EXCLUSIVE I won Race Across The World and these are my best hacks for travelling on a budget - I even holidayed in Brazil for less than Majorca
If there's one person who knows a thing or two about travelling on a budget, it's Alfie Watts.
On last year's series of Race Across the World, the 22-year-old from St Albans and his pal Owen Wood were given a budget of just £1,100 each to make their way from northernmost Japan to the idyllic Indonesian island of Lombok.
Since winning the show and the £20,000 prize pot, Alfie has made it his mission to visit every country – and has backpacked to 78 of the 195, on a shoestring budget.
And now, in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, he has revealed his best hacks for saving money while travelling – as well as the biggest mistakes he and Owen made on Race Across the World.
Alfie's first tip is to make sure you don't rely on your debit or credit card when you're abroad – especially when outside of Europe.
'Exchange money while you're at home and always carry cash,' the travel content creator says. 'In the West, we're quite used to everything being card, but that's not the case in a lot of countries – basically as soon as you get out of Europe - and ATMs, abroad, will fleece you.'
Alfie also recommends comparing the total price of holidays against each other, rather than just the price of flights and accommodation.
He explains: 'You'll find that sometimes going long haul is actually better.
Alfie (left) and Owen Wood (right) were only given £1,100 each and challenged to make their way from northernmost Japan to the idyllic Indonesian island of Lombok on last year's series of Race Across The World
'Sure, flights to Thailand are £600-700, while Spain can sometimes be around £300, but if you look at the price of accommodation in Thailand, it can be £20 a night for luxury, and you can get meals for £2.
'Owen and I spent less on a week in Brazil, all-in, than a week in Majorca - even though our flights were 750 quid.
'The money can quickly add up when you go to Spain in peak season.'
Having now become an experienced traveller since he took part in Race Across The World, Alfie thinks he and Owen 'could have saved so much money in so many different places' if they did the trip again,
He says: 'I hate haggling at street markets because, you're haggling over three or four dollars, which means nothing to us, but a lot to them.
'But, on Race Across The World, haggling is essential, and I just don't think we haggled well enough. I also don't think we looked to hitchhike enough. I don't think we braved crappy accommodations enough. I don't think we did enough hostels.
'We could have saved money by sacrificing a little bit of comfort.
'Travelling can be really easy and cheap, but us having that inexperience at the time, is what makes the show.'
Alfie recently revealed his favourite countries of those he has visited - as well as his most overrated country.
When it comes to his favourites, Alfie has two - Jordan and Malaysia.
He said: 'I took my Nan to Petra because she'd wanted to see it for her whole life, so that was really nice, and the whole feeling around the trip was just really positive.
'The people in Jordan are just so friendly as well.
'And Malaysia is also a favourite, because it's just a cheap paradise.
'But my single favourite place in the world has to be Angel Falls in Venezuela.
'They're the tallest waterfall in the world, but they're completely off grid, and a nightmare to get to.'
