Finding the right app for working out took me a really long time. I tried dozens of them, so which are the best fitness apps in my experience?

How I Got Into Working Out With Apps

I’ve loved being active since I was 16, and I used to spend every day at the gym. I went to pretty much every class you can think of. Yep, that’s right — I danced Zumba, Latin Dance, and Step Aerobic, sweated through spinning and kickboxing, and tried every Les Mills class available. Body Pump was my absolute favourite, along with Power Yoga. But then I started travelling.

I Started Working Out at Home in Canada

In Canada, gym classes were too expensive and, more importantly, way too far from where I lived, so I started flirting with home workouts — and fell in love with them. I began exercising at home and only went to classes for my beloved aerial yoga once or twice a week. I even kept working out during our road trip across the USA, doing jumping jacks at campsites, on beaches, and in forests.

Not every day, of course, since we spent most of our time climbing in the mountains. But on days when we’d been driving all day, I’d work out in the evening under the midnight sun in Alaska. When we got back home, I realised that going to the gym was eating up about three hours of my day (by the time you get there, change, work out for an hour, shower…)! So I went back to just attending aerial yoga and doing everything else at home.

Benefits of Working Out With Apps

• You save time
• You save money on classes and gym memberships
• You can work out whenever you want (though I wouldn’t recommend exercising late at night — it messes with your sleep!)

Drawbacks of Working Out With Apps

• You miss out on social interaction (that’s why I still go to a yoga class once a week when I can)
• It’s a bit easier to slack off

1) The Jillian Michaels Fitness App

This was the first app that really clicked for me, and I used it for a year and a half. I already knew Jillian Michaels from before and knew that her programmes genuinely deliver results.

One great thing about this app is that you can set what equipment you have. If all you’ve got is a mat, that’s perfectly fine. There are 11 programmes in total, and they vary in length — some run for 6 weeks, others up to 12 weeks. You don’t work out every day, but 3 to 6 times a week depending on the programme.

What Programmes Does It Offer?

You can choose a programme focused on legs, arms, abs, or full body. Jillian also has several programmes for pregnant women (divided into first, second, and third trimester), including a post-partum programme. After each workout, you rate how hard (or easy) it was, and the app adjusts accordingly.

There are also short 7-minute programmes for abs, arms, legs, cardio, and full body.

Another brilliant feature is the workout generator, where you can create a custom workout to suit your needs. You choose whether you want 10, 20, 30, or 45 minutes, how intense you want it (easy, medium, or hard), and then pick the focus area (glutes and thighs, abs, arms, chest, back, full body, cardio, or stretching).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsmc36dbL2E

The app tracks your progress — you can add progress photos and log your weight, and it calculates how many workouts you’ve completed and how many calories you’ve burned in total.

How Much Does It Cost?

• You can try it free for 7 days, after which it costs between €2 and €3.50 per week (less than a single gym entry), depending on the plan you choose.
• On a month-to-month plan, 30 days costs about €14 ($14.90)
• If you buy it for 3 months (€29), it works out to around €10 per month
• With an annual subscription ($99), you’ll pay roughly €8 per month

Recipes Included in the Price

Your subscription also includes daily meal plans, and you can choose whether you’re vegetarian or vegan. The recipes automatically generate a shopping list. The catch is that the recipes are designed for the US market, so some ingredients may be harder to find or pricier in the UK — but they’re great for inspiration.

Do I Need to Know Another Language?

The app is entirely in English, so if you’re reading this, you’re good to go. The interface is intuitive and the exercises are demonstrated visually, so it’s easy to follow along.

TIP: If you want to support your weight loss with nutrition too, check out a keto diet approach — it pairs really well with regular workouts.

2) Sweat by Kayla Itsines

Probably the biggest hit among workout apps, because it delivers some of the fastest and most dramatic results. If you search “BBG progress” (BBG is the programme name), you’ll see incredible transformations after just 12 weeks. When I decided to get back into working out while in Thailand, I went for this app — and I was blown away.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqHnOcoAaQ3/

Unlike the Jillian Michaels app, Sweat only has four programmes:

• Body and Mind
• PWR
• BBG Stronger
• Post Pregnancy

I went with the famous BBG Stronger. From the very first session, it’s an absolute beast — I was dripping with sweat within minutes, and the next day my muscles were screaming as if they wanted to grow overnight.

