How to save money

Destinations:

Saving money starts with the choice of your travel destination. In the chapter "where and when to go" it is already mentioned that countries have different price levels. Indicators such as the cost of living index, the restaurant price index or the local purchasing power index can give you an idea of how expensive it will be to spend time in a certain country. Click here to get a good overview of this. It is noticeable that you get the most for your money in Central and South America, big parts of Africa, South and Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. Besides the price level of a country, you should also check whether the country's infrastructure meets your demands. It can be quite challenging and therefore also expensive to find proper accomodation, food and transport at isolated, for tourists unexploited places (North Canada, little Pacific Islands, etc.).

 

Flights:

Usually flights are the highest fixed costs of your travels. Thanks to the rise of international budget airlines, the big competition in general and deal finding websites, it has become much easier to fly around the world on a low budget. In this section, you find all our tips and tricks how to find cheap tickets:

 

When to fly:

Airline tickets prices vary significantly depending on the day of the week, the time of year, and upcoming holidays. When your flight is during a time when most people in your home country are off and therefore planning to fly on holiday, then you will most probably have to pay higher fares. Moreover, it is usually cheaper to fly during the middle of the  week, because most people travel on the weekends. Prices are also cheaper if you fly in the early morning, late at night or after a major holiday.

 

How to book:

As the times when people turned to classic travel agencies are nearly over, we like using search engines on the internet such as momondo.com and skyscanner.com. Both provide instant comparison on flight prices for over thousands of routes. If possible, give yourself the opportunity to catch any of the cheap flights by searching a couple of days, also around your preferred departure date. Once you have found the cheapest price, compare it directly with the airlines own website. Sometimes the airlines offer even lower fares when you book online on their site. Besides flight search engines there are also websites that concentrate on special offers and error fares which can be great deals if you are flexible concerning where and when to go. To stay on top of travel deals we can recommend airfarewatchdog.com and holidaypirates.com. Holiday Pirates inform you about error fares on your smartphone. You are able to choose your destination and your budget for a flight and they will send you push messages as soon as such an offer is online!

 

When to book:

Usually the best booking window is 6-10 weeks before your flight, or around 3-4 months before if you are going to your destination during peak season.

 

Some more tips:

• Before booking a round-trip flight, look at the costs of two one-way flights. Sometimes it turns out to be cheaper!
• Do not just consider departing from the airport which is located closest to you. Check out other airports in your country or even in a neighboring country that can easily be reached by public transport. Instead of flying from germany we sometimes take the train to Paris and fly from there because it can save up to a few hundreds of Euros.
• Do not just focus on direct flights. Stopovers can save you much money, even if that means that your flight time is longer. A great tool for finding cheap first flights (to other airports of your preferred country or even continent) is "google flights". Here you will find a world map showing all airports and relevant flight costs to get there!
• Collect points or miles at airline rewards programs (Frequent Flyer Programs) in return for cheaper fares, upgrades, and free tickets for your fellow traveller. It may take a while to accumulate enough points, but they can pay off immensely.
• If you are student - get an international student card such as ISIC! - or under 26: There are lots of student discount codes out there. Moreover travel agencies like STA Travel or Flight Centre can help you find a cheap ticket.

 

Transportation:

If your travel destination provides a proper transport infrastructure, the cheapest way to get around is usually by public transport like bus, train or boat. Furthermore this is a great option to get in touch with locals who can always provide useful insider information such as good value restaurants, interesting things to see and do and so on. 

If time is short or more flexibility is required, then renting a car can be a good option (but be aware of the foreign traffic rules and bring an international driving license with you.). We have already gone on a couple of amazing road trips, for example in the USA, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Morocco, Canada, Argentina and Chile. Keep in mind that prices for rental cars can be quite high and vary widely depending on the country! To save the time of endless bus or boat rides or cover huge distances, you may even take a (domestic) flight which can be of great benefit.

If you want to check out the local area of the place you are staying at, consider renting a scooter which is very popular and cheap e.g. in many countries of Southeast Asia.

Share costs with other travelers wherever and whenever you can! When you meet other travelers (e.g. in hostels, on guided tours, etc.) there might be someone who is looking for other travelers to share a private car or taxi with. That's a great way to get around and splitting costs is always more cost-effective. A special tip for taxi rides: often there is no taximeter, so ask a local person or at the reception desk or your ho(s)tel about the standard fare for your selected route and fix the price with the taxi driver before departing - otherwise you may be charged way too much! In many countries it is also safe and common to hitchhike. Give it a try after having checked whether this is also the case at your destination.

