5 tips to travelling on a budget
1) Do your research
When booking flights, hotels, tours or absolutely anything
travel related, it is imperative to do your research! When flying, either make
plans well in advance or last minute. Try to avoid travel agents and
book online. If you are unsure if a site is legit, search the company on forums
to see what other people have commented about that particular site and the service
they offer. Forums always help!
There are so many hotel-booking sites so once you’ve found a
hotel you like, take the time to search every site that has that hotel listed.
Even try contacting the hotel itself to see if they will price match or beat a
price that Bookit.com for example has listed. Avoid all-inclusive tours;
they’re lame in my opinion and can be a waste of money. Unless it something
you’ve always wanted to do, you can usually do everything a tour offers on your
own for less.
www.bookit.com (Hotels)
www.booking.com (Hotels)
www.airbnb.com
(Accommodation)
2) Use public transport
Wherever you travel to countries abroad, public transport
will always be the cheapest option. There are so many mobile phone apps these
days that make understanding public transport options in a foreign place so
much easier. Also if you get lost along the way, think about it as all being
part of the adventure. In my opinion, you haven’t experienced an adventure
until you’ve been lost in a city that you cannot speak the language. Before you
arrive to a destination search the bus, train and subway map and schedule and
always carry a map! Maps are life savers, don’t leave home without one!
3) Get away from the crowds
Want to avoid all those high season prices, and crowds?
Travelling offseason has its perks, as it is usually nearly half the price when
compared to high-season.
4) Watch that currency
Changing money can be the biggest pain! And you can either
win or lose. Learn about the different currencies before travelling and watch
what it’s doing well in advance to know what your money will likely be worth
abroad. NEVER change your money at an Airport, I can guarantee that you will be
ripped off!
Avoid all money exchange centres; they usually have inferior
exchange rates. Try avoiding taking cash out with your debit card in another
country; you will have so many different fees. I usually travel with a travel
card.
If you want one, simply enquire at your bank or Internet
forums. Also, you should always be prepared when you arrive at your
destination with some of the local currency.
5) Travel light
Every time you get on a plane, bus or any kind of
transportation they have a baggage limit, and those fees can be astonishing if
your bags are overweight. Not only that, it’s a hassle to travel with lots of
items. They are heavy and can be down right annoying during transit.
I have
found that you usually pick up one or two items in every new place you visit,
so have some spare room. Weigh your bags before you leave to help avoid those
nasty extra costs at the Terminal! Or if you know it’s going to be over weight,
pay online before going to the airport, it’s usually a lot cheaper then when
you rock up.
Travel safe and stay on budget. Have fun on your future
adventures!
- Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly first jumped on a plane and ventured overseas at 14 years of age, alone! She wasn’t scared or afraid, simply excited about what the world was all about. This curious spirit encouraged her to spend all her time globe trotting and visiting new destinations. After moving abroad twice and uncountable adventures, she decided to share her experiences to help provide advice and inspiration to anyone wishing to get lost in our big wide world.
Blog – www.wanderergracekelly.com
Instagram – @_gracek
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