Are you maddened by the incessant work pressure throughout the year? Do you feel infuriated while working every time? Trust us; you need a break. A travel break! Well, we certainly love travel, but it may not be there in most of our to-do list, and the reason being less time due to work or being wary of big holes that it makes into our pocket. But what if someone says you can take a world tour at a minimum expenditure? Is it sounds impossible? Well, it is not. In our blog, you can read about “How to Travel on a Budget: 13 Best Travel Tips”.
Travelling does not require winning a lottery. There are multiple ways you can plan a tour on a budget. Let’s know how you can travel on a budget and in the most economical way. Also, know what benefits it has on you and what are the essentials that you need to keep handy while starting your voyage.
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Why is travel important? – How to Travel for Free or on a Budget: 13 Best Travel Tips
Not one, but there are several reasons why travel is important. It gives us rejuvenation. It is an indispensable part of an individual’s survival to break the chain of mundanities of everyday life. Let’s know some other benefits of travelling.
Recreation
Most of us travel to get recreation. It puts our busy schedule in the back seat for a while and fills our life with joy. You can also take time out for your family and friends. Travelling helps you to break your comfort zone and come out of your shell. It has been seen that a person who travels frequently poses less health threat. Even doctors quite often suggest their patients travel to keep a balance between their work and health. Travel decreases the chance of a heart attack and also lowers the stroke. So, always make travel on your essential to-do list.
Discover New Culture & Cuisine
One of the advantages of travelling is learning about new things. You get to know about the region’s culture very closely. From their language to food habits, geography to history, you get to see all of these while travelling. Travelling is incomplete without tasting local food. Connoisseurs can enjoy a new variety of foods. Chines, Indian, Mexican, American dishes are loved by all of the worlds. Thus, travelling provides you the opportunity to taste authentic food that you would miss sitting ideal at home.
MAKE NEW FRIENDS
Travel helps us to meet people from different corners of the world. Not only do you get to know about their language and country but befriending them can also help you to plan for your next trip on a budget.
FILLS YOU WITH CONFIDENCE AND MAKE YOU SMARTER
Travel is a gateway to your personal growth. You come out of your comfort zone and it makes you more confident especially when travelling alone. For extremely homesick people, travel could help you to overpower that and make you emotionally strong. Along with discovering new places, you discover new yourself too.
HOW TO TRAVEL ON A BUDGET : 10 BEST TIPS
1. CHOOSE YOUR DESTINATION ACCORDING TO THE BUDGET
Research is fundamental to travelling. This is the first and foremost thing to keep in mind while planning for a trip. There are many naturally expensive places. Try to avoid such places. Choose those destinations, which are relatively cheaper and easily commutable. If going abroad, try to look for places where currency gets you good value.
2. SAVE ON TICKETING WHILE TRAVELLING ON A BUDGET
You can save a lot of money on ticketing. The cost of a flight is the biggest money that you incur into your voyage. Always avoid last-minute ticketing, as it will be expensive and you won’t be left with a second option to choose from. If possible, try to book an advance ticket for not less than 2-3 months. Take early morning flights, as they are much cheaper.
In place of Google, try to search and book your tickets in incognito mode, you will certainly find a slight difference in the ticket price. Take stopover flights instead of a direct one as they are comparatively cheaper. Also, try to board flights from larger airports rather than smaller or national airports. carry as little as you can to avoid extra baggage charges. If travelling in your own country, always plump for cheaper modes of transport like Trains or Buses.( Source: Active Times)
3. AVOID PEAK SEASON
People mostly plan their holidays during the summer or winter break, and this in turn brings a boom in the travel industry. All the hotel bookings and ticket prices seem to be skyrocketing. Hence, travelling off-season will cost you much less proportionately. Hotels and airline companies also lower their prices to attract tourists. You may probably not experience the exact pleasant weather but certainly less crowded and of course a great deal of travel on a budget.
4. CHOOSE ACCOMMODATION WISELY
Lodging and eating cost the most on a trip. When choosing a place to stay on a trip, try to rent hostels, dormitories, lodges, or PGs instead of spending more on hotels. Airbnb and House-sits are the most sought option nowadays. A lot of people tend to Seek ethnic neighborhoods that give them a place to live at no cost. When travelling in a group, camping sounds like a nice alternative. Well, travelling in a group will always cost you less as compared to a solo trip.
The overall expense will be much less and the trip would be fun too. These places generally have provisions for kitchens where you can cook for yourself and save a hell of a lot of money. eating out in expensive restaurants, as this money could be better used for more sightseeing. This is one of the tip for How to Travel on a budget.
