Venture vs. Venture X overview

The Venture card suite offers benefits designed to appeal to a range of travelers. Here’s a quick look at some of the cards’ key features:

Capital One VentureOne

VentureOne is a travel card for those with excellent credit who may not want to pay an annual fee. You’ll earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase made and unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

VentureOne card perks

VentureOne cardholders can enjoy:

• 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening the account
• No annual fee. View important rates and disclosures .
• 0% intro APR for 15 months; 19.99%-29.99% variable APR after that

VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit

VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit card is a no-annual-fee travel rewards card for those with good credit. View important rates and disclosures. It also earns you unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase made and unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Capital One Venture

For a $95 annual fee, the Venture card will earn cardholders unlimited 2X miles on every purchase and unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. View important rates and disclosures .

Venture card perks

Venture cardholders can enjoy:

• 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening the account
• Up to a $100 credit for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® when you pay for the application fee with your Venture card*
• Access to the vibrant boutique hotels of the Lifestyle Collection , with a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits like room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout when available

Capital One Venture X

For a $395 annual fee, Venture X  gives cardholders with excellent credit scores the most elevated rewards and benefits Capital One has to offer. View important rates and disclosures. Venture X cardholders earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other purchases.

Venture X card perks

Capital One Venture X cardholders can enjoy:

• 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening
• $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
• 10,000 miles anniversary bonus every year, starting with your first anniversary
• Complimentary access for you and two guests to the Capital One Lounges . Plus, enjoy access to the network of participating lounges worldwide.
• Elevate your stay at luxury hotels and resorts from the Premier Collection , with a $100 experience credit, daily breakfast for 2 and Wi-Fi on every booking, plus other premium benefits like room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout when available. 1 Additionally, enjoy access and benefits at hotels from the Lifestyle Collection.
• Up to a $100 credit for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® when you pay for the application fee with your Venture X card. 2
• Complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle® status. Enroll online for the ability to skip the rental counter, choose from the widest selection of Hertz cars and get guaranteed upgrades. 3
• Complimentary PRIOR Subscription through November 14, 2024, which includes access to editor-curated destination guides, weekly newsletters with up-to-the-minute travel trends and more.

Venture suite benefits

No matter which card you choose, you’ll have access to these benefits:

Capital One Travel

Use this online booking tool to get Capital One’s best prices on flights, hotels and car rentals. Plus, earn extra rewards when you book your travel through Capital One Travel . 

Capital One Travel also lets you:

• Save an average of 15% on flights using price prediction, which alerts you when to book 4
• Get a price match guarantee on flights, hotels and rental cars 
• Add the option to cancel your flight for any reason or freeze a flight price for a small fee
• Book travel with your card, your rewards or a combination of both

Capital One Dining

With Capital One Dining , get access to exclusive reservations at award-winning restaurants and tickets to unforgettable culinary experiences curated by experts like the Michelin Guide, the James Beard Foundation and Chef José Andrés.

Capital One Entertainment

Just a few taps on the Capital One Entertainment platform can score exclusive tickets and VIP event access to live music, sports, theater performances, special dining events and more. Plus, you can redeem your miles for tickets.

No foreign transaction fees

You won’t have to pay transaction fees when making purchases outside the United States. View important rates and disclosures.

Complimentary membership to The Cultivist

Enjoy free entry for you and a guest to more than 50 of the best museums in the world through a complimentary six-month Enthusiast-level membership to The Cultivist . Membership also includes access to hundreds of exhibition reviews, insider tips and art classes. 

Security and protection

With a Capital One travel card and benefits from networks like Visa® or Mastercard® , eligible cardholders have access to things like travel accident insurance, auto rental collision coverage, trip cancellation insurance and e mergency card replacement, 5 as well as security features like fraud alerts, card lock, $0 fraud liability 6 for unauthorized charges and virtual card numbers.

How to apply for a Venture suite card

Applying for a credit card online is usually the quickest option. If you want to see if you’re pre-approved for a Venture suite card, you can check for offers without hurting your credit scores.

Can I upgrade from VentureOne or Venture to Venture X?

If you’ve had your VentureOne or Venture card for at least a year and are interested in earning more rewards and premium benefits, you may be able to upgrade to Venture X . Here’s how to find out if you’re eligible:

• Call the number on the back of your Capital One credit card. An agent can walk you through any offers you might have.
• Check online. Sign in to your Capital One account to view offers and upgrades.

Capital One VentureOne vs. Venture vs. Venture X in a nutshell

Whether you’re driving upstate or jet setting across the globe, a Capital One Venture travel rewards card can make the journey more rewarding. The right one for you depends on your travel habits, lifestyle and financial situation.

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