Travelling is a considered a luxury expense and most people find a way to make it happen. As the industry grows costs have come down compared to previous years due to the competition in the industry. Now while its getting harder to save money on things like air travel due to the cost of their business going up while smaller carriers are eating into their profits due to their lower costs. However, enough though it is “hard” it’s not impossible. Here are a few general ways to save some a few $$ here and there.
- Subscribe to company’s newsletters and emails to keep up to date on their discounts, offers, and deals. Sometimes they will even do flash sales where they send out special codes to just their subscribers.
- Know the measurements of your suit case. This will help prevent you from being charged oversized and/or weight luggage fees which can get pretty pricy. I was over 5 LBS when trying to get home from Amsterdam and they wanted to charge me 40 Euro for it. This led to me splaying my suit case out on the airport floor while I tried to cram as much into my carry on as possible. This has also prevented me from having to check my carry on due to it being oversized. Some countries are extremely strict on the size so make sure to check!
- Take the red eye. Sometimes these flights are less popular so you can save some money on the flight but the main reason for this is that you save one nights accommodation. Sure you might be jet lagged but you will arrive in your city early enough to enjoy the day and not have to spend the money on your hotel. Just drop your bags at the hotel, explore, and then come back at check in time.
- If you are booking a package, all-inclusive, or a cruise compare and contrast inclusions as well as read the fine print! Some luxury cruises include flights, excursions, premium food, and higher end alcohol in their prices. If this is important to you or you need to fly a great distance then it might work out to be a better deal for you than booking a cheaper cruise and then paying for everything a la carte. While it might take a while to look over everything it might save you thousands of dollars in the long run. If you don’t have the time to go through everything then reach out to a travel agent that specialized in cruises as they will have the expertise to match what you want / need to the cruise line for you.
- Depending on the city / country you are goin to, take public transit. Some places it might not be the best option or it might take a lot time to get where you are going but if it is safe, going where you need to go, and not in a hurry then public transit can save a lot of money. If you want to save even more money then just walk! You can see a lot more and explore things as you come across them so its a great option if you can.
- Check to see if your hotel has a complimentary shuttle. These shuttles can help ease the cost of getting around a city when you first land or are getting ready to leave. DisneyWorld resorts for example have a free coach service that goes directly from the departures area of Orlando (MCO) Airport to your resort which is a lot cheaper then taking a cab or renting a car. Some hotels even have access to shuttles of privately owned cars (some Fairmonts have Bentley’s for example) that are willing to drive guests within a certain radius of the hotel; usually on a first come, first-serve basis.
- Picking up a rental car? Don’t book it for pick up at the airport. 99% of airports charge additional “airport fees” which can increase the cost of the rental by a lot. If you don’t want to go hunting around for a car rental when you first land, some rental agencies have off site locations that will send shuttles to pick you up at the airport. This is a great way to save some money if you need to get a rental from the airport.
- Speaking of cars, make sure you research local traffic laws (ex. What side of the road to drive on) as the best way to increase the cost of a car rental is to get a ticket. Normally car rental agencies will get the ticket from the police department / government. They then will send the ticket onto you but not only do you have to pay the ticket directly to the issuing agency, you will also have to pay either a fine or or office fee for the car rental agency to process the ticket and send it to you. Some countries like Italy are known for difficult to see and read street signs so check for recommendations before you go. Another side tip, some cities like Orlando have a ton of tolls, check to see if these tolls are covered by the rental agency or if you need to pay for these things yourself (fyi, make sure to have coins to pay them as they don’t take credit card or paper money).
- Home stay or couch surf instead of hotels or hostels These are usually more authentic and cheaper but make sure to do your research as these might not live up to the quality you expect or even be what they advertise.
- Sure you might be on vacation but room service and mini bars add to the bill and quick. Stay away!
- Instead of booking just the Lowe’s rate available when looking at a hotel, check out their packages. Sometimes hotels will offer breakfast or even museum tickets with their rooms which may work out saving you in the long run. Take a look at the price of breakfast normally at the hotel as well as what the tickets would cost for you to buy outright to see if it would be worthwhile. Even though hotel breakfasts are usually expensive not all cities / countries are breakfast people. When in Amsterdam I was headed to a group tour but left our hotel a bit earlier to grab breakfast. I could not find anything to eat as the bakeries I’d normally grab food at were closed and there were not any restaurants open expect the one in the hotels which were more expensive than eating at my hotel as they were in the core. Talk about Murphy’ law!
- When it doe come to eating, visit local places as the prices will normally be lower and the portions larger.
- After you’ve eaten, it’s time for the bill. Read it carefully to make sure you are being charged for the right items as well as at the right price. On top of that, check to see if there is a “service charge” or a “tip” already included in the total. Some countries will feature a service charge in lieu of a tip so you won’t have to add it on top.
- If you feel like drinking, grab some at the liquor store and drink at the hotel. If you are in a social setting pass on the booze as these can be pricy and add up fast.
- Don’t exchange money at the airport if you don’t need to (some countries you don’t have an option...). If you can keep an eye on the exchange rates and buy them at home before heading out on your trip.
- Carry your ID on you and check your age. Countries have different ages for students and seniors which would may allow you to save a few bucks just because you fit within these age ranges.
- Turn off your date. Roaming can be a real killer and phones these days are always connected to keep things downloading in the background (emails) to voicemails as well as picture messages. You might not even realize that that your phone is using it but it is so make sure o turn it off before you take off.
- Look into tourist passes for train trips and other transportations. Europe is especially known for providing discount passes to train travellers but you can only get them f you buy the passes before you arrive in Europe. If you are going to be using transit to get around then this might be for you.
There you have it, a list of some of the basic ways you can help yourself save money on your next trip. Were they obvious? Are there any we are missing? Anything you can recommend? Drop us a line and let us know!