5. AVOID BUYING SOUVENIR/SHOP AS LESS AS YOU CAN
Tourist places are full of eye-catching materials that you might feel like buying for your loved ones. Well, don’t get carried away to see them. steer clear of not spending unnecessary and instead take photographs, if you want to show that to someone. Or, if you can’t stop yourself, make sure you buy a few and not a zillion. Know How to Travel for Free or on a Budget: 13 Best Travel Tips.
6. TRAVEL CREDIT/STUDENT CARD
Are you a student? Fresh out of college or age less than 26? Well, you can save tons of cash, on your trip on a budget as long as you have school/college ID cards. Yes, students mostly get several discounts, be it on sightseeing or travel expenses. Make sure, you always ask if there are any discounts available for students. Travel credit cards are one of the best ways to save money and earn rewards/points while travelling. There are different types of travel credit cards like general travel credit cards, hotel credit cards, airline credit cards. Well, the rewards can be redeemed to lessen a huge chunk of money incurred on ticketing and lodging.
7. RESEARCH AND PLACES WHICH ARE FREE
As discussed earlier in this blog, doing proper research is the prerequisite of a trip on a budget. Try to find out free stuff in the city. There are multiple places and occasions that are always free and need no admission charge. A local cultural festival, swimming, hiking, and some museums and parks are some of them. Some places even provide free passes to sightseers or some charge a nominal fee. It is always better to travel with them instead of going to every place individually.
8. FIND A PART-TIME JOB ON YOUR TRIP
Getting a Working Holiday Visa is a great opportunity to earn while you travel. Teaching a language at that place, freelancing your work, bartending, and work while on a trip can also be an option given the trending work from home culture.
9. WALK & SAVE UNNECESSARY TRAVEL EXPENSES
Walking is always the best way to explore a new city, especially when the sightseeing places are a short distance away. Many places have rental bicycles that are both cheap and good for health. Also try as much as public transports you can such as the metro, local trains, buses, etc. it will always cost you less. However, if you want to avoid gathering then Carpooling, Bla Bla car service could also be a good option to travel on a budget.
10. TRAVEL IN A GROUP OR TEAM UP WITH OTHER TRAVELERS
You can decide to spend more by travelling alone or choose to save, by travelling in groups, Wish is yours. The larger the number, the lesser will be the expense. Also, try out for a local group of tourists, if you do not have your group. They will not only guide you to unknown places, but you will also have a lot of fun along with saving a lot of money.
11. AVOID DOING WHAT EVERY OTHER TRAVELER IS DOING
You need to manage your activities for travel on a budget. Your tight budget does not mean everyone around you is on the same page. Watching others doing several activities might fascinate you. Always remember your budget and stick to it.
12. TRY NOT TO HIRE A TOUR GUIDE WHILE TRAVELLING ON A BUDGET
Although tour guides have a piece of thorough knowledge about attractions and they are also helpful in navigating places. But, they also don’t come cheap as they sometimes cost an arm and a leg. Hence, try to use technology like google maps and read about a place before you visit. There are a lot of places which don’t require a tour guide. Hire only if it is required. Also, ask the localities, they can prove to be a good source of information. This is one of the best tip for How to Travel on a budget.
13. TAKE A TRAVEL INSURANCE PLAN WHILE TRAVELLING ON A BUDGET
Travel insurance is one of the smartest moves to save money while travelling. It is advisable to check all your previous and existing insurance policies and make sure you are covered. Also, try to understand the cancellation policies of your airlines or trains. Do not be reluctant to pay an extra premium if there is any chance of future cancellation.
HOW TO TRAVEL ON A BUDGET: MUST-CARRY ITEMS
Listed below are some of the must-carry items that would be required to carry to make your trip comfortable and hassles: –
- Travel pillow
- Eye Mask
- Compression tights or socks- for long flight hours
- Earplugs
- In-flight entertainment- tabs, laptops, iPods, and offline OTT downloads
- Portable chargers/ Multiple charging slots
- Sunscreens/Moisturizers
- Mini first aid box
- Photocopy of your passport and other important documents
- Face Mask
- Clothes suitable for the climate
Travelling Abroad? Carry These Essentials
- Passport/Visa and other travel documents
- Insurance and ID card
- Medicines
- Electrical converters and adapters specific to your destination
- Travel Vaccination
- Carry your cash, ATM, and Credit cards.
CONCLUSION
While travelling on a budget, make sure you never compromise on the fun part of travel. For any vacation, be it a family trip or a solo backpacking, use your resources wisely and smartly plan all the arrangements to make your economically sound trip/vacation worthwhile! We hope our blog answered your “How to Travel on a Budget?” query with the 13 best tips. What’s holding you back? Start making your vacation plans!