Articles by Monica Buck

Monica Buck

Monica Buck: Suitcase Tetris champ seeking the world’s best sandwich, one detour at a time.

Budget Guides

Brisbane On A Budget: A Laid-Back River City Nobody Warned You About

By Monica Buck

9 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Yerevan On A Budget: Older Than Rome, Cheaper Than Almost Anywhere Else

By Monica Buck

10 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Tijuana On A Budget: The Tastiest Border Crossing In North America

By Monica Buck

8 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Krabi For Broke Travellers With Excellent Taste

By Monica Buck

8 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Perth: Australia’s Sunniest City And Its Best-Kept Secret

By Monica Buck

8 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Faro On A Budget: Portugal’s Sunny Gateway To The Algarve

By Monica Buck

10 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Jakarta On A Budget: Southeast Asia’s Most Chaotic City (In The Best Way)

By Monica Buck

9 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Cheap Flights, Cheap Pho, Great Beaches: A Guide To Da Nang

By Monica Buck

8 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Birmingham On the Cheap: Your Guide To Britain’s Most Underrated City

By Monica Buck

9 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Chiang Mai On A Budget: Thailand’s Cosy Mountain Escape

By Monica Buck

9 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Dammam: Saudi Arabia’s Chill Coastal City Nobody Talks About Enough

By Monica Buck

8 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Fast, Vertical, And Weirdly Efficient: Hong Kong

By Monica Buck

8 MIN READ

Latest

Machu Picchu Without the Tour Package: How to See Peru's Icon on Your Own (and for Less)

Here's what the tour operators don't tell you. The ticket to Machu Picchu is a state ticket. You buy it yourself, on the Peruvian government's own website. Nobody has to sell it to you with a hotel, a guide and a lunch attached.

10 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Azerbaijan: The Land of Fire You Haven't Seen on Your Feed Yet

Azerbaijan is an easy, affordable weekend trip from Europe: Baku's Old City, the Caspian boulevard, mud volcanoes and mountain villages, without the crowds.

13 MIN READ

Travel hacks

What Is a Transit Visa? How to Know if You Need One for Your Layover

What is a transit visa? It is a short-term permit to pass through a country, or just its airport, on the way somewhere else. It doesn't let you visit. Whether you need one depends on your passport, airside or landside transit and layover length. Run the 3-question check below before you find flights.

8 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Zurich On A Budget: How To Enjoy The World's Priciest City Without The Pricetag

Zurich is the most expensive city in the world, according to Numbeo's 2026 cost of living index, which leaves out rent; that makes it more relevant for visitors, since tourists don't sign leases.

11 MIN READ

Budget Guides

Best AI for Flights in 2026: 9 Tools That Search (and Book) Flights

The best AI tools for flights show you the latest ticket prices and let you book the fares you see.

12 MIN READ

Inspiration

Best weekend city breaks in Europe: 10 cities worth flying to

A weekend city break is the cheapest way to feel like you've been away: two days, one city, no annual leave burned. But which European cities actually repay a short trip? These ten do, and every one of them is short-haul from most of Europe, so you can fly out Friday evening and land back Sunday night.

15 MIN READ

Travel hacks

Find Cheap Seats This Week: Best Last-Minute Flight Websites for 2026

The best last-minute flight websites include Kiwi.com, Skyscanner, Google Flights, lastminute.com, momondo, and it’s also worth checking the main budget airlines. While your destination will be one of the biggest factors that affects the price of your spontaneous European holiday plans, how you search for flights matters just as much. Using nearby airports, combining routes with multiple airlines, and staying flexible with your destination are all common tactics that can help.

10 MIN READ