Archive for category Tips

Tips for Travelling Cheap

By Mae Demdam

When planning a vacation one of the main concerns for the everyday traveler is budget. They want to make sure they find the best deals on transportation, cheap hotels and discounted activities. It is important to make sure that you can afford the trip as well as enjoy it. Here are some helpful tips to assure your travels are safe, fun and cheap.

1. First thing is first, do your research. It is important to read up on the vacation destination online and look through travel books. Find out if there are any city passes or discounts on attractions. A great online resource is local bloggers who can give you information on where to eat, what to do and see. They can provide you with insider information that isn’t highly publicized. Use travel and vacation websites to find discount hotels and coupons for various businesses in the area.

2. Overestimate your total cost, but control your spending. Make sure you have an access to more money than you think you will need, but don’t spend it just because you have it. When you pre-plan your budget by looking over restaurant menus, attraction prices, ticket prices, etc. you can get an overall figure for your trips’ total. There are always unforeseen issues during a trip so it is important that you don’t run out of money.

3. Be flexible with dates and locations. During peak seasons hotels and flights can cost more than they do during the off-season. Plan accordingly. During the fall the Caribbean offers deals during their hurricane season. In the winter months there are more cheap Las Vegas hotels available in the city. If you can keep an open mind, you can keep a tighter wallet.

4. Look at Package Deals. Many times hotel prices include more than just the room rates. Sometimes you can find deals where you can “buy three nights and get one free” or enjoy a “free breakfast”. Travelers visiting big cities may want to search cheap Los Angeles hotels, for example, in order to get affordable rates as bigger cities tend to have 5 star ratings and expensive nightly rates.

5. Be careful of “too good to be true”. Travelers may find deals that sound amazingly cheap and many times they are. If you don’t read the fine print there are hidden fees, taxes or surcharges that will be added at a later date. Don’t set an unattainable budget because there are great deals available, you just have to look for them, but don’t get conned into a deal that just may be too good to be true.

Remember that pre-planning and researching a vacation is the best thing to do to prepare not only your finances, but your schedules to suit the perfect budget. Researching, buying packages and paying off in increments may also be the best option in assuring you are getting the most for your money.

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How to Travel the World As Cheap As Possible

By Alexandra Kovacova

I have been traveling for longer now so during that time I have noticed some things which I’d like to share with you. If you dream of traveling the world and you are far away from being a millionaire, then this is the right post for you. I am just one of the many examples that prove it is more than possible.

There have been many articles on this topic, and many more are about to come yet as travel the world becomes a dream of many. Here are some of the tips I personally use to travel as cheap as possible and still have a place to stay (not a grass in the park or a bus station), food to eat and a lot of fun.

Save money on transportation

This is one of the most important things to travel cheap. Overland travel is usually cheaper than traveling by plane, so try not to move too often from one place to the one exactly in the opposite part of the world. Better get a ticket to a place and explore it deeper, then move on overland and do not go back, just move forwards to another destination. Make a route without coming back to the same place more times.

If you can, hitchhike or hire a car if you travel with more people so you can split the expenses. Try to walk as much as possible and don’t use taxis to move inside a town. Your feet are your best friend. Trust me, it is easy to walk even a couple of kilometres per day (which will help you to stay fit, too), and if not, use the public transport. Remember, no taxis are allowed.

Save money on food

There is just one tip to use when it comes to eating when on the road – avoid eating out in restaurants. Not only dinners, but breakfast and any snack can be really expensive when bought out, especially in some countries (e.g. Europe.) Try to cook and prepare your meals every time you get a chance, it will save you a lot of money. If sometimes you have no kitchen available, then try local markets to get the best fruit/vegetable/meat and in many cases, you can get there as well a ready meal for very little.

If you do not have any other chance but to dine out, then find a good place outside the touristic zone. If locals go there, it is the best sign. It will be much cheaper and probably even more tasty as they have more time to prepare it without all the tourist hassle. Get the menu of the day. Be careful though, in some countries you can easily get stomachache or diarrhea if you are not used to local food.

Save money on accommodation

Logically, no 5 * hotels nor the 4*and no all inclusive holidays. The cheapest way are usually the youth hostels but you have to get used to share the room and bathroom with others so no privacy offered. If you stay for longer than 2 – 3 weeks, then rent an apartment.

Outside the center/far away from the beach/or any place often visited by tourists is always a lot cheaper than exactly where everyone goes. Small hotels run by the locals are less expensive than the big hotel resorts. And for free, try the home exchange or couchsurfing.org that are widely used now.

Save money on travel agencies

Most of the time, not just travel agencies cost you more than if you took a trip on your own, but if they book your ticket, they charge commissions for that, too. So use some websites such as Scyscanner, Kayak, Expedia yourself and take time checking up everything to find the best deal. You can save even half of the price or more when checking properly the plane tickets.

Or, make your own travel blog and start promoting travel agencies for a free trip in exchange (called press trip.)

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