cheap travel

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The countryside can be cheaper if you are after budget travel

July 30, 2010 in General by admin | No comments

If you’re interested in adding a little budget travel to your itinerary, and who isn’t once in a while, think about getting out into the countryside instead of spending all of your time in the big cities. No matter where you’re travelling in the world, the countryside will almost always be cheaper than cities.

To maximize the benefit of this formula, you have to refine it even more, and plan when you’ll be in the city and when you should spend time in the countryside.

If you’re on a driving trip in your home country or one next door, this type of budget travel planning is easy. You’ve got your car, so you can do both city and countryside. Even when you want to spend time in a city, you can save money by just staying on the edge of the city or in a suburb.

Then you can drive in… or better yet, take public transportation in and avoid the frustration of trying to find parking, not to mention the cost. Parking can be expensive in almost any city in the world.

OK… maybe your time is limited, and you don’t want to waste time getting into town. If you want to stay in the city rather than on the edge of it, remember that most cities will be cheaper on weekends when the business people are gone. Hotels sometimes have cheaper weekend prices, and there could be more going on in the way of plays and entertainment.

And if you think about it… the countryside will be cheaper during the week when most people are working…. so if you’re a budget traveller, you want to plan to be in the city on weekends and in the countryside on weekdays. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are days that can save you money in the countryside.

And that will be especially true if the countryside you’re visiting is a real get-away destination for those city folks you’re trying to avoid. In this case you get that equal and opposite effect. If you’re in a popular get-away destination, it will be more crowded and expensive on the weekends.

If you’re travelling internationally or you’ve flown to your destination, you’ll have to factor in the cost of a rental car or some kind of transportation to get to the countryside. You can take a bus or a train. Some European areas popular with tourists have trains and buses that run conveniently. Some even have train and bus routes that will take you on a circle tour to some of the prettier and smaller towns.

In the United State, public transportation isn’t as good, but it is improving, so check around. In Asia, public transportation is good in some countries and spotty in others. In Australia, it’s probably easiest to drive. It always pays to ask at the tourist information offices if you’re interested in something like this.

So see, you don’t have to give up the sights you want to see to trim your budget, you just have to plan smart to save. Lay out a calendar, and work your itinerary so that you spend most of your weekends in those cities and the weekdays in the country.

You’ll be money ahead. That’s budget travel made easy!

Tags: budget travel, cheap travel

Travel Money Savers

July 27, 2010 in General by admin | No comments

If you want to be a frugal traveller, you need to think up all kinds of money savers.  You could make a game of thinking about all the little things you can do to save money while you’re travelling.

If your hotel doesn’t include breakfast, and you’ll have to buy it yourself, you could stop at a store the night before and get some fruit and yogurt, bread or pastries.
We always think it’s a fun part of travel to go to a grocery store just to see what’s available.  A lot of hotels and bed-and-breakfasts have coffee or tea pots in them now, so with a few groceries, you’ll be all set for a frugal breakfast.
And since we’re talking about eating here, eat your big meal at lunch when prices are cheaper.
Buy beer, wine or alcohol at local stores and have your cocktails on your hotel room balcony, or on a beach, or in a park.  If you want to have beer or wine with your dinner, ask for local brews or wines.  They’ll be cheaper than imported and big name items.  We love learning about all the different grapes that wine is made from around the world, and there are many counties that are justifiably proud of their local beers.
Look into metro passes.  Many cities have one, three, and seven day passes that could be real money savers if you plan to use the buses, subways, and trams a lot.  Always do the math though to make sure you will use them enough to make this worthwhile.  Do your research ahead of your travels… some international rail and travel cards must be purchased before you arrive in a country.
Take a local bus line… some can substitute for an expensive sightseeing tour.  Many cities have buses that pass by all the big sites.  Ask about them at the tourist office.
If you’re traveling cross country, consider taking an overnight train or flight.  It could be cheaper than a daytime flight or train, and you will save money by not needing a room for the night.  Sure the “red-eye” flight might be a little uncomfortable, but think of how much that hotel room would cost.  If it’s an overnight train you’re taking, you can buy a sleeper berth for a lot cheaper than a hotel room.
Stop at a local visitors center.  They can tell you about local money savers…. tell you if there are free days at museums and give you information on city passes.  The visitor’s center might have coupons for discounts; they’ll at least have brochures and free maps.  Check with these visitors centers online before your trip to see if there are things you should purchase before you leave.
A museum pass can save you money AND time.  You won’t have to waste valuable vacation time standing in line, and sometimes, time is money.  If a museum pass won’t be a good value for you, you can call or e-mail most popular museums for a reservation.  You’ll get an appointment for an entry time and walk right past those lines.
Planning for those money savers along with all the rest of your travel plans might just let you keep on traveling even in tight economic times.

