Travelling on a low budget
Who doesn’t want to go on holiday with just less money? Who doesn’t want to see wonderful places and spend nights and days of fun travelling on a low budget? Well, this thing is not quite impossible because there are so many ways to reduce the costs of a trip, starting from the plane, train or other forms of transportation tickets to your destination till renting a car, all have a cheap solution. We’ll try to give you some ideas in this article about what you have to do, to travel almost anywhere you want on a low budget. Many, many people especially from the poor countries or under developed ones, where salaries are not big enough to have a beautiful holiday, a relaxation or fun trip, will always say and think that there are not enough money for this and they will delay as much as they can such a holiday.
Travelling on a low budget – how to get cheap transport tickets:
When we talk about a holiday, we refer to those of 4-5 days like city breaks till few months holidays where the budget and time are more generous. Regarding travelling by train and what you need to do to reduce the costs in a trip like this, we wrote for you in the article Travelling by train. On the other hand, regarding travelling by plane, coach or ship we’ll try to write in the future. For sure that regardless what type of transportation you choose to get to your destination, it’s recommended either to buy your tickets well in advance or to buy them one day before your departure date or even in that day when with a bit of luck the prices will be lower due to the fact that companies want to occupy their places even on a very low price.
Travelling on a low budget – how to get cheap rental car and insurance:
Travelling on a low budget can become true even when you want to rent a car at destination. First of all you need to check with lots of attention, all websites of the rental car companies for that country and to compare the prices found. Like this, you will see that these prices vary a lot from company to company and from car to car. Don’t wait too much if you found a good deal. If you wait too much, you can lose that price and you will regret later. But, the most important is the car insurance. Most of the companies which rent cars will try like normally to get more money for their profit, so they will try to sell you their own car insurances at higher prices. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) Many of them try to scary the customers without car insurance and tell them that for any little scratch on the car, they will need to pay a lot of money.
So, many people fell in this trap,ending up many times in paying more for the insurance than the car itself. There is a cheap and secure method to easily pass over this insurance step. Before leaving for your holiday, try as much as you can to go on many insurance websites (there are so many) and to buy your own car insurance. Many of these websites will give you the opportunity to find out how much you will pay just by typing some information (destination, car type, company etc.). Some websites will offer you a price of £3 a day, while others even cheaper of £2 a day. You only need a bit of patience and to find them. That’s why is always good to plan your holiday in advance and travelling on a low budget will be a reality.
Travelling on a low budget – how to get cheap accommodation:
If you successfully passed over the transport step (towards and back from your holiday destination), it’s the moment to get a cheap accommodation. Here, you need to consider that for many times cheap means a minimum or reduced comfort, but with a bit of luck there’s always the possibility to get low prices at 3 or 4 stars hotels. You only need to keep an eye on them. Today, most of the hotels, hostels, motels, pensions, camping or other forms of accommodation dealers try to sell their offer as fast as possible and fill up their capacity.
This is not easy for them and that’s why in the last decades many specific websites appear to help them selling their rooms on their website just through advertising. If you have a bit of time and patience before your trip, try to search for a couple of hours on the internet and you will realize how fast you can find accommodation at good prices. Of course that if you want a cheap room, you need to stay in a place designed just for sleep, so a minimum comfort. The cheapest accommodations begin with camping (free or very cheap if you stay in an organised camping) till hostels where you will stay in the room together with other 6-12 people or hotels with a low comfort like bed & breakfast type.
Regarding the accommodation and transport, if you are travelling on a low budget and on a large distance, try to combine these two important elements at least on your day of departure and day of return. Like this you will realize that you saved money and time because you will have two more days to spend at your destination. We recommend you to buy transport tickets on an overnight journey, but the most important is the form of transportation to offer you the possibility to sleep in a sleeping wagon or in a room. So, the costs of transport and accommodation will be at one price at least for a night or two. If you planned a circuit, you can organize yourself so that the entire holiday to be like this.
Travelling on a low budget – how to get cheap food:
If you successfully bought your cheap accommodation is time to talk about the food. First of all we recommend you to be very attentive when check your hotels. Many of them in the last 10-15 years started to include breakfast or other meals in the price of accommodation. Some of them have good prices, others didn’t change their prices at all even if they sell just the room or they have breakfast included as well. Also, there are many hotels especially in the popular season destinations (see offers from Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Tunisia and many others) which offer all inclusive accommodation or complete pension scheme where at a convenient price you will have all daily meals and unlimited drinks. These offers worth a try, because many times, they prove to be very advantageous, especially if you book for extra season.
Another important element for travelling on a low budget and reduce your holiday price is the number of people. It’s good to know that if the number of people increases, than the trip price is lower. We don’t talk about transport where a ticket is sold per person, but about accommodation where you have the opportunity to rent an apartment or a room for 4 people or more in a hotel or hostel and you will end up paying much less than a double room. Also, travelling with your family or friends is not just a pleasure, but the holiday price will be highly reduced. Think also about renting a car. Automatically its price, the costs for gas and insurance will drop because these will be split in the number of people you travel. If you travel in a larger group of minimum 10 persons, you have the chance to get discounts at the tourist attractions you visit.
