How I'm Travelling More & Spending Less In 2017
It's the age-old problem. I want to do something fun, but I don't have the cash to make it happen.
As my mum calls it - No Mun No Fun.
When it comes to travel, though, I'm usually more than willing to sacrifice nights out/new clothes/the odd haircut to make it happen. And as I said in my Traveller Guilt post, I can get a little embarrassed when people ask me how I afford my trips. There are loads of little tricks I have up my sleeve for saving money when travelling, and I thought I'd share some of them here.
- It seems obvious, but I tend to travel off season as much as I can. I'm not confined to school holidays/bank holidays/certain times of year for work, so I book my trips in the months most people wouldn't be going. I've found that the first two weeks of December and in the Autumn are super cheap, and have trips booked for both!
- I try to not book a trip with a place in mind. If I do travel in high season, I like to go on Skyscanner, and click the 'Everywhere' button. Wherever the cheapest flights are, I'll take a little trip there. It feels more spontaneous, and I got return flights to Nice in June for £80...bargain!
- If I can, I book a hotel where a breakfast is included in the price. As long as it doesn't bump the cost up too much, it works out way cheaper for me (and I can sneak a few bits for lunch/snacks during the day).
- City tourist cards are are a great way to see the sights and pay less for the privilege. Often, you can get entry to the main sights and museums, and add on some city wide transport too.
- Flying indirect can save So.Much.Money. Especially if (like me) you don't live near the busiest airport. I'm flying to Vienna via Amsterdam in December. An hour in one of the coolest airports in Europe is not a bad layover. I also mix and match my flights, flying out with one airline and back with another.
- If I'm away for anything under a week I don't bother with checking in luggage. I can do the minimalist thing! The way I look at it, if I can manage four full days in Iceland during winter with just hand luggage, I can handle anywhere. Jumpers take up a lot of space.
- I'm not afraid of going off the beaten track. When it comes to food and eating abroad, of course it's going to cost 3X more to eat at the beach/in the main square/in front of the Duomo. Eating like a local, in little nooks and crannies and side streets, means I get the authentic food at much more reasonable prices.
I can't wait to see some new places this year. Obviously I can't do it all for nothing, so I'm working a lot more to cover my costs, but it's definitely all worth it! I'd love to hear any new tips or tricks if anyone knows anything I don't (especially new places to go!)
