13 Money-Saving Travel Tips I Wish I Knew Before Planning My Last Vacation

I will never go on another vacation without following these bakshis and saving alllllll this money and sentence .

I’m Spencer, and I love traveling the world and exploring new cities. Some people thrive on spontaneity, but I’m the kind of person who needs to have everything organized and researched ahead of time. So, as someone who’s still getting used tosolo travel, I asked AI to plan my entire vacation on a budget, and I made myself do pretty much everything it suggested.

My goal was to spend four days in Washington, DC, while celebrating my 34th birthday. This was my first time in the city, so I asked AI to create a detailed itinerary based on my personal preferences and budget – only $50 per day for all food and activities – along with some tips and underrated gems that only locals would know about. Could AI save me money and plan a trip that’s actually fun, unique, and worthwhile? Here’s what happened.

Below is the exact prompt that I submitted to get my AI itinerary. If you try this yourself then you could obviously just stick with the first response that it spits out, but I wanted the best results possible, so I merely used it as an outline. I then went through a few rounds of follow-up questions with the AI about particular ideas and interests, leading to more specific recommendations.

Was my first result perfect? Hell no. But I knew it wouldn’t be! For example, my initial AI itinerary only gave me two meal suggestions for the entire four-day period, so clearly something was wrong. My best tip for building out your own AI itinerary is to start general and then get specific. After adjusting my prompt and explicitly telling the AI to include restaurant recommendations for all of my meals, snacks, and drinks each day, the new results were MUCH stronger.

This whole experiment also required a little research on my end. Google Maps became a huge saving grace here because I could plug each AI recommendation into the app and then plan my vacation based on where I was staying and how far I was willing to travel.

I didn’t only use AI to plan my food and activities. I also used it for money and time-saving tips for all of my travel and accommodations.

For example, I live in NYC and asked AI for the best, fastest, and cheapest ways to get to and from DC. It gave me every travel option imaginable, from six different bus and train services to available flights and even potential driving routes. It also compared all of the costs and estimated travel times for me so I could easily choose the best option. I’d never taken Amtrak before, but I was booking far enough in advance that the AI told me it’d be the cheapest AND fastest choice.

The most important thing I’ve learned throughout my travels is that you should never pay full price for a hotel room. It’s almost always cheaper to make a reservation through those free booking apps instead of a hotel’s site, especially since most of them offer loyalty programs (which are also free, as AI recommended to me). Like, I will never say no to complimentary breakfasts and room upgrades and discounts off my stay. If you find one you like then absolutely stick with it – I’ve personally been using Hotels.com for years, and those perks/savings have defffffinitely added up.

Finally, I was obviously on a tight budget, so I didn’t want to rely on Uber or taxis to take me anywhere. Unprompted, the AI recommended Capital Bikeshare as a way to save money. This is the DC version of Citibike, where you can unlock bicycles at different stations and ride them wherever you want. A 24-hour pass was $8 (vs. $1 for a single ride), so that felt worth it to me.

Food is always the most important part of any vacation to me. I have a strict rule of “no chain restaurants” whenever I travel. This way I can truly experience each city and what they have to offer.

This is manifestly a super privileged place to be in , but I ’m certainly not against sacrificing other amenities or experience if it mean I can fling a routine more on my meals .

After riding the Amtrak train from NYC to DC, I checked into my hotel and immediately went to my first AI-recommended restaurant: Compliments Only. I was shocked at how up-to-date the AI was because when I googled this restaurant, several viral TikTok videos about their sandwiches popped up, so it was obviously onto something. There were even a few videos with over 100k likes about their “Crunchy Boi” sandwich (a turkey sub with potato chips stacked inside), so I knew that’s what I had to order.

After I was fully stuffed, I freshened up at my hotel before meeting a friend for happy hour at the Library of Congress. I had no idea that this experience even existed, but I specifically asked AI for a bunch of free activities during my stay, and this was one of its top recommendations. These happy hours are apparently hosted every Thursday night in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, and all of the exhibits are free too. Here I am in the Main Reading Room, which immediately reminded me ofNational Treasure 2. I still can’t get over how stunning the entire building is, but this ceiling kinda took my breath away.

You do need to reserve your free ticket online a few weeks in advance before they “sell out,” so consider this your warning. You can buy drinks and food (like wine and a little charcuterie board) inside, but it was more expensive than I would have liked, and I had dinner plans anyway, so I was fine with just admiring the exhibits without spending any money. The whole experience was totally worth it, and I actually think it’d make a perfect date-night idea.

I requested a few quick and cheap bites from the AI, so after about two hours inside the Library of Congress I left that happy hour for a different kind of happy hour: a dumpling happy hour. The AI recommended Bar Chinois, where each dumpling is only one dollar for a few hours each night. This was a perfect snack to warm me up and hold me over until dinner.

