Brilliant Ways To Make Your Travel Budget Stretch Further
Travelling affords us magical experiences and incredible opportunities to explore new places and meet new people, but it can be expensive. Many of us would love to travel more, but often, cost is a barrier. If you’re longing to plan a trip, it’s beneficial to make your money stretch as far as possible. In this guide, we’ll share some brilliant ways to travel without blowing the budget.
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Try to be as flexible as possible
Being flexible is one of the best ways to save money on taking vacations or backpacking around the world. If you’re flexible when it comes to dates, locations and times, you could save a fortune on everything from flights and hotels to excursions and transfers. It’s particularly beneficial to consider different dates and times when booking flights. The cost of a flight can vary hugely depending on when you want to travel. Flying during the high season is usually significantly more expensive and you may also pay more to travel on certain days of the week. Weekend trips are very popular, so flights on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays tend to be more expensive. When you search for flights online, tick the box that offers a week or month of fares rather than the chosen dates only. This will give you a range of prices to choose from.
If you’re booking flights and you’re trying to save money, you could also consider stopping off rather than going on a direct flight. This could reduce the price dramatically.
Compare prices
Comparing prices is a golden rule when planning holidays or booking flights, accommodation, car rental, transfers and tours. Comparison sites and search engines allow us to shop around for the best deals at the touch of a button. Take a few minutes to compare car rental rates, hotel prices, flight costs, tour prices and transfers before you book anything or pay any money. You may be surprised at how much you could save simply by choosing one company or website over another.
When you use comparison sites or research online, always ensure that you read the offer details or price breakdown. Compare the total cost of different products, services or packages and look for the best value offer. You might find that websites advertise low prices and then add extras later, which increases the cost significantly. Buying a package that includes all the extras can often work out cheaper. It’s also crucial to use reputable websites and reliable, legitimate companies, tour operators and travel agencies.
Take advantage of deals and offers
Competition is fierce in the travel industry, which means that airlines, operators and travel companies often go out of their way to lure customers in with special offers and enticing deals. If you’re hoping to get away, it’s a great idea to keep your eyes peeled for promotions like flash sales and discount codes. Follow travel agencies and airlines on social media and subscribe to discount sites to hear about offers first. It’s also useful to check for discounts if you are a member of a loyalty scheme. If you’ve found a holiday or hotel that you’re desperate to book, check the Internet for valid coupons or codes before you confirm your booking.
Get off the beaten track
The demand for vacations, tours and trips to specific locations drives prices up. If you plan to visit a tourist hotspot or a place that everyone is talking about all of a sudden, you’ll find that prices are higher. If you’re willing to get off the beaten track and explore areas that aren’t on the cover of every travel magazine or guidebook, you could save a lot of money. This is not always the case, as far-flung destinations are often more expensive to reach, but it can be a good tactic, especially for city breaks. While it’s usually relatively expensive to visit places like Paris, Rome, New York, London and Dubai, there are amazing deals available for less high-profile city break destinations. Be prepared to explore new ideas and expand your search area. Following travel accounts on social media, reading blogs and looking at lists of up-and-coming resorts and locations are fantastic ways to get inspiration.
Most of us would love to take more holidays and see more of the world, but this may not be financially viable. If you’re on a budget, there are lots of ways to make your money stretch further. Try to be as flexible as possible, compare prices before you buy, look out for savings and special offers and get off the beaten tourist track.
