10 MONEY-SAVING TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP
Staying on a budget requires discipline to meet the three price drivers such as transportation (flight, bus, car), accommodation and meals. The following 10 saving tips are designed to help you focus more on your budget without restricting your flexibility and enjoyment.
Table of contents:
1.) Book cheap – be flexible with date and time
2.) Book clever – chose the right airport
3.) Book smart – opt for red-eye flights and night-buses/trains
4.) Book economical – chose the right accommodation
5.) Think ahead – have an itinerary
6.) Travel light – avoid additional costs
7.) Travel smart – make yourself familiar with the prices
8.) Travel like a local – use the public transportation or walk
9.) Eat like a local – good and cheap
10.) Be focused – stay on budget
1.) Book cheap – be flexible with date and time
In general, you will find cheaper prices on weekdays than on weekends. One of the most interesting days so far is Tuesday, although some sites don’t give a specific date at all. However, to find your cheapest flights, be flexible with your dates and try to search around your planned flight date (+/- 3 days) to see better deals. Visit various websites such as Kayak, Skyscanner, Google Flights and Checkfelix, but also go directly to the airline’s website.
In the event of flight changes or cancellation of your flight, it is always cheaper to contact the airline directly rather than a third party (agency). My advice in this case is to check both outbound and inbound flights. It can be much cheaper if you book two different flights with a certain airline instead of a return flight. Sometimes you have a longer layover that you can use to explore the city or relax at the airport.
Once you have found your flight, also check the arrival time at the airport. If your flight is very early in the morning, you need to make sure that public transport runs at that time to avoid unnecessary additional costs or waiting times. Same goes for arrival time, imagine you land at 1am at an airport where there is no bus or train going to the city. In this case you only have two choices; either wait for the first public transport or take an expensive taxi.
Wise advice: Check the flights with Checkfelix.at and get a Priority Pass to gain access to airport lounges. This can save you a lot of money as you don’t have to buy overpriced drinks and food at the airport. You also have free access to WiFi and in many lounges you can take a shower for free.
2.) Book clever – chose the right airport
When searching for flights on the Internet, you can often see very cheap prices, which prompts you to book the flight immediately. However, before booking a flight, it is also important to understand where this airport is located. Is it close to town or far away? If it is far away, how can you reach the city and how much does it cost?
Often the cheap airports are not well served by public transport, forcing you to take overpriced taxis. Therefore, try to look for airports that are close to your assigned city and have good public transport connections.
Yes, the closer and better the airport is to the city, the safer it is if you arrive late and public transport is limited. Low-cost airlines in particular fly to rather unusual times and airports.
Wise advice: Before booking your flight, check when you will arrive at the airport and whether it is well served by public transport to save time and money.
3.) Book smart – opt for red-eye flights and night-buses/trains
Departing from Barcelona and arriving in Paris the next day without spending a night in a hotel? Sounds interesting? Depending on your physical condition, you can save a lot of money and time with night buses, trains or red-eye flights. Accommodation is definitely one of the top 3 price drivers – so it is advisable to combine travel and sleeping as much as possible. The bus network in Europe is affordable and serves many destinations, but it’s always a good option on other continents too. Alternatively, the night trains are sometimes a better option due to their space and comfort.
Wise advice: Check the bus and train provider before booking the tickets. Quickly research their reviews and check the service, timeliness, and cleanliness.
4.) Book economical – chose the right accommodation
As already mentioned, accommodation is one the price driver in the travel budget. In order to get a good and cheap hotel or hostel, it is recommended to follow the following steps:
– Book as early as possible
– Compare prices on Booking.com, Google Maps and other websites and try to contact the hotel or hostel directly > confront them with the price you saw on Booking.com or other websites and ask them , if they can offer you a better price to avoid their commission they have to pay
Note: sometimes prices are cheaper on third party websites and sometimes directly at the hotel/hostel. However, note the TOTAL PRICE WITH taxes and additional costs.
– Choose a hotel or hostel with the best infrastructure to save time and money when traveling by public transport
– Choose a hotel or hostel in a good and safe environment
In general, hostels are much cheaper than hotels and they have many advantages. They are people with the same mindset who are easy to communicate with. You can have cheap accommodation in the city center with best infrastructure (metro, bus and train station) and nice people to exchange travel ideas. Maybe you have similar paths and can join a group?!
Wise advice: Try to book a hostel in the city center and check out the nearest metro, train or bus stations. It should be within walking distance. Hostels often offer tours and tell you the best tourist attractions, how to get there and what you need to consider for your personal safety.
