Unbelievable tips for saving money on travel

If you love to travel but don’t want your holiday to ruin your bank, here are some helpful tips to keep costs down. Join airline loyalty programs and, if you want, sign up for credit

Share Button

If you love to travel but don’t want your holiday to ruin your bank, here are some helpful tips to keep costs down.

Join airline loyalty programs and, if you want, sign up for credit cards that offer free miles. It is terribly nice to start your holiday with a free flight to your destination. But make sure you sign up for the free flight one month in advance if possible. You want to make sure that there are free seats on board the plane. Also, if the flight is overbooked and you are on holiday, why not give up your seat for a later flight and receive a free ticket for your next trip?

If possible, find out in low season at your destination and embark on your journey. There is a huge difference between seasonal and off-season rates. Also, why travel to the most expensive destinations in the world? The cheapest destinations are Iceland, Hungary, Panama, Mexico, Argentina, Belize, Nicaragua, Brazil and South Africa. You may be surprised by what these nations have to offer to tourists.

There are more and more all-inclusive holiday packages available at reduced prices. It can save a lot of money to have excursions/attractions, accommodation, meals and other amenities included in the price of the package. Paying for each of these things individually can easily double or triple the cost of your holiday. Sometimes you can receive multi-day passes for various entertainment or special rates if you go later during the day. Especially luxury cruises offer incredibly economical all-inclusive packages.

Ask your travel agent if there are apartments, condoms or even home rentals available at your destination. There are many desperate landlords out there now who will rent a condo or fine home for far less than you can pay in a nice hotel. Or check out the Bed & Breakfasts: out of season, you can pay less for extravagant accommodation and gourmet breakfast than you would pay for a ho-hum hotel. If you have no choice, at least sign up for hotel loyalty programs that give you a free night after so many stays in their network.

There are many ways to save on food. Many places to stay now offer a free breakfast. If not, it is usually cheaper to find a restaurant down the street for breakfast instead of eating in a hotel restaurant. Avoid servicing a room or mini-bar in a hotel room. Instead, bring soup or oatmeal and use hot water in your coffee machine. If you want to spray your meal, lunches are usually cheaper in restaurants than lunches. You can also save on fabulous meals by eating food bars (Balance or Power bars), nuts, sandwiches, fruits, protein drinks, etc., during the day. In some places, restaurants, where local residents often stay, can be much cheaper than tourist traps. (It is enough to realize the countries where it can be difficult for the digestive tract).

Talking about food – what about coffee, local sweets, gourmets. Instead of buying items like these in souvenir shops or tourist shops, check local grocery stores or agricultural markets at much lower prices. (Simply head up: if you buy products from the farmer’s market, make sure you wash them thoroughly with soap before using them). In some countries, you can buy delicious gourmet feasts or great drinks for a small amount. In Costa Rica, for example, coffee costs $8-12.00 in tourist shops, but in grocery store,s it is $75-1.00 per pound. You can almost always find bottled water at lower prices than in a hotel or airport. Do some searches. And wear around the giant thermos with your favorite beverage. You will be surprised how much you can save on drinks.

Transportation can be a huge expense, so check out your capabilities carefully. If you take into account your travel time to the airport, early arrival at the airport, baggage collection, flight delays, etc., you will be able to get to the airport as soon as possible. Also, find out if it would be cheaper and more convenient to rent a car than pay for shuttles, taxis or trains (Streetwise and Michelin’s spiral maps are great). Of course, in places like Europe, Euro-rail tickets cannot be beaten when buying for a few weeks or months at the same time. And trains in many places are getting faster and faster.

For those with children, only a few friendly tips. Bring a folding trolley to the totals. This can save you frustration and also save you on renting a pram. Also for tots, if you are going to stay at a hotel for a week or two, why not buy things like diapers, handkerchiefs, sippy cups, snacks and other items for children at Amazon.com and have them delivered in advance to the hotel?

Share Button

Leave a Reply