 

Accomodation:

Accomodation is one of the biggest daily expenses when you travel - and lowering it, can lead to big savings.

Hostels:

Hostels provide budget-oriented, sociable accomodation where guests can rent a bed - usually a bunk bed - in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and private rooms are usually also available. When picking hostels on websites like hostelworld.com or hostelbookers.com, I look at user reviews, pictures and facilities. Of course hostels are not the most comfortable accomodation but they offer big advantages: there is usually a friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff that provides you with great insider information, free city maps, tour booking and so on. Additionally you will meet lots of other travelers who like to share their experiences and make proposals on what to see and do. If you download the Hostelworld App and book your accomodation with it you can already see which other app users are staying at that specific place and get in touch with them. Things can be so easy nowadays...

Really good hostels also organize activities such as walking tours, bar tours or BBQs to spend a fantastic time together. If you stay in a dormitory of a hostel, you should not forget to bring earplugs, a padlock (to lock your valuables in one of the often provided lockers) as well as flip flops (to wear in shared bathrooms and showers).

 

Apartments:

Apartments are often too expensive for single travelers but if you are part of a group or a couple who is looking for a break from the dorms and crowds of travelers - but don't want a hotel room - this might match your taste. Furthermore apartments provide self-catering facilities which reduce your food costs. A popular rental website ist airbnb.com. Usually the host is friendly, helpful and can give you good advice on what to see and do in the area.

 

Hotels:

Hotels are not our favorite due to the usually higher prices but sometimes you can find very good deals especially as a couple, for example on booking.com. They have listed over a million properties around the globe including hotels, apartments and hostels. You get a best price guarantee and the cancellations of most rooms is free.

 

Staying with locals:

One of the best ways to save money on accomodation is by not paying for it. Hospitality networks make it possible to stay with locals who open their homes to you. This is not only a great way to save on accomodation but you also get to interact with locals who can show you where to go and what to do, and you experience local culture at first hand. A good website is couchsurfing.com. Staying at a "homestay" also means that you stay with the local people but in this case you usually pay for it.

 

Camping:

Another cheap option is to set up a tent in a national park, a caravan park, on the beach or just in the grounds of hostels or backyards of local people you meet. Camping in warm and dry reagions is much easier than in colder and wetter ones because you get along without an expensive high quality tent and a heavy sleeping bag. Keep in mind that your camping equipment means additional weight to carry around as long as you are not on a road trip. To save money and carry less, we always try to buy our camping gear in hostels (via notes at the reception) and sell it again after we do not need it anymore.

 

Food:

Unless eating out is incredibly cheap - like in many Asian countries - we prefer self-catering accomodation, like hostels, because buying groceries and cooking them by yourself can save you lots of money. If you decide to eat out, go for local food which is usually the cheapest. Of course you can get lots of quick calories by ordering some burgers or fries at McDonald's for as little as a few Euros but local food is much more authentic, healthy and it supports the domestic economy as well as private households. When looking for local food always pick places that are popular with local people. This is a good indicator for fresh and good value food! We also recommend street food. In most places around the world, you will find areas where food is cooked on the open streets. You will enjoy a delicious meal which is usually cheap and a great way to really experience the local cuisine. You should keep in mind that restaurants or street food located next to tourist attractions are usually more expensive and less authentic, so just head one street or one block further.

 

Travel slowly:

The biggest costs in traveling are transport, accomodation and stepping into price traps due to a lack of information. By traveling slowly, you lessen the need for frequent transport. Furthermore many hotels, hostels and especially apartments privide their best deals if you stay longer than just one night. Besides, traveling is not about hurrying from place to place, it's about experiencing a new culture and gaining the most from every place. The longer you stay at one place the higher the chance of figuring out about the best price deals.

 

Sleep while traveling:

When traveling by plane, train or bus, try to do so at night. This way you do not have to pay for a night's accomodation. 

 

Free walking tours:

If you are heading for a city and want to learn about its history, architecture and people, as well as see the major sights, you should consider joining a free walking tour. They are usually guided by local people and based on tips. It is up to you how much you tip but it will usually turn out to be a great deal. You can sign up for a tour at local tourist offices or with your hostel staff. They can also be booked online. To do so check out websites such as guruwalk.com or just enter "Free walking tour (city name)" in a search engine.   

 

Credit cards:

Switch to a No-Fee ATM credit card or (if you travel as a couple/in a group) make sure only one person takes money out of the cash machine and supply travelbuddies to save (multiple) transaction fees.

                                                                                                                                 06.03.2018 - Lena & Chris