Lollivia

Learn how to travel the world while living the life of a digital nomad.

Travel hacking

How to find cheap flights!

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If you want to travel successfully as a digital nomad, one of the things that you have to master is the art of finding a good flight deal. Being strategic with the way that you plan your flights will save you money, which will allow you to travel to more destinations for a longer amount of time.

Additionally, you will be able to strategically plan multiple trips that will allow you to see different countries and cities, which will give you more time to travel and extra money to put into accommodation and the experiences that you want to enjoy during your travels.

Finding cheap flights to anywhere isn’t as difficult as you would think. But you do have to be prepared to plan ahead and be ready to book once you find the perfect opportunity. Procrastinate on the opportunity and in a matter of seconds, the perfect flight deal that you have found may be gone.

In this post, you will get the insights to find cheap flight deals that will allow you to extend your digital nomad travels for as long as possible.

Conduct your searches in secret.

You want to go incognito and you also want to be wary about the IP that you are searching for as it can influence the types of deals that you are presented with.

Use a VPN to bypass the IP settings and use the incognito browser on Google Chrome to help you search for the best flight deals in secret.

Use only the best flight search engines.

Skyscanner

Kiwi.com

Expedia

Google Flights

Book your own flights.

The days of using travel agents to find you the cheapest flights is pretty much over. You can ask them to find out if they can match the deals that you find. But since they are working on a commission rate, they want to get the best deal possible and they are also restricted by what they can do because they are the middle person to the airline.

Therefore, you will either get better deals going through an online brokers that don’t have to pay overhead costs for staff and their business operations. And in return, they can pass on those direct savings to you as the customer.

Booking directly with the airline can also yield some good savings as well. You can simply sign-up to a loyalty program of theirs that will offer incentives to purchase discounted flights as they become available.

The airlines get to sell more of their flight seats, which means they will make more money and you get a good deal in exchange. Win-win!

Take notes of the cheapest days to fly!

This is really important because you will be scheduling your travel itinerary around these dates.

There are rumours that you can get the best deals on a Tuesday or Wednesday. But the prices are at the discretion of the people listing the flights.

A better approach is to either monitor or get alerted to good flight deals. Mark the cheapest days and make a note to see if alternative travel can be made to that airport to expand your digital nomad experience.

Consider flying out from different cities.

You don’t have to fly in and out from the same airport. You can travel overland by car, train, or bus and fly out from another airport that has cheaper flights.

This can also be factored into your travel journey and itinerary.

I’ve done this several times in my trip.

In one case, I flew into Malaga. Then I took the bus along Andalusia to Lisbon and then to Madrid. Then I flew from Madrid to London.

In another case, I flew into Hanoi in Vietnam. Took the train in from Hanoi to Nha Trang. Flew from Danang to Ho Chi Minh city. Took the bus through Cambodia to Thailand. Flew from Thailand to Myanmar and back. Then flew from Thailand to Sri Lanka. This all happened within a 3 month period.

Do not book your flights late.

There are myths about getting good airline tickets at the last minute or even picking up fares for cancelled tickets. I’ve personally never seen these opportunities and the later you book the flight tickets, the more expensive the tickets will become.

Try to book the tickets as soon as they are released so you can get the best deal possible. With flight deals, booking even a year out can save you quite alot of money.

Simple things such as planning to travel in a country for a month, and then booking the entry and exit ports for your stay in the country can easily save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars if you do it strategically and in advance.

Check the fare prices in different currencies and country sites.

You would think that everything would be equal. But it isn’t always the case. Before going ahead with the flight booking, check the price of the air fare in the local currency of the country that you plan to visit.

If you are travelling to a place that has a weaker currency than the one that you are using, you may be able to save some money due to the exchange rate.

Just be cautious of any hidden international transaction fees that may be applicable through the credit or debit card that you plan to use.

Look out for error fares.

There are fares that get listed in error, but one person’s mistake can be another’s fortune. So it is important that you are alerted to these as they come up.

