10 Ways to Lower Travel Costs

There’s much to love about going on a travel adventure, especially one that takes you to an overseas country. Alas, there’s no avoiding the fact that traveling can be expensive. Costs can quickly add up, and before you know it, you’ve spent a small fortune — and you haven’t even left home yet!

There are ways to keep travel-related costs as low as possible, however. Working to decrease the cost of all travel expenses, such as the cost of the flight, airport parking, accommodation, and restaurants, can quickly add up to more than a pretty penny. 

If you’re beginning the process of planning your next travel adventure, then keep the following tips in mind. Take them all onboard, and your bank balance will thank you!

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Go Off-Peak

The easiest way to save some money on the cost of, well, pretty much everything, is to travel off-peak, since hotels and airline prices are at their highest during the peak travel periods. 

You’ll save the most money if you travel during the low season, but that’s not usually recommended unless your primary goal is to travel for as cheaply as possible. Low season is cheap, but it’s usually an inferior experience, and if you’re going to go through the process of organizing a trip, then you’ll want to see the best that it has to offer. Traveling during the shoulder seasons — the periods on either side of the peak season — is a good way to save some money while getting the best that the destination has to offer. After all, the ‘peak’ season doesn’t mean the best; it just means when most people are there. Visiting just outside that period offers virtually the same experience, just with fewer crowds.

Visit Underrated Destinations

Want to visit London, Paris, Tokyo, or any of the world’s other most famous destinations? Then you’d better be prepared to pay a pretty penny. While it’s possible to save money in those places (especially if you take the tips mentioned in this article!), the minimum prices you’ll pay will be higher than elsewhere.

Happily, the world is full of fun, affordable, and underrated destinations that are incredible to visit, so why not look at visiting those places instead? If you’re planning on visiting Europe, then picking Bulgaria, the Balkan States, or Spain and Portugal will be cheaper than spending your time in the UK and France. Looking to travel somewhere in South America? Colombia is highly affordable. If you’re planning to stay within the United States, then Georgia, Texas, and New Mexico all offer budget-friendly vacations.

Compare Flight Options

It doesn’t matter where or when you’re traveling: you’ll have plenty of flight options at your disposal. And the cost of these flights can vary widely. It’s not an exaggeration to say that one airline could charge $800 to take you somewhere, while another will charge $400. 

Comparing your flight options is essential for finding the best deal. There are flight comparison websites you can use, though also be aware that there’s no individual comparison website that lists flights from every airline, so look at a few sites before choosing. Also remember that it can sometimes pay — in a big way — to get creative about how you travel to a destination. For instance, flying into one country and then taking another flight to your eventual destination. A flight to Madrid might cost $700, but a flight to London might cost $350, and from there, the flight to Madrid could cost $50. 

Pack Effectively 

Many people get a little too excited when they’re packing their luggage, purely because they think that they’ll need a lot more clothes than they really do. And having an overly-stuffed suitcase won’t just be difficult to transport, but it might also cost you additional airline fees. It’s worth traveling as lightly as possible anyway, but if you really want to keep costs down, then look at avoiding checked luggage altogether. If you’re only traveling for a few days, then carry-on luggage alone might be a viable option — and just like that, you’ll have saved $30 – 50 per bag. 

Save at the Airport 

Many people go to great lengths to save money on the cost of their flight — often spending hours finding the best, most affordable flight available — only to undo many of their cost savings at the airport. There are two ways people tend to overspend at airports: on the cost of parking their vehicle and on food and drink once inside the terminal. For parking, it’s best to pre-book your space using a service like Parking Up, which can offer significant savings versus paying when you arrive at the airport. For food, look at filling up before you travel to the airport so you don’t need to buy a meal once inside the terminal. Once inside, buy a cheap drink, then refill the bottle at the free water dispensers. 

Think About Accommodation 

It’s easy to get sucked into the trap of booking a great hotel. Traveling is an exciting time, and the thought of staying in a great hotel increases the excitement levels. However, it’s worth considering if you really need a great hotel. If you’ve got a full itinerary for when you land, then you probably won’t be spending much time in the hotel anyway. 

On the other hand, if you’re having a relaxing getaway, then paying a little extra for a hotel that offers a swimming pool, spa, and free breakfast is recommended. You’ll only end up paying to get those relaxation touches and comforts elsewhere. 

Do Your Research 

A little bit of research can go a long way, ensuring that not only do you do the things that you want to do when you land in your chosen destination, but that you save money, too. Many museums and art galleries, for instance, offer free entry on certain days/hours. Searching ‘[destination] free entry museum days’ should turn up some results. It’s also worth searching ‘best [destination] free activities.’ Many people are drawn to the paid attractions because they think they’re the best the place has to offer, but it’s often the free things — say, taking a hike that offers the best views of the city — that turn out to be the most memorable moments.

And on this note: don’t think that you have to do everything when you’re traveling. If you have no interest in archaeology, then visiting an archaeology museum just because it’s there doesn’t make much sense — and it’s an easy way to save money on something you didn’t want to do anyway!

Avoid Tourist Zones 

When we say ‘avoid tourist zones,’ we don’t mean avoiding them entirely. Tourist-heavy spaces tend to have a bad reputation, but the fact is: you’re a tourist, you’ll need to spend some time there if you want to see the destination’s best attractions.

With that said, you should avoid tourist areas when it comes to dining. You’ll pay twice the cost for food that’s often half as good as what you’ll find elsewhere. We recommended walking around 10 minutes away from the tourist hotspots before choosing somewhere to eat. 

Curb Your Enthusiasm 

Finally, while we don’t recommend curbing your enthusiasm about the destination — you should be excited when there! — it’s best to avoid going overboard with your spending. It’s easy to adopt a you only live once attitude when traveling and end up spending more than you’d planned. You don’t need a boatload of souvenirs to take home (one will do!) and though it might look like it, foreign currency is not monopoly money!