I casually started drinking alcohol last year after taking about eight years off. I was never really a fan of the taste (or expense) and just naturally stopped drinking it, but now I’ll have a little in certain situations. It’s all still so new to me, but in the last year I discovered two things: 1. I now like white wine, and 2. I’m a sucker for a gin martini. So, I asked AI for the best ~cheap~ martinis in DC and came across Cucina Morini. They have a special “martini hour” where all of their martinis are only $7.

I ended the night with Mediterranean food at Zaytinya, which is owned by famous chef José Andrés. He’s won multiple James Beard awards and actually owns several different restaurants in DC, so I knew AI wouldn’t lead me astray with this suggestion. Every meal comes with an endless supply of housemade pita (photographed on the right), and I couldn’t eat them fast enough. My only regret was not getting a bunch of spreads to pair them with; they had seven different kinds, like baba ghannouge, tzatziki, and htipiti.

I woke up and took a five-minute bike ride to A Baked Joint. Everything inside is freshly baked each morning, but I only needed a quick bite before visiting some museums, so I opted for their rosemary and goat cheese biscuit. This was basically a mini sandwich that came with a fried egg and mayo, and it tasted great (I could easily eat a dozen of those biscuits on my own), but it was $7.50 ($8.25 with tax) and TINY. I personally think this was more expensive than it should have been, but I’d absolutely go back for their cookies, pies, and other desserts because they all looked incredible.

My favorite part about the museums in DC is that they’re all free. I asked AI to give me a full breakdown of each one, and then I had it rank them based on my interests, proximity, and any online reviews. The top choice was the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This was truly one of the most well-done museums I’ve ever been to. It was super current yet timeless, and the exhibits were full of everything from stunning artwork to Louis Armstrong’s actual trumpet to Jackie Robinson’s baseball uniform. I can’t recommend this one enough.

My favorite part of the museum was their film exhibit. It was truly incredible to see a ton of iconic movie memorabilia (like Dorothy and the Tinman’s costumes fromThe Wiz, Whoopi Goldberg’s nun habit fromSister Act, Lupita N’yongo’s costume from12 Years a Slave). But as someone who literally studies the Oscars for fun, the coolest part was seeing both of Russell Williams’s Oscars. He was the first Black person to win multiple Oscars in any category and also the first (and only) Black person to win back-to-back Oscars, which he did forGloryandDances with Wolvesin the Best Sound category.

I guess AI was in a bakery kinda mood because after the museum I stopped by Maman and was told to order their housemade Parisian ham and comté cheese croissant sandwich. The Dijon mustard on this was everything, and it was more filling than the pictures might have you convinced. It cost $13 ($14.30 with tax).

My next stop was the National Portrait Gallery. This museum was, of course, free, and it was also right across the street from my hotel. There were a ton of cool exhibits here, and they even had all four (!) of Katharine Hepburn’s Best Actress Oscars on display. But their pride and joy is their complete collection of presidential portraits.

I was exhausted after my second museum of the day, so I relaxed at my hotel before meeting another friend for dinner. This time, the AI recommended Unconventional Diner for some “modern comfort food.” I was set on getting my own meal, but the waitress sold us on their meatloaf, so we split that with some sides of mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. The table next to us ordered a massive 7-layer carrot cake for dessert, and I still regret not getting that or their cheesecake.

AI is not perfect, and I’m not just talking from a moral standpoint. Its recommendations can be hit or miss, so, again, asking follow-up questions or doing some extra research about its suggestions can truly make or break your experience. For example, I wanted to go to a gay bar or club but had no idea where to start, so I asked AI to categorize everything based on the setting, vibe, and cost. The results were genuinely impressive but still a bit overwhelming.

I should note that I am not normally a club person. I’ve gone to maybe two in my entire life because loud music and crowds are not my friend. I’m also the kind of person who enjoys dancing but can’t get into it if I don’t know the song or if it doesn’t have lyrics (I’m looking at you, techno and EDM). With that said, AI described Crush Bar as having a “fun, flirty, and retro-modern energy” with a dance floor and “chill lounge.” I was expecting a more casual and relaxed spot with good music, but in reality it was just not my kind of scene. This is no shade to them! Like, it was ~packed~ inside, so clearly people love it. But I walked in and out after maybe four minutes because the music was so loud that I couldn’t hear my own thoughts, let alone the people I was with.

I started my morning at Big Bear and ordered their pastrami bagel. It was messy but super filling, which I was happy about because I had a long day ahead of me. The sandwich cost $12 ($14.74 with tax and the service fee), and by the time I finished it I was glad I packed some floss in my suitcase.

