10 Tips For Travelling On a Budget

Travelling is all about breaking off from the humdrum of daily life and unravelling the unknown. But sometimes we step back from embarking upon a wonderful journey owing to a pricey trip. As an avid traveller, I can understand that sometimes cutting down expenses is quite a task and one cannot do much about the exchange rates, visa fees, or entry fees to must see sights. However, on the brighter side, following these easy yet reasonable tips can bring down your travel expenses to a great extent, making the trip easy on your pocket!

1. Avoid Peak Season

Cost of everything shoots straight up during the peak season in any tourist destination. So if you are planning to travel on budget, avoid planning your trip during this time. Check travel websites to see which time of the year witnesses the maximum incoming of tourists to a particular destination. Schedule your travel a month before or after the peak season to enjoy a reasonably low cost lodging and travelling.

2. Lookout For Airfare Offers

Nowadays, we have several websites which announce discounts on regular intervals round the year. Subscribe to such websites to avail these offers. You have to be on the lookout to catch the discount tickets and plan your trip accordingly.

3. Travel Light

Many a times we end up paying extra luggage fare during our travels. Not only do the airlines charge more, even taxis ask for an exorbitant amount to carry huge luggage bags. Also, you may have to seek help from porters to carry about your luggage which again translates to shelling out extra money.

4. Go For Local Flavours

Many tourists head straight to eateries that claim to serve food of the former's place of origin. But such places are over expensive because they try to exploit this very gastronomic weakness of the tourists. When in a foreign land, try to explore the local flavours by eating at local eateries. Asking for Indian cuisine in Japan will definitely burn a hole in your pocket, but eating falafel and goat cheese in Egypt is definitely cost effective!

5. Use Public Transport

Hiring private taxis or driving around a new place can be very costly. Try to learn about the public transport schedules and rules from the locals and hop into them whenever you need to get around. If conversing or comprehending in the local tongue is a problem, google the information. You will be surprised to see the difference in fares and end up saving quite a lot.

6. Do Not Stay In The Heart Of The Tourist Sight

People are often lured into the idea of staying at a place near popular tourist spots. Needless to say these accommodation are way more costly than their counterparts a little distance away. First choose a place on google map that is very close to the place of your interest. Then make a mental circumference of places that are about 2 to 10 kilometres away. Now check accommodations around it and compare the prices. Most of the time you will find cheaper places a little away from the centre.

7. Travel In a Group

Many tourist sights and tours offer discounts on group travel. So it is best to travel in a group. Even if you are a solo flyer, try to hook up with a group when you are visiting a popular destination. For example, tickets for a group of more than 10 people to enter Petra is 50% less than single entry tickets.

8. Pick Hostels/Guest Houses Over Starry Hotels

Hotels, irrespective of the stars, are anyway more expensive than a hostel. A well-reputed hostel or B&B will give you similar amenities like that of a hotel at a relatively cheaper rate. Also, when picking a hotel, do not forget to include the free breakfast option. Most hotels have an unchecked box on its booking page of complimentary breakfast. Do not forget to check it.

9. Make The Internet Your Travel Guide

Tourists are often fooled and milked due to lack of information. Always be up to date with the information about the place you are going to visit. In case you are in doubt, check the internet. There are several authentic websites like Lonely Planet and Fodor's that will give you clear information and the do's and don'ts about a place. Have a map and an active internet connection handy at all time during your travel.

10. Walk & Explore

Instead of hopping into a cab or hiring a car every now and then to get around, try walking around the place. This will give you more time to soak in the local ambience, and also save you a lot of money. You may stumble upon beautiful places that were not even on your travel itinerary.

These are ten easy ways to save your precious bucks while on the go. Now that you know how to travel on a budget, get on now and plan a fun filled adventure!
Happy Travelling.

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Contributed By: Kriti Mazumdar