Ways to save money when travelling abroad

Travelling can be expensive given all of the planning that goes into it and all of the different things that need to be accounted for when going on a trip. Between food and lodging and activities, things can add up pretty quickly.

Fortunately, it’s easy to save money as long as you remember to take advantage of a few helpful hints when heading to wherever it is that you want to go. Doing so will allow you, or anyone else, to make the most out of any trip from a financial point of view.

Remember what a hotel is for 

A hotel room is an important piece of any vacation, given that it is where the majority of your belongings will be for the bulk of the trip and where any sleeping will take place. But the average cost of a hotel room is trending upward in many locations, with the United States seeing a consistent upward swing in costs year after year, for example. As a result, being thrifty about hotel selections comes down to remembering what the room is for in the first place. 

In most cases, a vacation is designed for people to do activities and try new things in a location that they rarely get to visit. Because of that, the hotel room is really more of a storage locker during the day and a place to sleep at night. Given its purpose and the fact that people are unlikely to spend much more time than that in their rooms, it doesn’t hurt to try and shave some money off of your trip total with a less glamorous room if it means having more money for activities and other items on the trip. 

Save on food when possible 

Food is one of the most marked up items in the world, as restaurants know that you need to eat to survive and that you likely don’t have a way to cook in your hotel. But finding ways to save on food can make any trip vastly more affordable. For example, if one wanted to save when going to Las Vegas, getting their money’s worth at one of the many buffets located in the city would be a good place to eat a lot without spending a lot. 

Another way to save money on food is to find a hotel or other living space that has a kitchen available for use. This will allow you to purchase food from a grocery store and cook it rather than having to pay for the huge markups that come from buying meals in restaurants or other establishments. It may take a little while to make the food, but the savings could be well worth it depending on your travel budget and how packed your specific itinerary might be for a given trip. 

Air travel can often be the most expensive part of a vacation.

Fly based on needs 

There are so many different options for flights when traveling abroad, from economy options to some of the more luxurious airlines out there like Virgin Atlantic. But depending on your personal needs, going with the most economical option possible might be the smartest play given what air travel consists of and how taking to the skies can be perceived. 

Air travel isn’t everyone’s favorite thing, with the pressure changes of high altitude and the lack of space to stretch out being things that many people do not enjoy. Given that it isn’t a relaxing experience for some even in the most favorable of circumstances, going with a more budget conscious flight choice could at least bring some comfort to a person’s wallet even if they aren’t the biggest fans of flying itself. 

Of course, safety and enjoyment are two parts of the traveling process that can’t have a price tag applied to them. But when it comes to non-essential items, looking for ways to save a buck here and there could make a trip just a little bit more enjoyable.