There is a famous quote that says “travel is the only thing we buy that makes us richer”, but not when we have a problem making the right choices and respecting our spending limits. Yes, we may get mentally rich and emotionally stable, but we will definitely be financially drained.
When we travel, we found ourselves losing more money than we anticipated due to the many attractions and adventures we feel the urge to purchase and try.
But with a little rational thinking and a lot of self-control, we will manage to travel the world and enjoy our vacation in a cheaper way. Not only by picking cheap hotels with free Wi-Fi, but by following a few tips that are unpopular but extremely beneficial.
If seeing the world is your dream and the half-full wallet is your obstacle, then you will need to know all the 9 secrets to travel without going back home broke. We collected for you the greatest ones that were tested and worked like a charm.
Assembled Routes
Instead of using a single transportation towards your destination, you can combine two and it will help you save a lot. The secret here is you should find different tickets that will take you to your destination.
For instance, you can travel by airplane towards Rome, and then take a train to reach Venice. This is a cheaper way than a direct flight to Venice.
Bikes instead of cars
If you were traveling solo or with friends, then this is a great tip:
Renting a car helps ease going from here to there. But in big cities, the prices of these rental cars might be a little too much, especially if you are willing to spend a week or more in that country, which is why renting a bike would be so much cheaper, easier, and healthier. Plus, you will be relieved from all the parking issues and the traffic.
PS: using public transportation is cheaper than renting a car, too.
Find Special Offers
There are many special offers for tourists everywhere. If you looked for them, you won’t be disappointed. Here are a few great deals that you may find beneficial:
– 2 people can use all public transportation for a day with only €31 in Bavaria.
– If you bought a train ticket in the UK, you will get the second one for free to get to many popular places.
– €31 is also the price for a single-use ticket to get to Neuschwanstein castle from Munich.
Backpacks over suitcases
As many of you know, airlines have reduced the prices for light travelers, which is perfect to save money and travel comfortably.
We might want to take many items and luggage with us, but did you know that flying from Billund in Denmark to Berlin by Ryanair will cost you only £1 if you traveled lightly? If you booked a ticket of the same airline with a luggage, you will pay £15.
Apartments Vs. hotels
Hotels are the first thing we consider when we travel, whether inside or outside the States. But apartments have an advantage that hotels can’t provide: kitchens!
Saving money will be so much easier when you have your own kitchen where you can cook your own food. It will be equally healthy and wallet-friendly because we know how expensive restaurants can be.
Plus, vegetables, fruits and meat are way cheaper than we could ever expect. These are the most popular apartment booking services: HomeAway, Airbnb, Thehomelike, and 9Flats.
Free Museums
There are many great museums that offer free entrance for a few hours or days, while there are others in the Uk and The United States that don’t have a stable entrance fee, which means there are days when we can visit them and save quite a lot of money.
Here are a few international museum offers:
– The Colosseum, Italy, admits visitors for free on every first Sunday of the month.
– The Prado Museum, Madrid, is free the whole week except Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m.
– Most museums in Morocco are always free on Fridays.
Don’t stick to one date
Often, the prices of flights change daily, which means it could be cheaper a few days before or after you are planning to book your ticket. In order to make sure you’ve got the best deal, don’t stick to one date and use a low-cost calendar. There many online sites that offer such function, including Fly.com.
Pay in local currency with your card
While in restaurants or stores, if you were given the option to choose between paying with your currency or the local currency when using your credit card, always pick the local one.
In case you paid with your currency, the money will be twice or three times converted, which means 10% extra charges. But pay attention to the currency change and all those details when choosing your destination, especially if you were traveling abroad.
Use local search engines
There are many large search engines that overlook local airlines and hotel networks with the most interesting deals and offers like Skyscanner and Booking.com. So spend more time searching at local search engines of the country you are traveling to in order to save more money.
Ctrip and Agoda are great search engines to find great hotels in Asian countries, while you can find great offers in Australia and New Zealand using Wotif.