When you do see them, you cannot hesitate. You have to act right away!

You can use the following 2 sites to get alerted to these types of deals.

Airfare Watchdog 

Secret Flights

Are there any other tips that you think should be on this list?

Share them in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Life in Ronda, Spain…as a digital nomad?

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At the time of writing this, I’ve stayed in Ronda for 4 nights. However, I feel like I could have stayed for much longer. Out of all of the Spanish experiences that I’ve had in my life, this one is the fondest. I think it is because the city, the culture and the landmarks capture the essence of the Andalusian culture and lifestyle.

Ronda is situated in the south-west of Spain.

It has a long and colourful history. It is also associated with Ernest Hemingway, who celebrated his last birthday in Ronda.

Ronda is not a cheap city to live in as a digital nomad like Granada. But it does offer a unique blend of tourism and locality. If you go to the main high street, you will find the commercial stores that you would usually find on any high street. But if you go a couple streets further back, you actually start to immerse yourself in the local suburban culture with local shops.

There are people who do speak some English, but you will quickly find yourself needing to speak basic Spanish to really get by in the area.

The city dates back hundreds of years to the Moorish rule and sits on top of a deep gorge, which is connected by a stone bridge that spans the gorge. If you walk around the town, you will find churches built from stone or even lookout points that will allow you to see the Andalusian mountain range.

Inside the city, you will find several cafes with coffee starting from 1 Euro a cup. You will also find bakeries, patisseries, tapas bars and several restaurants.

If you don’t want to spend much money, you can easily head to the supermarket and pick up a baguette and cheese for less than 2 Euros. This should give you 2-3 meals throughout the day if you are on a tight budget.

How is the cost of living in Ronda?

As I said before, it isn’t as cheap as Granada. However, I feel like the quality of life and the experience that you can enjoy here compensates for it.

Accommodation

I rented a room on Airbnb, which was a part of a suburban home. I was able to secure the room for $25 a night. I was also very fortunate to have a very, very good host. I was located about 5-minute walk away from the main part of the city. There were some other accommodation spots for approximately $30-40AUD a night.

Transportation.

Once you are in town, you can actually walk everywhere because everything is central. So I didn’t spend anything extra when it came to accommodation. The only thing I spent money on was my ticket to catch the bus and train from Granada to Ronda, which was just over 20 Euros. I did see a sign that offered return tickets from Seville for 15 Euros with one of the local bus lines.

Ability to work.

I run an online agency and I usually work from my room. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi signal wasn’t strong enough to reach my room, but I could conduct my work in the kitchen where the signal was strong. If I wanted to work somewhere else, I could head into town to one of the cafes and enjoy a coffee and some lunch whilst using their wi-fi.

If you decide to stay in Spain for more than a month, I would actually recommend purchasing a sim card, which will give you the freedom to hotspot from anywhere.

Food.

I kept my budget tight in Ronda, but still had a great experience. I shopped at the local supermarket and spent under 5 Euros a day on food, which mainly consisted of homemade sandwiches with Spanish salami, cheese and baguettes, with some yoghurt to finish it off. Then I’d drink water (simply because I personally try to avoid sugary drinks).

If I wanted to go for tapas, I could have purchased some for approximately 1.50-2 Euros each. Some places offered tapas for free with a 2 Euro beverage.

I did treat myself to one Sangria in one of the plazas when I saw a young man playing flamenco on the guitar. So I treated myself to watch his performance with a Sangria in one hand and the Spanish sunshine warming my back.

Below you can see a couple of my Instagram videos, which highlight some of the landmarks that I was able to visit whilst I was in Ronda.

Exploring Ronda, Spain

A post shared by @ lollivialiving on


I really enjoyed Ronda. I was fortunate to be in a good homestay. If you decide to rent an entire place, it is going to cost you more. However, the experience of Ronda is really worth it and I do believe the memories are ones that you will cherish for a lifetime.

Experience living as a digital nomad in Granada, Spain.

