Travelling is fun and exciting. The problem is, it can be costly and time-consuming. You can easily overspend and get stressed in the process. You want to ensure that every penny counts during a vacation. Also, this is a time to be happy and enjoy days away from home.
The way you plan would make a lot of difference in the process.
Are you wondering how you can save money and time when on the road? The following are some tips to help you out.
1. Do Your Research
Before embarking on any trip, make sure to do your research. Which destinations do you want to visit? It could be a beach vacation, Safari vacation, or probably hiking and trekking. Your destination will depend on your interests, your availability, and travel partners if you have one.
Once you’ve found a perfect place, ensure that it meets your budget. Consider aspects like transportation, as it contributes to a massive part of your journey. You could ask for recommendations from friends and family.
Read online reviews and blogs about the different destinations you may want to explore.
A part of the research also includes signing up for travel newsletters of travel websites. The best part about signing these new letters is receiving discounts on different travel destinations. You could also receive news on discounts, good deals whenever they come up, or half prices for air tickets.
2. Ship Your Car
To move around to your destination of choice, you might need a car. However, renting a car can be expensive. To avoid all those costs, you can hire an auto transport company to ship your car to the intended destination.
The best thing about these transport services is, no matter the model you have, whether luxury or a classic car, they can transport to whenever you want.
Apart from saving costs, shipping your car allows you to explore the places in the comfort of your own vehicle.
3. Ensure Your Android Apps Are in Order
Unfortunately, when you are outside the comfort of your country, it can be challenging to access apps that are geo-locked. Downloading them while in a new destination isn’t a guarantee that they will work. Hence, ensure apps like Google Maps, Uber, AirBnB, and other travel apps for accommodations are working.
Here are other android tips to help you out:
- Save places you are going to visit offline via Google Maps.
- Ensure the data roaming is off.
- Use apps that can send messages using Wi-Fi such as Hangouts, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
3. Travel Off-Season
Travelling off-season is way cheaper. During peak seasons, accommodation, tours, and food will cost much more. Off-seasons may give you a discounted rate. If there are few tourists, hotels and lounges are more willing to lower their prices to gain customers.
Also, consider visiting less popular places. For instance, during summer, you don’t want to settle for a beach destination. Schools are closed, and lots of people are on the beach at this time. It’s not advisable to visit a beach destination during this period.
You can research less popular destinations on the internet and see how it goes.
4. Book Activities Ahead of Time
Booking your activities on time will save you lots of confusion in between. You will know what you want to do from day one. But before booking, you need to consider aspects like:
- The accommodation costs and availability
- Whether a visa is necessary
- Must-do activities and their prices.
Remember staying outside a city is more affordable compared to living in the city. Also avoid places with many tourists, as the accommodation costs a lot.
5. Pack Lightly
Try not to overpack because most travelers are guilty of this. Ensure you pack only the necessities, or else you’ll have a hard time navigating around the airport. Also, don’t you want to carry something light that will give you an easy time?
Before packing, you should remember to:
- Pack according to the weather of your destination.
- Only pack the things you need.
- Pack clothes for activities you are likely to engage in. For example, swimming and hiking gear should be included if that’s in your activity list.
6. Track Your Spending
It is easy to overspend during a vacation. There are always some things you want to buy like food or souvenirs. In the process, you are likely to exceed your budget. Thus, it’s necessary to create a budget and strictly stick to it.
You can create a spreadsheet to track your content. Also, you can download budgeting apps or money tracking apps for the same purpose. When you track your expenditures, you’ll notice how much money you waste on the process.
You can include miscellaneous expenses in your budget to account for every penny.
7. Get Your Travel Insurance
There are tons of things that could happen when traveling, an accident being one of them. You don’t anticipate such situations, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. It’s necessary to get that travel insurance to prepare for anything. Luckily, most of them are affordable.
8. Live Like a Local
Living like a local is a travel hack that will save you lots of money. Engage in activities that locals do daily. This can be shopping at the local wet market, buying goods from a nearby local store, or asking locals for directions whenever you’re finding a new destination.
Shop at the local grocery store. As much as local restaurants make tasty dishes, some groceries contain ready-made food, which is also delicious. They also cost way cheaper.
You can also skip drinks and desserts every time you eat out.
9. Take Advantage of Free Activities
You are likely to find free activities in the destination you are visiting. You can check in the community calendars to see what’s going on during your visiting time. Some towns celebrate different festivals, which may be the highlight you need for your vacation.
Also, you can walk around and familiarize yourself with the place. Alternatively, you can visit local museums as most of them are free. Some, however, charge, but the fee is affordable.
10. Carry More Than One Credit or Debit Card
Before embarking on a trip, ensure you contact your credit card companies or bank. With credit card fraud on the rise, some companies might block overseas transactions. Your card could also get lost, frozen, and also hacked.
Having multiple cards might save you lots of inconveniences. If something happens to one of your cards, you have a backup plan.
Conclusion
If you want to travel on a budget and save time on the process, planning is everything. Draft a budget and have a clear idea of the activities you are going to engage in. Before leaving for any place, ensure your papers (visa, passports, vaccinations) are in order.
Also, it’s best if you can save time and money for your vacations. Happy traveling!