A guide to making your travel dreams a beautiful reality
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”
Anonymous
If you have been under the impression that travel for free is only for people who travel extensively or are frequent business travelers, this is for you. Anyone can learn the ins and outs of maximizing travel perks. For those of you who must travel on a budget or have limited funds, we will teach you ways you can also travel for free or at a low cost.
Too many people miss out on unique life experiences or never take that trip on their bucket list because they believe it will be out of their financial reach. Recently, we came across a meme that said if you can buy lunch and go to Starbucks for a coffee five days a week while at work, you can afford a vacation if you save that money instead. We have had colleagues who often spend $15 to $20 daily between coffee runs and lunch. Take $15 and multiply it by nine months of work days, and you have about $3000. Multiply that by two people; that is a very generous travel allowance.
You may say that isn’t enough money for a vacation overseas. Grab some wine, and we will walk you through some of our trip finances and how we got there. Before you know it, you will be planning your own bucket list adventure.

Common questions
One of the questions we often get is how can you afford several yearly trips to Europe? The assumption is that we must max out our credit cards or have some secret money. Neither is farther from the truth. As a matter of fact, we are pretty cost-conscious and penny-pinching. In both cases, we pay our credit cards in full each month. We each have held regular jobs our whole lives, with Joelle medically retiring in recent years. Cash flow is limited, and it is essential to find ways to keep costs under control when traveling often.
Another assumption is that we get hotel stays and other freebies because we own a travel blog. However, we have never received free hotel stays, meals, activities, upgrades, or flights because of the blog. To date, we have made a point not to let anyone know we have a travel blog so that we can experience it as our readers would and report without bias.
Several friends have asked if all the money you make on the blog pays for your travels. That is not the case. We are years away, if ever, from making any profit. It is not the reason we went into this. Our goal was to share our passion for travel and to encourage others to discover how life-changing exploring the world can be.

Why keeping costs down is important
We are equal business partners at Wanderers Compass, which means we split all our travel costs right down the middle. We set a budget and plan our travels from there. Ryan is early in his career and a single dad, so it becomes even more vital that we keep our costs down to make it affordable for him. Being able to travel for free, with zero hotel costs, is what makes traveling several times a year possible.
However, after years of travel, Joelle has especially high expectations about where we stay and how we travel. It doesn’t need to be fancy or upscale, but well-reviewed, centrally located, safe, and clean. Not that we don’t enjoy business class seats and high-end hotels, but we only do so when it is free or at a low cost, which makes sense.
There are only two main approaches we use to keep costs controlled

- Loyalty programs: Our loyalty goes to Hilton, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Avis.
- Reward Points from our credit cards, Specifically Chase Sapphire Reserve (Joelle) and American Express Platinum (Ryan). In the case of the Chase card, we also have a Chase business credit card, and any points we collect there can be transferred to the Chase Sapphire Reserve. This way, they are all in one place, allowing us to get maximum travel value.
But before we break that down, let’s look at one of our trips to whet your appetite.
Real Numbers Example #1
Croatia

Flights
United Airlines Economy Upgraded for free to Economy Plus
Total cost $1705 or $827 per person
Hotels for 14 nights

All hotels averaged 4.5 stars at the time. The rooms were large and often suites. All included breakfast. Some had Executive lounge access, which provided appetizers, an open bar with complimentary cocktails, and even dinner at times. Our last hotel in Dubrovnik included parking.
The total cost for all 14 nights is $194.00 or $97 a person
Avis Rental Car for 15 days
Reserved a manual 4-door, upgraded to a Mercedes Automatic for free
The total cost is $435.11 or $217.56 a person
Meals
This is where each person can control their costs. In our case, we usually purchased only one meal a day. We enjoyed our plentiful complimentary breakfasts, followed by a light snack and beverage throughout the day. Dinner was at a local restaurant. Some hotels had evening appetizers or light dinners that were so generous we skipped eating out.
Total Costs $852 in meals or $426 per person
Other costs
Gas, Tolls, Entries, Boat Ride, Tips, and Parking
Total cost $522 or $211 a person
Total Cost for a 14-night Trip in Croatia
$3708 or $1854 a person
On our trip to Croatia, many would describe it as upscale, featuring airport lounge access, preboarding, exit row seats, complimentary luggage (for more than two bags), a Mercedes rental car, excellent hotels with upgraded rooms and suites offering views, daily complimentary breakfast, and executive hotel lounge access. Remember that first example of a person buying their lunches and coffee each day of work. One person’s spending during the nine months would almost fully cover the cost of this trip for two.
How can you travel for free? Breaking it down
Hotels

