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Travel Tips
Cost Saving
We are often asked "how can we save money on this trip?" by first time (and even experienced) travellers. Here are some suggestions (please read our disclaimer): Go All Inclusive. To go all inclusive means, to take a guided or accompanied tour with other people who either join you from your home country, or join you at your destination. It usually includes selected meals, hotels and ground transportation. The pros of accompanied travel are that: you have a guide, you get the advantage of group airfares and hotel group discounts, and much of the unknown risk factor and possible exploitation by scam artistes is removed. Some meals are included. The cons of packaged or accompanied travel are that: you are restricted to the sights included on the tour, you are restricted to operator-selected airlines and fixed dates of departure from restricted starting points, you have to keep up with your group, or stay back if someone in your group goes missing at stops, and have to merely take photos and move on without fully appreciating your destination, including its inner secrets, food, culture and its people. Your meal choices are restricted if they are included in the package, and it may not be the cuisine of the country, but may be British pub food or even a fast food chain. Read More: Free Independent Traveller
Group
Independent Traveller
Package Holidaymaker Packages Stay more than one night. Generally, hotels offer better deals if you stay for more than one night. Also, Business destination hotels are cheaper on weekends, and Leisure destination hotels are cheaper on weekdays.
Use Public Transport where possible. In developed
countries, the bus, surface or underground train, or tram is
usually the cheapest way to get around, especially with an
Off-peak pass or (in London) a "Travelcard". Taxis are usually expensive,
and get stuck in traffic for long periods of time in large
congested cities.
Exceptions are Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, where taxis are actually
more cost effective than the mass public transport.
Check both overland transport and airfares. In some cases, travelling on a good budget airline is both faster and cheaper than travelling by train or bus. Travel Light. This usually pays off: the more bags you have, the more you will have to pay taxis to cart them along with you. Also, in the USA, there is a check-in charge of USD 25 per piece for domestic flights purchased on separate tickets (with more than 24 hours layover/stop). Large Breakfast, Skip Lunch. If you are staying at a 3 star hotel or above, you can eat a hearty breakfast at the buffet and skip lunch, perhaps having a sweet, ice cream or sandwich in the mid-afternoon when feeling peckish. In touristy Europe and some other destinations, you may find a 3-course "Tourist menu", which will give you a starter, a main and a dessert for lunch, and even dinner. Fast Food is often the cheapest (and safest) meal you can have, but don't let that prevent you from experimenting with what you see the locals eating.
Buy from the Supermarket. If you
are in a tourist area, all the shops and malls in the
centre will be very expensive. If you find a supermarket
chain, this will be cheap for basic
necessities such as napkins, water, soft drinks, paper cups,
bread, margarine, spreads, cheese, biscuits, chocolates
etc.
Have Local Currency. It is true that credit cards offer an excellent way of monitoring your transactions. However for low value items, and for places that do not accept them, it is best to have the local currency. You also have the means to be more frugal with meals (if you wish), when you have cash. You can then avoid foreign exchange commissions, which can be very high (about 10%). If you have a PLUS (or CIRRUS) system card, you can withdraw money in the local currency. To avoid cash advance fees and interest, you should link your current and savings account to the credit card (or simply use your debit card instead). Please take care to retrieve your card once the withdrawal is complete. In some countries, the cash is dispensed before your card is returned. Think Frugal when Souvenir shopping. You may see several items which you might consider as "good souvenirs". If you are not careful, you will end up with a whole lot of "junk", which cannot be displayed or even stored at your home. They are usually low value and highly marked up, so this could be a major part of your spending. To avoid this trap, think: 1) where would I keep this? 2) who would want to or have the time to see this? Back to Travel Tips |
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