Tips To Make that Dream Vacation Affordable
Thinking about traveling soon? If you are in constant search of that perfect travel deal to start your travel planning, and you don’t want to spend a fortune on your trips, we got you. Anyone can use these 7 easy ways to reduce travel costs.
Maybe in the past years, you used to book travel through a traveling agency, maybe on your own. Both these have their perks, both also have some disadvantages.
Whether you want the assistance of a travel agent, or you rely on your own traveling instinct, follow our tips and what we can assure is fantastic deals will be easy to come by. Maybe you will choose the package deals, to travel light, or to enroll yourself into a hotel reward program.
However, sometimes, your vacation of choice may not be the best one for your travel budget. And when you are traveling with kids, the costs are even higher.
There are various costs that add up before and during traveling. These expenses include:
- Money to get Visa or passport
- Air Tickets
- Hotel Booking, Airbnbs, etc
- Food
- Sightseeing
This being said, make yourself comfortable and read about the easy ways to reduce travel costs. Here are our tips and tricks:
Top 7 Tricks to Reduce Travel Costs
Why not spend your money on many other things that are appealing to you during your trip. Moreover, the costs can vary depending on your destination, the season, and so on. Here are the best ways to reduce travel costs and enjoy traveling with spending less money:
1. Reduce Travel Costs: Try a Less Expensive Destination
In other words, try finding cheap destinations to travel to. Usually, what people do is pick their destination based on what their heart wants.
As such, we choose a particular city or region, because we have nice memories, or we fell in love with that destination after seeing a great movie.
If you would like to be mesmerized, but still visit some cheap destinations, let us recommend to you Cancun, Dublin, Boston, Paris or Madrid. These popular places are great to visit with less money, as soon as you keep your eyes open the awesome deals keep coming.
How to Find a Cheap Alternate Destination?
Well, let’s say that you are dying to see a specific city or region. But, your budget can’t quite handle the expenses. Luckily, there are so many alternatives, despite an expensive airline ticket.
If you are heading to Europe, the United States, or to bigger cities such as Florence, Copenhagen, New York, or Austin, you can look for low-cost airlines or simply travel on one of the many cheap trains that Europe offers.
Another great trick to keep in mind for saving money is to first fly to some bigger cities, that have a large airport hub, then drive or travel by train to your ultimate destination. For more Tips: How to Vacation on a Budget at Amazing Places
Take Note: What can be really cheap one year, may go up next time, and vice versa.
2. Reduce Travel Cost: Go During Off-Season or Shoulder Season
In order to reduce your travel costs, the best advice is to be flexible. The difference in price will be dramatic if you choose to travel out of the peak season. It is so easy to see the difference.
If you can to be flexible, then try to check out the dates before and after peak season. You’ll be able to see a noticeable difference.
Save hundreds of dollars by arriving one-week later
Yes, as dramatic as it might sound, well, it’s so true. You can save hundreds of dollars just by changing the traveling date by a day, a week, or a month. When your budget is very strict, then these savings will make such a difference.
Whether you will make the bookings on your own or you will call for a travel agent, do your research and check the prices for each time of the year. Always keep these options open, to make the best comparison.
What Affects the Price?
One of the main criteria that affect the prices of a holiday is the time you choose to travel, more than just airfare. During the peak season, hotels are more expensive, food, as well as the fees for all of the main attractions.
As such, if you choose to travel during a weekend or summertime, the trip will overall be much pricier. Needless to say that another aspect that raises the prices is the destination.
Try to consider visiting smaller local towns. The cultural experience will be better and you will reduce the travel costs. For More ideas Read: 6 Destinations More Fabulous to Travel Off-Season
3. Reduce Travel Costs: Use a Travel App for Flight Deals to Your Destination
I bet many of you have never considered downloading a travel app. You may be tired of getting notifications or you just don’t need another application on your phone.
What if I told you that these travel apps will make your traveling life much easier? The travel apps will notify you as soon as they find better deals for the holiday of your dreams.
From notification to smaller airport fees, to booking discounts, these apps have everything you need for reducing travel costs. Here is the list of Best Rated Apps for Travel Planning
4. Use a Travel Credit Card that gives points for Everyday Utilities & Purchases
Maybe you haven’t ever considered those travel credit cards. Well, you may have heard that most airline companies are switching their prices to revenue-based loyalty programs. What does this mean?