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
I'm the Queen of Clean – this is the best way to pack your suitcase including a button trick for your earrings
An organisation expert has shared her top ten tips to pack a suitcase efficiently for a trip - including a handy button trick to keep earrings in one place. Chantel Ibbotson, from Melbourne, Australia, is a mother-of-two who regularly shares styling, cleaning, organisation hacks on TikTok with her 1.6M followers. In a recent video uploaded to her page, @mama_mila_, the author and self-confessed 'Queen of Clean' demonstrated ten 'packing tricks' to help make best use of luggage space just in time for summer. Her first and foremost tip is to pack clothes and foldable accessories - such as scarves - vertically to 'fit more clothes in your suitcase.' Next, she urged her followers to dab essential oil onto cotton balls, before popping them into a cotton drawstring bag to help keep clothes smelling fresh. Chantel's third trick is to pack belts around the inside edge of the suitcase to save space. She also urged viewers to use the lining to separate slippers and sliders. Her fifth tip is to squeeze the air out of toiletries, such as face scrub and moisturiser, to prevent them from leaking while in transit. Holidaymakers can also fit silicone pads over the lid of toiletries to prevent further spills. Next, the mother placed a necklace through a plastic straw before tying the clasp to prevent tangles. Chantel's eighth trick saw her use the two holes in a loose button to attach earrings to in order to keep them together. She then stuffed balls of socks and chargers into her trainers to save space, before advising viewers to 'always' place an AirTag in their suitcase so it can be tracked in the event it goes missing. In the comments, reactions were mixed among hundreds of viewers, though many praised the content creator's 'genius' hacks. One person wrote: 'The button with the earrings is so cute! I will definitely do this even if I don't go anywhere.' A second, in agreement, said, 'Dude button hack I've never seen before but actually the best idea,' while a third gushed: 'The air tag idea is genius!!!' But many viewers were left unimpressed by the mother's packing methods, as one wrote: 'Laying clothes flat will always fit more and also prevents creasing.' Another said, 'I'm scared it will wrinkle and I won't have a iron,' while a third suggested, 'Listen… vacuum storage bags.' In the comments, reactions were mixed among hundreds of viewers, though many praised the content creator's 'genius' hacks A fourth said: 'Packing cubes are a lot better at saving space imo, all the clothes just being out is killinggg meee,' while another joked, 'How many weeks are you going for? My guess 6.' It comes as a travel expert reveals some of her favourite plane hacks for passengers tackling long-haul flights. Lindsay Silberman, who splits her time between New York and Florida, took to TikTok to divulge her top tips for those on the move. She recommended keeping a 'bag within a bag' for necessities and championed compression socks, electrolyte packets, face and lips masks and noise-canceling headphones.
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Race Across The World 2025 Final Teams reveal how the experience has changed their relationships and who their biggest competition is on the final leg
After racing nearly 13,000 kilometres over seven weeks through China, Nepal and India, the four Race Across The World teams are about to embark on the final leg of the race. From the Great Wall of China to the southernmost tip of India, at Kanniyakumari, the teams have journeyed through the two most populous countries in the world and are now just 1,200km from the finish line, with a prize of £20,000 for the winning team. Watch Race Across The World on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist Get the latest iPlayer, TV and entertainment updates on the BBC WhatsApp channel As the race comes to an end, the teams all take a moment to reflect on their experiences. Relationships have been tested, bonds deepened and memories made. Which team will triumph and be first to reach the book on the finish line? We caught up with them all ahead of the final leg... Brian and Melvyn What has been your highlight of the race so far? Melvyn – I think we tried to pick experiences that we would enjoy, the zip line was really good and I'm pleased Brian did it. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the yoga, but I enjoyed the experience and the place we were at. Brian - The camel herding was brilliant, a hike across the desert with our camels was lovely. The hospitality of the people we stayed with was also incredible. Also a highlight for me was winning leg 3, knowing that we weren't eliminated was the best boost for us. How do you feel to have made it this far in the race with the final leg to go? Melvyn – I'm proud of what we've done. I'm disappointed that we dropped on the last leg. I don't necessarily think the race is about winning though, its about the experiences. Brian – We wanted to finish the race and get past the elimination leg. We are 17 hours behind the others teams but we're not worried, we'll do everything we can to make up the time. What has been your biggest challenge so far? Melvyn – Spending time with Brian! His feet stink and he snores! Brian – Everyone knows it's the complete opposite! How has your relationship changed as a