25 Ways to save money while on a Vacation

People who love travelling know that each and every penny counts while on road. You can’t get exhausted in the middle of a trip. People like me who love to travel know the craving when you need to get away from your daily routine, your mundane life. But the greatest hurdle in satisfying that wanderlust in most of our cases is money. Most of us don’t have that unending supply of cash to fund each of our trips. We plan, we cut our expenses, we save, we make a budget, a hell of a lot of calculation that we need to do before planning a trip. There is a popular saying “Money doesn’t grow on trees”, so why not play smart and save some extra bucks in each of our trips for the next trip we are planning.

If we save some money it is going to save us in the future. From here, we can please ourselves when it comes to what we want to spend our saved money on. The present-day internet is all about coupons, discounts, offers, etc then why should we pay more when we have the option to not.

Well, these 25 pointers are definitely going to help to save money on a vacation. I have also written a similar post but this is going to more comprehensive and elaborate. Some of you who are travel lovers may be well acquainted with all the points but I am sure these will be helpful for everyone planning to hit the road.

25 Ways to save money while on a Vacation

1. Take a train or a bus instead of a flight if the facility is there.

If you are travelling within your country and you have some extra days in your hand why not go for a train journey, I am sure it would be much enjoyable. You can avoid a flight as air tickets are more expensive. You can also book a public transport like a bus to save some extra money.

2. Book your tickets at least one month prior to your trip

There is always some advantage to the early bird. Plan your trip a month or two ahead so that you can save some money in that. Booking your tickets last moment will cost you way more than booking a few weeks ago. Also, you can secure your tickets to get a full refund by paying the cancellation secure charges which is available on some websites.

3. Check for coupons or deals while booking hotels

While booking your tickets check for coupons or any kind of offers and discounts. Sometimes these things vary from one website to another, make sure you check each of the websites before booking your tickets. Also if you are travelling during the festive season lots of websites offer festive discounts, make sure you avail those.

4. Avoid travelling during festivals, fairs or special occasions

This is one of the most effective ways to save money, that is by avoiding your vacation during festivals, fairs or any special occasions. At this time everything including flight, hotel bookings will cost you twice or maybe thrice if compared to the time during no such festivals, etc. For example, if you want to visit Kolkata during Durga Puja, everything will be very expensive but if you want to visit Kolkata especially during Durga Puja than I suggest get your booking done earlier.

5. Avoid travelling during peak seasons

Again peak seasons are not advisable if you want to travel within a fixed budget and save some money. During peak seasons tourists flocks in huge numbers and as a result hotel charges or cab charges show an alarming rise in price. Also, tourist places are better off without the usual crowd.

6. Travel in groups and share your bills

It’s is always better if you are travelling in groups. In that way, you can share most of your bills which will help you save some money. Nowadays many travel groups have come up on Facebook where you can give your travel dates and ask if anyone is interested in joining your trip. If you find him/her to be like-minded that why join travel together and in that way, you can get a travel companion.

7. Rent an apartment if you are planning for a longer vacation

I have some friends who travel or prefer longer vacations and for that, they either rent an apartment or stay as a paying guest. This is in the way a good idea because per month apartment bill will be definitely reasonable than per day hotel bills. Also as a paying guest, you need not worry about your food or any other stuff.

8. Check for hotels that provide free meals.

While booking your hotels select those that offer complimentary meals. It may be a breakfast or dinner. A complimentary lunch makes no sense as most of the day you will remain outdoors exploring. You should check every facility that your hotel is providing before you confirm the booking.

9. Book your hotel rooms online to get discounts

These days the internet is flooded with hotel booking websites. You can check all of these to make sure which website is offering the cheapest and best deal. Booking your hotel room online is the best way to save a few bucks. In India, some popular websites for hotel booking are Trivago, MakeMyTrip, Booking.com, etc. Also, you should check the ratings and reviews, they play a great role in selecting the best hotel for you.

10. Travel in a public transport rather than a personally hired cab

If you are desperate to save money while on a vacation than you must ditch the luxury of travelling in a personally hired cab. Take the public transport, travel like a local and in that way you will be able to know more about the place you are exploring. Also, you can connect and get a lot of information from the locals.

11. Stay in hostels, guesthouses, homestays or with locals

Lots of hostels, homestays have come up with all kinds of basic amenities required for travellers. You can opt for staying in there rather than staying in the hotel. Hostels is the places to connect with lots of people from your tribe. Make friends, travel companions or interact with the local inhabitants by staying in a homestay. These are inexpensive ways of travelling.