Well, it means that you will be accumulating points based on how much you travel and spend. Each mile you fly translates into a certain amount of points.
While sometimes it might seem that you need to travel a lot to get free rewards, it’s true. However, it is worth trying.
These kinds of loyalty programs are free of charge, so consider signing up for them, you might be able to earn thousands of bonus points just by opening a brand new card.
Travel Rewards. Only for airline programs?
Well, these travel rewards are not limited only to airlines. Lots of hotels have them as well. Starting to earn points will help you reduce travel costs. You can earn points simply by making purchases through any of the loyalty programs’ partners.
Just by doing the math, you will notice that there is nothing to lose only by keeping one more card in your wallet.
5. Join Hotel Rewards Program to Earn Free Nights
When businesses talk about travel rewards programs, in order to help you reduce the travel costs, this information might become a bit confusing.
All those details can seem overwhelming, especially if you have never used them before. However, it is so easy to take advantage of the loyalty programs. Here is a Complete Guide: Best Hotel Loyalty Program
The Perks of Hotel Rewards Program
Well, almost all hotel rewards programs have the same advantages as soon as you join them. The more you will invest in your bookings, the more you will earn in order to enhance your vacation or other travel from now on.
Usually, the perks will start immediately when you enroll in these programs. You have different discounts and incentives for your future bookings or for meals at the hotel’s restaurants.
However, the great benefits appear once you stay loyal to that hotel reward program. If you use to travel multiple times per year, you can choose to sign up for multiple programs.
What I do recommend you do is to stay with the same hotel as much as you can. This way, you will earn points and discounts at every reservation or check-in. The grand prize will be free nights or a great stay in a luxurious suite.
6. Reduce Travel Costs: Pre-Purchase Activities and Tours
One of our favorite ways to reduce travel costs is by pre-purchasing and booking all the activities, or tours you are going to take.
Book Flights and Accommodation Firstly
One great way to avoid the big expenses during your holiday is to book the flight early. According to the biggest travel fare sources, almost 90 percent miss out on the best flight deals due to the bookings at the wrong time. Read for more Tips: 9 Tips on How to Get Cheap Flights
In fact, people tend to book their domestic flights two months prior. This is so wrong, as the airfares are at their peak at that time. Click Here For Answers to Most Common Questions about Searching for Cheap Flights
The best time to start booking your flights, especially the domestic ones, is around 21 weeks before the departure day. Make sure you compare the fares to ensure you nab the absolute best deals.
Save on booking the attractions
Don’t pay the full price for the attractions anymore. Best way to save your money is to go take a look on the official tourism websites. Here you can book your tickets and enjoy the great deals and coupons for the biggest attractions.
A great deal in this sense is the National Parks Deals. Most of the U.S. natural attractions will post on their social media sites and the fan-sites lots of great deals. The same happens with Disneyland Residents Discount.
7. Avoid Baggage Fees if you can’t pack like a minimalist
Last but not least, a great and wise way to reduce the travel costs is by packing in a much more functional way. Most of the airlines, especially the low-cost ones, are taking advantage of people’s weak points: Good Read: Travel Packing Guide:(New Tips for beginners).
As such, you will end paying double for some extra heavy luggage. Having a lighter bag with you will not only keep all these costs lower but also make your traveling style more comfortable. If there just isn’t any way to fly with 1 small bag a good option is to GO LUGLESS!
There are some destinations where it will be cheaper to buy the needed items then to pay them as extra luggage at the airport. For More Tips Read: “How to Avoid Baggage Fees, if you aren’t Marie Kondo”
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Reducing Travel Costs. Last Thoughts
There is no rocket science in traveling with less money. The most effective ways anyone can reduce Travel Costs is to just be more flexible, pay attention to the best holiday deals, enroll in traveling loyalty programs, and be proactive.
Cheap traveling is great not only for your soul but mainly for your wallet. It is so easy to prioritize what you want from your vacation. Start by using these 7 steps when you are looking for the next dreamy adventures, even at affordable costs.
More Travel Tips
Hello friends, glad you could make it. Imagine if you could completely catapult your travel experience to the next level. That’s what kalistravelguide.com set out to do.
Sign up here Contact Kali for all of my insider tips, reviews, strategies and the best of Travel Deals.
Are you ready? Because this is what following your dreams looks like. Enjoy!-Kali
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