result of the show? Melvyn – We have got closer together, there is no doubt about that. Brian – We speak regularly, we want to do things together a bit more and if there's an adventure to be had again, we'll do it! What are your biggest life lessons of the journey so far? Melvyn – if opportunities come along, take them, don't think you're too old to do stuff because you're not, and experience it, try new things. Just because I'm 66 doesn't mean I can't do a parachute jump or a bungee jump… the wife wouldn't be happy, but doesn't mean you can't do it. Brian – I've learnt to drop down a few pegs. Normally I want things done immediately, the race has taught me that's not always necessary. If you can't do something in this instance it doesn't matter. Did you surprise yourself during this experience? Melvyn - Brian didn't surprise me, but I think how well we got on did. I'm also surprised that we have won 3 legs so far! Brian – We knew going in to the race that it would be tough and we would be out of our comfort zone. I think friends and others that know me would have probably thought I would not survive the Race but no surprise to me, I always knew we could do it. Who do you think is your biggest competition going into the final leg? Melvyn – From day one we've always said Tom and Caroline. Brian - She had a glint in her eye from about leg 2 and I thought crumbs this girl is out to win this. I'd like to see Fin and Sioned win as it would be a fantastic start for them. What would winning the race mean to you? Melvyn – If you enter something like this, you enter to win, and you do your best to win and it stills keeps you self-believing that you're capable of doing anything. There's nothing beyond the realms of possibility. Brian – We want to win, but also wanted to take on the experiences. We are both winners in what we've achieved so far on the race. Would you recommend the experience/do it again? Melvyn – As uncomfortable, as irritating as frustrating as the journeys sometimes were, I'd do it again. Brian – We'd recommend the experience and would definitely do it again. Elizabeth and Letitia What has been your highlight of the race so far? Elizabeth – I think going to the retreat was a highlight, after such a long race and moving so fast, that retreat was a moment of pause. Letitia – The whole experience was a highlight. Travelling from China to India feels surreal and we should be proud of ourselves. We really pushed ourselves and we bonded and really embraced the different landscapes and cultures, so it was all a highlight. How do you feel to have made it this far in the race with the final leg to go? Elizabeth – It's been a struggle, there's so much pushing we had to do of each other, but to see how far we've come is really rewarding. Letitia – It's almost like we've done two races as it's a completely different experience in India than it was in China. Its been difficult, but we've done really well so far, and we've always tried to stay determined throughout. What has been your biggest challenge so far? Letitia – I think mine was restlessness, and that would make me annoyed or agitated. So going into new environments like India was really challenging for me to get through. I also think the route in Nepal on the bus, I honestly thought I was going to die! Elizabeth – It was trying not to put so much pressure on myself, I was always concerned how things were going, whether we were doing things right, and you just don't know and everyone is in the same boat as you and feeling the same. How has your relationship changed as a result of the show? Letitia – I think coming out of the show were a lot more comfortable with each other, were talking more and expressing ourselves and communicating better. Elizabeth – I think we're getting to know each other more - more than just being sisters. What are your biggest life lessons of the journey so far? Letitia – Not to take things so seriously. At the beginning of the race we were so focused to succeed, but throughout I think we've learnt to balance race and experience and embracing everything around us. Life is short, you need to embrace everything. Elizabeth – I think to let things go, trying not to dwell too much before making a decision. Knowing that you can make a decision and then change it and it not being a big deal. Did you surprise yourself during this experience? Letitia – Yes, in our decision making, we were very nervous at the beginning, but as the race went on, we surprised ourselves by our decisiveness. I was surprised at how I was able to cope in some environments in terms of the hygiene - I thought I might have struggled a bit more, but all I was focused on was the race. Elizabeth – Letitia's resilience surprised me, I don't think I thought she was as resilient as she was, and also her confidence, she's always stood behind me or pushed me to take the lead but there were so many times where she just went for it. Who do you think is your biggest competition going into the final leg? Letitia – I think Tom and Caroline as they've been steady climbers and have been very determined. Elizabeth – I think Tom and Caroline, they're ahead of us, but then also its such a tight one, were all so close. Brian and Melvyn have become so competitive and Fin and Sioned just really want to win a leg! Anything could happen. What would winning the race mean to you? Elizabeth – I think winning the race would solidify all these things we've been pushing ourselves