How to Travel More Without Spending More
Travel is a fundamentally important part of an active and fulfilled life. Everyone needs a holiday at some point, whether snowed-under with work stress or simply in need of a change of scenery; unfortunately, our finances often dictate our movements more than our needs do.
Holidays don’t need to be expensive affairs to be the break you need, though. With some shrewd thinking and a careful approach to constructing your trip, you can still see the world without threatening the sanctity of your emergency fund. Here’s a handful of tips to help you build the inexpensive trip of your dreams.
Flexibility Is Your Best Travel Tool
First and foremost, it’s important to stay flexible. It’s alright to have an ideal set of dates within which to travel, but having some wiggle-room will give you more space to make bigger savings. The more flexibility you have, the better! This isn’t just true for booking your travel there and back (for reasons we’ll touch on shortly), but also for anything you’d like to do during your trip. Having the freedom to move experiences around within your holiday means you can avail of cheaper off-peak pricing and more convenient travel options – like public transport over taxis.
Snagging Flight Deals That Save Big
The two big expenses for any big trip are, easily, travel and accommodation. Travel is an easy problem to solve if you have the time, and a huge gateaway to cheap holidays if approached with the right frame of mind. Scanning online comparison sites for the best deal is a given, but there’s also value in keeping an eye out for last-minute trips that may be heavily discounted – another reason for which flexibility can be a great money-saving virtue to possess.
Why Off-Season Travel Wins Every Time
Here, perhaps the biggest win from being flexible as a traveller: the glory of off-season pricing. Every destination as an ‘on-season’, when the most tourists are likely to descend. These times are, naturally, the most expensive times to travel – and can also be the worst, as you find yourself fighting fellow travellers for a tour of the Eiffel Tower or the best spot on the beach.
The off season, then, is the time at which tourists are least likely to travel somewhere, whether due to the climate or to the end of a huge cultural festival that would otherwise draw them. During these times, hotels cut their prices to entice travellers, and costs are cut elsewhere too – including travel. The off-season is not only cheaper, but quieter, giving you more chance to actually enjoy your trip!
Maximising Your Budget
It’s the day-to-day costs that can run up a travel bill, though; while accommodation and flights are fixed costs paid early, impulse buys and daily food expenses are less predictable. A good way to keep these costs down is to make your own food where possible; even bread and cheese for a simple sandwich can be cheap, filling, and, depending on where you are, the most delicious sandwich you’ve ever eaten in your entire life.
