So you want to get out there and travel more but are worried about how expensive it can be? Yes, some elements of travel are not great for the bank balance but there are always ways to make your money go further on trips. Here are my top tips for saving money while travelling:
Take ‘red eye’ transport
This includes overnight buses, flights or trains saves on accommodation. You can take this one step further and spend the night at the airport (yes I have done this-true story).
Fill up water at the start of day
Bring a bottle from home. Bottled water can be expensive and this adds up. Also by bringing a reusable bottle you are cutting down on plastic use and looking after the earth, and in my eyes…are a total legend!
Go to the toilet/bathroom in restaurants or large shopping centres
This might sound a bit strange but if you are travelling around Europe generally you will need to pay to use the public toilet facilities. Around 50 cents each time. If you do this several times a day it can add up. Try and use the facilities in a restaurant that you stop for lunch in.
Get an inclusive city pass
This usually offers free or discounted admission to popular sites and museums rather than paying for each individually.
Take public transport rather than doing an expensive day tour
Stay in hostels
Ditch a bit of comfort to keep more money in the bank…or to spend on fun things.
Stock up for the day on the included breakfast at your accommodation
Stop by a local grocery store for packed lunches and snacks
This can give you an insight into local life and culture, and it is fun trying to read packets in other languages.
Opt for Local eats/street food than touristy restaurants
Cut back on the alcohol
This is always a killer to the budget. And beware of CHEAP alcohol…this can make a hangover worse and give you a killer headache!
Tap water at restaurants instead of bottled
Have a good travel debit/credit card that doesn’t charge withdrawal fees
Make one larger cash withdrawal on arrival and that way you can see tangibly how much money you have to work with and you don’t have to bother tracking things on your app or online banking…and if wifi is down…good luck working out how much money you have unless you do a balance check at the ATM …but aint nobody got time for dat. If your budget is tight you don’t want to keep ‘pay passing’ without a care in the world and then…oh oh….you’re out of funds 🙁
Place the amount of money you have reserved for the trip on a separate pre-paid travel money card
Plan logically
This saves backtracking and unnecessary metro trips or wasted petrol.
Take the routes with less motorways and tolls between destinations if you are on a road trip
If you are on a longer trip explore countries or regions in a smaller/more concentrated area to save on taking several flights to get around
Be savvy when selecting your locations
Examples: Eastern Europe is cheaper than Western Europe, South East Asia is great for long trips because your money will stretch a LOT further than you think. The West coast of the USA is cheaper than the East, Australia can be expensive if you want to move around (it is so vast, so take some serious dosh with you to get the ultimate experience) and the U.K is just pricey Full Stop.
Clarify the taxi charge when getting into the taxi
This aims to avoid dodgy markups. I always do this anyway to make sure the driver knows I am not another naïve tourist, but someone who will stand her ground and not be ripped off. Also, try and pay attention to the sites you are driving past and your map in case they are deliberately taking a longer route.
If travelling with someone share meals
You could split one main meal, and maybe one appetiser. This can halve the cost of the bill and it is also better not to be consuming massive portions. This means you can relax and feel less sluggish from all the holiday food you are consuming.
When you think about there are so many ways we can make little savings and this all adds up. How do you save while travelling? Let me know in the comments below:
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