Budget Travel Tips
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Travel can be expensive, there's no doubt about it, however, there are ways to spend less on travel. There are many money saving tips for travel. Below are "Top 10 Tips to Save Money On Travel" selected as some of the easiest & most efficient ways to save the most, so travel doesn't have to be as expensive.
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Photo Credit: Google
Technology has made it much easier to make more informed price decisions by providing price transparency tools to compare prices. Google Flights provides price transparency on flights to determine the best price option and best time to book. Google Explore provides a wider search for flexible dates & destinations to provide the lowest price option with filters by interest, flight duration, airline or program, cost, etc. to use to spend less on flights.
Flying weekends, especially holiday weekends, and over the Summer is the most expensive time to travel & fly. Using Google Flights or Explore provides flight prices to determine the cheapest time to fly & book. Google notes the cheapest time to book flights is typically 2-5 months before the flight. January-early March and Tuesdays & Wednesday typically have cheaper flight options.
Photo Credit: Google
Photo Credit: United Airlines
Photo Credit: Easy Travel Points
Photo Credit: Chase Travel
Use Airline Price Lock Options
Many airlines now offer a price lock option providing the ability to lock in the current price for up to 14 days for a small amount. United Airlines for example allows a FareLock on certain flights for up to 14 days for a nominal $15. This provides the ability to see if the price reduces within that window and delay paying for the reservation until the end of the lock period.
Use a Travel Focused Credit Card
Using a credit card that specializes in travel, like a Chase Sapphire is a great way to save money on travel. Points are accumulated on all spend with extra points earned on travel & dining. Points can then be used to book travel through Chase's Travel platform or by transferring points to airline or hotel companies to book direct. They also include travel insurance and no FX fee. Plus, the Chase Sapphire Reserve provides airport lounge access through Priority Pass saving money at the airport on food & beverages.
Use Miles & Reward Points
Using airline miles and credit card or hotel reward points is a great way to reduce travel costs. Check mileage requirements for flights using flexible dates. Use a credit card that specializes in travel, like a Chase Sapphire to accumulate points transferable to airlines as miles or to book travel directly on their booking platform. Book accommodations through a booking site like Hotels.com that allow users to accumulate credits to use on future bookings. Use a combination of points and money for additional flexibility.
Travel To Lower Cost Locations
Sometimes saving money on travel is as simple as traveling to lower cost destinations. The flight to get there may cost more & take longer, but be offset by the lower cost accommodations, activities and F&B. Condé Nast Traveler creates an annual list of "Cheap Places to Travel" for ideas on lower cost countries to visit. Some of the places I've found less expensive to visit, include: Morocco, Mexico City, Cartagena, Croatia and New Mexico to name a few.
I'm a firm believer that a cruise is one of the most efficient & cost effective ways to travel. So much so that I wrote a Cruising Guide on it to check out! Cruises benefit from economies of scale of having hundreds to thousands of people on the same travel schedule. It's also a good way to budget how much will be spent, because the cruise includes accommodations, transportation, food & beverages, and entertainment in one convenient packaged price with the ability to add airfare & excursions for a good idea of the total trip price.
Another example of travel economies of scale is a Group Trip. Group Trips are often more affordable than traveling individually with shared costs and easier to budget for with one price that covers the majority of the trip costs, excluding airfare. They also provide a better travel experience with most arrangements planned for you and hosted by a local and/ or travel expert. Email me to learn more about Group Trips!
Use Low Cost Transportation
Walking or biking is the best way to see a place and the most cost effective too. Taking public transportation, especially if available from the airport, is another big cost saving tool when traveling. Taking a hop-on-hop-off bus where available can also be a great, less expensive way to get around to see the main sights quicker than walking and at a reasonable cost with an audio guide too. Google Maps makes it easy to navigate walking or taking public transit.
Embrace Free Activities
The best part of travel (IMO) is wandering around exploring the sights & sounds of the destination taking in the buildings, nature & atmosphere. Many museums are also often free in many places. There are also Free Tours (tip based) in many places instead of spending money on paid ones. Other free activity ideas include going to the beach or park, hiking, and camping. While not free, having a picnic is a nice way to enjoy a meal for less than dining out.
For more tools to save money for & on travel, check out the Budget Travel Gifts!