Summary: Use these tips to help you save money next time you travel.
Most people would love nothing more than to take time away and travel to see new countries, cultures, or even just states, but many of us are limited by the price of traveling these days. However, if you want something bad enough there’s always a way to make it work without emptying out your wallet. Here are 8 money saving tips for traveling on a budget:
- Turn on incognito mode when searching for flights. Have you seen this? If you’re in Chrome and you click to open a new window, choose “open new incognito window” instead. This keeps cookies from being saved and the prices from being hiked up.
- Be sure to book about 7 weeks ahead, and on a Tuesday! This might not be super scientific, but according to Skyscanner, this is the best time to book flights. If you’re booking a long-distance trip, try 18 weeks in advance.
- Walk everywhere. While a taxi might be more convenient, get in more sights (and save yourself a lot of money) by scheduling your day so you can walk to most places you want to visit.
- Travel overnight. To save money on accommodations, choose flights, trains or buses that travel overnight. That way you not only save money on a hotel room for one night, but you also don’t spend precious vacation time sitting around.
- Stay at an Airbnb. Airbnb’s fall in between hotel rooms and hostels. While not as fancy as a nice hotel, you can get a lot more privacy than you would at a hostel. Also, your Airbnb rental will most likely have a kitchen. Cooking meals at home like a local will save you plenty of money on dining out.
- Find the best place to exchange money. When traveling abroad, look into the currency you’ll need to use while there. While it might seem easier to do it in advance, often time you can avoid fees by simply taking out cash at an ATM once you arrive.
- Ask for local recommendations. Maybe you know someone who lives in the area? If not, you chat with others in your hostel or even with your cab driver, and ask people for recommendations. This will keep you from going to the more touristy restaurants and attractions, which often charge much higher prices.
- Consider more unique destinations. Many cities are much more touristy than others, meaning that everything could end up being much more expensive. Try traveling somewhere that isn’t necessarily on everyone’s bucket list. If you do this you’ll not only get a unique experience, but you’ll save some money as well.