When you’re travelling, there are ways to spend a lot of money very easily. Conversely, there are ways that you might get by without spending quite so much. In some cases, a bit of extra spending is actually warranted, as it’ll get you a superior experience, and help you to avoid unnecessary hassle and inconvenience. But knowing where to save and where to spend isn’t always easy.
Planning Ahead
By putting in a bit of time doing some planning prior to your trip, you might end up spotting opportunities for savings. Advance planning can also help you to minimise stress, and maximise safety, too. If you can tell everyone where you’re going to be at a given time, for example, you might benefit from the alarm raised quicker if you should go missing. This tends to be a concern for backpackers going through remote parts of the world, but it can also be worthwhile when you’re taking a city break.
Look online for deals
If you’re willing to trawl through the internet in search of discounts, then you might find yourself saving considerably on the cost of travel. In most cases, the earlier you book, the less expensive things will be – so, it might be worth booking before you’ve even got the rest of your plans into place. You might find that the airline allows you to cancel later on, free of charge – provided your ticket is refundable. Make sure that you read the small print to avoid getting stung. Booking train travel in advance is usually especially advantageous.
Most people prefer to economise on travel so that they can spend big on the holiday itself. Despite this, you might find that it’s worth paying a little extra to bump yourself up to first-class, especially if you intend to make the actual travelling a core part of your experience. If you’ve spent hours crammed into an economy carriage, then you might find that you’re so drained and exhausted by the time you reach your destination that you’re unable to actually enjoy yourself.
Accommodation
For most tourists spending a few nights in a hotel, it might be worth hedging your bets by booking not just one, but two different hotels: one affordable, the other luxury. This will allow you to get a measure of what you’re missing by going for the former, and whether it’s worth the extra expenditure.
Food
You might want to eat out every single night – especially if the food is a big part of why you’re visiting a particular part of the world. On the other hand, you might want to mix and match again – spending a modest amount by cooking for yourself throughout the week, so that you have enough to dine at a Michelin-star restaurant at the end of it.