If your hotel doesn’t include breakfast, and you’ll have to buy it yourself, you could stop at a store the night before and get some fruit and yogurt, bread or pastries.

We always think it’s a fun part of travel to go to a grocery store just to see what’s available.  A lot of hotels and bed-and-breakfasts have coffee or tea pots in them now, so with a few groceries, you’ll be all set for a frugal breakfast.

And since we’re talking about eating here, eat your big meal at lunch when prices are cheaper.

Buy beer, wine or alcohol at local stores and have your cocktails on your hotel room balcony, or on a beach, or in a park.  If you want to have beer or wine with your dinner, ask for local brews or wines.  They’ll be cheaper than imported and big name items.  We love learning about all the different grapes that wine is made from around the world, and there are many counties that are justifiably proud of their local beers.

Look into metro passes.  Many cities have one, three, and seven day passes that could be real money savers if you plan to use the buses, subways, and trams a lot.  Always do the math though to make sure you will use them enough to make this worthwhile.  Do your research ahead of your travels… some international rail and travel cards must be purchased before you arrive in a country.

Take a local bus line… some can substitute for an expensive sightseeing tour.  Many cities have buses that pass by all the big sites.  Ask about them at the tourist office.

If you’re travelling cross country, consider taking an overnight train or flight.  It could be cheaper than a daytime flight or train, and you will save money by not needing a room for the night.  Sure the “red-eye” flight might be a little uncomfortable, but think of how much that hotel room would cost.  If it’s an overnight train you’re taking, you can buy a sleeper berth for a lot cheaper than a hotel room.

Stop at a local visitors centre.  They can tell you about local money savers…. tell you if there are free days at museums and give you information on city passes.  The visitor’s centre might have coupons for discounts; they’ll at least have brochures and free maps.  Check with these visitors centres online before your trip to see if there are things you should purchase before you leave.

A museum pass can save you money AND time.  You won’t have to waste valuable vacation time standing in line, and sometimes, time is money.  If a museum pass won’t be a good value for you, you can call or e-mail most popular museums for a reservation.  You’ll get an appointment for an entry time and walk right past those lines.

Planning for those money savers along with all the rest of your travel plans might just let you keep on travelling even in tight economic times.

Tags: cheap travel, frugal travel, save money when traveling

Transportation Tips to Stretch Your Travel Budget

July 24, 2010 in General by admin | No comments

Stretch your travel budget from the beginning by saving on your airfare.  Your flights will probably cost you less if you travel off season.  You’ll save money on hotels and find fewer crowds too.  Shoulder seasons are best.  The really “off” season may be too rainy or cold for you to enjoy your holiday.  You want to save money… not be miserable.

If you’re going to visit several cities consider flying with an “open jaw” ticket.  It may cost a little more for the ticket itself, but you might save in time and ground transportation costs.  If you’re renting a car, drop off charges might cancel any savings, so it could be better to get back to the same airport.  Do your research to see which way you will save.

Once you’re at your destination, stretch your travel budget by using public transportation to and from the airport… taxis can be expensive.  You can compare prices… if there are four of you sharing the taxi, it might be a push or only a little more and worth it.

Share rental car expenses.  Rental cars can be a great way to get out to the countryside, but they add a daily expense to your budget.  Cut that down by travelling with others.  If four of you are travelling together, a car may be less than the price of four train tickets.

Try to avoid the collision damage waver charges on rental cars.  Generally if you have a “gold” credit card, the credit card company will cover this insurance.  Check with your card company though, because certain counties are not included in this coverage.  In those counties, the CDW will be mandatory and should be included in the priced you are quoted.

You don’t want to have your rental car in big cities.  Those big cities are a headache to drive in.  To keep your rental car safe, you need to park in a garage, and parking fees are expensive.  Do your city touring first.  To save the headaches and stretch your travel budget, take trains or buses between cities, then pick up your rental car for your drive in the countryside.

If you’re going to stay only in cities, use the train and local transportation.  When you’re taking the train, go second-class.  The seats aren’t quite as cushy, but they are comfortable enough for your trip, and you’ll save a bunch.

When you’re using the local trains and buses, consider how many trips you’ll be taking on that transportation…  It might be worth while buying a transit card… or at least a book of tickets for a discount.  If you’re only going to take one trip, just buy one ticket.  No need to pay for transportation you won’t use.

Walk around the city on your own with a good map, rather than taking a bus tour.  Organised walking tours can be a fun and inexpensive way to go.  If you want to arrange a tour, you might do better arranging it through the tourist office rather than your hotel.

You can stretch your travel budget if you are smart about how and when you travel to your destination.  Take the less expensive options to get around once you’re there.  You’ll be travelling frugally, but having just as much fun.

Tags: cheap travel, discount trave, travel budget

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