You love to travel, but at the same time, you love your money too! Nothing wrong in that! But one thing we fail to remember. You need not have to be rich to travel cheaply. Some planning and steps can make travel affordable. How to handle the budget and overcome is something we need to learn.
Things to make your travel cheaper
- Plan your trip in the off seasons
If you decide to travel to Europe during the Christmas, it will surely cost big. Instead of planning your trips during the peak season try to plan during the off season. You can opt for dates when not many people will be willing to go on a vacation. During the off-season, you will get better deals on hotel reservations and travel bookings. You will also get more choice, and at the same time, you will have the power to bargain.
- Book your flights smartly
If you decide to book your flights at the last minute, obviously the ticket costs will be higher. But if you book your flight months in advance you are surely going to get cheap rates. You must also look out for convenient hopping flights as these are cheaper as compared to direct flights. They are a bit time consuming but that is fine as you save money and you also get a chance to explore the airport of a different city. Also keep the baggage restrictions in mind and check if your baggage is not overweight as that will incur additional charges.
- Save money at the destination
Keep in mind you are travelling to a place to explore that destination. If you just want to pamper yourself in a plush hotel then why travel in the first place? Move out and take local transport instead of private cab to get first-hand experience about that place. Also try out the local cuisine but at hygienic places. Also make sure that you have enough foreign currency because the exchange rates in a foreign country will be higher.
- Buy travel insurance
You make perfect plans for a cheap but wonderful vacation. But all these plans can go kaput if there is an emergency on the trip or you have to cancel your trip at the last minute. Especially medical emergency can be expensive during your travel through a foreign country.
Wait! Don’t hit the panic button yet. There is an easier way of managing such unforeseen emergencies. Buy a good travel medical insurance which will help you manage these types of emergencies.
While in the foreign location your normal Mediclaim does not cover emergency healthcare costs. But, with a good travel medical insurance, you can ensure cashless hospitalization in case of emergency and save precious cash on a foreign trip.
- Watch out for deals
You may sign up for all the airline mailing lists and look out for a special deal. You may redeem your credit card points for the air ticket as well.
- Stay with locals
Contact service providers who connect travellers with locals who are agreeable to let them stay with them for free. You may easily – save on accommodation. You are either offered a room, at times a couch or just an air mattress, but most importantly it’s free.
- Cook your meals
Travelling doesn’t mean you need to eat out every meal. It is simply meaningless to spend lots of money on food during your trip. You can try some cooking using the local ingredients and save money.
- Get city tourist cards
Planning to see a lot of sights in a city? Look for a city tourism card. This offers you economical and free access to the key attractions as well as free/discounted public transportation.
- Use student and other discount cards
If you are a full-time student, you can register yourself for International Student Identity Card and enjoy discounts on flight tickets and hotels in over 130 countries.
- Shop at the member stores
All major airlines give extraordinary offers to all the big stores. Shopping from these stores will earn you 2–4 miles per dollar spent, at times even more.
Travel cheap by taking the right measures
Another level of costs that no traveller likes to factor in the travel budget is the cost of emergencies. The best way to take care of such costs is to use travel insurance. The cost of reliable healthcare facilities can be high in foreign countries. Travel medical insurance works as a cushion for you in such cases, by offering cashless hospitalization.
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