What To Know Before You Go
A smooth, stress-free vacation begins well before the trip. Use these ideas to streamline vacation travel planning and preparation:
Establish Travel Central. Whether it's a new divider in a Household Notebook notebook, a dedicated section in a paper planner, or a Vacation category in your handheld organizer, keep all travel information in a single location. Include contact information for airlines, car rental agencies and travel agents, passport and frequent flyer numbers, and itineraries.
Three most important factors for vacation planning: lists, lists and more lists. Filed in Travel Central, vacation lists can include personal packing lists for each family member, a "before you leave" checklist, instructions for house-sitters, packing checklists and camping checklists.
Enter the packing zone. As you plan and prepare, set aside an area to gather travel essentials. In addition to tickets, passports, and travel documents, add travel-sized toiletries, tissues, travel appliances and personal care items.
Pack It Light, Pack It Right
Packing prowess separates veteran travelers from the armchair variety. Keep these ideas in mind as you pack for vacation travel:
Lighten the load. It's an old saw that still cuts--when traveling, less is more. For each family member, lay out all clothing and personal care items needed for the trip. Remove half before you pack the rest.
Forget what mother told you, and pack your oldest underthings! Collect worn-out socks and underwear throughout the year. When traveling, wear and toss. You'll lighten the load and make room for souvenirs as you go.
Investigate packing organizers. Pack clothing, socks, underwear and personal items in zipper food storage bags to cut wrinkles, protect clothing, and organize suitcases. Commercial organizers can be worth the cost for frequent travelers. Check them out!
Pack children's clothing day-by-day. For easiest travel with kids, use large zipper food storage bags to pack a complete outfit for a single day. Dirty clothing can be re-stored in the bags.
Plan for T-shirts. Family vacations mean t-shirts, t-shirts, t-shirts. Deliberately under-pack, knowing you'll add these garments along the way.
Take care of yourself! Put together personal care kits for each family member in a zipper bag or cosmetics organizer. Include sample-sized bottles of shampoo, shower gel, lotion and sun block. Use motel supplies along the way to replenish care kits. At vacation's end, re-stock care kits and store inside suitcases for the next trip.
On The Road
Pack the snacks! Airlines have cut back on meal and snack service, while roadside treats during car travel can be expensive and nutritionally unsound. Carry a small collapsing insulated bag and include a selection of healthy snacks to stave off the Cookie Monster.
Keep the customers satisfied. A visit to the Dollar Store can go a long way to amuse children while traveling. For maximum impact, package small toys, books, and games separately and dole them out one at a time.
Scale back on souvenirs. Don't let vacation travel saddle your household with more clutter! Instead, consider these clutter-free options: collecting small ornaments for a holiday "travel tree", purchasing postcards, assembling a scrapbook or keeping a personal travel journal to remind you of your trip.
Cut "buy me, buy me!" clamor with a Souvenir Budget. Use an envelope for each child, and deposit a small amount of cash earmarked for souvenirs at the beginning of the trip. Each child may spend the money in the envelope any way he or she chooses. Make it clear that there will be no more money forthcoming! When they control the cash, children become savvy souvenir shoppers.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
10 Honeymoon Vacation
Since money is a big factor for a lot of couples, planning budget honeymoons is a must! Flexibility and creativity is the key to a cheap honeymoon. If you insist on staying in a over-the-water bungalow in Bora Bora, the price tag will match that, no matter if you travel off season. Don't return from your honeymoon with thousands of dollars in debt, think "cheap" and plan ahead! Here is a list of ideas and tips that can help you save some money:
1. Stay Close to Home.
There are beautiful resorts all over the place. Find a local, secluded resort within a few hours drive of your wedding. This could cut your honeymoon cost in half since airline costs are extraordinary. This will also allow you to save money but enjoy the luxury of a 4 or 5 star resort. Your location, the time of year and your preferred honeymoon will all need to be taken into account. Or, pick a beautiful, dream location within a few hours flight of your wedding. If you want a tropical honeymoon, choose a destination that is a 4 – 6 hour flight instead of 10+ hours. This will cut down in the price and you can still have that island paradise. Compare islands in a region as well. Some islands are more expensive primarily because they are more popular. There are many great deals that are more affordable and just as nice as that popular resort and destination you see in all the advertisements.