Travelling on a low budget – how to get cheap or free tourist attractions and objectives tickets, cheap shopping and transport at destination:
Regarding the tourist attractions, it’s recommended to check well in advance which ones are free to visit or have free days in a month. For example many museums and other tourist objectives will let visitors for free on the first Friday, Saturday or Sunday of each month or even the first weekend, but this kind of offers varies so it’s good to check before you go. Also, there are many free things, attractions to visit for free or with a very cheap price and they vary from town to town and country to country. Normally, if you go to any visitor information center you will find lots of information to help you plan your days, maybe you’ll find discounts to some tourist attractions and objectives, you will find maps to help you in orientation and even vouchers which will offer you other discounts or free things. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com) Tourism cards developed more and more in the last 10-20 years in the big cities of the world and they offer you the possibility to visit for free tens of attractions or to have discounts to others, restaurants, bars and shopping, all at a low price.
Coming back to food, you can save money by buying your products from a supermarket for example. Try to replace your restaurant meals with a cheap place to eat where usually the locals go or even with food from a supermarket. If you had luck to rent an apartment or studio which offers you the option of cooking, then is perfect because you don’t need to worry about the food because you can cook at home. You can buy the ingredients and then cook whatever you like for less money. If you don’t have this chance, the bigger supermarkets will have a good variety of food products which are ready to go and the prices are advantageous.
Regarding the shopping, most people in a holiday don’t resist the temptation of buying different things or at least several souvenirs. Well, these can increase the price of your holiday especially if you buy them from the busiest tourist places where prices are higher. If your holiday is in a tourist purpose and not for shopping, try to limit your budget and go just for attractions. If you can’t resist the temptation of buying souvenirs to remember, try at least to buy them from less tourist areas. Prices differ a lot, so it’s worth to search very well in many places before buying.
An extremely important thing for travelling on a low budget is the transport at your destination. Especially if we talk about spending many days in a bigger city, don’t make the mistake of renting a car. Your holiday price will increase a lot and besides this is a waste of time because you will easily lose lots of hours in traffic or money for the parking place. Try to use public transport. The great capitals and cities of the world have their transport links very well developed. Try to buy a transport pass or a card for many days depending the time you spend in that city and your satisfaction will increase. It’s important to know that these tourism cards and passes which include free entry to many tourist attractions and objectives, most of them also offer transport for free on any type of transportation form.
Coming back to attractions, we were saying that some are free and others offer at least one free day a month. You only need to find them and it’s not difficult with a bit of advance planning. Besides these, there are many other activities which you can do for free. Try to walk in the most important parks of that city, to watch carefully an impressive sunset or sunrise, to visit and enjoy the architecture of a historic city or to study and photograph the beautiful buildings each with its own style. Visit churches and cathedrals, most of them free of entry and you will realize how beautiful they are and how rich in history and architecture or go hiking in the national parks of that country. Many times a walk in the nature and few nights spent in a tent are much better than all the money spent in a big city.
You can also talk with the locals, go in less tourist places and see how is the daily life of those who live there. You can enjoy the silence and if you are in a seaside or ocean side city, you can go to relax on the beach even in the evening when the number of tourists is lower. In this way at least for your holidays you will forget the stress and worries from home and you will be totally relaxed. You only need to know how to do it and where to go. Consider that you are in a relaxation, leisure, knowledge holiday and not one for shopping where you will spend all your savings. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com)
Another option for travelling on a low budget is to go and stay where possible at your friends or family. If you know somebody very well in another city or country and you get very well along with them, why don’t you try to stay at their place for a while at least a few days and they can change the experience with you? In this way you will realize that you saved the accommodation costs and maybe the local transportation ones if your friends or family offer themselves to transport you around the city in different places. So, there are many ways to travel on a low budget. We only tried to present you the most important ones. It’s up to you what, when and how will you choose and plan your holiday and how much money you will spend. Travel safe on a low budget!
Tips & Tricks
Buy your tickets several months in advance
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Buy your tickets one day before your departure or even in the same day
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Don’t forget to plan your trip well in advance
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A cheap accommodation you’ll find if you are patient so check carefully
on accommodation websites (as many as you can)
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Spend planning your holiday at least several hours a day for few days before your departure and you’ll see the results
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Remember: Most of the times a cheap accommodation means camping, hostels or bed & breakfast hotels
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Avoid luxury restaurants and places
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Try to eat where locals eat
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One of the first must do stops in a foreign city or country is a tourism office
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Don’t forget to ask for a map and also some discounts brochures/flyers
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For those under 26 don’t forget your student or youth cards which offer great discounts
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Where possible buy your food from supermarkets or even eat food to go
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Don’t make a huge mistake by renting a car if you don’t want to visit more than that specific city
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Buy a transport pass for the period you spend there
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A exchange experience with other people can get you great satisfactions
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Before you rent a car, check carefully on many car rental websites
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Buy your own car insurance before leaving for your holiday
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To go cheaper, try to avoid as much as you can the way too expensive car insurances
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Patiently search for those car insurances that start from £2-3 a day
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Remember: Cheap accommodation means minimum comfort most of the times
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Where possible try to combine the accommodation with transport
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Look for all inclusive offers: many times they have really advantageous prices
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If you can travel in the low season you’ll have great financial savings
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Remember: As many persons you travel with means a low budget
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Check carefully all free attractions
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Check carefully those attractions that offer at least a free day a month
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Avoid shopping
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If you really want to buy some souvenirs, check in many places before, specially in less tourist places
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If you want to save money, avoid expensive attractions
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There are many other free attractions or things to do instead
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Where possible try to stay with friends, family or people you know that live in another city or country
