Budget Travelling

It seems like everyday I'm checking social media, stumbling on these insanely beautiful places I can't wait to see for myself. Then the same drill, I check my bank balance, seriously disappointed but not one bit surprised. For so long I would save and save and save and hopefully get one great, but really expensive. And while I always enjoyed myself I felt there was so much of the world I wanted to see and it couldn't wait for that one trip a year. The past two years instead of seeing one single place I've been on at least 3-4 mini trips and I plan on way more in the future. So here's some tips and tricks I've come across that really help when travelling on a budget.

Travelling cheap is all about taking advantage all of those sites that will save us money in the long run. Every little bit can help make the travelling life more affordable.

How to Travel On A Budget: Your Guide 2019

1. Do Your Research

Just like everything research and planning make a difference. What I like to do lately is spend a couple hours seeing where is the most affordable of the places I would like to go. I have my top 10 places I need to see and then some others I would love to visit too. I went to Paris this year, during Paris Fashion Week which has always been on my list so it was amazing getting to cross this off.

Skyscanner is a great app for planning, especially if you have multiple trips in mind and you're flexible with dates. It allows you to see the cheapest month to travel to your desired location. So clever! If you thought about it lined up all the trips you wanted to book in the year and organised them on affordability of months, you would already save enough to add another trip to your list. Flying to a destination off-peak could save you hundreds. Now I know sometimes, the experience is during peak season, like Spain during Summer, or even for me Paris during Fashion week (which was a total accident my boyfriend booked me that trip and instantly regretted it when I told him what week it was!)

I tend to bargain hunt as well, I'll use multiple websites to look for the best deals my favourites would be Skycanner.ie, Budgettravel.ie, Booking.com & lastminute.com. I've had good experiences with all of these, I love that you can book flights and accommodation together, two birds and all that. I always compare with rates on the hotels actual site as well, sometimes they offer discounts to book directly.

2. Book In Advance

This goes for everything. Prices always go up closer to the time you need it. Doesn't seem fair but it's typical, and it might just save you some extra cash, if you're clever and book ahead. If you know you'll be needing a train for example go online and book your ticket. It will certainly be cheaper and you're sure to be guaranteed a ticket too.

Similarly, trips and activities are much cheaper if you book online or a specific slot. I know when we went to Amsterdam last year, you can also find deals for multiple trips and save even more if you've already planned on going anyway. I personally am a huge fan of this, I love getting most of my costs out of the way, so everything I have when I get there is extra spending.

3. Student Cards

If you're a student, take advantage of this. Even if you're not a student anymore, if your card doesn't have an expiry you'll probably be safe! There's no shame in asking if there's student discounts. You are never going to see these people again and they are so used to it anyway, they've probably been asked the same question 10 times over that day.

4. Tourist/City Cards

If it's a major city you're visiting and you plan on seeing a lot of it, it may be in your interest to purchase a tourist card. With this you will get free access or discounted entry to certain attractions or museums in the area. This was huge in both Amsterdam and Paris. On top of this, certain places allow free entry to young EU citizens. When we went to Paris, we weren't charged entry into the Louvre because we were under 26. All EU citizens under 26 gain free entry. I thought this was amazing, what a good way to get young people into such inspirational places.

You can buy these cards online, or even head to the local tourism office, they are usually easy find. If you're unsure and staying in a hotel the staff are sure to know as well.

5. Airbnb

Don't exclude some other accommodation options either. Airbnb's are ideal for travelling on a budget. You could get an entire apartment for half the price of hotels at times. Airbnb allow you to share links with your friends and get up to €21 credit for each person that books. Isn't that amazing. So everyone benefits.

Most Importantly: Budget

You could follow all those tips and still blow it on the first day. The most important of all is to plan your trip and budget accordingly. I am obsessed with planning, I'm a freak, I plan m every move every single day. You don't have to be like me. But just thinking a small bit more about everything you could save way more than you even realise.

For example, googling the best restaurants around, different prices, where looks good and what you can afford. Finding out if you can get group deals on attractions, or however you want to spend your day. Searching for nearby supermarkets to get the extra bits you need. It can all add up to save you that little bit extra on your trip.

Thanks for reading this all,

If there's any questions, feel free to fire them my way.

Safe travels,

Char

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