We all know how much fun it can be to pack a bag and go on a vacation. It’s an opportunity to say goodbye to the humdrum of the every day, feed your adventurous spirit, and see some new sights. However, it’s not as if every aspect of taking a vacation is enjoyable. There are some elements that we could really do without—for example, the cost. If you wanna take a trip, especially to one of the more expensive destinations, then you’ll need to spend some cash. The good news is that how much you spend is within your control. In this blog, we’re going to run through some tried and tested methods for keeping the costs to a minimum.
*Contributed Content
Plan Ahead
The easiest way to keep the costs to a minimum is to plan — and book — ahead. If you know where you want to go and when, then book it. The costs are unlikely to go down, but they’re highly likely to go up. The earlier you book your flights and accommodation, the better it’ll be. You can also book attractions before you depart too — in most cases, it’ll be cheaper than buying your tickets while you’re there. This is simple, and since planning a trip adds to the fun, it can even be enjoyable.
Where to Stay
Your accommodation will likely be your biggest expense when you’re traveling. As such, it’s important to think carefully about where you’re going to stay. If you want to stay in a great hotel right in the center, then you’re going to pay for it. Instead, look a little further away. The hotel might be just as nice, but it’ll cost you a lot less. And so long as you’re not a million miles from the attractions, and there are good public transport links, then it’s unlikely to have an impact on your enjoyment.
Get What’s Yours
You’re going to have to spend money when you’re traveling. But you should only pay the bills that truly belong to you. For others, it’s important to get what’s yours. If you’re injured when you’re traveling, then don’t shoulder the burden of the costs all on your own. Instead, work with a personal injury attorney and fight for justice. A similar principle applies if your flight is cancelled or severely delayed. Rather than covering the cost of a hotel room and meals, make sure that the airline pays for it. The vacation will be expensive enough without paying the bills that should rightly be covered by another party.
The Length of Time
How much your vacation costs will depend, of course, on how long you’re going for. While we all want to go on vacation for as long as we can, it’s important to keep in mind that there’ll be a big difference in how much you spend if you go for 10 days rather than 7. That’s because you’ll need to have a budget for food, drinks, attractions, and so forth for every day that you’re there. If you can shorten the trip by a couple of days, you could save a significant amount of money — and you’ll still have had a good time, so it’s not like you’re missing out.
Get Local Advice
One of the reasons why people overspend on vacation is because they spend all their time in the main tourist areas. These can be nice to visit, but because no locals go there, they are often overpriced — in fact, they’re sometimes 3x the cost of what you would be elsewhere. So instead, consider talking with the locals to discover where they eat and drink. They’ll probably point you in the direction of places that are not only a lot more affordable, but which are also delicious — it is rare, after that, that the best bars and restaurants are located in the tourist zones.
What Do You Really Want To Do?
Finally, think about this — what do you really want to do when you’re traveling? Many people spend large sums of money on tickets to art galleries, museums, and other attractions that they don’t have that much interest in. If you do everything that a guidebook tells you, then sure, you’ll spend a lot. But travel guide books are not bibles. If you have no interest in a particular attraction, then don’t go. Simple! Instead, do the things that you do want to do. You’ll find that you spend less money, but even if that’s not the case, you’ll surely have a better time anyway.
