How to safe money on travel
Most of us will have a budget when it comes to travelling. Even if it is a big budget we usually know how much we are willing to spend on a given trip. This article talks about how to safe money on travel, so you can travel more often and longer.
Florence in January
Pick the right destination
The best way to save money is to go to a cheap destination. Pick countries where living costs are lower and stay away from touristy hotspots. If you want to see Venice you can stay in Mestre for example and just take public transportation to Venice. If this is not an option, or there just isn’t a cheap alternative, go in off-season or shoulder season. You will get so see and do the same things with less crowds and for a cheaper price.
How to save on transportation
If you have unlimited time on your hand, you can get to pretty much every place for a bargain or for free (e.g. hitchhiking). But for most people who want to travel this isn’t the case. People have jobs and only get a limited number of days off per year. To get the most out of that, flights are usually the better alternative when travelling to far away destinations. The airfare is usually one of the major costs of a trip – therefore there is also a huge saving potential when booking flights.
Book early
The best way to save money on flights is to book early. If you book early there are many options and seats available and prices are lower. The closer you get to your desired departure date the more expensive tickets will get. In the worst case, you won’t even get a flight the day you’d like to go because it is booked out. Sure, there are also last-minute offers to be found, but they have never worked for me. You need to be very flexible on your departure date and book on short notice. Many of us working folks can’t do that. Also: if you have a specific destination in mind, chances aren’t high there will be a last-minute offer for that exact destination leaving exactly at your preferred departure airport.
What’s true for airfare is also true for some train and bus tickets. Book early and book online. This way you are guaranteed to get a seat and many times even get cheaper ticket prices.
Select the right departure and arrival airport
When selecting your departure and arrival airports always consider how you get to these airports and how much that will cost you. This is also part of your total transportation cost and time. The reason I’m saying this is because I’ve seen many friends and colleagues make this mistake. They would opt for a flight leaving from our capital city airport rather than our local airport because it’s 20€ cheaper. The local airport is just a 15 minute drive while the capital city airport is a 2 hour drive. At the local airport a friend or neighbor can just drop you off and pick you up. When going to the capital city airport you have to pay to park your car. So, they ended up paying more while it took them longer to get to their destination and back home.
Note: I’m well aware of the fact that a 2 hour drive to an airport isn’t much in many countries. Still, I think we can agree on the fact that 15 minutes is less than 2 hours. 😉 Many budget airlines will use less trafficked airports to be able to offer cheaper fares. I’m not saying do not use budget airlines: by all means, use them! Just be aware where the flights depart and arrive and how much it will cost you to get to where you want to go. Don’t forget to calculate the costs of getting to and from the airport.
Travel with only carry on luggage
Speaking of budget airlines: many of them will charge you extra for checked in luggage. Some of the bigger airlines also started offering cheaper tickets with only carry on included. Which is good news, because you can get some great deals if you only need carry on luggage. If you do want to check in a bag, make sure you have luggage included in your ticket price. Airlines charge you between 30 and 50 Euros for each bag for each direction. You might end up paying 100€ more for your flight, just because of additional checked in luggage.
Most of the times though you should be fine with carry on luggage. Yes, even if you stay at a destination for 6 weeks. Yes, even if you have to travel through different climate zones. Check out my tips on how to travel only with carry on luggage if you are not sure how to do it. Embrace the challenge: it will save you a lot of time and money.
Be flexible
Another factor when it comes to airfares is the day you want to fly. There are more and less popular times. In my experience Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays tend to be cheaper than other days of the week – not always but you should check it out. Use the +/- 3 days option when checking for flights on your preferred flight search engine. I’ve ended up saving a lot of money just because I planned trips from e.g. Wednesday to Wednesday instead of Saturday to Saturday.
How to save on local transportation
Once you arrive at your destination there’s the question how to get to your accommodation? There is always a cheap option to get from an airport to the city center. Check what locals do. Ask at the information desk when you arrive or even better: check out the airports website before you go there. They generally have a section ‘How to get to the airport’ listing all options. Opt for public transport rather than taxis.
Walk or rent a bike
When staying in a city center there are multiple options to get around: public transport, car rental, taxis, walking, renting a bicycle. To save money I recommend the following: If your destination is close enough and you don’t have to carry anything heavy, walk there. It will save you time because you don’t have to find and wait for the next bus or metro to go and save you some money. If public rental bikes are available and you feel comfortable biking, give it a try. You’re usually faster and more flexible than taking public transport because you are not limited to departure times and fixed routes. It’s also less tiring than being on your feet all day and prices are cheap.