to do. We've really pushed ourselves to work as hard as we can, keep on fighting and being resilient. Letitia – It would be the cherry on top. We've worked so hard and become more and more determined, it would just be amazing. Would you recommend the exp/do it again? Letitia – I think anyone who wants a challenge or an adventure, travelling is such an eye-opening thing to do, if you want to test yourself, be away from your phones, its great, I would definitely do it again, and I'd maybe do it in a different way. I'd take what I've learnt from this race, not hesitate in decisions and be more determined. Elizabeth – You find out so much about yourself, I would definitely recommend the experience and I'd go again – although I don't know where I'd fancy going next time?! Caroline and Tom What has been your highlight of the race so far? Caroline – It was our experience with the elephants, because not only were we increasing our lead in the race and enjoying it a lot more and immersing ourselves in Indian culture, it was also a dream come true. I've always wanted to learn about elephants, I think they're highly emotional and intelligent creatures and it just meant the world to me to be back with animals. Tom – My highlight was travelling around the world with my mum, seeing some of the coolest stuff that I never thought I'd see and speaking to locals. How do you feel to have made it this far in the race with the final leg to go? Caroline – Incredible – but feeling stressed now! The pressure is on both of us, were in the lead so were trying to feel confident but not cocky because we know anything can go wrong at any time, and sometimes it can be out of our hands, so were just hoping for an absence of bad luck. Were desperate to win, and we also don't want it to end, were loving it so much – were having more fun than we thought we would. Tom – I think looking back to how we were doing in leg one, compared to how were doing now in leg 7, it's a massive achievement. I'm proud of us both. Its nice to know we've worked hard, and its paid off… so far! What has been your biggest challenge so far? Caroline – Worrying about food, and where our next meal would come from. But in India we were fed so wonderfully by the locals, they were so good, and it was delicious. Also keeping in budget and not losing position, I put a lot of pressure on myself. The whole of China I considered a challenge, I really struggled there. Tom – I think the language barrier at the start was a huge challenge, the more we did it, the more we got used to talking to people and people saying no or not being able to help, so you'd move on quicker to the next rather than being deflated. How has your relationship changed as a result of the show? Caroline – We are very happy in each other's company, more so as adults rather than mother and son. We'll do things together and talk about things that aren't just generic to home. Age doesn't come into it any more. Tom – We understand each other a lot better. What are your biggest life lessons of the journey so far? Caroline – To try and be more spontaneous, to try and have a more carefree attitude and try and stop worrying. Being in India showed me you have to grab life with two hands because it is so precious. I've had a glimpse at life through a younger person's eyes, who hasn't got the weight of the world on his shoulders and its taught me to enjoy the simple things and appreciate them a lot more! Tom – To not give up, as long as you keep going, you're going to make distance and not let it get to your head too much. Take a step back and think a bit more rationally, if you work hard, then normally it turns out ok. Did you surprise yourself during this experience? Tom – Mum surprised me more. The reason I wanted to do it was to travel and see some amazing things, and create memories with mum. I was worried that mum would only want to race race race but as it went on, I loved to see how mum threw herself into it and how she absorbed it all, and enjoyed the experience as much as the racing. Caroline – I surprised myself by how serious and focused I was, although I really threw myself in and wanted to do the job properly, I was actually loving it. Also, at my age I can still achieve things, and I didn't let it hold me back. I know this is something I said, but I now actually believe it and know it to be true. Who do you think is your biggest competition going into the final leg? Tom – I think Fin and Sioned are people to look out for as they managed to make a massive comeback and when it comes to the run route, they can run quicker and faster than we can, so that's a worry. Caroline – Elizabeth and Letitia have always worried us, they've been so consistent, I don't think they've ever been bottom, and if things go their way, they might well be there first. What would winning the race mean to you? Caroline – Absolutely everything. Its been such a big part of our life lately, that we don't want to come away not having won. Tom – I think doing the race in itself and having the experience is like winning, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity, so unique – but winning would be the cherry on top. Would you recommend the experience/do it again? Caroline – Absolutely. There are a lot of joyful moments. There are things at home that you might avoid talking about, to avoid conflict or confrontation, you face here, and you overcome it all, and it ends up being brilliant and there's such