Traveling is such a fun experience, but it can often be incredibly expensive. When planning a vacation, it is important to be smart about where you are sinking the majority of your money, and where you try to cheap out. Thanks to some veteran travelers such as myself, the internet has dug up easy ways to ensure that a fun vacation or trip does not have to cost an arm and a leg. In this article, we are going to dive in to five easy tips and tricks, which will help you save money while traveling. Hopefully, the money you save on one trip will help you fund the next!
1: Utilize your Rewards Points
Rewards points can mean a lot of things, whether we are talking about frequent flyer points, credit card reward schemes, or company spend bonus points. Jesse Tyler, a travel writer at Last Minute Writing and Draftbeyond, commented, “Even though in principle, points like these are great; it can be hard and take a long time for them to add up to any bonuses or rewards in actuality. Sometimes the best thing to do is use points on upgrading flights, rooms, or experiences.”
For example, you might not have enough points to pay for 2 hotel rooms but might have enough to upgrade to a suite with 2 double beds. Similarly, you can upgrade from coach to premium economy on a long-haul flight for extra comfort. Most hotels have rewards programmes, as do almost all airlines. Make sure to be a part of as many of these as possible in order to rack up the rewards. Even banks and credit card companies offer great discounts and perks which can be used while travelling, so keep your eye out!
2: Try Airbnb, Rather than Hotels
Hotels are expensive! Sometimes, paying for a bed to sleep in at night can be the most expensive part of booking a holiday; and it certainly is not the main reason you are going on holiday, is it? As well as being pricey, hotels can often be over-crowded and stressful. If you tend to be a recluse, like myself, the last thing you want is to keep having unnecessary social interactions when you are trying to relax. Airbnb (or services like it) is a great alternative. As Kennedy Taylor, a lifestyle blogger at Writinity and Researchpapersuk, noted, “Not only are the options available often a lot cheaper than hotels, but they are also usually self-contained, more private, and often more luxurious.” Even if you do not end up going for it, it is a good idea to check out the competition on Airbnb to see the price differences.
3: Find Free Things to Do
It can be easy to go to a city with the ‘big attractions’ in mind, which are often incredibly expensive and can be all talk and very crowded! In every city, there are often lots of things to do that actually do not cost money at all. There are sometimes free guided tours around cities, or landmarks that are public access and do not require an expensive ticket. As well as this, walking around or exploring nature with a packed lunch is a great way to familiarise yourself with a city or area without shelling out lots of cash.
4: Find Less Expensive Airports
Every city has their ‘big airport’ or airports, and the flights in and out of these are sometimes ridiculously expensive simply because of the well-known nature of the place or the convenience to the main city. Often times, alternative airports are a lot cheaper when it comes to flight prices and the extra travel time or lack of airport amenities is worth the savings on tickets. It is important to check this out before simply booking the top option on your Google search page, because you could use this money on a different are of your trip, or to save up for the next one!
5: Avoid Traveling During Peak Seasons
You can basically cut your travel prices in half by just travelling during off-peak seasons. Travel in Europe is cheap as chips during the winter because you require an extra jacket when exploring, and travel to the tropics is lighter during summer hurricane season because of the risk. However, these should not be deterrents. When overall travel is lighter, price takes a significant hit. Even attractions at these places will be cheaper during the off-season, making the entire journey much cheaper as a whole.
About the Author:
Henry Wiegand is an online content writer and business development manager at London Writing Service and Gumessays. He is involved in many projects around the world and loves reading and writing about travel and the world as a whole.