How Does the BBG Programme Work?

The BBG programme was originally developed as a personal trainer programme for the gym, but most people have adapted it for home use.

You do 28-minute strength sessions 3 times a week — targeting abs and arms, full body, and legs. The other 3 days are lighter cardio; Kayla recommends a brisk 35-minute walk. You could walk to work instead of driving, or take the dog for a proper walk (but you really need to keep up a fast pace). One day features a challenge — a series of exercises you need to complete in the shortest time possible.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpA8oaXAcel/

You can schedule your workouts however you like, or follow the pre-made calendar that’s set up for you.

Just like the Jillian Michaels app, Sweat also includes meal plans with recipes and a place to log your progress. The app can also connect to Apple Health via iOS, so if you track your steps with a Fitbit, for example, you’ll see them in the app’s calendar.

What Are the Downsides?

I’d say the main drawback is that you need dumbbells and occasionally other equipment, which isn’t exactly practical when you’re travelling. Fortunately, it’s usually only for a couple of exercises — I substitute dumbbells with water bottles and use an imaginary skipping rope. I’ve also managed to replace other equipment with a chair or whatever happens to be nearby.

Note: The Body And Mind programme doesn’t require any equipment, but it focuses on stretching, bodyweight work, balance, and core strengthening.

I also find it slightly less user-friendly than the Jillian Michaels app.

How Much Does It Cost?

You can either pay monthly at $29, which works out to about €4.50 per week, or go for the annual membership at $119, bringing it down to roughly €2 per week.

Is It Easy to Navigate?

The app is entirely in English and very straightforward to use. The “Community” tab also has interesting discussions, articles, and recipes. Just knowing how the BBG programme works (see above) is enough to get started.

3) Freeletics

Freeletics is right up there with Sweat as one of the biggest hits among fitness apps, thanks to the incredible results people achieve (check out the video below — it shows a 15-week transformation, and YouTube is full of similar ones). My partner Lukáš uses this one, so I asked him to share his review.

What Is Freeletics?

Freeletics is a suite of fitness apps for mobile phones that creates personalised workout and nutrition plans. They also have apps for running and gym workouts, though I don’t have experience with those.

The workouts are HIIT-based — that’s High-Intensity Interval Training. Sessions typically last between 5 and 30 minutes.

Freeletics isn’t for everyone — at least not at first. From day one, it pushes you hard, and during those first few days I finished every session feeling like I was truly at my limit.

Freeletics Coach = Artificial Intelligence

The app coaches you, meaning it adjusts your workout plan based on your performance. You rate every session immediately afterwards. The app always asks the same things: how the workout felt, how tired you are, whether you managed to maintain proper form throughout, and which exercises gave you the most trouble.

Based on this feedback, it does a remarkable job of estimating your muscle condition and adjusts the following week’s workouts so you build strength evenly. Over time, the app introduces new and more complex exercises.

Gamified Rewards to Keep You Motivated

The app works with personal records. It features signature workouts named after Greek gods, which you do once a week. What matters is how quickly you can complete the routine. The goal is to be at least a little bit faster each time while still maintaining proper form.

Of course, you could cheat — the app only knows what you tell it. But if you log everything honestly, the results can be truly remarkable.

How Much Does Freeletics Cost?

An annual membership comes to roughly $80 (about €75) per year, which is pretty good value. Especially when you consider that a gym membership in a major city can easily run €40–60 per month. With our link, you’ll get a 20% discount to start. 😉

They also offer a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Do You Need Any Special Language Skills?

The app is available in multiple languages including English, so you’ll have no issues navigating it. The key phrases repeat throughout, making it very easy to follow.

4) DownDog

Lukáš and I both love yoga — when we were living in one place, we used to go together regularly. We fell in love with this app because it lets us practise yoga with guidance even while travelling. All we need is a phone or a tablet.

The app offers four basic modes:

Full Practice – A complete session including a warm-up, a series of standing and seated poses, and a cool-down. You can set it anywhere from 20 to 100 minutes.

