Travelling can be pretty expensive if you don’t have experience with planning and budgeting. So, in order to travel and enjoy your time on a budget, here’s what you should do. 

Avoid weekends and holidays

Firstly, the timing is very important. Most people make the mistake of going on vacation during holidays and weekends. If you choose this time for your holiday, you have to expect to pay higher prices. Travelling during popular times simply comes with crowded places and higher price points. 

So, if you’re trying to save some money while travelling, try to travel during weekdays as that is when more people are working. For instance, what you can do this summer is taking two shorter trips during the weekdays. 

Not only will this help you save a lot of money, but you will also get to visit popular spots when they are less crowded. Once you come back you’ll have another fun trip to look forward to as well. 

Pick an affordable destination

Destinations tend to be expensive when they are popular. If your goal is to save money on travelling, then definitely avoid trendy spots. Instead, look for less popular spots that haven’t yet been discovered by most people. They tend to be more affordable. 

You should also look into prices in that area when it comes to restaurant menus, local transit options, and tourist activities. This will help you plan out your travel budget in advance. After all, paying for the hotel and airplane is just one part of the holiday. You want be able to enjoy yourself once you get there. Maybe you’ll go have some dinner and drinks out of the hotel a few times and buy some souvenirs. 

Compare home rental and hotel costs

The next thing you need to consider is where you’ll be staying. Don’t narrow your options down to just hotels. Before you book your trips make sure to consider all of the available options and compare them in prices. In some areas hotels may be way too pricey, while home rental options may be a better choice. Also, certain popular spots may surprise you with affordable options that many people skip thinking they will be way too expensive. For instance, Bali would actually surprise you with how many affordable options it can offer. If you’re travelling with a larger number of friends, luxurious Bali villas offer amazing deals that you simply cannot miss out on. For a bigger group of people, this option can be more affordable than separating into smaller hotel rooms.

Be strategic when dining out

It can be exciting to try local food and drinks. You can easily get carried away wanting to try everything on the menu. However, this is the easiest way to spend lots of money in a very short time period. If you want to save money, you need to be strategic about where and how you dine out. 

For instance, dining out for breakfast and lunch are usually cheaper options than dining out for dinner. Most restaurants have more expensive menus during dinner hours. If your budget is limited, don’t hesitate to be creative. You can pack some snacks to have on the go, dine out at cheap restaurants and buy ingredients to make some easy meals in your vacation rental or hotel. 

Look for free and low-cost activities

Tourist activities can be expensive at times, but not all of them have to drain your budget. Before you book your vacation, do some research and try to find some low-cost and free activities you can participate in as a tourist. This way you can plan your budget and how you will use it ahead of time. 

Compare the cost of driving and flying

Lastly, getting to your destination can cost you a lot if you don’t consider various different options to find the cheapest one. Especially now when gas prices are skyrocketing, you need to be extra careful about what means of transport you’re choosing.

If you can reach your destination in your car it’s always a cheaper option, especially if you’re travelling with your family or friends. When you’re booking your next travel destination, make sure to use reward cards whenever you can. Lastly, if you’re in the market for a new credit card, you can look up a list of all the travel rewards credit cards to help yourself save some money. 

Conclusion

Overall, travelling doesn’t need to be expensive if you know how to plan ahead and organise your budget. Make sure to pick the right time and place, be creative with your dining options, look for cheap activities and think about your transport options. This way you can travel to some amazing places without going bankrupt.