With the endless cycle of bills, responsibilities and life’s troubles, travel has always been a luxury many couldn’t afford. And who blames them? Why would I spend lots of money on a trip to Bali when am yet to raise my daughter’s college fund? However, it is no secret that travel can put a massive dent in your savings account if you are callous in your approach.
Since the turn of the millennium, technological advancements have changed the tide. The once exotic experiences only affordable to the rich are now open season. The riveting competition in the industry has brought up so many programs that you can leverage to enjoy that once-in-a-lifetime experience and cross off your bucket list. Here are a few ways you can travel cheap today.
Leverage Points on a travel card
Imagine getting your dream trip all because you made some grocery runs. With the onslaught of various travel card providers, it is rather sinister to use savings for a trip. Instead, you must figure out how much you are spending regularly and use your travel card to make the payments.
Whereas money doesn’t grow on trees, earning credit card points will make you think otherwise. Swipe using the card to earn points and miles, which you can later pay for hotels and flights to your destination. Needless to say, good credit health is paramount as the interest rates and interest will outweigh the rewards on the monthly balance. Nevertheless, the points reward is an excellent way to cut down the expense of your dream vacation.
Travel off-season
Ideally, traveling cheap depends on how well you bootstrap your expenditure before and during the trip. One of the most effective ways to travel cheaply is going off-season. Everyone loves a summer vacation to the Caribbean, but so do hoteliers. They love the boatloads of money you leave when you travel in the peak season.
Traveling off-season means you will get stunning services at a cut price as you update your bucket list. For example, the Canary Islands are top destinations during the summer (which ends in August), and setting off in September is a profitable way to enjoy the beach while paying way less than summer vacationers.
Settle for a budget airline
What matters is the destination and not having your feet up en route. One of the most significant expenses of traveling is transport. So, hacking this means you have mastered the art of having a great vacation without breaking your bank account. Budget airlines are a great way to save money, especially on regional flights, but you must be willing to sacrifice comfort.
The trick is to do extensive research on the cheapest options and delve further into when the most affordable flights go out every week before booking a flight. Also, determine if the costs of a window seat and an aisle seat differ. Traveling light is another way to reduce baggage fees on a budget airline.
Put up in an Airbnb
Room service, swimming pool and gym are some amenities hotels offer, but they don’t come cheap. Hotels are often a soothing travel experience, but half the time, we don’t even use the gym or sauna during our stay. Putting up an Airbnb could be the answer to cutting your lodging fees while on vacation.
Staying in an Airbnb has several perks that might help you cut expenses. For one, you can negotiate with the lister on lodging fees. Also, you can bring your food. Airbnb is the perfect choice if you want to scour the land most of the day.
Take a road trip to your destination
As initially said, transport is often the most significant expense of a vacation. Therefore, shrewd ways such as a road trip could save you loads of money. And the best part is you don’t need to own the car. Carpooling is one of the cheapest ways to get around. It is no secret that flying is more expensive than riding a vehicle.
Sites like BlaBlaCar are a great way to widen your social network. The site connects travelers traveling in the same direction. It also verifies drivers and riders to ensure you are in great hands. Needless to say, due diligence is a must before getting into a car with a total stranger.
Volunteering
Just how badly do you want that dream vacation? WWOOF, which stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, is a platform that allows you to exchange your input on the farm for a free roof and food. Quite rudimentary, but it works. The program only takes that initial payment to get you on the firm. After that, the rest is sorted for the duration of your stay.
The program has been a great success for many travelers looking to get some mileage on the cheap. With a coverage of over 130 countries, 12000 hosts and 100,000 sign-ups, the program is an effective way to get around the globe. Some of the most popular WWOOF destinations include; Australia, Costa Rica, Portugal, New Zealand, Italy, France, and Hawaii.
Ditch the taxi
I believe one of the best ways to explore a city is on foot. And walking up to a specific site is the kind of drumroll you might need to appreciate its beauty fully. For example, most European cities are walkable, making it an ideal time to reduce transport costs.
The trick to mastering city walks is being familiar with maps. So, a life-size paper map or the google app should help you cut back on your costs.
Get rail passes
More popular in Europe, rail passes are the best way to save on travel between further apart regions on the train.
They are quite as effective when also moving within an area. If you book ahead, the ticket should cost half the price. The most popular provider in Europe is Eurail.
