How to save money When traveling, sometimes we had to seriously save money, and the fate of the whole trip sometimes depended on whether we could find ways to cut the budget or not. But this article isn't just about budget travel. We're going to talk about smart spending that can help cut down on bloated vacation budgets.
Preparing in advance
Flights
If you have the opportunity to plan your trip at least three months before departure, then this is a great reason to save money. Airlines offer attractive prices when buying tickets months before departure. If you start to follow the special offers of airlines four to five months before the trip, then the chances of finding tickets with a good discount are great. Departures on weekdays are often cheaper than Friday and weekends, you can save money by starting your vacation in the middle of the week.
Travel dates
It is worthwhile to study the periods of local holidays and vacations in advance and reschedule the trip if it falls on “hot dates”. Otherwise, you run the risk of overpaying not only for tickets, but also during the entire trip. It should be borne in mind that the New Year and school holidays in many countries do not coincide with European ones.
Booking a hotel
Many, especially upmarket, hotels offer discounts for early bookings or provide bonuses, for example, in the form of an improved room category. We were checked into a more expensive room than we paid for several times as a bonus for earlier booking. Dates may vary, usually an early booking means an order four or more months before the trip.
An exception to this point should be made for the most budgetary housing, such as hostels and guesthouses (guest houses). They may simply forget about your reservation for such a period.
Superior Bungalow, obtained from a previous booking. Langkawi, Malaysia
How to save on housing
Hotels
Hotels can give discounts for long stays, especially budget hotels. If you intend to stay in one place for more than two weeks, inquire at the reception for discounts before renewing your stay at the standard price.
Everyone chooses the "star rating" of the hotel according to their taste and wallet. It can be noted here that, unfortunately, the understanding of the quality of service differs from country to country with the same stardom. This is especially true for mid-range hotels. If the quality of mid-range hotels in the selected country is not bad, then you can save a lot by taking fewer stars, but a better location.
Pick-up from local
Renting housing from locals allows you to save money due to lower prices than hotels. Also, as a rule, you get a much larger area and additional bonuses, for example, in the form of a kitchen.But there are also disadvantages here. When renting a home for a long time directly from the owner or agent, it is usually required to deposit an amount at once for several months, sometimes also a deposit, which may not be affordable for everyone. You will also need to pay additional utility bills, which in total can come out as accommodation in a budget hotel. Private houses and apartments for long-term rent are usually located on the outskirts, so you still need to spend money on transport.
A room in Ho Chi Minh City rented from local residents
Private accommodations can also be booked through web services such as airbnb. Among the advantages: the possibility of booking for a short time, the ability to find accommodation in the tourist center cheaper than hotels, the ability to rent a room, not an entire apartment. Keep in mind that in Southeast Asia, there are many cheap guesthouses on airbnb posing as residential apartments. When renting a room, you need to understand that the owner or other tourists will also live in the apartment besides you.
Hostels and guest houses
Any budget travel guide will advise you to stay in a hostel as the best option for a modest budget. We have a different opinion on this matter.Firstly, it is only cheaper if you are traveling alone or you and your fellow travelers have separate budgets. Two beds in total are already equal or more expensive than renting a separate room in a budget hotel or guesthouse. Hostels sometimes have private rooms for rent, but we have seen more than once how hostels inflate prices compared to inexpensive hotels by providing you with a supposedly "special atmosphere of communication."
Secondly, not everyone will like to share a room and / or shower with a lot of strangers, as well as "join the atmosphere of communication" when they do not want to communicate with anyone.
Therefore, before focusing on hostels, you need to evaluate what hotels, guesthouses and the private sector offer.
Guesthouse in Fukuoka, Vietnam
A guesthouse or a guest house differs from a hotel in a small number of rooms and in that the owners live next to the guests (in the next house or on another floor). This is in theory, but in practice, a guesthouse is often indistinguishable from a budget hotel. Guesthouses usually offer very favorable prices for accommodation: at or cheaper than hostels. Rooms in guesthouses are usually private, and the bathroom is sometimes shared. You can book them on the same sites as hotels or search on the spot by the signs.
How to save on transport
Taxi
The first and most important point of saving on transport is to give up taxis. It is better to replace taxi rides with local transport.Local transport
It is worth taking a little time to understand the network of local routes, and get a nice price and immersion in the local life as a bonus. In Southeast Asia, you will additionally get higher reliability in comparison with tourist services.
Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, Malaysia
Rickshaw
If your goal is to save money and not get unusual sensations, then rickshaws should be avoided in most cases. They tend to charge more money than local transportation and are extremely unreliable. There are places in Asia where there is no other means of transport apart from rickshaws. In this case, you should study in advance the adequate level of prices for travel, and bargain if the driver tries to take too much.
Personal transport for rent
Before renting a vehicle, evaluate how much it is really needed. Renting with gas can be justified if you are going to travel a lot to remote places, and the same route by local transport will be more expensive. Otherwise, you can save money on renting personal transport.
Cycling in Cambodia
A bicycle can be a great alternative to a moped or a car. It is cheaper, does not require fuel, and is perfect for one-time trips to attractions.