Short Practice – A condensed version of Full Practice that still includes all the key elements. It can be shortened to just 10 minutes, so we mainly use this mode for quick sessions during the day.

Quick Flow – A solution for a really fast workout that skips the warm-up.

Restorative – A mode focused on stretching and relaxation, ideal for the evening when you don’t want to get too energised before bed.

You can also set five difficulty levels, so there’s something for everyone regardless of experience.

The app works like a clever “mixer.” It contains a huge library of individual poses that get combined into tailor-made sessions based on the settings you choose.

How Much Does It Cost?

The app is largely free — you don’t need to pay to use it. Paying unlocks additional settings, but you can easily get by without them. The premium version costs a few dozen dollars per year, and the price seems to change constantly as they’re always running promotions. 🙂 We got our annual membership for $30.

5) Fitbit Coach

If you’ve been following us for a while, you probably know we’ve been loyal to our Fitbit fitness watches for years — they travel with us everywhere around the world. They track our steps, calories burned, and sleep. You can download the Fitbit Coach app, which gives you access to a personalised fitness trainer.

The App Tests Your Fitness Level

First, you take a Fit Test where the app assesses your current fitness level. Then it asks you to rate how challenging the workout was, and uses that information to tailor future workouts for you.

Programmes

Fitbit currently offers four programmes:

• Get Moving (for beginners)
• Get Lean (for weight loss)
• Get Strong (for toning and strength training)
• Daily Dose (perfect for anyone with a busy schedule)

Beyond that, there’s a range of individual workouts to choose from. I was particularly impressed that you can go for coached outdoor runs or stair workouts with your Fitbit Coach. There are even coached power walks (brisk walking sessions). Your Fitbit Coach gives you real-time audio cues during walks or runs, telling you when to speed up or slow down for optimal results.

The Perfect App for Tech Lovers

What I love about this app is that it’s seamlessly connected with your Fitbit and suggests workouts based on how active you’ve been throughout the day. For all you tech enthusiasts out there, this is absolute perfection!

How Much Does It Cost?

On a monthly plan, it comes to about €8 per month. With the annual plan (roughly €40/year), it works out to just over €3 per month.

Is It Easy to Use?

The app is in English and quite intuitive. To get the most out of features like audio coaching during runs and walks, you’ll want to be comfortable with spoken English.

Don’t fancy paying for apps? You can always work out at home using free resources online! YouTube is packed with fantastic free workout videos for every fitness level.

Cheap accommodation is available all around the world. Beyond hotels, there are plenty of lodging options you can get for a fraction of the price — or even completely free. Here’s our guide on how to save money on accommodation while travelling.

Do you know what most people think? That travelling is expensive. But that’s simply not true. Travel costs can be reduced in many ways, and finding cheap accommodation alone can save you thousands on the road.

Travelling is only expensive if you choose it to be. The handful of hotels you find on the first page of Google are just a tiny fraction of the options available to you.

You can find a place to stay anywhere and at any price, sometimes even for free. It all comes down to your willingness, ability to step out of your comfort zone, and a bit of luck.

So let’s take a look at where to find cheap accommodation and what your options are.

Hostels

Price: €4 – €20 per night

Hostels are the best way for travellers to save money on the road. You share a room and bathroom with other people — sometimes even ten other travellers. That’s what makes a bunk bed so incredibly affordable. Every room has lockable lockers, and in most cases, you’ll get a simple breakfast in the morning.

The quality of hostels varies from place to place, but we’re almost always pleasantly surprised. It’s not unusual for hostels to have their own pool or restaurant, and Wi-Fi and air conditioning are standard in more developed countries (or available for a small fee).

Besides the low price, hostels are a fantastic opportunity to meet other travellers — you bump into them at every turn. The shared kitchen and common areas practically invite you to make new friends.

Tips for staying in hostels

• Avoid hostels without lockable lockers
• Get yourself earplugs and a sleeping mask
• Search for hostels on Booking.com and HostelWorld

If you’re not into socialising and prefer undisturbed sleep, you can always book a private room instead.