2. Travel in the Off-Season.
If your mind is set on a certain destination, find out when they have their off-season. Some hotels offer significantly lower prices during the off-season. The off-season usually is a time when the weather isn't at its best, but this can mean hotter than normal weather for some locations, or rainy season in others.
3. Honeymoon Registry Gifts.
Ask for your honeymoon as a wedding present or build a honeymoon registry, where the expense can be divided among many guests, instead of one family member. Pass the word to your guests that your honeymoon registry is your gift preference. Registry information is best passed through family and the bridal party, and if guests find out that you need a little help in that area, they will usually be happy to purchase a gift they know you will enjoy.
4. Look for Deals.
Many resorts are trying to make it easier for couples to plan a destination wedding. Look for deals on rooms, airfare, wedding packages or anything else you need. Keep in mind that certain items you may expect to be inexpensive at the location may actually be more expensive; so be open to options and suggestions from the locals. Discount honeymoons are a great possibility, especially if you are flexible with your destination. Also, look for new hotels or resorts, which will be in superb condition but might not have the advertising to be fully booked.
5. Last Minute Honeymoons.
You can find many great, discounted vacations at the last minute. If you don’t mind planning your honeymoon in a rush and you won’t feel disappointed if you don’t get a specific destination, this is a great idea. Read the travel section in newspapers, online deals, travel agents and any other sources you find. Cruises often have great last minute deals, especially if you live near a cruise line port and don’t have to purchase airfare.
6. Timeshare Wedding Gifts.
If a family member has a timeshare that they may be banking instead of vacationing, let them know that you are having trouble affording a resort. They may offer you their timeshare as a wedding gift, which is easy for them and saves you a lot of money in resort fees.
7. All-inclusives.
Many couples spend well over their budget because of unexpected expenses or cost of food and drinks once they arrive to their hotel. This can bring a lot of unneeded stress to your honeymoon. One way to prevent this overspending is to choose an all-inclusive that truly includes everything from all meals, water, alcohol, non-motorized sports and sometimes excursions. Some all-inclusives are very expensive, but there are many resorts that are reasonable, especially in Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
8. Bed and Breakfast.
Romance Stay away from those 5-star luxury resorts and opt for a romantic, secluded B&B for less than half the price and breakfast included. These are often well kept and have unique room interiors, as opposed to large, monotone hotel rooms. This is also a great way to travel through Europe. It will make you feel like you’re one of the locals.
9. Cruise Deals.
Affordable cruise packages are available, especially if you don't mind a smaller room and inside cabin. If you like to spend a lot of time in your room, try to get a suite, which can still be fairly affordable on a few lines. Liners like Carnival and Royal Caribbean are known for their party or family atmospheres, as well as their cheaper rates and deals. The crowds and children can be annoying to some. Yet, if you like a little more spice and are on a budget, consider one of these cruise lines for a cheap honeymoon cruise.
10. Camping Honeymoons.
Find a secluded camping site to have an outdoor, romantic honeymoon. This is an inexpensive way to enjoy each other’s company and getaway, without digging too deep into your bank account. Some nice camping sites even have cabins for rent for a reasonable price, which adds a little bit more luxury to the honeymoon adventure. Great ideas for beach lovers ~ there are many beach camping sites as well, which is a wonderful way to get beachfront romance for cheap.
In the end, honeymoon is always beautiful regardless of where you are as long as you are together happily ever after.
1. Stay Close to Home.
There are beautiful resorts all over the place. Find a local, secluded resort within a few hours drive of your wedding. This could cut your honeymoon cost in half since airline costs are extraordinary. This will also allow you to save money but enjoy the luxury of a 4 or 5 star resort. Your location, the time of year and your preferred honeymoon will all need to be taken into account. Or, pick a beautiful, dream location within a few hours flight of your wedding. If you want a tropical honeymoon, choose a destination that is a 4 – 6 hour flight instead of 10+ hours. This will cut down in the price and you can still have that island paradise. Compare islands in a region as well. Some islands are more expensive primarily because they are more popular. There are many great deals that are more affordable and just as nice as that popular resort and destination you see in all the advertisements.
