It’s no secret that travelling abroad can be very expensive, with the UK’s travel and tourism industry predicted to be worth more than £257 billion by 2025. However, it’s also an immensely popular industry, and an expense that travel bugs are willing to take in order to create incredible new memories in far-off lands.
But how do people afford to travel so much? And what are some ways to cut back on travel expenses whilst going on holiday? This piece will be exploring 10 of the top ways to save on travel expenses, these being as follows:
- Free days
- Social media
- Flexible with transport travel
- Sleeping whilst traveling
- Tickets directly from the airline sites
- Flexible with days
- Hostels and guesthouses
- Talk to the locals
- Self-cater where possible
- Compare travel insurance
So, without further ado, Payday Bad Credit, the home of payday loans bad credit, explores how these top 10 ways can save you money when traveling.
1. Free Days
Finding out when museums and other tourist sites have free and/or discount days is a simple yet effective way to save on traveling costs, providing you with days of entertainment and experiences all at a next-to-nothing price. It is important to research these days before traveling, securing your place for these free/discount days online and ensuring you will actually be in the location for this time.
2. Social Media
As everything in this day and age now operates through social media, following travel sites on such online platforms as Facebook and Twitter is a sure-fired way to find the best deals as soon as the company releases them (this typically being through these social media sites). Finding the best deals as soon as they’re released can help you to snap up any great, money-saving deal as soon as they are announced (and before other money-saving travel bugs get to it first!).
3. Flexible with Transport Travel
Being flexible with the transport for your travel can save you considerable amounts of money on your overall costs of the trip, as the more unpopular the times/routes are for certain flights/trains or buses etc., the cheaper these typically tend to be. You can save good amounts of money this way, however often must prepare for traveling at unsociable hours with longer routes.
4. Sleeping Whilst Traveling
Following on from traveling at unsociable hours, this may have more money-saving benefits that initially meets the eye! Traveling throughout the night can also help save money on accommodation, being able to sleep on the plane/train/bus and waking up bright and early at your desired location. However, this is only recommended in a secure space, where both yourself and your possessions are safe for the entirety of the trip.
5. Tickets Directly from the Airline Sites
After scouring the internet for the cheapest airline travel fares, once found, it is best to go directly to the airline website and see if they can get you a ticket for an even cheaper rate. Many airlines can offer travellers lower fares that are only accessible when booking via their online site. Some customers even find that searching for tickets either by using a VPN or even just searching incognito, as the airlines’ websites may not be as favourable to returning customers as they are to new ones.
6. Flexible with Days
Similar to being flexible with travel, being flexible with the days you chose to stay in a certain place for can also help you to save considerable amounts of money on your overall cost for travelling. Many people book for accommodation from Monday to Friday, leaving a lot of potentially empty spaces on the less popular nights such as Sunday.
In an attempt to boost the sales for their accommodation, hotels may often lower the prices of their rooms on Sundays. If flexible with the days of your stay, travellers can snap up great deals like this, and save significant amounts of money on their travels simply by choosing an unpopular day to stay.
7. Hostels and Guesthouses
Another great way to save money on accommodation when traveling is to stay in hostels and guesthouses. These places typically offer travellers accommodation at a cheaper rate than the standard hotels and B&Bs. Additionally, they are also located fairly central, saving travellers any further costs on transport.
8. Talk to the Locals
Talking to the locals can be a great way of finding all the authentic hidden gems of a place. Not only this, the locals will more often than not suggest places that aren’t touristy, and will therefore probably be a lot cheaper than the standard tourist sites, bars and restaurants.
9. Self-Cater Where Possible
Eating out can be expensive, especially in a foreign place where you don’t know the restaurants with the best value for money. Therefore, buying from a local super market and making meals in your accommodation can be a great way of saving money on your overall travel costs.
10. Compare Travel Insurance
Another fantastic way to save money on your overall travel expenses is to compare the best rates for travel insurance, finding the best deal for you at the cheapest possible price.
See also our guide on how to travel on a budget.