Budget Hotels and Guest Houses

Price: €10 – €60 per night

Guest houses and budget hotels offer more privacy than a hostel, but usually without a kitchen and at a higher price. Breakfast isn’t typically included either. On the other hand, you get a standard-sized room, a comfortable double bed, and the peace and quiet that hostels sometimes lack.

We tend to choose this type of accommodation when we have work to do and need to focus.

How to choose a budget hotel or guest house

• Use Booking.com for your search
• Read reviews carefully, especially regarding the location

Short-Term Room and Apartment Rentals

Price: €10 – €60 per night

When people have a spare room in their house or flat and live in a great location, they often offer it for rent. You can stay with them for the price of a budget hotel, but you get access to the entire flat, including the kitchen and living room.

A short-term rental in a residential neighbourhood also offers a deeper insight into local culture and everyday life. You essentially get to experience what it’s like to live as a local. That’s something no hotel or hostel can give you.

Tips for choosing the right apartment or room:

• Search for short-term rentals on Airbnb (get a discount on Airbnb)
• Read reviews from previous guests
• Check the location on the map and look at transport connections
• Longer stays are cheaper — don’t be afraid to negotiate the price

During our travels, we’ve rented countless houses, flats, and rooms. For example, in the beachside town of Playa del Carmen, we lived in a fully equipped house for an entire month, which cost us just around €10 per night.

Camping

Price: €0 – €20

Packing a tent or a travel hammock and heading into nature is often the cheapest and most fun option. From wild camping in a forest by the road to pitching your tent at a fully equipped campsite — it’s always an adventure.

With a tent, you can reach places that many travellers never visit. For the right choice of tent and sleeping bag, check out our packing guide.

Camping tips

• Always carry enough water — a source won’t always be nearby
• Store food well sealed, ideally hung from a tree
• Leave the campsite in the same condition you found it

We love camping. We spent 14 days camping in Hawaii, 45 days cycling through Europe under canvas, and two weeks in Uganda. We look forward to pitching our tent every summer!

House Sitting

Price: €0 per night

You might be surprised, but there are loads of people around the world looking for someone to look after their home while they’re away for an extended period.

Most of the time, this means caring for dogs and cats, watering the garden, and maintaining the house. In return, you get the entire house for free — and not uncommonly, a car too!

House sitting tips

• The best platform is TrustedHousesitters
• Clarify and write down your responsibilities with the owner beforehand
• Don’t search for specific dates — be as flexible as possible
• Fill out your profile carefully; house sitting is based on mutual trust

Homestay

Price: €10 – €60 per night

Living with locals is the best way to fully experience a foreign country. And when you don’t speak the language, it’s quite an entertaining experience too. A homestay differs from short-term rentals in that you actively participate in family life. You have breakfast with the host family, sometimes dinner, and if agreed upon, you even help around the house.

How to choose the right homestay

To find a homestay, simply search Google for your destination name along with the word “homestay.” You’ll usually find several websites offering them right away.

Communicate as much as possible in advance, and if you’re searching on the spot, agree on everything before you pay. This mainly concerns meals, the standard of accommodation, and any help your host might expect. That way, you won’t be unpleasantly surprised.

Lukáš and Lucie recommend

Where to stay in the world

6 accommodations — hotels and other lodging options

⭐ TOP CHOICE 🏨 Hotel

Booking.com

The best platform for finding hostels, budget hotels and guest houses with a wide selection of accommodation worldwide.

★★★★ Check prices

Check availability 🏨 Hotel

HostelWorld

Specialized platform for finding hostels worldwide with lockable lockers and common areas.

★★★★ €4 – €20 per night

Check availability 🏡 Pension/B&B

Airbnb

Platform for short-term rentals of rooms and apartments with the opportunity to experience local culture and life. Get €29 off your first booking.

★★★★ €10 – €60 per night

Check availability 🏡 Pension/B&B

TrustedHousesitters

House sitting platform where you can get free accommodation in exchange for taking care of homes, dogs and cats.

★★★★ €0 per night

Check availability 🏡 Pension/B&B

LoveHomeSwap

Home exchange platform where you can swap your home with someone else and enjoy a vacation in comfort.

