26-year-old Vietnamese girl reveals secret to hunting for super cheap tickets, traveling to 51 countries in 3 years

In early March 2024, Ngan Ha is on a journey to hunt for the aurora borealis in Iceland. This is the 51st country the Vietnamese girl has set foot in in the past 3 years.

"Working in a multinational environment, the experiences and knowledge from traveling are like keys that help me open the door to connect with colleagues. My life becomes more vibrant, colorful and rich in experiences," Ngan Ha (26 years old, from Ba Ria Vung Tau) shared.

The Vietnamese girl went to Germany to study for a master's degree in August 2020, then stayed to work and settle down. Also during her time as an international student, Ha became involved in independent travel.

"Since I was little, my parents often took me on trips during weekends and summer vacations. There were many trips lasting 2-3 weeks for me to explore the country," Ngan Ha said. Later, when I went to university, thanks to student exchange programs and scholarships, Ha had the opportunity to visit several Southeast Asian and Asian countries.

"Most of those trips were planned by my parents or I went on a tour, following the schedule of the organizing group. It wasn't until the end of 2020 that I had my first real trip - researching and planning in detail myself. This trip also opened a new page in my life," Ngan Ha confided.

Vietnamese student "travels when she's careless", pocketing many cheap travel tips

"I came to Germany at a time when Covid-19 was complicated. Traveling requires very detailed information. However, this is the time when traveling to Europe is cheap, has many incentives, and is not crowded," Ngan Ha said. That is the reason why the Vietnamese girl decided to "seize the opportunity" to go to the most expensive country in the world - Switzerland in October 2020.

"I didn't have much money so I chose to travel by train and brought food and drinks from Germany to Switzerland," Ha said. During the 6-hour trip, the Vietnamese female tourist was overwhelmed by the natural beauty of this country, where there are clear blue lakes, small, ancient, peaceful villages hidden on the hills. During her 3 days here, Ha went to the town of Interlaken, admiring Thoune and Brienz lakes.

On her first trip, due to lack of experience, Ha could not adapt to the weather. When climbing the mountain, she only wore a skirt and two layers of clothes, while the temperature dropped sharply, only 2-3 degrees Celsius. After the trip, Ha was sick for a week. This became an unforgettable incident for her.

"After my trip to Switzerland, I became addicted to traveling. I constantly searched for information, planned my trip, and found travel companions to go to different countries," Ha said.

Many countries like Italy, Ngan Ha has been to 4,5 times, each time exploring different places across the North and South. In Ha's opinion, the country with the most beautiful and diverse landscape is Indonesia, the place with the most interesting activities is Turkey, the cheapest place to travel is Thailand, the place with the most beautiful beaches is Malta - a country located just south of Italy and above Tunisia in the Mediterranean Sea. The cuisine that attracts Vietnamese girls is Japanese cuisine.

To save money when traveling, Ngan Ha applies 3 rules

Normally, travel expenses are the biggest expense in each trip. Therefore, if going to a destination with a train travel time of less than 6-7 hours, Ha prioritizes taking the train instead of the plane. "When taking a plane, in addition to the 2-3 hours of flight, you also need time to check in and wait. The airport is often far from the city center, so it takes time and money to travel in both directions," Ha said. For long-distance trains and buses, Ha chooses the night train to sleep on the train. This helps save travel time and money on a hotel night.

Ngan Ha also has many tips for finding air tickets "cheaper than a loaf of bread in Germany". Ha once flew Germany - Croatia for about 200,000 VND/way, Germany - Italy for about 400,000 VND/way, Germany - Portugal for about 125,000 VND/way.

"First, I prioritize ticket prices first, not limiting myself to locations. I'm young, so I prioritize cheap places. Every day, I go to ticket search sites and check which places are the cheapest, then I plan to explore," Ha said.

She often uses two ticket hunting applications: Google Flights and Ryanair. Google Flights allows Ha to quickly search for airfares of all airlines, compare flight times and prices. After finding a satisfactory flight, Ha will buy a ticket directly from the airline to receive the fastest flight updates via email or phone number in case of flight delays, cancellations... And if the flight is canceled, the refund procedure is also faster. Ryanair is a low-cost airline in Europe, so Ha often uses it, despite its limitations.

As for accommodation, Ha’s criteria are quite simple: clean and close to the center/public transport station. She often uses online booking apps to compare prices and make choices. Ha prioritizes rooms with kitchens so she can cook for herself.

Interestingly, there are many free places in Europe for young people under 27. Ha prioritizes choosing these destinations to save money. “If you are a student, don’t forget to bring your card to save a lot of money,” Ha said.

Another rule of Ha's budget travel is to prioritize "luxurious" experiences (eating at Michelin-starred restaurants, staying at 5-star hotels) when going to countries with a low cost of living (like Eastern Europe) and choosing to cook at home when going to expensive countries in Northern Europe.

Ha also prioritizes traveling during the low season to get reasonable prices and fewer tourists.

Work overtime, take advantage of vacation time to travel

Ngan Ha currently works at a large German financial company. Ha has 30 days of vacation per year. At the beginning of the year, she often checks the time of major holidays to plan her travel.

Ha also takes advantage of the overtime system, accumulating extra hours to convert into corresponding days off. For every 8 hours of overtime, she gets 1 day off. Counting the total of vacation days, holidays and overtime compensation, she has about 50 days to travel.

“With the experiences I gained during my travels, I easily got to know colleagues from more than 100 countries around the world. When I learned about their country and culture, they became more open and fond of me,” Ha shared.

Ngan Ha has a rule of not traveling alone. She always has a boyfriend or friends to accompany her. Sometimes Ha finds new friends in travel groups, Vietnamese student communities in Germany... "Traveling in groups is safer, less lonely and more economical. We are all young people who love to explore, so it is easy to bond and become close to each other," Ngan Ha shared.

Of course, in more than 3 years of traveling, Ha also faced problems.

In July 2021, when returning from Italy to Germany, Ngan Ha was stuck on a transit flight in Spain due to a strike by the staff there. At 12 midnight, when she received a notice that the airport was on strike, Ha reluctantly had to stay in Spain to travel. After 1.5 months of traveling to France, Italy and Portugal, Ha was too tired and really wanted to go home.

Another time, in November 2022, the train from Austria to Hungary was on strike. This time, she was not informed in advance and only learned the news when she arrived at the train station. “After the incidents, I learned to adapt and improvise. Sometimes that became the highlight of the journey,” said Ngan Ha.

In recent months, Ha has started creating travel content, sharing her experiences with young people who share the same passion. In the near future, Ha plans to explore African and American countries. “Traveling makes my life more meaningful and gives me more motivation to work and contribute,” Ngan Ha confided.