Travelling is one of the most favorite hobbies of many people across the globe today. It not only reduces your stress and makes you feel light, but also improves your knowledge about various places and their culture. The single travel experience can teach you many lessons that hours of classroom-coaching wouldn’t be able to do to you. However, not many of you might dare to venture out on frequent trips because of the cost involved in the process.
Here is a piece of good news for all of you. You can now travel when you want, without spending too much. Sounds too good to be true? Not at all! All you need to do is to plan your trip properly and follow these tips for you to travel cheap and make the most of your travel experience.
- Choice of airline
Flight travel is costly, but not when you do proper research on it. Don’t opt for special seats that are chargeable when you are flying. Most of the airlines charge certain fees for window and aisle seats. Choose the middle seat as you can save some money on that. Also, read the baggage rules of the airlines carefully before choosing one. Some airlines charge ridiculous as part of baggage fees. Avoid those airlines and choose a budget airline. Book your tickets well in advance to qualify for early bird offers.
- Have an open mind
One of the most important tips that you have to follow if you want to save money on your travel is to have an open mind. More often than not, you may find that the hotel rates of flight rates might be at least 30 to 40% lesser on the previous or later weeks than the dates that you had proposed to travel. Be flexible with your travel dates to get good deals and offers, thereby helping you save a great deal of money.
- Avoid holiday seasons
This is a very helpful trick that you can follow to save a huge chunk of money on your travel costs. You should never plan your travel during peak holiday seasons such as Christmas, New Year, Easter, etc. During these seasons, flight costs, hotel costs, entrance fees for tourist sites and other costs are at an all-time high. Therefore, always plan your trips during off-seasons to get exciting deals on flights, hotels and other facilities. This way, you can save costs and also get to enjoy the beauty of your destinations without being lost in the crowd.
- Save on your food
It is quite natural to try out different types of cuisines when you visit various destinations. However, an important point to note is that most of the hotels charge exorbitant rates. If you want to travel cheap, you have to make an effort to save money on your food. There are two ways in which you can do this. Firstly, you should always strive to eat local foods. These are not only tasty but affordable as well. Some locals also encourage you to visit their place and host you to their local cuisines at very affordable rates.
Secondly, if you are staying at a homestay, always try to make yourself a simple meal using basic ingredients. A sandwich that you can make at home is way cheaper than a pizza that you would eat in a hotel. When you are traveling in a group, cooking your own meals definitely saves you a great deal of money.
- Use local transport more often
You tend to spend a lot on cars and taxis when you are traveling. You might not realize it then, but you will be shocked to know that your transportation costs contribute to a major chunk of your travel costs when you analyze your expenses later. The best way to get rid of this problem and travel cheap is to use local transport as and when possible.
Many countries offer discounted tourist passes for buses and trains. You must use these passes to travel anywhere you like at an affordable price. Also, if your destination is quite close, you can choose to walk. This is not only good for your purse, but your health as well. Plan your trips well so that you can take a call whether to take the local transport or walk to your respective destination, thereby saving a good deal of money that you would have otherwise spent on cabs (Uber).
- Make use of technology
In today’s age of technological sophistication, you can travel cheap by using certain smart apps. Download the apps that will tell you about the nearest tourist spots, entrance fees, non-peak hour timing & charges, maps, walking routes, train routes, etc. Most of the bus or train stations have free Wi-Fi facility. These apps will also tell you about the other free facilities offered by that country for tourists. Be alert of these offers and avail them to save a lot of money on your travel.
- Find a job
If you are planning to visit any place for more than two weeks, you can try out this option to travel cheap and also earn more money than you could ever imagine. There are umpteen part-time or freelancing job opportunities available right before you. You just have to look carefully! Volunteering to teach at a school, opting to work in a farm to pick grapes, bartending, serving tables, working at a café, etc. are some jobs that pay you decently. As you can see from the above, simple tips such as researching well about your proposed destination and planning your trip well in advance can help you save a considerable amount of money on your travel. We highly recommend you to eat, shop and behave like a local wherever you travel to, as that will help you save money. Be aware of the free offers that are available to tourists and make the most of them if you want to get on with your traveling expeditions often without burning a deep hole in your pocket.
Written By Boyan Minchev