Public Transport
If bikes are not available or you don’t feel comfortable riding a bicycle in a big foreign city, use public transport. Check the public transport of your destination before you go there. Make sure your accommodation is close to a metro/tram/bus station. It will make it easier to get around. Also: check the prices of the different ticket types offered.
There are different types of tickets: single rides, 10-ride packages, top up cards, day-passes or week-passes. Day and week passes are often offered to tourists. Check before you buy them: many times, the top-up cards or 10-ride packages are the cheaper option. Consider how many rides per day you will need. If you just need to go to a place in the morning and come home at night, generally the top-up cards or 10-ride packages are the better option. If you know you will go back and forth the city at least 4 times, the day pass will probably be cheaper. Check and compare prices before you go so you don’t buy expensive tickets under pressure because 10 other people are waiting to use the ticket machine.
Rental cars
Rental cars are a good option if you need to go somewhere outside city centers and public transport is not available, infrequent or slow. Depending on how many people are travelling with you, a rental car might even be cheaper than public transport as you can share the cost for the car but have to buy public transport tickets for each passenger separately. When planning to rent a car, make sure your accommodation offers free parking. Extra tip: many car rental companies offer to drop of and pick up the car for free. Pick locations that fit with your travel route. Let’s say you had a rental car in city A and are leaving by train for city B, why not choose to drop off the car at the train station? This way you don’t have to pay extra for the transport from your accommodation to the train station.
Taxis
Taxis are usually the most expensive means of transport. I only use them if nothing else is available or I don’t feel save walking or taking public transport. When booking your flight make sure you don’t arrive late at a destination. At night public transport can be infrequent, dangerous or stop altogether. Then the only option are taxis which will charge you much higher fares because there isn’t any alternative.
When taking taxis, make sure you only use registered taxi companies and make the driver turn on the meter. Always take your bag in the passenger cabin with you – don’t let the driver put it in the trunk. Sometimes Taxi drivers try to scam you and charge a higher price once you got in the cab. If the driver starts arguing and you have your bag in the trunk he can pretty much hold you hostage, if you’ve got your luggage with you, pay the price you agreed on initially and leave. Another thing that’s easier when travelling with only carry-on luggage.
How to save on food
The best way to save money on food is to do what locals do. Don’t go to restaurants in the very touristy places, avoid them. Ask locals where they like to go or if you don’t know any locals: check on tripadvisor for cheap restaurants with good ratings in your area.
Have your biggest meal for lunch. Many times, there are lunch menu options with cheaper prices. This way you can eat at nice restaurants and enjoy good food while paying less than if you’d go there for dinner.
Street food
Enjoy street food. This is not only cheaper than going to restaurants, but also a nice way to try out new things and taste food you haven’t tried before. Look for places with a lot of people or again: ask a local. If many people go there it can’t be bad and the food hasn’t been sitting there for ages.
Supermarkets
Check out local supermarkets. This is not only a cheap way to get some snacks and drinks but also a chance to check out what locals buy and eat. I love trying snacks we don’t have at home. It’s part of the fun of visiting a new country. Also, if you stay at a place with a kitchen consider doing some grocery shopping and preparing some of your meals yourself.
Breakfast
If you have breakfast included in your hotel: eat it. Have a big breakfast and maybe even take some small snacks and fruit with you for later. If you don’t: find the nearest bakery and get breakfast there. It’s cheaper than paying for breakfast in the hotel and many times also better quality. Don’t pay for hotel breakfasts. They charge you around 10 to 15€. Now just think how much food you can get at a bakery for 10-15€. It’s never worth it.
Snacks
Pack snacks and drinks for your flight and long car/bus/train rides. This way you get the food you like for a much cheaper price. When flying you are not allowed to take liquids > 100 ml through security but you are allowed bring empty bottles. You can then fill them up after the security check or have the flight attendants fill them up during the flight, so you don’t have to pay the super high prices airports charge you for water bottles.
Safe on booze
Alcohol and partying can cost you a lot of money. Why not go to the local supermarket, get a bottle of wine (or Vodka) and have a pick nick in the park or the riverside (if it is legal) or enjoy it at your room? This way you can enjoy a nice drink while spending a fraction of the price you’d spend at a bar. If you still want to go to a bar: pre-party in the streets or your room so you don’t have to buy all your drinks at a bar or club.