2. Travel in the Off-Season.
If your mind is set on a certain destination, find out when they have their off-season. Some hotels offer significantly lower prices during the off-season. The off-season usually is a time when the weather isn't at its best, but this can mean hotter than normal weather for some locations, or rainy season in others.
3. Honeymoon Registry Gifts.
Ask for your honeymoon as a wedding present or build a honeymoon registry, where the expense can be divided among many guests, instead of one family member. Pass the word to your guests that your honeymoon registry is your gift preference. Registry information is best passed through family and the bridal party, and if guests find out that you need a little help in that area, they will usually be happy to purchase a gift they know you will enjoy.
4. Look for Deals.
Many resorts are trying to make it easier for couples to plan a destination wedding. Look for deals on rooms, airfare, wedding packages or anything else you need. Keep in mind that certain items you may expect to be inexpensive at the location may actually be more expensive; so be open to options and suggestions from the locals. Discount honeymoons are a great possibility, especially if you are flexible with your destination. Also, look for new hotels or resorts, which will be in superb condition but might not have the advertising to be fully booked.
5. Last Minute Honeymoons.
You can find many great, discounted vacations at the last minute. If you don’t mind planning your honeymoon in a rush and you won’t feel disappointed if you don’t get a specific destination, this is a great idea. Read the travel section in newspapers, online deals, travel agents and any other sources you find. Cruises often have great last minute deals, especially if you live near a cruise line port and don’t have to purchase airfare.
6. Timeshare Wedding Gifts.
If a family member has a timeshare that they may be banking instead of vacationing, let them know that you are having trouble affording a resort. They may offer you their timeshare as a wedding gift, which is easy for them and saves you a lot of money in resort fees.
7. All-inclusives.
Many couples spend well over their budget because of unexpected expenses or cost of food and drinks once they arrive to their hotel. This can bring a lot of unneeded stress to your honeymoon. One way to prevent this overspending is to choose an all-inclusive that truly includes everything from all meals, water, alcohol, non-motorized sports and sometimes excursions. Some all-inclusives are very expensive, but there are many resorts that are reasonable, especially in Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
8. Bed and Breakfast.
Romance Stay away from those 5-star luxury resorts and opt for a romantic, secluded B&B for less than half the price and breakfast included. These are often well kept and have unique room interiors, as opposed to large, monotone hotel rooms. This is also a great way to travel through Europe. It will make you feel like you’re one of the locals.
9. Cruise Deals.
Affordable cruise packages are available, especially if you don't mind a smaller room and inside cabin. If you like to spend a lot of time in your room, try to get a suite, which can still be fairly affordable on a few lines. Liners like Carnival and Royal Caribbean are known for their party or family atmospheres, as well as their cheaper rates and deals. The crowds and children can be annoying to some. Yet, if you like a little more spice and are on a budget, consider one of these cruise lines for a cheap honeymoon cruise.
10. Camping Honeymoons.
Find a secluded camping site to have an outdoor, romantic honeymoon. This is an inexpensive way to enjoy each other’s company and getaway, without digging too deep into your bank account. Some nice camping sites even have cabins for rent for a reasonable price, which adds a little bit more luxury to the honeymoon adventure. Great ideas for beach lovers ~ there are many beach camping sites as well, which is a wonderful way to get beachfront romance for cheap.
In the end, honeymoon is always beautiful regardless of where you are as long as you are together happily ever after.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Get Connected
Just a quick tip. It starts with bookings. You save more when you do booking online.
This is very true from my experience of comparing the conventional way of bookings. Certain hotels give up to 20% discount if you book the rooms via online. Same goes with flight tickets where you need to do early bird kind of booking.
So, what are you waiting for? Get online!
This is very true from my experience of comparing the conventional way of bookings. Certain hotels give up to 20% discount if you book the rooms via online. Same goes with flight tickets where you need to do early bird kind of booking.
