Tips for keeping travel costs down
For South Africans travel, especially international travel, has earned the notorious reputation of being too heavy on the purse or wallet and out of reach of many. The rewards of travel, though, are too good to miss and finding ways to keep travel costs down are worth their weight in gold.
Here are 6 tips for keeping travel costs down:
It always pays to plan ahead
The benefits of planning your trip in advance reveal themselves in a number of ways which include discounted flight tickets and hotel accommodation bookings. Researching your intended destination(s) certainly plays its part in providing you with options on how to make the most out of your trip. If you are not as tech savvy as you’d like to be, you can still save money by taking out travel guide books on loan from your local library instead of buying them.
Knowing what facilities are available and what activities you will most likely be doing will allow you to draw up a more accurate budget for your trip. You may even be able to take advantages of freebies such as happy hours and free tours.
Protect yourself with travel insurance
The backing of a travel insurance policy is a great way to saving money when travelling. Falling victim to one of the many types of travel inconveniences and emergencies can spell financial disaster, especially if the emergency is medically related. The high cost of adequate medical treatment and attention is a heavy price to bear out of your own pocket.
Take advantage of online deals
There are a number of websites like Groupon that offer discount vouchers all year round for interesting things to do and meals at restaurants. Taking advantage of these discounted deals is a great way to saving money on your trip.
Free Wi-Fi facilities
Seeing how important digital communication has become in our lives, plenty of hotels and restaurants around the world entice their patrons with free Wi-Fi facilities. Making use of such facilities allows you to save on expensive roaming and data costs.
Create your own travel-size toiletries
The prices of pre-packed store bought travel-sized toiletries certainly do not relate to size. You can save money and have your favourite brand with you if you use empty bottles and put your own shampoo, conditioner and shower gel in them.
Limit cash in hand
Not only is having a limited amount of cash on your person safer, it also helps you to not exceed your budget. Many seasoned travellers find that having a certain amount of cash available helps them keep to their budget, with the credit cards being used for emergencies. If you will be using your credit card abroad, it is a good idea to notify your bank that you will be using your card for payment whilst on holiday. They may just find the transactions in another country suspicious activity and block your card as a result.
If you have been avoiding fulfilling the dream of a trip abroad because it is too expensive, consider the tips above to keep the costs of international travel down and have a memorable trip.
