by Susan Paige
Booking a flight can be an expensive ordeal alone, let alone paying out for your accommodation on top. Luckily for you, travelling for less is possible. Whilst you may have to make your money last on the road, there are several things you can take into consideration before you even leave home to help you save a little bit of extra cash, including by mix and matching your flight. Whilst companies such as Wizzcash might help you in financial emergencies, such as an unexpected medical bill when you return home from your travels, you can save money while you’re travelling to ensure you’re budgeting for any such occurrence. Here, we’ve put together five money-saving travel tips that enable you to have the holiday of a lifetime without worrying about the expense!
- Mix & Match Your Flight
One of the best ways to save money is through your flights, and the way to do this is by mix and matching your airlines. Undoubtedly, booking your flight with one airline is straightforward, but by using Skyscanner’s ‘flexible’ search tool, you can find the cheapest price in minutes. As well as saving money by flying out and returning with different airlines, you can also save money by checking in at different airports. If you are visiting a major holiday destination, especially, you will often have a selection of airports to choose from. Whilst it isn’t always possible to use different airports, mix and matching your airlines can save you a considerable amount of money that you can spend on holiday.
- Save On Foreign Currency Exchange
We understand that withdrawing money abroad can be expensive, and even though using a debit card can be much cheaper than a credit card, most major banks will charge for each cash withdrawal on top of a costly commission fee regardless. A great way to save on foreign currency exchange is by taking out larger sums of cash, so that you can avoid commission charges by taking out less money more frequently. Further to this, when travelling abroad, you should find out whether or not you will be charged for using your debit card for each purchase or not. With this knowledge, you can then make an informed decision regarding exactly how much money you will need to avoid these additional charges at all costs.
- Tap Into Technology
There are numerous travel apps that can help you save a lot of money when travelling, whether it is by car, air or sea. Without even realising, some of these useful apps may already be on your phone! Uber, for example, enables you to use your Uber account in any city where Uber operates, which can help you save a significant amount of money travelling to and from your holiday accommodation alone. If you plan to take public transport for additional savings, Citymapper is a great app that provides you with some of the best public transport options in cities across the world.
- Do A Home Swap
We understand that accommodation abroad can be expensive, which is why a home swap could be the perfect option for you. What’s more, more often than not, a home swap is completely free. Whilst you will have to be comfortable with a stranger being in your home too, a home swap provides you with the perfect opportunity to visit a new country. Even though it may sound daunting, home swaps arranged with an official online listing service are completely safe! If you are not comfortable with the idea of a stranger entering you home, a great way to save money when travelling is to check into multiple hostels along the way.
- Borrow, Don’t Buy!
Now that you have booked your holiday, borrow – don’t buy! Travel adapters, luggage tags and suitcases are all expensive items that are required for your trip. To ensure that you can travel happy without the expensive, speak to your family, friends and even next door neighbour to find out if you can borrow any of these items for the duration of your trip. More often than not, they will be more than happy to let you borrow their suitcase because chances are, it won’t be in use. If you are embarking on a ski trip, for example, you may even be able to borrow a ski jacket or trousers to help you save!
We have all heard of money saving travel tips that supposedly work, but these secrets really do allow you to save a significant amount of money when you travel. Before you next travel, why not consider mix and matching your flights and tapping into technology to reduce the cost of your memorable trip? After all, who doesn’t like to save money when possible? You’ll certainly thank us!
So, what do you think ?