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If you would like to experience living in a part of Spain that is quite inexpensive, then I would suggest heading to the university city of Granada. It is located in Spain’s south-east. I’ll admit, I was surprised with the cost of living when I went there. If you want to live quite inexpensively and also experience some of the Spanish culture, then this is one city you can consider basing yourself in.

Tourist sites.

Alhambra

The city is prided on Alhambra. If you go to the centre of town, you will see it and you can walk up the hill amongst the nature to really get a closer glimpse of what it has to offer. If you do want to go inside, you will need to purchase tickets in advance. The landmark gets very busy with tourists.

Depending on who you purchase the ticket from, it will cost you anywhere from 18-25 Euros for a pass.

Albacin (Mirador de San Nicolas)

It offers the most scenic spot for looking at Alhambra. With the mountains in the background, it is an incredible wonder to visit.

Paseo de las triste

This is located en route to Alhambra, so you will see traditional architecture and roadways that lead into the heart of Granada.

Cue ras Sacromonte (Flamenco en directo)

Flamenco is a big part of the culture in Southern Spain. Tickets will cost you around 20 Euros to see a performance. If you want the the authentic Spanish experience, treat yourself to a flamenco show.

Booga Club

If you are in the mood for some dancing and partying, then Booga club is the place to go and enjoy yourself.

Plaza Nueva

This is just opposite Alhambra and is honestly one of the most beautiful places in the city. Go for a stroll around there and marvel at the unique architecture and street performers in the area.

Accommodation.

I stayed in a much cheaper place in the city. It was actually the cheapest place that I found on Airbnb. I rented a room for $16AUD a night. There were pros and cons to the accommodation. However, some of the massive pros were:

  • It was in a secure building.
  • I had a secure lock on my door.
  • It had a hot shower.
  • There were cooking facilities.
  • I had internet access.

I stayed there for 7 days, but I could have easily stayed there for a month if I wanted to, since the accommodation would have cost me around $500 for the month.

Food.

There are several supermarkets in town. I would go to AlCampo, which is a large supermarket that has pretty much everything. You can buy things in bulk, so you get a discount on your items.

The food that is common in town is tapas and bocadillos (sandwiches). You can easily make your own sandwiches by purchasing bread (or baguettes) from the supermarket (supermercado) for 40-80 cents. Then I would purchase a packet of yogurt for 2 Euros, Camembert cheese, turkey salami for 2 euros for another 2 Euros and a bottle of water for 30 cents. The sandwiches would keep me going for about two days or so.

I would also eat out. The culture of the city is that tapas are provided for free when you purchase a drink. So you can easily eat out for a few Euros and have a decent meal with a drink.

To give you an idea, I went out for tapas for lunch and I got some nachos, a mini burger and a small quesadilla. I bought 1 drink that came with 1 tapas. I paid 1.50 Euros for the other two tapas. The bill came to 5 Euros and 20 cents. I know that if I ate out in Australia, I would never have received 3 dishes for less than $10. And I had an alcoholic drink. And I felt full.

Also, I’d often go to the cafe and order a coffee with milk (cafe con leche), which would usually cost me about 1.50 Euros. For relaxing in a cafe and using the internet to browse and do my errands, I felt like it was worthwhile.

Travel.

If you decide to travel within the city, it is actually easy to get around by foot. I was staying outside of the main area, but it was a 20-minute walk from where I was staying. There are trams and buses that you can catch, but to be honest, unless you decide to travel outside of the city, you will be ok commuting by foot.

To get to Granada, I took the bus. I managed to catch a bus from Malaga to Granada for approximately 12 Euros. I did book the ticket at the station, however you can also book your ticket through the ALSA website.

You can also get to Granada by train. I chose to leave Granada by train to Ronda, which is a city in the West of Spain. The ticket cost me just under 21 Euros. You can use the RENFE website to purchase tickets in advance.

Cost of living in Granada.

