... travelling on a budget.
In order to regularly travel you need to know the tips and tricks to find the best deals. These tips may seem like common sense, but combining all six leads to some unforgettable trips for a fraction of the original price!
1. SKYSCANNER OR KAYAK
When searching for flights, and hotels, make sure you're browsing in a private session. This limits your cookies and ultimately ensures the websites give you the best possible price. Whilst sites such as 'SkyScanner' (my personal favourite) and 'Kayak' provide the most competitive flight comparison prices, they do track your cookies and adjust their prices as a result. i.e. if you visit the site more regularly, prices will be slightly higher as they know that you are interested in this location, and are willing to pay for it.
Both 'SkyScanner' and 'Kayak' compare prices from a variety of different airlines, highlighting the best value for money. You can also filter the results by the number of stopovers, flight time etc. in order to find a flight price and time that is most suitable to you. I couldn't recommend these websites highly enough!
2. FLEXIBLE DATES AND SEASONS
Try and be as flexible as possible, even if it's only +/- 2 days. I've been able to travel to a variety of locations as I simply choose the month I want to travel and see which dates are most affordable. This is available on almost all flight websites, although I obviously recommend 'SkyScanner' or 'Kayak'. As well as this, I always try to avoid July and August as, with it being the school summer holidays, this is the peak season for most northern hemisphere countries. Prices can more than double if you're looking at popular locations; why pay more for the same trip just a few weeks earlier?
3. FLEXIBLE LOCATION
Whilst it is a good idea to have a bucket list of places you want to travel to, try and have a variety of locations to choose from, particularly if you are less flexible on dates. I try to have a list of places I would like to visit, but also I am always open to new places! On 'SkyScanner' by choosing the 'everywhere' option when searching for flights you can see a list (or map view) of locations priced high to low! This is a great way of comparing the best value locations!
4. KNOW WHEN TO BOOK ACTIVITIES
Depending upon the location, it may be best to book activities before travelling, and some it can be best to book once there; this is a key way to keep costs down. Whilst there are always exceptions, I generally found that for western countries, such as the United States and the UK, it is more cost-effective to book in advance. Websites such as 'Klook' and 'Groupon' often have deals and discounts for you to take advantage of! However, I found that local hotels/hostels and local tour providers can often be more competitively priced than online agencies. It's also important to remember that the local people will be able to provide suggestions for off-the-beaten-path places to visit!
5. SHORT AND SWEET
In an ideal world we would all go away for a few weeks, or even months, to fully travel around a country or island. However, unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world and most of us are on a budget! By travelling for a few days, you choose the best parts of a place to visit; making sure each moment is taken advantage of! This also allows you to spend slightly more each day, than what you would if you travelled for a longer period of time.
6. EAT LIKE A LOCAL
Not only will this save you enormous amounts of money, but you will also be able to experience some of the best food you've ever had! Street food is truly the best way to expose yourself to a country's food and culture most authentically. Not to mention the fact that restaurant prices will be sky high in comparison to street food. Eating street food is the main way I keep costs down when travelling; leaving a greater budget for excursions and souvenirs!
I hope this was helpful.
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-Alicia
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