an understanding between the teams. Tom – You get a lot more out of it than I expected. We've learnt a lot about each other, and for anyone to do that is so important. I'd recommend it to anyone. Fin and Sioned What has been your highlight of the race so far? Fin – It was Nepal for me, obviously finding out we were going to Nepal and then being in Nepal, was a massive tick off my bucket list. All of it really, even looking back at the worst bits, I think I'm so glad I've done that. If we'd been travelling before, I wouldn't have gone to India and seen off the beaten track – I would have done the tourist spots like the Taj Mahal Sioned – We've come back with good life skills, but as a whole I think for me its seeing new cultures, meeting new people, having conversations that we wouldn't normally have. Mine would be Nepal as well but for the safari, I've always wanted to do one, and we did two! How do you feel to have made it this far in the race with the final leg to go? Sioned – As soon as we left we said we weren't going to get eliminated, so as soon as we were past that, the pressure dropped a little bit, but then obviously we fell really far behind, so the stress was back. Once we caught up, we genuinely think we have a good chance! What has been your biggest challenge so far? Sioned – I think it was being together with no-one else to direct us in anyway. It was having the responsibility of making all the decisions ourselves – that was a huge challenge for us at the start, but we did get used to it. Fin – For me it was food and communication, I was eating over 4000 calories before I left, and then to go barely anything was hard. I knew communicating was going to be hard but not that hard. In China you couldn't understand each other, but in India, you could still speak English and they'd understand but they'd still send you in the wrong direction. We got a lot of wrong information! How has your relationship changed as a result of the show? Sioned – I think were a lot stronger and lot more comfortable relying on each other and were not so afraid to do things. What are your biggest life lessons of the journey so far? Sioned – Kindness – we relied on that so much. We've learnt that we should be like to other people. Fin – Some people had nothing but they'd still want to give, and they enjoyed giving. They didn't feel the need to give, they wanted to. Sioned – We've also come back a lot more grateful for what we have. Were very privileged. Did you surprise yourself during this experience? Sioned – I surprised myself in the fact that I didn't think I'd react in certain ways that I did to certain things, but then I guess I've never come across them before. Were both very much more capable of doing things than we thought, we don't need as much help as we thought we'd need. Who do you think is your biggest competition going into the final leg? Fin – At the start it was always Elizabeth and Letitia, then it was Tom and Caroline and right now its everyone's game, were all very close in time. We've seen everyone's capabilities. I'll be honest, at the start I didn't think Brian and Melvyn would pull off what they did! Sioned – Elizabeth and Letitia we always seemed to come across them, and no matter how well we thought we were doing, they always seemed to be in front of us! What would winning the race mean to you? Sioned – I think doing the race is a huge accomplishment, but being able to say that were the winners and having that title would be amazing. Fin – I'm so proud of us for doing it, fresh out of school and so young. We've faced so many challenges along the way, to come out on top would prove to ourselves that we can do it, and it would be a good memory as well. Sioned – I don't think we have ever been in it for the money, the money is such a small part of trying to win it. It's the experience and we've all got the experience and memories from it, and so winning would just be the cherry on the top. Would you recommend the experience/do it again? Fin – I would pay everything I have to do it again! I don't want to come back! Sioned – We've got no negatives to say about it, a once in a lifetime experience. Follow for More
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Race Across The World stars 'not cocky' as they reach final after tense battle
They've raced 14,000km across Asia now the hit show's loyal audience of 7million will finally find out which of the four teams has clinched victory It's the final of the BBC1 series Race Across the World, and the win could go to any of the four remaining teams who have trekked 8,700 miles from the Great Wall of China across Nepal, to the bottom of India. As they start the seventh and final leg, current leaders Tom and Caroline Bridge are seen as the biggest threat by the other competitors when it comes to taking the title - and the £20K prize money. Brothers Brian and Melvyn Mole - both in their 60s - have always been wary of Caroline, who fears that she's missed out on life by being a housewife. 'She had a glint in her eye from about leg two and I thought 'crumbs this girl is out to win this',' Brian reckoned. But he and Melvyn are determined to do everything they can to clinch the title themselves - along with the £20k prize - having surprised themselves by winning three legs during the competition. 