Do you want to travel the world but don’t have a travel budget idea? Are you finding a proper way to plan a travel trip within your budget? Then you are at the right place! Exploring the world and beautiful places doesn’t always mean to spend a hectic amount and for travelling to your favourite destinations you don’t need to win any lottery. Travel budget can easily be planned if you know how to spend your pennies. So we have created this guide for you with some tried and tested tips that will help you to plan your favourite holiday on a budget.
1. Come up with a plan
Do you travel a lot and spend a large amount on travelling only? Travelling without any planning is great but only if you have the large amount to spend and luxury of time to waste. But if you want to travel on a budget, then the very first thing you should do is to come up with a proper plan. Don’t worry, you don’t need to prepare a tight and hour-by-hour travel schedule. But all you should do is to at least have a rough idea about the journey and how long you are going to spend in each city or a country. Moreover, you should also know the route that your adventure will take. We suggest you book your flight ticket prior to the journey as last-minute flights are generally far more expensive than usuals.
2. Travel out of season
If you want to travel on a budget then we suggest you avoid most of the trips which you plan during the school holidays. The reason is pretty simple as this is the main season when most of the travel industry increase their prices so that they can take advantage of families with children who want to travel during these weeks. First research the best time to visit a specific area or your favourite destination then plan your trip just before or after those weeks. This theory is known as the ‘shoulder season’, where you will still have the best budget trip but maybe the sun would not shine quite as brightly and on the positive side, it wouldn’t be quite as hot. Moreover, most of the hotels and airlines decrease their prices to attract most of the travelers during this time.
3. Be accommodation-savvy
Don’t spend large money on hotels, instead exchange expensive hotel suites for dorm rooms in hostels. Sharing a room naturally divides the costs and communal bunk rooms offer the opportunity to meet people who might be keen to explore with you. Other great alternatives are websites like AirBnB and Couchsurfing, where you simply book a spare room in a local person’s house or apartment. It’ll halve the price and allow you an authentic snapshot of real life in the city.
Consider your host your very own, personal tour guide, filled with insider-tips for the best eateries and tourist spots in that neighbourhood.
You could even stay with family or friends. Reach out to people you know or plan a trip to somewhere that a long-lost cousin or school friend now lives – this could take you to visit places you’d never have thought of before.
4. Pack properly
Make sure to bring everything you require so that you can shop less while you are away. It does not actually matter where you are going, but we suggest you take at least a pair of long jeans, some warm hoodie and a rainproof coat for unpredictable weather incidents.
5. Book flights in advance
For a budget friendly trip, book your flights in advance. You should first book the return flights. Imagine you are running out of money abroad and you don’t have a guaranteed ticket to home. Some airlines start their flight booking up to a year in advance. It is quite cheaper because the closer you get to your departure date, the more the prices will increase, especially in the last days.
6. Be Smart and Logical about How You Fly
If you want to travel on a budget. Then instead of a weekend trip we suggest you travel on a Tuesday. But why? Mostly on the midweeks the travel prices are generally lower as premium is added to the weekend flights and you will also go through shorter queues at the airport for check-in desks and security. Fly in economy too! There is absolutely no need to upgrade, and it doesn’t matter how nice Business Class looks. This will only benefit you as the money you will save on cheap seats can be utilized on the food or on the accommodation when you arrive. Prefer Low-cost budget airlines as they are mostly fine for short flights and they regularly offer some cheap deals. But if you are planning a weekend trip then try to pack some light things and should only use hand luggage, which will save you a bit of money on hold luggage.
7. Embrace public transport
The most important tip for a budget friendly travel plan is to opt for public transport. It is a well known fact that buses and trains are quite cheaper than planes. It is that easy! Also a journey on an overnight train is less expensive which means you have one less night in a hotel or hostel to pay for!
8. Don’t eat away your cash
For a budget trip you should prefer cheap lunches over expensive treats. Cheap Lunches doesn’t mean you have to compromise with the taste. In fact it is the most delicious food that can be bought from any supermarket or even from any local fresh food market. So choose this option instead of choosing an overpriced cafe or restaurant. Apart from this, we suggest you to wander and explore different spots before choosing any place to eat dinner too. The reason for this is that if you just choose the first restaurant that you found then you might not know if you are overspending. On the other side, many hostels and spare rooms often let you have access to a kitchen for cooking, so if you want to save some more money, then you should prefer cooking by yourself.