5.) Think ahead – have an itinerary
Being flexible and having an itinerary is not a contradiction in terms. No, the itinerary is not a plan that you absolutely have to follow to the last point, but it is intended to give you an overview of your travel plans in order to avoid unnecessary surprises that lead to unnecessary costs. Take into account the availability of public transport and the opening times of the sights in good time and combine your sightseeing tour in the best possible way. Why is it important? On some days, depending on the country, there is no bus or the tourist attraction is closed. When planning your approximate tour, you can check tourist attraction admission prices to weigh up which ones you want to see and which ones you can skip or see from the outside.
Wise advice: Having an itinerary allows you to focus on your travel plans and keep away scammers trying to convince you to go down another “more expensive” route or drag you into some shops or stores.
6.) Travel light – avoid additional costs
One of the most important things for traveling on a budget is to travel light to avoid baggage costs and wasted time. When packing your backpack, make sure that you meet the criteria of the cabin bag regulation. Don’t take containers larger than 100ml and try to pack your bag with only the essentials. Yes you can wash your clothes abroad or worst case scenario buy some cloths if they are broken. Not only does it give you the ability to keep an eye on your personal belongings, you also don’t waste time at baggage claim or carry luggage around, which is actually a nuisance.
Wise advice: Keep your rucksack below 7kg (carry on baggage allowance of most airlines) and avoid containers at more than 100ml.
7.) Travel smart – make yourself familiar with the prices
In order to understand whether a product or service is cheaper or more expensive than in your home country, you need to familiarize yourself with exchange rates. Try comparing some items to your home to get a feel for it. Despite the fact that it can be much cheaper than at home, for sure save always as much as possible. Ask the price BEFORE accepting a service (taxi, restaurant, etc.) and start comparing with other providers. If the price is unreasonably high, do some research online to avoid being scammed. Take your time and say NO to those around you when they put pressure on you. It’s already very suspicious when people insist on something that means they don’t want to give you time to look for cheaper prices. Don’t take the first option you see, make yourself familiar with the prices first.
Wise advice: Do your research on the net or talk to locals and ask about normal prices for bus, taxi, services etc. – take notes to compare prices. Dare to haggle with the sellers. When paying by credit card, ALWAYS pay in local currency due to better exchange rates.
8.) Travel like a local – use the public transportation or walk
Another major price driver to consider is transportation in general. Choosing the right transportation options can save you a lot of money as soon as you arrive at the airport. Depending on availability, you should download a bus/metro/train map of the city and try to consider an option that suits you physically best. If possible, avoid taxis as this is by far the most expensive and obviously last option. If there is no bus/subway/train from the airport to the city center, try booking an UBER or GRAB taxi. You have fixed prices and you drive with an approved driver.
Once in the city center, walk as much as possible. This gives you the advantage of immersing yourself in local culture, talking to local people and saving money. Otherwise, take the bus/metro/train and discover the city ignoring all the overpriced offers and “help” from the taxi drivers. Don’t trust them when they say there’s no bus today or anything like this. Ask locals if you need help.
Yes, it makes a huge difference for just one ride when comparing a $1 ticket to a bus ticket or $30 to a cab ride. In summary for the whole trip you can save a lot of money to spend on activities and food.
Wise advice: When you have a travel plan, you should mark the airport, your accommodation and the attractions you want to visit on Google Maps. Every time you pin a place you want to visit, you can see the recommended public transport from Google Maps. Also, download an offline map of your selected area and save it to Google Maps.
LEFT: Chose your destination RIGHT: Chose your travel method
9.) Eat like a local – good and cheap
In addition to accommodation and transport, food is another price driver on which we spend a lot of money. Well, it’s possible to eat quality food until you’re full for a reasonable price. Why pay more money when you can have it cheaper and better just around the corner?! Stay away from the tourist areas where the restaurants will overcharge you for a mid-range meal. Research on Tripadvisor and Google Maps where you can find menus and prices. However, if you want to find good local food, ask the locals and see where to go. If there are restaurants that locals wouldn’t visit, why spend your valuable time and money there? A good indicator of this is a good online rating and whether the restaurant is well frequented. Eat like a local and you will be amazed at the quality of the food.
Wise advice: Try the real street food in your area and ask the locals what’s common. You can also go to one of the food courts where they offer some reasonably priced combo meals. If your accommodation serves you breakfast, eat well, skip lunch and go to dinner.
10.) Be focused – stay on budget
The best travel plan won’t work if you don’t maintain it well. Make a note of your expenses or, even better, use a travel budget app (TravelSpend for iOs and Android) to be informed about your budget at all times. Especially at the beginning of your planned trip, you should be more conservative and set your daily limit a little below your average. Take advantage of free services such as free tours, free entry or free transport and talk to other travelers to get useful tips.
Wise advice: Always think about your budget, be conservative and watch out for scammers. Instead of taking a cab and having dinner at a restaurant, why not walk around and grab some snacks?
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