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There’s something extremely exciting about visiting new places and learning about other cultures. The only problem with travelling is the cost – vacations rarely come cheap. While you might find a deal on your accommodation, for example, your flight tickets may end up costing you an arm and a leg. Travel can be a lot of fun, but if you’re not smart about it, it can leave you with an empty wallet and a drained bank account.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to cost you the earth to travel abroad. If you know all the best tips and tricks for saving money on travel, it can actually be relatively affordable. To make travel a little more budget-friendly, we’ve compiled a list of all the very best money-saving travel tips. From booking your flights to choosing where to stay, we’ve got you covered. For everything that you need to know to cut the cost of travel, keep reading.
Avoid peak time travel
The price of flights varies significantly depending on the day and time that you choose to fly. If you want to save on the cost of plane tickets, the best thing to do is avoid booking for peak times. A peak time ticket can cost up to three times the amount as an off-peak one, so it’s worth being choosy about when you travel.
Try out a few different dates and times and see what the price difference is between flights. You’ll often find that on weekdays, daytime flights are the most affordable. While on weekends, flights late at night and in the early hours always tend to cost less. If you take the time to compare the best times to travel, you can significantly reduce the cost of your trip.
Use travel comparison sites
It’s not just about the time you travel at, but also who you choose to fly with. There are plenty of online comparison sites that allow you to not only compare the cost of flights but also show you what the cheapest airline is. Don’t be put off using budget airlines just because they’re seen as being cheap. They work just the same as standard airlines but they charge around half the price.
Of course, it’s not just flights that travel comparison sites can help you to save money on. They can also help you to save on the cost of accommodation, by showing you the best low-cost accommodation options. Take the time to use comparison sites and you can ensure that when it comes to the cost of your trip, you keep it as budget-friendly as possible. One of the best travel comparison sites is Skyscanner.net, so take a look and see if you could save.
Collect air miles and travel points
Have you ever heard your fellow travellers talking about their air miles and how they cut the cost of their trip? Air miles can be a great way to cut the cost of your travel, as they can be put towards the cost of your plane ticket. If you have enough air miles, they may even completely cover the cost of it. The question is, how do you build up air miles?
The easiest way to gain a lot of air miles quickly is to sign up to a credit card that comes with a big incentives scheme. Some credit card companies offer up to 100,000 travel points to new sign ups, so applying for a credit card is definitely worth considering. To find out more about the best credit cards for saving money on travel, check out Upgradedpoints.com and have a browse. There’s plenty of information on here to help you make an informed decision about the best card for you and your travel needs.
Obviously, you also earn points every time that you fly. You can also earn points by shopping in certain stores and using specific websites to order products online. Even buying your weekly food shop could give you air miles, if you shop in the right place, that is. Some hotels offer a travel points scheme as well, so before you book, it’s worth finding out about this. Want to save on the cost of travel – make air miles your best friend.
Book early or last minute
You might have already heard this one, but it’s definitely worth repeating. One of the best ways to save on the cost of travel is by booking your flights, accommodation and transfers either early or late. The best option is to book early so that you have plenty of choice over what you select. Booking late may save you money, but it won’t give you much choice.
If you’re going to book last minute, you need to be decisive. As well as using last minute booking websites, it’s also worth looking on the websites of your flight company or hotel of choice. Sometimes, the cheapest deals are on the company’s direct website, so it’s always worth starting there. You can find out more about last minute deals by visiting Nerdwallet.com.
Book tickets to attractions in advance
When it comes to keeping the cost of travelling low, it’s not just about how you travel and where you stay. The expense that comes with getting out and about while on vacation can be high. However, if you opt to book tickets to sights and attractions in advance, often you can save on them.
Many places offer a 10 percent discount for booking online, as well as group deals. So if you’re part of a big travel group, it could be worth booking everyone’s tickets together. By ordering your tickets in advance for each sight and attraction, over the course of your break, you could save a lot. So this is definitely something that’s worth looking into.
Save on food with deals apps
To save on the cost of food – restaurants can be expensive, use deals apps. There are plenty of apps that not only work at home but also abroad too. So before your trip research the best ones for where you’re going and download them. You can then get an idea of the types of deals on offer and which are the best places to eat and drink.
There you have it, all the best tips and tricks for saving on travel. It’s no secret that going abroad can be expensive, so any way that you can save is worth thinking about.
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