'If you enter something like this, you enter to win, and you do your best, and it keeps you self-believing that you're capable of doing anything,' Brian said. The pair have proved popular with viewers and bookies alike - until they finished 17 hours behind the leaders in last week's leg after opting to take the slower route to Panaji, which avoided Mumbai. Now they know they have a serious amount of catching up to do if they are to triumph. Despite this, Melvyn said: 'I'm proud of what we've done. I'm disappointed that we dropped on the last leg. I don't necessarily think the race is about winning, though, it's about the experiences.' BBC viewers have loved watching the estranged brothers, who were treated differently by their strict, old-fashioned parents, rebuild their bond and enjoy spending time together. Driving instructor Melvyn, 65, reflected: 'We have got closer together, there is no doubt about that. Brian didn't surprise me, but I think how well we got on did.' Financial advisor Brian, 62, said that they now plan to keep in regular contact. 'We want to do things together a bit more, and if there's an adventure to be had again, we'll do it! I think friends and others that know me would have probably thought I would not survive the race but no surprise to me, I always knew we could do it. We are both winners in what we've achieved so far on the race.' Both men said they'd jump at the chance to replay the experience, with Brian explaining: 'As uncomfortable, as irritating, as frustrating as the journeys sometimes were, I'd do it again.' Sisters Elizabeth and Letitia said they also viewed the mother and son team of Tom and Caroline as their biggest rivals. 'They've been steady climbers and have been very determined,' Letitia said. 'But Fin and Sioned really want to win a leg! Anything could happen.' And Elizabeth hasn't written off Brian and Melvyn, pointing out they had 'become so competitive'. The pair would love the victory for themselves. 'We've really pushed ourselves to work as hard as we can, keep on fighting and be resilient.' Like the Mole brothers, they feel that the show has put their sibling relationship on a whole new footing. 'I think coming out of the show we're a lot more comfortable with each other, we're talking more and expressing ourselves and communicating better,' introverted, younger, wiser Letitia, 26, said. Extroverted older sister Elizabeth, 33, said she'd been thrilled with how they'd both coped. 'I don't think I thought Letitia was as resilient as she was, and also her confidence, she's always stood behind me or pushed me to take the lead, but there were so many times where she just went for it.' Current leaders Caroline, 60, and 21-year-old Tom admit they are going all out to take the title. 'We're desperate to win, and we also don't want it to end, we're loving it so much – we're having more fun than we thought we would,' Caroline declared. 'The pressure is on both of us, we're in the lead so we're trying to feel confident but not cocky because we know anything can go wrong at any time.' They feel the biggest challengers are the Welsh teenagers and the sisters. Tom said: 'I think Fin and Sioned are people to look out for as they managed to make a massive comeback, and when it comes to the run route, they can run quicker and faster than we can, so that's a worry. Caroline added: 'Elizabeth and Letitia have always worried us, they've been so consistent, I don't think they've ever been bottom.' Caroline said that she'd learned many life lessons along the way, including 'to try and be more spontaneous and have a more carefree attitude and try and stop worrying. Being in India showed me you have to grab life with two hands because it is so precious. I've had a glimpse at life through a younger person's eyes, who hasn't got the weight of the world on his shoulders, and its taught me to enjoy the simple things.' They said their whole relationship had changed as a result of the show. 'We are very happy in each other's company, more so as adults rather than mother and son. Age doesn't come into it any more.' Tom said he couldn't believe how much better they'd got at travelling over the course of the series. 'I think looking back to how we were doing in leg one, compared to how we're doing now in leg seven, it's a massive achievement.' Teenage racer Fin Gough admitted that he never wants to go home. The 19-year-old, competing alongside 18-year-old girlfriend Sioned Cray, said he can't bear the thought of it all ending. 'I would pay everything I have to do it again,' he sighed in an interview given before setting off for the last time. 'I don't want to come back.' Sioned says she and Fin have learned loads from their travels. 'I think it was being together with no-one else to direct us in any way,' Sioned said. 'It was having the responsibility of making all the decisions ourselves – that was a huge challenge for us at the start, but we did get used to it.' They now think the title could go to any of the four teams. 'At the start it was always Elizabeth and Letitia - no matter how well we thought we were doing, they always seemed to be in front of us - then it was Tom and Caroline and right now it's everyone's game.' They'd love to triumph themselves. Fin, who has type 1 diabetes, said: 'I'm so proud of us for doing it, fresh out of school and so young. We've faced so many challenges along the way, to come out on top would prove to ourselves that we can do it.' Sioned agreed: 'I think doing the race is a huge accomplishment, but being able to say that we're the winners and having that title would be amazing.'
