The annual vacation is something that most overworked folks today look forward to the whole year. But, like everything else in life, traveling too is getting expensive and can really eat into your savings if you aren’t careful. Here are a few dos and don’ts that can help you save money during travels.
1. Book the cheapest rooms
The whole point of traveling is to avoid having to sit in a room for too long. And this is where paying an exorbitant sum for a luxurious room with a view is entirely pointless. You can always soak in the view outside the hotel or through its restaurants and you only need a hotel room to keep your stuff safe and to sleep at night. Booking cheaper rooms without a view or without too many luxuries could help you save a lot.
2. Don’t be tempted to eat out at the finest joints
Eating out represents the third largest expense for travelers. But that is only when you eat at the finest restaurants in town. With a little research, you can easily find locally acclaimed, smaller eating joints that would help you authentic local cuisine. Just ask for bottled water and carry medicines if you are worried about tummy upsets.
3. Compare the cost of air tickets to rail or bus tickets
In most parts of the world, taking the train or bus is drastically cheaper than taking a flight. For travelers looking to save money during a trip, this fact can be quite crucial. Just remember to research the route, safety level and local railway/bus dos and don’ts and you could save hundreds of dollars per trip. Also, taking the bus or train help you appreciate the local landscape better than taking a flight does.
4. Skip the guided tour
Guided tours are somewhat unavoidable especially if you are traveling to a destination for the first time. But these can get very expensive and most guided need to be paid by the hour and tipped. But this expense can be easily avoided by spending a few hours on the internet before leaving for a trip. You can mark the “must see” spots in your destination, chalk out a sightseeing route and download and print information about them and enjoy them at your own leisure. Plus, you can always Google for more info about a particular tourist spot or monument instead of paying a guide for telling you just that in a strange accent.