“You don’t have to be rich to travel well.” – Eugene Fodor
Do you want to save money on your trip abroad? Most people think that you have to be rich to travel somewhere far away. Travelling is equivalent to excess cash that someone else might spend on leisure activities. But is that really so? Believe it or not, many people who are as average as you and I can still travel. Traveling is a way to relieve stress and explore the places that are far away from you.
Most of the time it is a dream to travel to a foreign country, or perhaps just to the next province or city you have not been to yet. As long as you don’t know a place or haven’t been to a certain place, it could count as a foreign country already. The excitement is there, but there are also fears. Can you afford the travel and the free time? Will room and board be within your means?
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50 Best Travel Tips To Save Money
Wherever you go, you just have to think about how to budget well. Here are 50 tips on how to save your money when you travel abroad.
1. Research in advance places and activities at affordable prices that you can visit in the foreign country you plan to visit. If you know the right places and activities before you actually set foot in the country itself, you can save a lot of money because you already know where to go and what to do with your time.
2. Get plane tickets in advance. If you buy your airline tickets in advance, you will receive discounts. You can also benefit from the airline tickets that are sold during the promotional periods to make sure that you really save a lot of money. Most of the time, you can save more or less than half of the actual ticket cost with tickets that are booked in advance and purchased several months before the flight itself.
3. Buy round-trip tickets. If you buy your ticket and plan to go home, it is best to buy round-trip tickets. It’s cheaper and you can save a lot of money. You can also choose connecting flights instead of direct flights.
4. Pack your baggage carefully. Make sure that it is within your baggage allowance to ensure that you are not overweight. It is also advisable to keep all your things in one piece of luggage, as some airlines now charge extra if you have two or more pieces of luggage.
5. Do not ‘stop for coffee’. Although coffee is sometimes a necessity, you can save more by reducing your coffee costs. Why not use water instead? It is a fairly healthy substitute for coffee and any other drink that might cost you more.
“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
6. Cook your own food. This is best if you plan to stay in the foreign country for a long time. Although it is most convenient to simply eat in a restaurant, you will save more money than you could ever imagine if you cook for yourself. Remember that restaurants now charge more.
7. If you cannot cook and prefer to eat out, plan your meals in advance. Look for restaurants that offer affordable prices, but don’t compromise the taste and quality of the food. There are many great restaurants in the area that do not necessarily offer fine food but taste just as good as these expensive dishes.
8. A reusable water bottle can sometimes be very useful. You don’t expect not to get thirsty during the whole trip, do you? It’s best to have a water bottle that you can easily refill when you need it, instead of spending a few extra dollars to buy another bottle of mineral water.
9. If possible, avoid eating breakfast at the hotel where you are staying (unless your accommodation has a free breakfast), as hotel rates are more expensive compared to other catering establishments in the area. Why not take a walk around the block? You may find many local cafes serving good food.
10. Have a bigger lunch than dinner. Dinner is more expensive compared to lunch. To save money, it is best to have a sumptuous lunch and a light dinner. Remember the old adage “Eat like a king in the morning and a beggar in the evening” as it promotes healthier eating habits.
“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill
11. Use public transport when you travel from one place to another Public transport is much cheaper than renting a private car. You can save a lot of money by cutting yourself off from car rental companies. It is also a way for you to interact with the locals.
12. If you really want to rent a car for your personal use, you must check and specify the car rental services you will use. Look for car rental companies that offer promotions and coupon codes. This can save you several dollars.
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13. Another thing to consider when renting a car is the size of the car. Remember that size matters, so the bigger the car you choose, the more you will have to pay. If a small car is enough for your needs, then you only need to rent a small car and not a bigger one.
14. Travel in groups or look for a partner. From travel expenses to accommodation, you can save a lot if someone pays half the bill for you. There are also a lot of special offers & discounts for people traveling in twos or in larger groups.
15. Use a travel credit card. As we are already in the age of credit cards, you should choose a travel-specific credit card. Once you have a travel credit card, you can get free flights, free accommodation, and other free offers reserved specifically for travelers.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine
16. In travel newsletters, you will receive many updates as well as advertising discounts. Take a look at the sign-up letters, which give you the opportunity to learn about the last minute and exclusive offers from travel agencies, hotels, and airlines that you can take advantage of.
17. Do you know what couch-surfing is? If you really want to save money, you can build a network of couch-surfers, who are people more than willing to give you their homes for free. But remember that this does not mean that you will have your own room. They can offer you a free bed, a couch, or even a free space on their floor. The important thing is that you can reduce your accommodation costs.
18. If there are metros and trains, you can get their unlimited tickets (if they are available). Even though you will pay a higher amount to start with compared to single tickets, you can use them indefinitely for some time, so you will be saved from your transport costs in the long run.
19. If you have to make long journeys, you may consider a night trip, as this means that you can sleep on the bus, train or other means of transport. This also saves you the price of an overnight stay.
20. If your budget is very tight but you still want to travel, you can always choose to travel to low-cost countries. There are many countries you can visit that are much cheaper than European and other expensive countries, without compromising the quality and fun you can get by visiting expensive countries.
“When overseas you learn more about your own country, than you do the place you’re visiting.” – Clint Borgen
21. With tourist cards, you can get free tickets and other discounts. You can use the tourist cards in the country or place you want to visit, and you can be sure that you will save more money than you could ever imagine.
