Everyone loves travelling as it allows you to see new countries and cities, to meet new people, to learn about new traditions and cultures and to broaden your horizons. However, unfortunately travelling today is not a cheap hobby as plane tickets, staying at hotel, food, excursions and souvenirs for your friends and family members – this all costs money.
This is why so many people deprive themselves of going on vacation abroad without knowing that there are many ways how to save money while travelling and make their trip more economical. We hope that after reading our tips in this article, you will realize that you do not have to have much money in order to enjoy your vacation.
Do not travel to expensive countries
When you are planning a budget trip, choosing a destination is one of the most important things that you need to take into consideration in the beginning. It is not recommended to travel to expensive countries if you have a very limited budget.
For example, a weekend in Paris will be twice more expensive than the same weekend, let’s say, in Warsaw in Poland. Thus, if the destination does not really matter to you and you just want to go to another place, then choose among the countries with a down economy or the nations which in themselves are quite cheap. You have quite many options: such European countries as Greece, Portugal, Poland and Spain; or Asian countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Travel off-season
This is particularly the case when you decide to spend your holidays in such exotic countries as Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam or Indonesia. There are two seasons in Asian countries – a rainy and a dry one. The dry season is considered to be the best time of the year for holidays there, especially for those who want to enjoy sun and warm sea water.
That it why it is not surprising that most tourists choose exactly dry season for their vacation. However it is important to know that everything, including plane tickets and hotel, is much more expensive during the high season. Therefore, if you would like to go to Asia and save some money, choose the rainy period. Yes, it will probably rain quite often there, even every day, but plane tickets and accommodation prices will be much lower. Moreover, as many experienced travellers say, though the rainy season is not good for beach holidays, it is a perfect time for discovery the country, its culture and sightseeing.
Do not eat at touristy restaurants
Wherever you decide to travel, there are always many tourist places to eat. Usually they are restaurants and cafes with local cuisine and a multilingual menu located in the center of a city or town. Try to avoid such places, only if you do not want spend too much money on food. The prices there are unreasonably high, while the food itself and the menu is nothing extraordinary. You can always find less touristy and much cheaper places with the same menu on the outskirts, or even to buy products in a supermarket and cook something by yourself.
Think about transportation options in advance
Make a research about transportation and its options in the country where you are travelling to in advance. For example if you are flying on a place, find out about transportation options from the airport to your accommodation. You are mistaken if you think that the only one way to get to the city center is to take a taxi. It is definitely the most convenient option, but also the most expensive one. If you budget is limited, then check if there are also any buses or shuttles available. In most cases they are several times cheaper than a taxi, and some countries they are even provided for free! The information about airport transportation is always provided on official web pages of most airports, so check it in advance
Choose cheaper accommodation options for bigger savings
It is not a surprise that everyone wants to stay in luxury 5-star hotels, but not everyone can afford this. If your intention is to make your vacation as economical as possible, then we recommend you to check cheaper accommodation options. Do not worry: cheaper does not always mean worse – it means more affordable. So what are cheaper accommodation options? There are many of them: small hotels in the outskirts, B&B accommodation (Bed & Breafast), guest houses, or hostels.
You can also rent a private room or the whole apartment at locals’ that are available on the well-known internet service Airbnb. You might not believe but it is also possible to stay in almost any country for free: just join the internet community Couchsurfing and find a host among local citizens, who will agree to provide you a bed or even the whole room absolutely for free for a couple of day. It is not only a great way to save money, but also to immerse yourself into a local culture and make new friends.
Consider volunteering to save money while traveling
If you really like helping others and you want to make your vacation not only enjoyable but also useful, then volunteering might be a good option. It might sound unbelievable but by participating in volunteer projects, you can travel to almost any country, and it will cost you only a plane or train ticket.
There are quite many internet resources, where you can register and find projects that you are interested in. But the most well-known websites are Helpx and WWOOF. There you can find people from all parts of the world, who need your help in babysitting, gardening, housekeeping in their hotels, and farm work. In exchange for your volunteer work and contribution, you will receive accommodation, food and opportunity to know new people and their country.
Pack smart and light and save on luggage fees
No matter how far you go, it is definitely more practical to take as less stuff with you as possible. That is why we recommend you be smart and careful about packing. Make a list of what you really need and avoid taking with you a lot of clothes. It is especially important if you are planning to travel by plane because with a small luggage you will not have to pay extra fee for checking-in your baggage. Moreover, with fewer bags it is much easier to navigate public transportation.
Be aware of the currency rate
Since currency rate is constantly changing, it is a good idea to research it before leaving for a trip. This will help you to sense the time of your vacation when the currency rate of your country is the strongest against the local currency of the country where you heading to.
We also recommend to change money before travelling at home if it is possible – this will definitely help you to save some money. In case you have already arrived to the country and are looking for a place to exchange money, avoid exchangers in the airport: usually they offer the most unfavourable rate for you and even charge an extra fee.
Search for free entertainment at your travel destination
Regardless your travel destination, you will likely find free entertainment opportunities in every city or town. For example, museums and galleries in most European cities are absolutely free, including most museums in London or Louvre in Paris that you can visit for free on the first Sunday of every month.
Moreover, if you are a student or a young person under 26-30 years old you can also count on free entertainment and tourist attractions in most major cities. If you choose summer time for your trip, to find free entertainment is even easier: there are musical concerts and performances almost in every local park.
Be careful about withdrawing money
It is definitely more beneficial to bring cash with you and do not use your credit or debit hard while travelling abroad. But if you are already abroad and you need to withdraw money, then you should know that bank-based ATM machines are preferable over those machines that you can find in popular public and tourist places, including shopping malls or petrol stations.
You should also be aware of withdrawal fees that can be quite high and usually depends either on your bank policy of the policy of the bank, to which the ATM machines belongs to. Thus, check all possible fees before your trip and find out, if it is possible to get a card that will not charge you any fees for withdrawing money.
Hopefully you got some new ideas about how to save money while traveling form this article! Where you are planning to travel the next? Leave a reply on comments below, and don’t forget to share these budget travel tips & tricks with your friends.