How to save on activities
The cheapest activities are free activities. I know it’ obvious but I’m surprised how many times people don’t think of them. Depending on where you go there are many things you can do for free. This can be a fountain show, free concerts, free museums or churches and other famous buildings that don’t charge any entrance fees. Check online before you go.
Many cities offer free walking tours. This is one of the first things I do when travelling to a new city to get an overview and some background information. Free walking tours are run by locals who live in the city you are visiting. They can not only tell you about the history but also point out good places to eat or recommend further activities. It’s a good starting point and will give you further ideas what you can do during your stay. Even though the tours are for free, I encourage you to tip the guide if you feel they did a good job. It’s their source of income and in my opinion always worth it because you can decide how much you tip.
Don’t feel obligated to do certain things just because everyone else is doing it. For example: just because the Louvre is a very famous art museum and most people visiting Paris go there, doesn’t mean you have to go if you are not interested in art. Select what you are interested in and willing to pay for and just walk by the other sights and enjoy them from the outside.
Discounts
If you are a student: take your student ID card with you. Many museums and activities offer student discounts, but you need a valid student ID card.
Many cities offer city passes where entry fees to most sights are included in a flat rate. Most of the time you can get them for a chosen number of days (1 day pass, 2 day pass, etc.). In general, the price per day gets cheaper the more days you purchase. If you are just staying for a day and only want to visit 2 museums, you might end up paying more for the city pass than if you had purchased the individual tickets. Decide what you want to visit, how long you are staying and calculate what’s the cheaper option.
Many attractions offer online tickets at a reduced price. If you book in advance you can not only skip the line but also end up saving some money on a ticket you were going to purchase anyway.
How to save on money exchange
Cash is king in many places, so you will most likely have to get foreign currency. The cheapest way to get foreign currency is to withdraw it at a local atm. Make sure you know roughly how much money you will need and withdraw it ideally all at once as you get charged a fee per withdrawal. Don’t use exchange booths – they don’t give you good rates.
If you go to a country where credit cards are commonly used, this is also a good option (especially when booking activities online). Don’t withdraw money from your credit card though as rates are higher than when using debit cards. Check with your bank and know your fees before you go.
How to save on communication
Haven’t we all heard stories about people who were greeted by a huge phone bill after returning from a trip? Make sure you are aware of the prices your provider will charge you at your travel destination and take precautions when travelling abroad.
EU Roaming
Use and understand EU roaming. As with 2017 new roaming rules were introduced within the EU. Many people seem to misunderstand them though. The new rules enable you to use the minutes of your data plan to use mobile internet and call people in your country of origin. If you are travelling from Germany to Italy, you can call people with a German number for free but will be charged if you call someone with an Italian number.
Use local sim cards
If you know you will need to call local numbers once you reach your destination or you are travelling outside the EU and are not entitled to EU roaming, consider getting a local sim card. It’s cheaper than opting for an additional data plan with your provider. Many phones already offer two sim card slots, so you don’t even have to remove your primary sim card.
Free WIFI
Make sure your accommodation offers free WIFI. I will usually check in the morning or the night before for opening hours, departure times and meeting points online. You might want to purchase online tickets or send some pictures to your friends and family back home or just check your emails. For me the perfect time to do that is after a day out and about when I’m relaxing in my room. If not included, WIFI can be costly. Some places even charge you per hour. Don’t book accommodation without free WIFI.
Flight mode
If you don’t have free roaming or a solid data plan, turn your phone to flight mode and just turn on WIFI when you need it. Sometimes apps are running in the background and are connected to the internet, checking for updates. You might not even notice it, but your provider will charge you nevertheless. Another advantage of putting your phone into flight mode is that you will increase your battery runtime.
Offline maps
Download offline maps of the area you are travelling to. When navigating with your phone, the only thing that uses data is loading of maps – which can be done before you leave or at a WIFI spot. Locating yourself on the map and calculating routes uses GPS (you will need to turn that on) and doesn’t cost anything.
How to save on souvenirs
Remember: the best souvenir of a trip are your memories, the pictures you take and the new people you meet on your trip. All of this is for free! Don’t feel obligated to buy things just because you are on vacation.