There are 17 Smithsonian museums in total, but with only a few days in DC I had to be picky. My final museum of the trip was the National Museum of American History. This one was cool and interesting, but in my opinion it was more for kids than adults. Still, their pop culture exhibits featured a lot of wild, nostalgic items, like a Bob Ross painting, C-3PO and R2-D2 fromStar Wars, Captain America’s shield, Oprah’s talk show microphone, and so on.

After the museum I biked to Eastern Market in Capitol Hill. They had a bunch of vendors outside and inside, selling everything from fresh produce to dumplings to desserts and even clothes. I was craving something sweet, so I got a huge coconut brownie with chocolate chips on top. This was a big yes from me, and it only cost $3.99 ($4.25 with tax).

I obviously asked AI for a bunch of free and cheap activities while I was in town. Among the list was ice skating on the National Mall. Unfortunately I didn’t have time for this one, but I did get to walk by and see other people skating, which was super cute. The cost would have been $12 for two hours on the ice, plus $6 to rent skates. I grew up skating, so this could have been fun with friends, especially with the views. But this is definitely more expensive than NYC where there’s no admission fee at Bryant Park if you bring your own skates.

DC actually has the largest Ethiopian population in the US, so I didn’t want to leave without experiencing that cuisine. I asked AI to provide a massive list of restaurants, prices, and must-try dishes, and I settled on Chercher. This spot was tiny but authentic, and I genuinely can’t wait to go back every single time I visit DC. My friend and I split their deluxe vegan platter, which came with ~10~ different sides. Neither of us is a vegan or vegetarian, but we were convinced by the table next to us (they actually had three people splitting that single platter, so, like, it was definitely more than enough food). The dish cost $22.99 ($29.29 with tax and tip), so only $14.64 split between the two of us. This was easily one of my favorite and most satisfying meals in a LONG time.

After dinner, my friend and I headed to Café Riggs, aka my hotel bar, because they gave me that voucher for free drinks when I checked in. (Again, if you want bonus perks then always reserve your hotel room through those free booking apps and loyalty programs!) I was actually celebrating my 34th birthday this day, so free drinks were a great start to the night.

I tried experimenting with AI one more time to find an LGBTQ+ bar with a more relaxed atmosphere. I met some friends at Little Gay Pub, and this was the exact vibe I was going for. It was more chill and friendly, not too loud, and it had seating for us to play cards at while sipping on some reallllllly good specialty cocktails. I ordered the Unicorn Tears drink, which was made with gin, elderflower, Aperol, and fresh lemon. It cost $15.50 ($17.50 with tax and tip), which, yeah, is more money than I think it should have cost, but it was huge, and a cute stranger did end up buying me a second one, so I’m gonna pretend that I got it for half off. (Girl math!)

My friends and I were ready to let loose a bit, so AI recommended we go to Madhatter for a little dancing and fun. The music here was something you could actually dance to, and it wasn’t obnoxiously loud, but I did feel like the oldest person in the room by several years. One of my friends bought me a birthday shot, and another got me a gin and tonic, so I was definitely tipsy and feeling good.

It was after midnight by this point, and my friends and I were still at Madhatter, so technically my budget got to restart for the new day. I bought myself a gin and tonic, which was $7 ($9 with tax and tip), making my total drink count six for the night. I was definitely past tipsy and in the “happy and drunk” phase. After some sweaty dancing we headed down the street to Sauf Haus Bier Hall & Garten. I stuck with water here until we decided to call it a night. Below is a selfie from the hotel elevator the following morning. I promise I look way worse than I felt.

I was awake by 6:30 a.m. and then got a quick workout in at the hotel gym. Afterwards, AI told me to head to Pearl’s Bagels. I ordered their toasted Green Monster sandwich – turkey, Swiss cheese, avocado, cucumber, greens, dijon mustard, and mayo – on an onion bagel. It cost $11 ($12.10 with tax), and I brought it back to my hotel to eat in bed while watching old episodes ofMurphy Brown.

Before checking out and leaving for the train station, I went on a bike ride through the National Mall to see the Washington Monument and Capitol Building one last time. I asked AI for a few quick bite recommendations because I needed something to hold me over during my 3.5-hour train ride. I stopped at Bandit Tacos and ordered a mix of three tacos, which cost $11.55 ($12.70 with tax). Before I knew it, my trip was officially over.

Look, this was a really fun experiment. Do I think the AI was flawless? Absolutely not. But was it helpful in providing a bunch of recommendations, details, and tips that would have taken me hours of researching to find? Yes. So in that sense I’d definitely call this a success.

And now for the real test: my budget. I broke down the daily costs for all of my food, bikes, and activities below. Counting taxes and tips, I spent $198.91 across four days. That averages to $49.73 per day, which is just below my $50 budget. There were two days when I exceeded my daily limit by a few cents, but, hey, it all averaged out in the long run. Overall, I’m genuinely impressed.

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I will never go on another vacation without following these tips and saving alllllll this money and time.