You want to leave but you have no idea and, above all, the budget is contained? Do not worry: going on a trip does not mean emptying your pockets or your wallet. You can indeed organize a wonderful cheap holiday without necessarily spending a lot and the best way to do that is to know exactly what kind of experience you are looking for.
Whether you are traveling alone, with family or you’re preparing for a romantic holiday, money is always an important consideration during the phases of planning a trip. So, before you book, talk to your friends, relatives and travel agents to get to know the destinations more you can attract and intrigue. Once you have an idea of the destination, follow these tips to help you keep costs down and remain in the budget you’ve set ourselves.
Here’s how to save money on your next vacation: 12 tips useful in planning a low cost trip
1) Plan your holiday in a period of low season. You probably already know what it means to travel in periods of high season, such as summer, when everyone is trying to escape the city and take a well deserved, as coveted, break from the routine of work. Traffic, queues, crowded beaches … Choose, for example, to leave in a period between April and May or from mid-August to October, could prove to be the optimal solution for a trip to Europe, when the weather is still favorable, but there are not too many tourists.
2) Whatever the destination, always check with the local tourist office the best time to book your cheap holidays, especially to avoid scheduling an exotic vacation, the one of your dreams, just during the season of hurricanes, for example.
3) Use social networks. When a snowstorm hit the East Coast in the 2010 holiday season, many stranded travelers have managed to get a flight via Twitter, thanks to the feed of the airlines and through the pages of Facebook (our company accounts are up to date on the latest news from the world of tourism), both very useful tools for finding bargains and cheap deals. Social media is a great way to “hear” the very best deals.
4) Password, sharing. It is definitely what will make you save more and save you on many occasions. When traveling with someone, share a room (and not only that, even the eating and the same trip) will be cheaper as well as to be accommodated by the local, as well as reducing expenses to a minimum, allowing you to experience direct, close contact with the local culture. If the idea of staying in the home of strangers puzzling you or raises some fear in you, before you ask for shelter, pick up useful tips and detailed information on how to deal with this experience.
5) If you decide to travel by plane, it is preferable to schedule your flight well in advance (ideally, from 10 months to a year in advance) or at the last minute (last minute, two weeks or less prior to departure).
You may also like to read another article on NGCATravel: Basic tips for saving traveling on your own
6) Be flexible. You can save on fees by traveling mid-week, or by choosing the sunny Varadero, Cuba, rather than the equally sunny, but definitely more expensive, Cancun, Mexico.
7) Better all-inclusive. Book a tour package, a package holiday (but if you prefer local restaurants rather than lunches and dinners at the hotel or activities planned or unplanned trips to entertainment, the all-inclusive might not be a good idea).
8) If you need to change your money, collect all information necessary in order to get the best exchange rate. And yet, to avoid bank fees, often quite expensive when you perform operations abroad, try to collect as much as possible. Better yet, subscribe to a travel credit card or open an account with an international bank.
9) Stock up groceries. One of the biggest expenses during the journey is in fact represented by the cost of food. But you can save money by going to a supermarket or a convenience store for snacks and excellent low cost breakfast. Healthy snacks and meals Lunches are an excellent alternative to avoid binge of expensive foods at the airport or train. Book a hotel room with a kitchenette, to save on dining.
10) Plan prior to your departure surfing the Internet to find the best deals, for example with our search engines cheap flights and cheap hotels, definitely you are able to save almost half the standard ticket.
11) Travel light. Optimize your luggage and minimize clutter. This way you can be more agile and flexible at every opportunity. If you can bring only hand luggage you will avoid additional fees on flights. Indeed, you may choose to put you on the go without any kind of baggage. Too extreme? Maybe so … but you could try.
12) If you move by car, use the most efficient model of consumption (cars, compact hybrids are the best alternative). To save even more by using the cruise control, respect the speed limit, use the air conditioning as little as possible. Or, you could choose a bus, the train (often the larger municipalities provide tickets, subscriptions or day and week passes specifically for visitors) or decide to share a private vehicle (car-sharing). Have you ever thought about hitchhiking?