There are two ways to keep hotel costs down or for free. Our first choice is using Chase Reward Points from Joelle’s Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) Visa card or Ryan’s American Express Platinum points. This is our pot of gold. The points add up quickly between the sign-up bonus at Chase (100,000 at the time) and using the card for all our daily purchases.
If you purchase travel or dining through the Chase portal, you can earn up to ten times the points per dollar. Another great way to gain points is to use the card for large purchases. Joelle bought a car using her CSR to make the down payment. Ryan had new flooring installed and put it on his credit card. Take that a step further; if anyone in your family plans a big trip or expenditure like furniture, ask if you can put it on your card. They then pay you back in cash. A cruise or vacation package they purchase on your card, and bonus points can get you a few nights of hotel stays for free.
Why do we love Chase Sapphire Reserve so much?
Now, with CSR, here is the crown jewel and why we love Chase so much. If you use your reward points toward travel through their travel portal, they are worth 50% more. For example, a $100,000 sign-up bonus is valued at $1,000, but when booking travel through the Chase portal, it is now worth $1,500. That goes a long way toward maximizing hotel stays, and what a way to utilize points effectively.
TIP
A great way to reduce food costs on a trip is to book through the Chase portal; always add the complimentary breakfast. Higher-end hotels tend to be excellent and generous, offering a wide range of local specialties. As a result, we will not eat lunch and enjoy a larger meal at dinner.
Our second option is to use points from our hotel loyalty program. Hilton is our program of choice, as stated before. We both have Hilton credit cards that, combined, have given us over 300,000 points through the sign-up bonus. Depending on which Hilton brand you stay with or take advantage of special offers like staying four nights and getting the 5th night free using points, those points can go a long way!
Airlines

This may differ from the guidance of most other travel bloggers. Joelle learned in years of business travel that loyalty pays. Those few dollars you save to use another airline are not worth the perks you receive from staying loyal. Joelle has used United Airlines almost exclusively for international travel for several years. She first achieved Gold tier status by completing the Elite Challenge (a blog post on that will follow soon). As an MVP Gold on Alaska Airlines, she presented United with proof of her status and received a year of free United Gold Status.
Loyalty perks
Loyalty doesn’t often come with price breaks, but the perks that come for free add up. Extra leg room at exit row (we are both over 6 feet), meals and drinks in the airport lounge, guaranteed space for carry-ons, faster check-in, and free checked luggage with no worries about the weight of the bags make traveling more enjoyable. Joelle has maintained her United status for several years by planning trips well and staying on top of miles. Last year, United offered her Platinum status for free for several months, and if she flew eight segments, she could have it for an entire year. Since that was already her plan, it was a sweet bonus. People traveling with her on the same reservation get the same perks. That makes it unnecessary for both of us to have the status, though Ryan has gained United Silver status due to our travels.
A sweet perk of United Platinum status, Joelle receives a fixed amount of annual Plus Points for free business class upgrades. Those spaces are almost like mini living rooms, where the seat converts into a bed, accompanied by first-class service. We will be taking advantage of those Plus Points on one of our longer European trips. We have also used miles to upgrade to business class, as we tend to purchase our tickets. Though we should warn you, once you fly international business class, you will never want to go back to coach, but we do.
Rental Car

Joelle has used Avis for decades. She is at her highest status and, as a result, gets free upgrades 100% of the time. One incredible perk is that we never stand in line. Just go straight to the car and drive off. Once, we used CSR reward points for a rental car and stood in line for an hour to process the vehicle. We always reserve a standard four-door for our international travel and usually end up with a Mercedes, BMW, or Volvo each time without ever asking for it. Since we tend to drive many miles on our trips, a luxury car with excellent gas mileage is a huge bonus.
Avis also provides reward points with rentals that can be used later for free days or other services. You can see how this continues to bring costs down further.
Real Numbers Example #2
Fall “22 Mexico City

Flights
Ryan used United miles and, with taxes, it cost $120.04
Joelle purchased her ticket
Hotel
Five nights at Gran Hotel Ciudad De Mexico. One of the only 5-star hotels in Mexico City
Large Suite with breakfast included, reserved with Chase Reward Points
Total Cost ZERO!
We will not be renting a car
Staying Loyal helps gain travel for free

