How I Got to Travel to Qatar for Free

People always ask me "How do you afford to travel so much?"

And then I take out the big wad of cash that's burning a hole in my pocket and just laugh as I throw it in the air (as I dance under it maniacally) and respond "Because I make it rain dolla dolla billz, ya'll!" 😈

Okay, fine...

That's not the real answer, unfortunately.

I made that up.

But it was nice to pretend while it lasted.

Honestly, I don't spend my money every weekend drinking like some do.
I don't buy fancy cars. I don't even have a car. But that's not the only reason I can do some
of these things.

There are several reasons I can travel (and for cheap).

Right now, though, I'll just tell you about one.

Here's the secret sauce: free stopovers!

Free stopovers are how the airlines lured me into their metaphorical sketchy white van and said "Come with me, even though I'm a stranger, you won't regret it."

I ate their free stopover candy.
And I liked it.

"Okay, @nomadicsoul, can you stop being weird and just tell me what the heck is a free stopover?"

Alright, alright.

It's where you get to have an extra long layover at no cost.

Now, why would airlines let you do that?

It's because it allows you to stay in a country that you wouldn't have otherwise stayed in. And then? Well, you spend your dolla billz. They want your tourist $$$. And they'll even pimp out a FREE hotel to get it from you.

Only some airlines let you do it, though.
Qatar Airways is one of those airlines (they're swanky as heck, too).

Here's a pic I took from the inside. Yes, this is an airplane.

So, on the way from the US to Thailand, I got to stay the night in Qatar for free. The hotel was paid for (and fancy as fudge), and I had a free airport shuttle, too.

Here's what I did:

1. I booked my flight through qatarairways.com
2. I chose the 22 hour layover, because I wanted to have enough time to explore all of Doha, Qatar.
3. Then, I booked my hotel. You HAVE to book your hotel in advance, to make sure you get to stay for free. If you hate planning things, like me, don't worry. It doesn't take long and it's worth it. Like a quickie, I guess.
4. Here's where you can book a free hotel for 1 night (If you want 2 nights, it's $100): https://discoverqatar.qatarairways.com/us-en/plusqatar
5. That's it. I picked Fraser Suites because it was walking distance from everything I wanted to do. And it also had a free airport shuttle. Make SURE to reserve the shuttle so that it picks you up at the airport. If you don't, like I didn't, (I naively assumed that the shuttle ran ever 30 minutes to an hour) you'll have to pay about $25 USD to take a taxi to the airport.

Another reason I picked it is because it had this dope pool on the roof with a beautiful city view:

All the hotels they offer are swanky, too. If you want a hotel closer to the Souq Waqif (the big shopping market), there is a hotel near there with a spa. Just pick what's best for you... I'm not inside your head, dude.

If you don't want to stay the night...you can also book a 3 hour tour from the airport. Yeah, that's free, too. It's first come first serve, and they can get full. First tour is at 8 am.

Honestly, though, you can see everything on your own just walking down the street. If you stay in a hotel, no need at all for the tour. It's just for shorter layovers only.

Here's the tour schedule:

I definitely recommend trying to see the city during the day and at night if you can, though. It's SO freaking pretty at night. Boats light up and stuff.

Also, if you're from one of these 80 countries, you can go without a visa: https://www.qatarairways.com/en/press-releases/2017/Aug/qatar-waives-entry-visa-requirements-for--citizens-of-80-countri.html

Before I go... here's a picture of a Qatari camel, just for kicks n' giggles. You're welcome.

I'll write another post about my actual stay in Doha, if you want. I freaking loved it.

P.S. Follow me for more low budget travel tips, etc. I appreciate every one of you who has followed me!!!!

Double P.S. You can download the app "Steemify" if you have an iphone to get notifications for when I post. Or, you can use "ginabot" in the Discord app to get notified on your laptop.