I spent £700 a month travelling through Europe – saving money by sleeping wild in 12 different countries

A MAN has revealed how he spent around £4,000 travelling to 12 countries in six months - with an unusual method to keeping costs down. 

Robert Michelsen, 21, decided to solo travel around Europe on a budget.

Some of his budget tips included avoiding restaurants and opting for cheaper foods such as raw eggs and carrots.

But to save money on accommodation, he chose hostels - as well as caves and beaches.

Robert, from Norway, said: "I was sleeping in caves and on the beach.

"Discomfort is the price you pay for freedom - I want to see the world and don't think money should stop me.

"It made me rely on the skills I have been learning since I was young.

"I wouldn't have done it another way."

It came with a few risks, admitting to having a run in with wolves while camping in Italy as well as nearly being robbed.

He wanted to see the world without "money stopping"; him.

He started in Portugal, where he stayed at a farm for free in the Azores in exchange for milking the cows.

He said he used "no money in the first month" as he slept in the beach or camped.

Robert added: "I went to the beach and put up a tent. I found an excluded spot and built a campsite."

He then visited Lisbon, paying £17 a night for a hostel, before heading to the Algarve, before finding a beach cave to sleep in for free.

Other countries he visited were Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Croatia, Montenegro, Poland, Bulgaria and Serbia with around 12 countries in six months.

After adding up all of the costs, including flights, accommodation, food and activities, Robert said he spent just £4,273 - working out to around £700 a month.

Just four months after returning home to Norway, he headed off again - visiting Budapest, Slovakia, Austria, Morocco and England, spending another £1,700.

He said: "A lot of people travel to a resort or a hotel and then go to the beach and sunbathe.

"There is so much more a city has to offer.

"You never really see the true side that way. They pay to stay ignorant.

One mum has revealed her clever trick to getting two holidays in one without spending extra.

Catherine Lofthouse explained that by using cashback sites, she got £200 back on a 10-day all-inclusive break in the Canary Islands - using this cash for another shorter break.

She added: "The most I've ever made in cashback on a winter sun break was the year we visited Cape Verde for a week in a two-bed apartment at an all-inclusive hotel.

"We paid about €1,390 (£1,200) for our accommodation and received £75 back four months later - that's enough to pay for an off-peak break at a UK holiday park."

Here are four other travel hacks to save money on your 2024 holiday.