Travel is a passion most people share, if only in word. The truth is, with astronomical travel expenses staring you in the face, it is usually much easier to just flip through posts on Instagram and dream of what might have been.
If you’re serious about traveling to your dream locations-whatever your motivations-the trip does not have to break your bank. While you travel, here are some tips to save money and leave you with some cash left behind after you get home.
Travel in a group
Some travel sites, airlines, hotels and restaurants have discount policies for people traveling in groups greater than five. This increases your chances of getting better deals that can be split between the people in the group, easier on everyone’s pockets.
Find discounted accommodation
Whether it’s by crashing on a friend’s couch, or staying in a hostel, or pooling resources together with your travel buddies to rent a hotel room, accommodation costs can always be offset to save money. Ask the hotels for discounts, stay in bed-and-breakfasts that don’t charge full rates for the day, or find friends of friends that stay in the same city and couch surf. Whatever you can do to keep a few bucks aside.
Get cozy with the locals
Want to know the best spots with the cheapest booze and fun atmospheres? You need to interact with the locals! They are bound to know the hottest places that the travel guide might never even scratch, you will discover hidden gems-cheap, too. Who knows, you might make friends that make the rest of your stay easier. (Beware of stranger danger though.)
Travel at night
If you travel between cities at night, you can get to sleep on the plane or on the bus and spend your days touring and exploring. Imagine a five-day trip but with only three days of accommodation needed: because you travelled at night. you can pocket the extra cash and give your thrifty self on the back.
Use public transport
When you get to a new city, one of the first things you should acquaint yourself (after the best local food spots) with is the bus and train schedule there. Personal taxi services are expensive, so why not travel like the locals and save money? Take the bus, take a tricycle or a bike and get to where you’re going without stress (okay, maybe a little stress). After all, the whole point is to get the whole experience from wherever you go.
Buy food at the market
Opting for expensive restaurant meals is bound to put a drain on your pocket, and you might not get the chance to sample the local cuisine to your taste. Instead, consider buying street food at the local markets and making your own meals from what you can get at the market. You should visit the markets (not supermarkets) for the culture, the color, and the immersive travel experience. Nothing rounds off a trip to a new locale like eating the delicious street food-it tells you more about the people than any written tour guide ever will!
With these tips that save money, you’ll find that you’ll get much more out of your travel experience. Travelers are students of the world. All you need is to pack a bag, make a schedule, and go!
