If you have been planning to travel again anytime soon, you should definitely take note of these practical and valuable tips for saving money:
1. Use a Travel Agency
In using a travel agency, you get to ride on their bulk discounts. These are the benefits they get from booking many people at the same time. Besides, the hours you waste on planning the trip from scratch are better off utilized for other things that are more productive.
2. Read Travel ReviewsOpen Book
A lot of travelers tend to forego these reviews. You should definitely read on official travel reviews from well-known sources on the Internet and also in offline magazines. These will give you an idea about the places you can go to and the cheaper options you can avail in the different aspects of your travel.
3. Consider the “Long Cut”
If you’re going somewhere where you can opt to take the train or the bus for a longer but cheaper ride, go for it. Ask your travel agent about the rates and available schedules. This can give you some alone time and allow you to rest and get lost in your own thoughts, or perhaps even discover some treats or hidden beautiful places along the way. If you are with companions, take this time to just strengthen that bond with one another so that you can have more fun together when you get to your destination.
4. Try Street Foods
From time to time, you ought to try the street foods or food carts wherever you’re going. They must have their own versions of these. This is an adventurous, affordable take on traveling in a new place.
5. Get Packages
It’s always more practical to get packages such as when you’re traveling with a group or when you purchase tour packages that have freebies and discounts incorporated in them. You can definitely get such packages from a great travel agency.
6. Pack Light
Always try to pack light so that you’ll have room for souvenirs and a little shopping without getting charged for excess baggage.
7. Use Those Miles
If you are traveling by air, you really should use those frequent flyer miles already instead of keeping them for future use. You never know if you’ll actually get to use them later on for a bigger trip. Besides, these miles have expirations.
8. Try Backpacking
If you really want to save on some bucks and also try a more exciting itinerary and route as a traveler, you should definitely give backpacking a shot. A lot of people have done this and had great feedback. Discover more of the local flavor of a place by roughing it up and trying out more of the local stuff instead of tourist spots.
9. Go for Cool but Cheap
Research on cool but cheap dining places and attractions to go to. You may also ask family, friends, and your travel agency for recommendations. Some travel agents are quite knowledgeable about these.
10. Bring All Essentials
Lastly, make sure to bring all the essentials that are sufficient for the entire travel time. You don’t want to suddenly run out of deodorant and have to buy one in a place where all deodorants are expensive. You don’t want to forget your swimming attire and have to buy it at the beach where the shops sell only designer ones. It’s best to be sure than sorry and buried in credit card debt.