Over the years, we have also learned that trying to stay loyal to a hotel brand, car rental company, or airline has many perks. For hotels, the brand we choose is Hilton. Joelle has maintained Diamond status for years by sometimes staying farther out than ideal on US-based trips to keep points growing. Though the drive may be a bit longer, it is rarely an issue, and the nicer room and complimentary food credits are worth it. Hilton Honors members are eligible for special discounts and super point bonus promotions.
During his Army drill weekends, Ryan must stay in a hotel and always stays at Hiltons. It adds up, and the food credit goes a long way to keep his costs down. In the end, it rewarded us well during our international travels. Diamond status internationally comes with complimentary breakfast, executive lounge access, upgraded rooms, expedited check-in, and complimentary water bottles. At times, snacks, a complimentary bottle of wine, spa access, gym access, free internet, complimentary cocktails, or other perks like free parking and shoe shine are available. There is also a dedicated Diamond phone line for any issues or to make reservations.
The rental car loyalty program offers benefits such as avoiding lines, a car ready for you upon arrival, free upgrades, vehicle upgrade options, attentive service, a dedicated phone line, special deals, coupons, and reward points.
Elite frequent flyer status

Airline frequent flyer elite status perks are the most extensive and increase with your elite level. Extras include dedicated phone lines, a separate check-in line, free first-class upgrades domestically, early boarding, tagging luggage with priority status, bonus miles, free seat assignments, free upgrades to premium coach seats, no cost for an exit row seat, free checked baggage, a complimentary cocktail and snack on the flight, several lounges passes a year, discount to lounge membership, special deals and offers, and free rebooking with no penalties. Alaska Airlines offers a limited number of first-class upgrade guest passes each year. When issues occur, they often prioritize your rebooking.
What are the annual fees for membership to the loyalty programs we reviewed above? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, FREE!
Downside? You get a bit spoiled traveling in style and being treated like a valued guest.
Real Numbers Example #3
Summer ’22 Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, and Prague

Flights
United Airlines Premium Economy Class
Total cost: $ 2,556 or $ 1,278 per person. We chose not to use any points
Hotel
14 nights at, on average, 4.5-star hotels in the best areas of the cities
Large rooms or suites with breakfast included are reserved with either Hilton Points, American Express Points, or Chase Reward Points
Total hotel Costs $63
We did not drive ourselves, but instead used the My Day Trip car service. All private car transportation between cities with sightseeing included—budget under $1000 total. Dramatically less than a rental car. We will report back on our experience, as it is our first time.
How can you travel for free?
Do you wonder how you can get status at a hotel or airline? Do you have to fly a lot to do that? Not anymore. Many credit cards offer some level of hotel or airline status for free. Choose the airline you prefer or that is most convenient based on your location, and obtain their credit card. Ryan got the United one with a generous sign-up bonus. He now has almost 150,000 miles to use. Many airline cards provide frequent flier status, hotel status, or even free TSA Precheck or Global Entry. Delta and United offer substantial discounts for Clear membership. Many airline cards offer several complimentary lounge passes per year.
Want sign-up bonuses? Pick cards that offer generous ones. Look closely at the rules, though, and don’t close the cards until a whole year has passed. After spending a set amount, Ryan recently received an American Express Platinum Card, which offered him a substantial sign-up bonus. In 9 months, he has earned almost 250,000 points, which translates into numerous free hotel stays.
American Express is great, but our favorite travel credit card is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. We use our Chase points to cover most of our hotel stays, which dramatically reduces our travel costs. We can not recommend it enough.
Chase Sapphire Reserve – Our top pick
We both have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which is incredible and by far the best card out there for travelers. The card has many exceptional bonuses such as 50% more value in points when using their travel portal, $300 travel credit per year, 50% more value with Pay Yourself Back, complimentary airport lounge access with Priority Pass all over the world, $100 toward Global Entry or TSA precheck, free Door Dash subscription with delivery fees waived, Travel Insurance, Rental car collision coverage, booking portal, and so much more.
Both these cards have high annual fees, $550, but if you travel often and have many credits to use toward travel, it pays for itself quickly. If someone rarely travels, these are not likely cards worth the annual fees. Sign-up bonuses for these cards can vary greatly, so research before applying.
American Express Platinum
With Ryan’s American Express Platinum, he gets an annual $200 hotel credit and a $200 Airline fee credit along with complimentary airport lounge access all over the world, travel insurance, UberEats $200 cash credit per year, $189 CLEAR Credit, $240 digital entertainment credit, cell phone protection, booking portal, upgraded stays, early ticket access to major concerts, $100 year at Saks 5th Ave, and so much more!
Hotel credit cards
Have a favorite hotel chain? Get their credit card that offers a generous sign-up bonus. The cards tend to give you an elite status at some level immediately. The only hotel card we have is from Hilton. Check out some of the hotel cards we suggest.
Interested in seeing the best travel credit cards on the market? Check out our Best Travel Credit Cards for 2024.
*Here is the important part: you must be disciplined and always pay off the entire balance of your credit card each month. If your goal is to travel for free, paying interest makes no sense. The interest you pay often wipes out your benefits and potentially impacts your credit score. Spend within your means. *

