Tips For Travelling On a Budget

Posted by Deborah Read on Friday 3 February 2012 in Travel

We all want to travel and visit exotic locations, broaden our horizons and experience something new. However, travelling can cost a lot of money and for people on a budget it can’t always be easy. Here are some of our top tips for travelling on a budget.

Travel Off Season

Travel companies bump up their prices during the school holidays. There fore to save money, travel in times when its quiet- ie when children are in school. you can still get your sun sea and sand, as many European holiday seasons don’t end until September and October, whilst starting as early as May. It also means the pool is quieter and you get more of the hotel to yourself.

Travel in Non Peak Times

For families it’s not really an option to travel at times when their children are at school. However, with careful planning and preparation, families can still travel without spending too much. Get the dates when your children break up from school. Book your flights for the day your children break up so that as soon as they’re out of the school gates, you’re away. It means planning everything and packing a few nights before, but the flights will still be cheaper.

Shop Around

Before booking flights and hotels shop around online. You can compare a number of different holiday packages online and could even use this information to haggle a better deal in the travel agents. Useful sites include Expedia and TravelSupermarket.

Last Minute Travel

Book your time off work but then leave it to the last minute to book your travel. Travel agents need to fill flights and holiday places to make money so you could get a great holiday deal at a heavily discounted price. Be open to new ideas and flexible about where you travel and you never know, you could just get a bargain! Check out Lastminute and CheapFlights.

Stay In Hostels

Some hostels can be as nice as hotels or are attached to hotels, so shop around, do some research and don’t be put off staying in hostels. Look at them online to see what their rooms are like and even read reviews to see other people’s experiences.

Currency

Research currency and shop around for the best deals. Don’t wait until you get to the airport to get your currency as these can be more expensive. Take a mixture of travellers cheques and cash in order to get the best deals and protect yourself.

Use Public Transport

Don’t be afraid to use the public transport. Buy maps of the underground and plan where you want to go and how to get there. Many cities will have weekly passes which are cheap and easy to get hold of. Other ways of exploring cities is by walking around. Buy a map and plan your routes. You could even stumble upon something special.

Holiday Home Rental

Rent a home to stay in abroad, you get a more grass roots feel to your trip and a more authentic experience. Some firms will want you to advertise your property for rent too and could be an extra way to earn some money. Some useful sites include Holiday-Rentals and HolidayLettings.

Self Cater

Going self catering on a holiday can save you money as you’re buying food from the local supermarket. However, it does mean that you’ll have to plan your meals and potentially find the bargains in a foreign environment.

The road less travelled

Try visiting areas which are not as popular with tourists as these will be areas which are less expensive.

Hopefully you’ll find some of these tips useful and that they help you to travel for less.