I think it is achievable to stay in Granada for less than $50AUD a day. However, I would be prepared to spend more on accommodation and have a nicer place to sleep. That being said, I was able to practice my Spanish alot with my host and I did improve my spoken Spanish whilst I stayed with her and her roommates, since they didn’t speak English.

Additionally, I think it is even more achievable to live comfortably in Granada if you travel as a pair. You can either rent a room, which is most likely to halve your cost. Or you can opt to rent an entire place, which is likely to cost you both the same (or slightly more) than if you were travelling solo.

Below, I have also shared a couple of Instagram videos that highlight my stay in Granada.

Exploring the streets of Granada. Digital nomad life 😀

A post shared by @ lollivialiving on


I hope that you enjoyed this article. If you have travelled to Granada before, please share your experience in the comments below.

 

If you want to travel around the world, build it into your lifestyle.

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I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to crack the code when it comes to travelling full time. I’ve always wanted to travel and at the time of writing this, I am in Ronda in Spain enjoying a Spanish Baguette and Spanish coffee. At the same time, I am talking to a friend online who is asking me how he can live this lifestyle. But he keeps on asking me one question.

What will I do for money?

This is a very valid question. To be honest, this is why most people don’t go ahead with travelling.

There are several different strategies that you can use to travel around the world full time.

Work in your local country and save. Then travel until the money runs out.

This is an easier solution and you can actually work in a country (preferably your home country) and earn an income that will allow you to travel without working. The great thing with this approach is that you will be able to travel without the need to work. You will only need to budget how much you need to spend per day and ensure that the money doesn’t run out before the end of your trip.

You can work legally in your own country and then travel on a tourist visa once you are in other countries.

If you go to a place where the cost of living is much cheaper, you may only need to save $12,000USD to live in a country for 6 months.

Earn an income in the country you are going to with a working holiday visa.

You can obtain a visa that will allow you to earn an income in the local currency and that will allow you to sustain your travels. You will need to check with the department of immigration for the country that you want to visit. In many cases, you will either need to apply for their working-holiday program or apply to be sponsored to work for a local company.

Earn an income online.

This gives you the most flexible travel option. One thing you will need to keep in mind is that you are not doing any online work that takes away income from the local economy. You can do things like run your own business from your official country of residence. Or you can freelance as a consultant or doing work for businesses based around the world.

There are actually several ways you can make an income that will allow you to travel around the world. You can see opportunities on this digital nomad job post.

I even detailed how I was able to earn an income in one of my past travel income reports.

If you are interested in earning an income through writing, you can actually buy my ebook, which shows you the exact steps for earning your first $100 through writing. This will allow you to start earning an income whilst travelling.

If you are in the position of earning a passive income, this is even more ideal as you can focus on enjoying the travel experience without the need to work. You can do this through affiliate programs, advertising income and even automated sales processes.

Don’t give into the excuses. See how you can make your travel lifestyle come true today!

Travel as a digital nomad in Spain.

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This is something that is starting to excite me. I am going to have the opportunity to travel in Spain as a digital nomad. And if things go to plan, I will be able to travel other areas in Europe as well.

I’ve previously written a post about travelling as a digital nomad in Paris, which wasn’t as expensive as I originally thought. So I wanted to see if the same thing could be achieved in Spain. And from the research and planning that I’ve conducted so far, it looks like it will be a similar case.

Living in Spain isn’t going to be as cheap as travelling in Thailand, Cambodia or Indonesia. But there are ways to maximise the travel experience and to enjoy the immersion in the local culture.

Here’s how I plan to do it.

Buy a one-way ticket to Spain.

I’m flying to Malaga for a friend’s party, but if I had more time I would fly into Madrid. I’m flying from Australia and if you book in advance, you can get one-way flights for just under $900. If you book this in advance, you may save a few hundred dollars more. This will account for the bulk of your cost.

Take out Euros via the ATM.

The first mistake that I made was taking out Euros from the currency exchange. Opt for the cash rate from your bank or even opt for specific travel cards that will allow you to take out foreign currency without excessive fees. Alternatively, you can use your credit card whilst abroad, but check the terms for any additional fees that may be incurred from any transactions.

