Just because you travel on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself on vacation! These are seven of our favorite money-savings tips to keep in mind when traveling.
insert_invitation Travel During the Offseason
Cut your costs by traveling to your desired destination during the off-season! Start by researching popular travel times to your locations and try to plan around those dates. Traveling during less popular months helps you avoid a hike in prices, which makes hotels, flights, and attractions cheaper, plus there are fewer crowds! Peak travel times are often major holidays and school breaks such as spring break and summer.
monetization_on Discounts, discount, discounts
Lookout for free or discounted activities! Museums and local attractions sometimes offer free or discounted days or hours, which saves you on the cost of admission. Be sure to check online for coupons or discounted admission, call ahead, or speak to the hotel when you arrive about any discounts they have or are familiar with!
format_list_bulleted Plan Ahead
When traveling on a budget, it is important to plan. Planning out where you are staying, transportation, meals, souvenirs, and activities gives you a better idea of how much you can expect to spend. This helps keep your travel budget on track to avoid overspending.
local_grocery_store Visit local restaurants and the grocery store
Prices at local restaurants are often lower than restaurants in popular tourist locations. This not only saves you money in your food budget, but you get to experience more authentic and local food. Another way to easily save in this category is by going to a local grocery store once you arrive at your destination and purchase snacks, drinks, and even meals! Remember small transactions can add up over the course of your trip.
directions_car Take a Road Trip
To save money, try an alternative way of traveling! If your destination is reachable by car, take a road trip. Renting a car for a week can be cheaper than purchasing flights especially if a large group is traveling. An upside to taking a round trip is that you can stop in different locations and get more out of your trip!
rotate_right Be Flexible
Being flexible with your travel dates can help with the cost of flights, hotels, and even attractions! Hotel prices and flights often rise on the weekends, making flying and staying during the week cheaper. Most travel and hotel websites have calendars that will show you the dates with the lowest rates.
local_activity Rewards
Many individuals have and use credit cards that offer points/rewards but never take advantage of the rewards they have earned. Check with your credit card company, especially if it is a travel rewards card, to see if you can apply your rewards to travel, hotels, and attractions! Even if you can’t, most of these companies offer some sort of cardholder discount.
Looking for more TravelSmart tips? Read our article on Money Tips for International Travel!
