How to Save Money Whilst Travelling?
We all like to travel, and although the pandemic has prevented many of us from doing so for the last two years, restrictions are slowly starting ease and the option to explore is back on the cards (mostly). Whilst most of us have missed going on adventures, what we haven’t missed are the costs associated with travelling.
If you’re not savvy, prices can quickly mount up and you’ll be left with next to money after paying for your trip. For some people this is okay, but most of us want to save money and still have some left for spending or for when we get back.
If you’re planning to travel any time soon and want to look at ways to save some cash, we’ve put together some handy tips that should help you make your money go further, no matter where in the world you are.
Table of Contents
1. Stay in Hostels
First and foremost, let’s look at accommodation. Hotels are pricey and often the cost doesn’t reflect the quality. If you’re on a city break in particular, look at staying in hostels instead of a hotel. Odds are, when you’re in a city like Amsterdam or Prague, you’ll be out for the majority of your trip – simply using the hotel as a place to lay your head and get clean.
When you look at it from this perspective, it seems silly to spend hundreds on a hotel when you could spend less than half that on a hostel. They are clean and safe, and they are a melting pot of different people, meaning there’s every chance you’ll be able to make new friends, too!
2. Use Public Transport
The next way you can save money is to use public transport. If you can walk then do, but if you’re if you’re in a large city like London or LA, there’s a good chance you’ll need to use a vehicle to get somewhere. It might be tempting to use a car rental, but this can end up being a lot more expensive.
Instead, use things like trams, trains, subways, and buses to get to where you need to be. Alternatively, if you’re travelling in a group, taxi hire may be an affordable option as you can divide the cost.
3. Go off the Beaten Track
Our next tip is to go off the beaten track. Some destinations are desirable because they’re tourist traps and have lots of popular attractions, but these aren’t necessarily the best the location has to offer, although they may well be the most expensive.
Instead of forking out for a tourist trap attraction, travel off the beaten track. You’ll no doubt find some hidden gems along the way, many of which are free to visit and way less crowded than their more popular counterparts.
4. Travel off Seasons
Our final tip for saving money whilst travelling is to go off season. If you want to go to Spain in the middle of July, you’ll pay double the price compared to if you were to visit in May or September. This is because the peak of summer aligns with school holidays which means demand for holidays is increased, therefore pushing prices up.
If you want to make big savings, re-evaluate the dates you want to travel on and be flexible. In addition, book as far in advance as you can – a lot of people don’t tend to book holidays on Christmas Day but if you do, there are sales and savings to be had, even for vacations just a few months after.