Plan to travel via local transport.

Travel around Spain by bus.

I was able to find the bus terminal that has intercity buses. I was able to travel from Malaga to Granada for just under 12 Euros. The bus is modern and quite comfortable. You can book tickets at the bus terminal or on the ALSA website.

There are intercity buses that you can use to travel from one place to the other. One of the buses that I found was

Note: There are the unlimited bus ticket options available, which do provide good value for money if you plan to travel to a new city everyday. However, if you are like me and you want to travel and enjoy a stay in one place for some time before moving to the next place, then you may want to consider purchasing bus tickets as and when you need them.

Travel around Spain by train.

There are several train connections that can get you from one part of the country to the other in a couple of hours. They are cheaper to take than flying, but it is more expensive than taking a plane. There are the fast trains that can get you to Malaga from Madrid in less than 3h. But it will set you back at least $100 in the travel fare.

Alternatively, you can opt for the slower train on the RENFE train network. 2h travel should cost approximately 20 Euros.

You can also read a more extensive guide on travelling around Spain by train on Seat 61.

Rent a car or a scooter if need be.

There are certain places where you can rent a car or scooter for a day for a fairly inexpensive price. The country seems fairly small and if you decided to do inter-city day trips, you could actually rent the vehicle only on those days where you know you are going to travel to those locations.

In my case, I am planning to base myself in Marbella. From there, I will rent a scooter or a vehicle and drive to Seville and along the coastline. There’s approximately 200-300km that can be experienced by driving.

A couple of the sites that I used to compare car hire and scooter hire prices are below.

Car Rental Buddy

Marbella bike rental

I didn’t get to find many campervan hire options. But I did see a few that were interesting. The cost was fairly pricey per month, so I won’t be opting for campervan travel. If you register as a Spanish resident, you can then purchase a vehicle and travel around the country, which will be the cheapest option. If you don’t mind spending the extra money, you can compare or hire a campervan.

Use the Lonely Planet Travel Guide for Spain

I want to enjoy the experience as much as possible. The Lonely Planet travel guides go into detail about where to visit, what to see and what you should experience while you are travelling. I will use the city guides along the southern Spanish Coastline to guide me in my travels.

Accommodation.

This was tricky for me at first and really impacted my decision on how to travel in Spain. However, I was able to find set a budget of $30 a day for cheap accommodation. (This will allow me to budget $930 a month for accommodation). I plan to save on accommodation costs by doing overnight buses when possible as well.

The only way I could find this option originally was by staying at hostels and renting a bed. I could find accommodation deals for just under $25 a night. However, I’ve been able to find deals for $30-40AUD a night to either rent a room or a studio from someone on AirBnb.

This provides a good option for me and I can adjust my flexibility to stay in different accommodation during my stay. At this stage, I’m thinking to stay up to 5 days in a city and enjoy the experience.

There may also be other deals available to people travelling in the country. I had looked online to compare the hotels, but they were more pricey at $100+AUD a night.

Food cost

There’s going to be alot for me to try when it comes to food. The biggest mistake travellers make is eating out all of the time instead of purchasing items from the local supermarket. There’s AuChan and Mercado, which provide very good shopping deals. I do believe that if you are travelling solo, it’s possible to budget $60-100 dollars a week for groceries.

I don’t want to sacrifice the local food experience, but I do want to make my money stretch as far as possible.

When it comes to eating out, it seems like it is pretty affordable to eat out if you want go to a café, enjoy some tapas or bocadillos.

Local activities to try whilst I’m there.

Learn Spanish

I studied Spanish over 15 years ago in university and I would love to practice speaking with a local. I may engage in a language exchange in order to help me improve my Spanish speaking skills.

Exercise

It would be great to find an area where I can run, do weights and perhaps even join in with the locals (such as playing soccer).

Useful links

Digital nomads Spain Facebook group

Have you travelled in Spain? What do you think?

Let me know in the comments below.