Real Numbers Example #4
Malta, Sicily, Naples, Sorrento, and Positano

Hotel
15 nights at 4.0 stars or greater hotels in the best areas of the cities
Larger rooms or suites with breakfast included were reserved with either Hilton Points or Chase Reward Points
Total hotel Costs $458
Keeping track of shared costs during travel
Since we split our costs down the middle, keeping close track of the numbers as we go becomes essential. Years ago, we discovered an excellent iPhone app called Cost Split. Joelle has also used it when traveling with her siblings and friends. It takes seconds to make a purchase and attribute it to the person who paid and how it will be divided. It keeps you on top of your costs and ensures you know how much each person is due. All can share it in the group, and each person can make an entry. It converts currency as well. When paying off in the end, it keeps track of that as well.
Once the trip is completed, a detailed report of expenditures will be generated for your records. It keeps us all honest and on top of our costs. Over the years, I have had many friends share concerns that a trip, in the end, cost them more than their travel companions, as the math was suspicious at times. Sometimes, it was so bad that they refused to travel with them again. With Cost Split, it is completed and well-documented. You can check out the Cost Split app here.
There are several good apps, but Cost Split has been our favorite.
Our way is not the only way to travel for free

There are many great ways to cut travel costs. Many people use their reward points solely for free airfare. If you aren’t bothered by long layovers or backtracking when flying, a ton of money and points can be saved. If you have a flexible schedule, sites like Scotts Cheap Flights find mind-blowing deals on transcontinental flights.
Then there is the 5/24 rule, which limits the number of open Chase credit cards to no more than five within a 24-month period. That is because when you go over five, it penalizes you. We don’t put that much effort into point gathering, but those who do make quite the killing. A great site to learn more about this is 10X Travel Insider on Facebook. Even if you aren’t completely bored with the points-gathering game, you can learn a lot on this page.
Then there are the timeshare promotions, where you must sit through the sales pitch to get a cheap package at a great resort. Hilton often offers them. A week in Hawaii for 150 dollars, but you need to sit through a two-hour timeshare pitch. If you use reward points to buy plane tickets, you can have a nearly free trip. Those timeshare sales pitches are pure misery to us and something neither of us would ever purchase. Therefore, we don’t take that route to earn points and get low-cost hotel/resort stays.
If a clean bed is all you need
If you don’t care if the hotels are highly rated and want a bed, you can extend your travel for free. When using the Chase travel portal, there are often hotels throughout Europe for unbelievably low points per night. It would be easy to stretch your points over many trips if you wanted. We are talking in Europe, at some of the top destinations!
Are you planning to travel? Check out country travel guides on our Destinations page.
Balancing travel for free to the dollar value

The post title stated you could travel the world for free. As you can see in our examples, we cover the costs of items such as flights and rental cars. Points can be used for free airfare, rental cars, hotels, complimentary breakfast, and even access to evening lounges with free food and drinks. Chase allows you to use points for booking tour packages, entry to sites, and other entertainment in the cities you visit. The choice is yours, but in our case, we consider the value of the dollars it costs to obtain the points used.
Our best example of this was in Croatia. The rental car was just over $400 for two weeks. It does not get cheaper than that. Although points would have cost around 50,000 at the time, we could not have used our status with Avis or received an upgrade. That is a poor value-to-point ratio when the dollar amount is so low. We have many miles on our various airline frequent flyer accounts. But since status is essential, we buy to keep our status. It is part of the balancing game of point redemption. The United and Alaska airline program also allows us to use miles for hotel stays, but the amount of miles needed always seems way too high for the value. It pays to study this closely to get the most out of your points and miles.
As you can see, paying cash often makes more sense than using points.
Real Numbers Example #5
Portugal and Spain