★★★★ Platform membership

Check availability 🏨 Hotel

12go.asia

Platform for booking overnight transport across Asia including sleeper trains for comfortable overnight travel.

★★★★ Ticket price

Check availability

Couchsurfing

Price: €0 per night

If you’ve never heard of Couchsurfing, it’s high time you signed up. It’s a huge community (over 5 million people) of individuals who offer their couches and spare beds to travellers for free.

Why do they do it? Because they love meeting new people and often share the same travel spirit. You communicate intensively with every host before your stay, and you both leave reviews afterwards. If you’re an introvert and feel uncomfortable chatting with strangers, Couchsurfing might not be the best option for you.

Tips for successful Couchsurfing

• Fill out your Couchsurfing profile as thoroughly as possible — you need to earn your host’s trust
• Always put effort into your accommodation request — the more personalised, the better
• Expect to spend time chatting with your host or even going on a day trip together
• Other great platforms for Couchsurfing are WarmShowers and HospitalityClub

Volunteering: Accommodation and Food for Work

Price: €0 – €25 per night

Instead of paying with money, you can pay for your accommodation with work. There are countless opportunities around the world, from specialised tasks (a doctor in Africa) to basic jobs anyone can do (building a fence around a farm in Scotland).

This typically gets you into schools, hostels, farms, or even on a boat.

Tips for finding accommodation in exchange for work:

• WWOOF, WorkAway, and HelpX are the best platforms for finding volunteer opportunities
• Always clarify in advance how many hours of work per day the host or organisation expects and whether meals are included
• Sometimes you have to pay to volunteer — watch out for that!

Home Exchange

Price: membership fee on HomeExchange or LoveHomeSwap

Several specialised websites offer home exchange services. For many people, it’s a very cheap way to enjoy a holiday in comfort while their own home is well taken care of.

If you own a house or a nice flat, definitely register on one of these websites. You might just manage to swap homes for a week with someone who lives right by the sea or high in the mountains.

Home exchange tips:

• The best websites are HomeExchange and LoveHomeSwap
• Getting your first reference is always the hardest part — keep trying even after a few rejections
• Choose exchanges appropriate to the quality of your own home — nobody will swap a luxury villa for a run-down flat on the outskirts of town
• You don’t even need your own property to start; HomeExchange works on a credit system — read the terms and conditions carefully

Overnight Transport

Price: the cost of a ticket or flight

If you have a journey of more than eight hours ahead of you, consider overnight transport. Trains, planes, buses, and ferries often offer night services specifically designed for sleeping. You won’t find a shower on board, but you’ll fall asleep and wake up in a completely different place!

We took a night ferry from Greece to Italy and spent the entire night on the upper deck. The pleasant breeze alternated with diesel fumes, but it was an experience we fondly look back on.

The overnight train from Bangkok south to the coast was also worth it. After a comfortable night in an air-conditioned carriage, we were woken by the morning sun in our berths and watched the Thai countryside roll by outside the windows.

Tips for overnight travel:

• If possible, choose a seat with the most legroom
• On trains, book a lower berth rather than an upper one — the air conditioning often blows directly in your face or lights shine on you up top
• Bring earplugs, a hoodie (in the tropics, AC can cool carriages down to 16°C), and a sleeping mask
• In Asia, use 12go.asia — we’ve had excellent experiences with them

Southeast Asia and India are a category of their own, where the differences in accommodation quality and availability are truly enormous. We therefore recommend doing thorough research before heading to these regions.

PLANNING A TRIP? YOU MIGHT FIND THIS USEFUL:

Travelling isn’t expensive — but flights usually are. They’re often the single biggest cost of the whole trip. We’ll teach you how to hunt down cheap flights and save as much money as possible.

If you’re not patient, travelling can end up costing you a fortune. It’s not unusual for the first fare you come across to be ten times more expensive than the cheapest possible option on the very same route.

So how do you find the cheapest flights and often save hundreds of pounds?

After five years of travelling together we’ve learned a thing or two, and we’re happy to share the tips that will help you save money when booking your tickets.

