The only downside about travelling is that it tends to cost a lot of money. Luckily, it doesn’t have to. Read on for tips and tricks to save money while traveling.
Be Smart About Accommodations
Staying in a five star hotel can cost hundreds of dollars a night. Try to find quality accommodations for less by checking out smaller hotels, sites like Airbnb and Hostels.com, and possibly staying outside the city limits. It may be worth the extra 20 minute drive every day to save $100/night.
Visit the Grocery Store
Instead of eating out for every meal, buy food at a local grocery store. When you go out, take snacks so that you aren’t tempted to buy something to eat in the tourist trap restaurants. Try to find hole-in-the-wall restaurants rather than going to the ones on the main roads.
Watch Flights
The most expensive part of any vacation is transportation costs. Try to get the best value for your flight by purchasing tickets early, and watching the prices. Once they start to go up, they’re not going to go back down, so grab them while prices are low. You can also save a bit by flying into a less popular airport, or by allowing layovers in your itinerary.
Check Local Deal Sites
Check deal sites such as Groupon and Livingsocial to see if you can get a discount on popular destinations. Many museums have discount days and other deals on their website, so see if you can find something before you go. Just make sure that you do your research and only buy from legitimate sites, or you may end up with fake tickets.
Try Public Transportation
Renting a car can be expensive, not to mention the cost of gas and tolls that you will also have to pay. Check out the public transportation in the area you will be visiting and see if you can get to where you want to by using it. You can easily save hundreds of dollars on your trip.
Save and Avoid Using a Credit Card
Using a credit card to pay for your trip can double it’s cost due to interest. Instead of financing your trip with your card, be smart and save up before you go. You can use your card on your trip (it’s much safer than carrying around cash), just make sure that you have enough set aside to pay it off at the end of the month.