12.Select a budget-friendly hotels with basic amenities

Since most of the day you will be exploring than why go for luxury, you can go for any hotel with basic amenities. I am sure you can work with your mobile data rather than a hotel with wi-fi. Nowadays there are many tourist-friendly spots or cafes which provide free wi-fi so seek such a spot and you can work from there. Select a budget-friendly hotel having the bare minimum. It will be a great way to save money while on vacation.

13. Avoid unnecessary shopping even if you are tempted

Shopaholics, avoid shopping in markets near tourist spots, they will be way costlier than other parts of the place. Buy only if it is very very necessary. Don’t buy anything and everything that catches your fancy.

14. Get a souvenir one or two if you want, you need not buy in bulk.

You can avoid buying a souvenir or gifts for your entire office or neighbourhood or relatives. Keep it limited to your friends and family. In that way, it will help in keeping your luggage light and save a few bucks.

15. Don’t forget to bargain.

The bargain is very important when it comes to shopping in a distant land. Bargain like no ones watching you. There is no harm in bargaining and saving a little money. Don’t feel shy as most of the items in tourist places are priced twice its original price.

16. Check whether the location you are travelling fits your budget

Make a budget stick to it. See whether the place you are travelling fits your budget. Do not compromise with it if you are planning to save some money. Last moment changes can disrupt your whole plan.

17. If travelling abroad check currency exchange rates

Also when travelling abroad, make sure to check the latest currency exchange rates. You need to know the exchange rates so that you will be able to know the worth of your currency /money in another country. It can also help you get some good deals on while currency conversion.

18. Know where to change your currency

Avoid exchanging your currency in airports as they charge huge commissions. It is better to exchange in a bank or an ATM. Banks work on standard working hours across the world and in ATM you can get the currency exchanged at current rate.

19. Avoid eating or shopping in areas near tourist attractions.

Most of the places for eating out or markets for shopping near tourist places are expensive. It is their business to literally rob the tourists. I always prefer shopping from government authorised shops or from markets that are located far away from any tourist spot. They sell more or less the same stuff.

20. Search for free activities or couple activities to save money

There are many places that offer free activities or couple activities. Search for this kind of activities when you are in a new place and it will help you to save while on vacation. Sometimes some pubs or clubs offer free couple passes on weekends so you can check on this kind of places.

21. Carry some light snacks, food, water bottle with you.

It is always advisable to carry some food with you while travelling, carry your own water bottle and some light snacks. You can also pack some food from the free complimentary huge breakfast you had in your hotel early morning. I have seen most tourists doing that.

YOU CAN ALSO READ A SIMILAR POST ON THE SAME TOPIC HERE–

10 Tips For Travelling on a Budget in India

5 Ways to Save Money For Travelling

22. Book your hotels in offbeat location away from places meant for tourist attraction.

It is advisable to book your hotel away from the popular tourist spots. Hotels located near spots for tourist attraction tend to charge more than hotels located in a distance.

22. Don’t compromise with your budget under any situation.

Stick to your budget, do not try to make any last moment changes unless there is an unavoidable circumstance. To some extent, you can keep it flexible but too many changes can sometimes lead you to make unnecessary expenditure. For example last moment cancellation of tickets or hotel bookings, etc.

23. Make a fixed itinerary and go with it.

Planning your itinerary is very important before you start your vacation. You should have a rough idea of your course of action, like the places you want to visit and which ones you can skip.A pre-planned itinerary goes a long way in making your vacation smooth and hassle free.

24. Party outdoors and avoid clubs or bars.

We love to visit pubs and explore the nightlife in a new place. But instead of going to a pub you can grab a bottle and a glass and party with your friends or partner on a beach or somewhere in the outdoors if it is allowed. You can also make a bonfire and spend the night star gazing or simply enjoy the night sky. It will definitely save you a few bucks.

25. Explore your destination on foot or rent a bicycle/bike

Another inexpensive way to explore a new place is by renting a bicycle or a bike. It is really fun and you can have your full freedom to visit anywhere your heart wants to. These days almost all tourist places have shops or centres from where you can rent a bicycle or a bike. You can check the information from any city/country tour guide or the website or from internet sources.

That was quite an exhausting post but I have covered almost all the ways you can save money while on vacation. You are most welcome to add your own points in the comment section below. Thanks for reading the post.

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