The best flight search engines

Using flight search engines is the most convenient way to stumble upon cheap flights. These sites scan the offers of dozens of airlines and compare them side by side.

Start your search with the comparison tools and always try several of them. You never know which one will show the best price.

We always start with Kiwi and Skyscanner to get a sense of the price. Then we check the other search engines too, and finally we look at the website of the airline we found through the search.

The flight search engines we use

• Kiwi

A search engine (formerly Skypicker) that specialises in low-cost flights and can combine even complicated connections. It offers a brilliant map where you can roughly sketch out where you’d like to fly from and to. Its newer Nomad feature lets you plan multi-week trips with several stops.

• Skyscanner

Skyscanner is the most widely used search engine and is especially popular in the UK and the US. It has an incredibly broad database of flights, which is why — alongside Kiwi — it’s always one of the first places we look for tickets. Searching Skyscanner UK for cheap flights is a great starting point.

• AZair

AZair may look like it’s stuck in the last decade, but for anyone with a little patience it’s the ultimate tool. It offers a huge range of configurations, and the “I don’t care where I fly” feature is simply genius.

• Momondo
• Google Flights
• Kayak

Sign up for cheap flight alerts

As well as scanning the search engines, make use of their email alerts. If you have a rough idea of when and where you want to fly, the system lets you receive an email whenever the price changes.

Useful flight deal sites

There are also plenty of companies out there that hunt down the cheapest flights online and let you know about them, hoping you’ll book through them and they’ll earn a commission.

Take advantage of this and sign up to as many as you can. Some of the best ones to follow include:

• Skyscanner
• Kayak
• Jack’s Flight Club
• Google Flights

International cheap flight sites

• Dollar Flight Club
• Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)
• SecretFlying.com
• Holidaypirates.com
• TheFlightDeal.com

Choose your destination based on price

The more flexible you are, the better your chances of landing a really cheap flight.

For finding the best price with flexible dates and destinations, we recommend these tools:

• Kiwi search
• Google Explore
• Skyscanner Inspire Map

If you’re not set on flying to one specific place, you’ve got wonderful freedom. The search engines will help you find cheap flights all over the world, and you might just end up in some remote corner you’d never even planned to visit.

A bit of flexibility and spontaneity can save you a whole lot of money.

Sign up to airline newsletters

The best sales are announced by the airlines themselves, and they usually let their subscribers know first.

Signing up to their newsletters gives you access to these “secret” offers. It’s not unusual to get an email with a 50% discount on a particular route.

There are loads of these newsletters, though. We recommend setting up an email filter and saving them to a separate folder, or even creating a dedicated email address just for them.

Which newsletters should you sign up to? It naturally depends on where you’re flying to and from, but this list covers most of Europe and the UK well:

Major airlines flying from the UK

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France, Finnair, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, United Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Scandinavian Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, flydubai, Transavia Airlines.

Low-cost carriers flying within Europe (besides the above)

Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2.com, Wizz Air, Norwegian, Icelandair, Widerøe, Vueling, Pegasus Airlines, Eurowings, Condor, AirBaltic and Aer Lingus.

Other airlines flying within Europe (besides the above)

Aeromexico, Avianca, Condor Flugdienst, Wamos Air, Air China.

When is the right time to book flights

The best time to book flights is usually between 4 and 11 weeks before your planned departure. The cheapest days to fly out are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, as they fall outside peak times and tickets are cheaper.

Mondays and Sundays, on the other hand, are the most expensive days to depart.

Early departures and long layovers usually save you money

If you don’t mind getting up early and spending a few hours at the airport, you can make your tickets even cheaper. Connections with a layover longer than six hours tend to be cheaper than those with a comfortable, quick transfer.

Don’t fly in peak season

We never fly anywhere other than out of season any more. Not only are the tickets far cheaper (easily by 60%), but the weather is usually milder and there are far fewer tourists too.

Book flights in January

Because demand for flights always cools off in January, it’s a great time to buy.

You can usually pick up long-haul flights for around £250 without even trying hard. Whether you’re planning to fly in spring or summer, January is the best month to book.