Hotels
Nine nights at an average 4.5 stars hotel
Larger rooms or suites with breakfast included were reserved with either Hilton Points or Chase Reward Points.
Total Hotel Costs ZERO
Air BNB 6 nights
Cost $748
Rental Car Avis
Used Chase Rewards points, Cost ZERO
When things go wrong, loyalty can help
We are all hearing more stories of flight cancellations, lost luggage, and overbooked hotels. That is why we tend to stick to a loyalty approach to travel. As well, we are reserving well-reviewed hotels. When things go wrong, they are more likely to take much better care of you. If that flight is canceled, you have a dedicated priority phone number to call, which will put you at the front of the line for rescheduling. If you’re not satisfied with your Avis car, they will do everything possible to make you happy. We have never been bumped from a flight (I hope we haven’t jinxed ourselves). Hilton moves the earth for their most loyal customers in our experience.
That doesn’t exempt us from issues, and they do happen. One day, we will write a very long blog post about all the various calamities that have crossed our path during our travels. The key is to go with the flow, stay calm, and make the best of it. A level head that remains calm will handle obstacles more effectively. Ultimately, it’s all part of the adventure and the stories you will tell.
Is travel for free too good to be true?

A frequent online comment is that this can’t be real; why would credit card companies do such a thing? If you pay your balance at the end of the month, why would they keep giving you points for nothing?
Here’s the explanation: First, credit cards charge fees to use services from hotels, airlines, rental car companies, and restaurants. Depending on the card, this fee would be 3-5% of your total bill. So even if you pay your balance in full monthly, the bank still rakes in the dough!
Their real goal is for you to pay interest, while they make a fortune. Stay disciplined, and you both come out ahead. It isn’t too good to be true, but it is an incredible financial coup if you learn to play the game right.
Preparing for the unexpected costs

Travel, as in life, is not without risk. You can get most of your trip for free, but unexpected costs can turn that upside down. The key is to guard against costs that could skyrocket quickly. The best way to do that is to buy travel insurance. Travel insurance can protect you from financial ruin. Our strongest warning here is not to rely on the medical insurance that comes free with your credit card. It is awful! We love the Chase Sapphire Reserve, but its total coverage for medical issues is $ 2,500, which won’t cover much.
Travel insurance can be very affordable if you do it right. It just takes a little education to empower you as a consumer. Check out our blog post on the importance of travel insurance and where to buy great and affordable coverage here.
Another cost aspect to consider is Emergency Medical Evacuation coverage. Travel insurance offers generous evacuation coverage but, in most cases, only covers your evacuation to the closest hospital that can handle the severity of your condition. That is very important, but in most cases, it won’t transport you back to the United States. You could spend weeks in a foreign hospital. Companies like Medjet will get you home to a hospital of your choice at no cost. If you are seriously ill, the last place you want to be is in a hospital where you can’t speak the language and care is substandard. Learn more about our medical evacuation membership in our blog post here.
You can travel for free or at a reasonable cost and live your travel dreams!

With the five examples of our savings from the trips we noted above, you can see that what many spend on daily lunch and coffee could take you on a fantastic lifetime trip. Even if you are that person putting aside some dollars each week, along with rewards and miles, you can travel affordably. This is not out of most people’s reach. With a plan, it may take a couple of years to build up enough points, but you learn the ropes before you know it.
You have even greater control if you are okay with lower-rated hotels, are willing to fly economy, and don’t pre-assign your seats. If you are not into eating out all the time, you can get into some local grocery stores and save a ton of money. If you are willing to take public transportation, you can save on rental cars, gas, parking, and tolls. Imagine how low some of our numbers could have been if we had done that!
Need accommodations for your next adventure?
It is important to price out accommodations on various sites. Expedia is a US-based company, whereas Booking.com is Europe-based. Not all properties appear on both, so it is ideal to check both out. Our personal first choice is Booking.com. If the establishment has a website, check the price there as well. Click the link below to check out hotels and vacation homes in the area. It may be just the motivation you need to start planning that next grand adventure.
Final Thoughts

Our goal in this post is to show you how to travel for free or affordably if you play your cards right. You don’t have to be rich or save for decades. We are passionate about travel and its transformative impact on people’s lives. It has brought us so much joy, and we were hoping you could discover that wonder, too. But, like most of you, costs are a factor, but they should not keep you from traveling.
Start researching; before you know it, you will be working towards free travel. Now, all you have to do is decide where your first adventure will take you. If only that were an easy choice!
Bon Voyage.
© 2025 Wanderers Compass All Rights Reserved
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