22. Stay away from paying bank fees. Basically, some travellers tend to spend more on their bank fees compared to the entire trip. Always remember that there can be bank charges when you withdraw cash internationally or even from buying stuff abroad. I recommend you use a no-fee international debit or credit cards.
22. Stay away from paying bank charges. Some travelers tend to spend more on their bank charges than on the entire trip. Always remember that bank charges may apply if you withdraw cash or even buy things abroad. I recommend that you use a no-fee international debit or credit card.
23. Late booking also has its advantages. It is true that you can get cheaper prices if you book earlier, but there are also cases where travel companies offer to sell the unsold seats they have right before the flight. While this is a bit risky as you can’t be sure that such seats will be available, the discounts can be as much as 50% or even more of the normal price.
24. Check your mobile phone. Most of the time, telecommunication companies tend to charge you roaming rates when you travel. Therefore, it’s best to buy a local sim card instead at the place you’re going to travel to and use it throughout your entire stay.
25. Bring your own snacks, especially at airports. Although catering at the airport is convenient, you can save a lot more money by bringing your own food while you wait for your flight.
“To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the most pleasant sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark
26. Take the opportunity for free entry on certain days or nights at museums and other attractions. There are certain days and nights when you can visit a museum for free, so you can reduce the entrance fee and add it to your savings.
27. Eat only what you can eat and do not order too much. This can relieve you of expenses and will also free you from gluttony. If you order food that you cannot even finish, it will be wasted. Unless you want to waste your money too?
28. Find out the cost of everything by asking the locals. If you know how much you have to pay for transportation from point A to point B or how much certain activities cost, then it will help you to pay the exact amount and no one will be able to charge you too much.
29. Call and text with online apps. To help you save on your telecommunications costs, you can simply use online apps like Viber, Skype, Google Hangouts, and many others when you want to contact someone.
30. Use free Wi-Fi. Many facilities already offer free Wi-Fi connections. Take advantage of this free service and continue your research into what you can do in the specific place you’re in.
“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
31. Go to a place in the off-season to avoid high expenses. Travel expenses, accommodation and other activities are lower in the low season than at times when the place attracts more tourists due to festivals and other things.
32. Home exchange is one option. If you really want to avoid paying accommodation fees, you can consider a house exchange. This is an agreement between you and another party that entitles you to use their apartment while they also use yours.
33. Camping allows you to save on your accommodation costs while you are in a foreign country. And camping also means more adventure than staying in comfortable hotel rooms.
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34. Walking is healthy for you and your money. If the place where you want to go is within walking distance, then you can choose to just walk. This saves you transport costs and keeps you healthy through exercise.
35. Street Food is great. Although there are health concerns associated with street food, most of it is generally safe, delicious, and apparently cheaper than other food in restaurants, cafes, and hotels.
“It is not down in any map; true places never are.” – Herman Melville
36. Do your own laundry. The laundry may cost more if you use laundry services. What you can do instead is to wash your clothes yourself to reduce your laundry costs.
37. Look for free activities such as watching the sunrise and sunset, enjoying the park, swimming at a public beach or lake, going to markets, or watching street parties and concerts. There are a lot of free things you can do if you just know where to look.
38. Make friends with the locals. Usually, the locals are very friendly to foreigners and other tourists in their area. If you make friends with them, you can get free things from food to accommodation. But the most important thing is that they will help you in the town.
39. Be careful with currency. Exchange rates can really affect the money you spend when you are in a foreign country. In this case you also need to know your limits if the currency is really too much for you.
40. Tax refunds are possible. Some countries may grant you a full or partial tax refund. Even if you may have to fill out certain forms and other proof that you bought your goods abroad, the hassle is still worth it as you can save a lot.
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag
41. Flexibility in travel can also mean more opportunity to save on travel costs, as there are days when some offers are cheaper if you travel the day before or after you originally decided to go.
42. Always look for the best deals, even if you have already made your plans. Offers are continuous and change all the time. For this reason, you should continue to look for offers that are best for your budget, even if you have already made your plans.
43. Make the grocery store your best friend. Hotel items are quite expensive, so it’s best to buy everything you need, from groceries to toiletries, in a grocery store, as they offer lower prices and you can save a lot.
44. Use your discount cards. From students to seniors, there are discounts that you can take advantage of upon presentation of your identity card and other membership cards.
45. Do not hesitate to ask your hotel for directions and other information you need to know before going out. Not only will they help you wherever you are going, but they will also guide you to the most convenient places if you ask for them.
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta
46. Rent an apartment instead of a hotel if you are planning a longer stay. The cost of an apartment is much lower than that of a hotel, and it will also give you a more homely feeling and atmosphere.
47. Stay away from the central part of the town, as it is common knowledge that accommodation located in the center of the district is always expensive compared to those located several blocks away.
48. Budget your daily expenses. If you limit yourself to spending a certain amount of money for the day, keep within your limits. If you have already reached your limit, do not buy anything else and buy it the next day instead. A nice budgeting app can make the task much easier.
49. Bring your own emergency medication when you travel, so that you don’t have to buy medication in the place you will go if you get diarrhea or sudden headaches from what you eat.
50. Shop in the local markets. You don’t necessarily have to shop in malls, but instead shop at their local markets, as prices will be slightly lower and you can also help the locals with their business.
These are the 50 best travel tips to save money when you travel overseas.
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