Avoid school holidays and bank holidays

If you can possibly avoid them, never fly during holidays and bank holidays. Ticket prices are often as much as 100% higher! So cross these off your list automatically:

• Summer school holidays
• Christmas, New Year and Easter
• Public holidays in your destination
• Long weekends and bank holidays both at home and in your destination

Book early in the morning or late at night

While we’ve got no hard test to back this up, some flight hunters swear that prices dip slightly when fewer people are sitting at their computers. Why not give it a try?

Don’t be afraid to fly from other airports

Flying from your nearest big airport is convenient, but you often end up paying far too much. Always at least check the surrounding airports to see whether a flight is cheaper from there. From the UK you’ll often fly cheaper from:

• London Stansted, Luton or Gatwick (instead of Heathrow)
• Manchester
• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Edinburgh or Glasgow

You’ll see that the differences can run to dozens of pounds — sometimes much more. In that case it’s definitely worth spending a few extra hours on a train or coach to reach a cheaper airport.

Fly with low-cost carriers

When searching for flights, always check whichairline to find out which airlines fly to your destination. There’s a good chance you’ll find several low-cost carriers flying for a fraction of the price of a regular ticket — think cheap flights with Ryanair or easyJet.

For these airlines, look up the connection directly on their own websites. They sometimes block the search engines from showing their flights.

Thanks to low-cost airlines you can get to the other side of the world and back for a few hundred pounds — but it comes with a few catches. These carriers charge fees for just about everything, from checked bags and onboard food to printing your boarding pass.

Their tickets are also usually non-refundable and non-changeable, and they often fly from smaller, out-of-town airports. So before you book that cheap flight, read the rules carefully and weigh up whether it’s worth it. You’ll find a full list of low-cost airlines on Wikipedia.

Book long flights in separate legs

For flights with a layover, it sometimes pays to book each leg of the journey separately. You can save anywhere from 5% to 20% on the price. You do need to time the flights carefully so you have enough buffer for the transfer even if there’s a delay. Miss your connection and things get complicated fast.

Always check, too, whether it’s cheaper to book two one-way tickets. We’ve had it happen more than once that two singles came out cheaper than a single return.

Use an incognito window and a VPN

Has it ever happened to you that you searched for a flight, and a few hours later the very same search showed a more expensive fare?

This can happen because some companies (including the search engines) use cookies in your browser to artificially bump up the price. An incognito window or clearing your cookies solves the problem.

When booking domestic flights, it’s always worth using a VPN to make it look like you’re actually in that country. For example, a flight from one Mexican city to another will be noticeably cheaper if you book it “from Mexico” rather than “from the UK”.

How to prove an onward flight

Planning a long-term stay abroad and not sure when you’ll want to come back? Then study the country’s entry requirements carefully.

As a measure against illegal immigration, countries often require so-called “Proof of Onward Travel” — basically a ticket leaving the country. You don’t necessarily have to fly back to where you came from, but you do need to prove you intend to leave. This is a particular headache for us long-term travellers. Often we don’t even know the month we’ll want to fly out, let alone where to!

Luckily there’s a service that solves the problem for us. For a few euros, OneWayFly will issue a genuine ticket valid for 14 days. They cancel it themselves later, but you’ve got valid documentation for the immigration desk.

When hand luggage only pays off

Travelling with hand luggage only can save you money. With full-service airlines a checked bag is usually included in the price, but with low-cost flights you have to pay extra for it.

But is the money you save worth the hassle of squeezing everything into the weight and size limits of a cabin bag?

Bear in mind that the limits for the bag you take into the cabin are usually very strict. Often it can’t weigh more than seven kilos! And given that the bag or case itself weighs over two kilos, there really isn’t much room left for your stuff.

In our experience it’s pretty comfortable to fly with hand luggage only for long weekends, but for longer trips it just isn’t worth it for us. So weigh it up for yourself: the £30 or so saved on a checked bag, or 20 kg of extra capacity.

Tips for cheap flights

Read all the way to here? Then you’re clearly serious about finding cheap flights! We’ve passed on all the knowledge and experience we have. So off you go — go find your dream cheap flights!

If you’ve got any follow-up questions, or your own tips on how to save even more on flights, drop us a comment below the article.

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