Whether backpacking through Asia or hiking the Adirondacks, solo travel offers the freedom to explore at your own pace and make new friends along the way. I have fond memories of a solo trip to Glasgow, Scotland during spring break of my senior year of college, where I attended a local comedy show, explored the city, and bonded with the other travelers from my hostel. And I’m not the only traveler who’s enjoyed a solo sojourn.

不论在亚洲还是在阿迪朗达克山脉徒步旅行，独自旅行者总是可以信马由缰，依自己的节奏安排行程，沿途结交新朋友。大四春假时，我独自去了苏格兰的格拉斯哥，在那里，我在一场当地喜剧秀上小试身手，游览了这座城市，还与同旅社的其他游客成了朋友，这些美好的记忆至今在我脑中闪现。

The New York Times reports that Google searches for “solo travel ideas” are up by more than 50 percent and searches for “solo travel destinations” are up by more than 60 percent year over year as of last November.

《纽约时报》曾经报导说，截止到去年11月，“独自旅行创意”的谷歌搜索率年度增长超过50%，“独自旅行目的地”的谷歌搜索率年度增长超过60%。

Alas, traveling on your own often means paying a premium in the form of single supplements for cruise ships or hotel rooms. “A solo traveler needs to pay more than group travelers simply because there’s no one who will share all the expenses you incur as a traveler: hotel room, taxi, meals, shopping, even customized day tours,” says Prime Sarmiento, a journalist in Southeast Asia who runs the Gypsygals solo female travel blog.

唉！独自旅行还常常意味着，乘坐游艇或住旅馆时，支付单客补偿附加费用。“独自旅行者需要承担高出团体旅行者费用，只是因为没人与你分担各种旅行费用：旅馆房间、打车、吃饭、购物以及定制包日游，”一位来自东南亚的名为普瑞姆·萨米恩托的记者说。她经营着“吉普赛女孩”女性独自旅行者博客。

Here’s a look at strategies for saving on solo travel. (And many of them could help you save as a family or couple too!)

让我们来瞧瞧这些独自旅行的省钱策略吧。（其中许多同样适用于家庭或夫妻旅行！）

1. Set your priorities.

设定优先次序

One benefit of solo travel is that there’s no one else to pressure you into a pricy balloon ride or a fancy dinner you can’t afford. Think about your top priorities and nix the non-essentials. “I save money by just focusing on things that I love and cutting costs on unimportant stuff,” says Sarmiento.

独自旅行有一大好处，没人强迫你乘坐价格昂贵的热气球，也没有强迫你享用财力不及的大餐。考虑最重要的项目，摒弃不必要的项目。“我只考虑喜欢的事情，在不重要事情上节约开支，这样就可以少花钱，” 萨米恩托说。

“I’m very stingy with my plane fare, so I often get cheap red-eye flights, and only take cabs if I have no other choice.” Minimizing transportation costs and rarely buying souvenirs enables Sarmiento to splurge in other areas such as a yoga session or a customized day tour of a new city.

“买机票时，我很吝啬，常常乘坐便宜的晚班航班，在别无他法的情况下才打车。”萨米恩托限度地节省交通费用，也难得买纪念品，可是，投资瑜伽课或新城市定制包天游等，她却舍得出手。

2. Always negotiate.

讨价还价

Prices are often negotiable, especially when you’re staying at a small boutique hotel or touring with a local guide. “I believe that no price is the final price. If there’s a way for me to bargain and bring down the price, I do it by negotiating with the operator, the hotel owner, or the souvenir seller,” Sarmiento says. For instance, if you’re staying for multiple nights or planning to buy several pieces of pottery, ask if you can get a better price.

价格常常可以商量，尤其当你住在多功能旅馆或雇用导游时。“我相信，没有价格是最终价格。如果存在讨价还价的机会，我会与经营者、旅馆老板或纪念品卖家商量，”萨米恩托说。例如，你计划住多个晚上或想买好几件陶器，询问一下，看是否能享受折扣价。

3. Travel during the off-season.

淡季旅游

Tours and hotels are likely to be booked to capacity during peak tourism season, so there’s not as much room for negotiation. Businesses may be more inclined to cut you a deal during shoulder season (that transition time between off-season and peak season) or off-season when there are fewer visitors and they know you have plenty of options. This is why Sarmiento works during holidays and travels during off-season or shoulder season.

旺季时，旅行线路和旅馆可能人满为患，所以没有多大降价空间。平季（介于淡季与旺季之间）或淡季时，游客减少，你有多种选择机会，他们可能更愿意给你特价。这就是萨米恩托选择假期工作而淡季或平季旅行的原因。

4. Do your homework.

做功课

Avoid the single supplement by researching other options. “If the hotel doesn’t offer a single occupancy rate or cruise ship charges too much for a single supplement, then drop it and look for cheaper alternatives,” Sarmiento says. “Always, always compare rates.” She also signs up to receive discount offers via email and trolls the blogosphere for other discounts.

多方调查，避开单客补偿费用。“如果旅馆不提供单人住宿价格，或者游艇收取过高的单客补偿费，那就再见，看看有没有更便宜的，”萨米恩托说。“一定要比较价格。”她还通过电子邮件注册接受折扣信息，在博客圈里搜索以期获得其它折扣。

5. Don’t sacrifice safety.

不以安全为代价

Websites like EasyNest allow you to forgo the single supplement by splitting your hotel room with a fellow solo traveler. But whatever you do to cut costs—whether you’re staying in a hostel on a city’s outskirts or splitting a room with a stranger—stay safe.

有些类似易瑞斯的网站不收取单客补偿费用，条件是与另一位独自旅行者共用房间。但是，不论以什么方式节约开支——不论你住在市郊旅馆还是与陌生人拼房间——保证安全。

“I read travel alerts and travel warnings and use my common sense,” Sarmiento says. “I avoid walking alone at night in a deserted street, I avoid talking with people I barely know, I don’t flash my jewelry or gadgets, I only drink alcohol with trusted friends.” Saving a few bucks isn’t worth it if it potentially puts you in harm’s way.

“我阅读旅行提醒、旅行警告，利用常识判断，”萨米恩托说。“我不在冷清的街道上单独走夜路，不与不熟悉的人交谈，不卖弄珠宝或小玩意儿，我只与信任的朋友喝酒。”如果有可能置你于危险境地，省几个钱就不值得了。