So, what are you waiting for? Get online!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Tips for Theme/Water Park Vacation
Best place for family vacation. Kids would love it cause there are many playground for them to play with. Normally Theme/Water Park would have a cover charge at the entrance where you pay one time off for all the games and rides in the park.
First, the accomodation is best if you could rent outside the park or just do a one full day trip and do not spend the nite there. Normally the theme park will provide coupons for all the games and rides if you rent the room at the theme park's hotel. However, that would cost you more especially the hotels rate at the park are normally high if you compared it with the cover charge which is also inclusive of the free access to all the games and rides.
Food is best to bring it over from home if it is a day trip. This is because normally the food sold in the park is really expensive. Alternatively, you may go out of the park for a while and make sure you still have the tag intact.
Have fun..
First, the accomodation is best if you could rent outside the park or just do a one full day trip and do not spend the nite there. Normally the theme park will provide coupons for all the games and rides if you rent the room at the theme park's hotel. However, that would cost you more especially the hotels rate at the park are normally high if you compared it with the cover charge which is also inclusive of the free access to all the games and rides.
Food is best to bring it over from home if it is a day trip. This is because normally the food sold in the park is really expensive. Alternatively, you may go out of the park for a while and make sure you still have the tag intact.
Have fun..
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
10 Tips for Cost Effective Vacation
If your summer “to do” list didn’t include a vacation because of budget constraints, it’s not too late. Here are ten tips to help you say “Bon Voyage,” without breaking the bank.
Before you go, decide how much you have to spend on a vacation and stick to it. Set a daily budget for things like lodging and meals. This makes it easier to keep track of what you’ve spent, and how much extra you have left over for side trips and souvenirs.
You can save a lot of money by being flexible on your travel dates. Hotels and resorts often offer last-minute deals to fill empty rooms – this is one time when procrastination can pay off. Flying on off-peak days, like Tuesdays and Thursdays, often yields lower fares.
Money spent eating out can really add up. To cut costs, stay in hotels that have refrigerators and microwaves in the room and offer free continental breakfasts. Always bring along a cooler so you can stop for picnics on travel days.
When making hotel reservations, always ask the service agent if they are running any specials. Also, be sure to mention any memberships you may have – a Sam’s Club or AAA membership may get you a better rate. Let the agent know that you’re traveling with children. Many hotel chains allow children to stay free.
If your family is large enough that two rooms are needed, ask if the hotel has a family suite available. These have more bed space than a single room at less than the cost of two rooms. Another option is to consider renting a weekly apartment or condo for the length of your stay.
Bring your own travel crib for baby. Hotels often charge extra to put a crib in your room, and you may arrive to find that all available cribs are already in use. If you are traveling with one older preschooler, consider getting a room with one king-size bed (instead of two beds) and packing a small pop-up tent and sleeping bag for your child. Best case: you and your spouse can comfortably sleep all night. Worst case: you’ll have to share some of your king-size space with a small visitor.
When traveling, make lunch your big meal out. Restaurants usually offer the same food as on the dinner menu, but at lower prices. If you’re traveling with two preschoolers who are light eaters, just order one kids’ meal and have them split it. Also, look for restaurants that offer a free kid’s meal with the purchase of an adult entrée.
Fountain drinks and desserts are the biggest unnecessary expenses when eating out. Carry along a good supply of special drinks and small sweets to dole out as treats during the day. At the restaurant, have everyone drink water and pass on dessert. (If the kids really complain, squeeze lemon into the water, add a little sweetener, and you have instant lemonade.)
To save on laundry, pack gallon-size zip-lock bags along with a small plastic bottle filled with detergent. When you have some small things that need washing, put them in the bag with a few drops of detergent and some water. You provide the agitation action by shaking the bag. Rinse in the sink and hang to dry. Don’t forget to bring a stain stick to rub over spills on clothing if you can’t wash right away.
Audio books are a great and inexpensive way to pass the time when traveling by car. Visit your local library before you go and stock up on a selection of stories. Younger preschoolers just like to listen, while pre-readers enjoy flipping through the book as the story is read aloud.
Before you go, decide how much you have to spend on a vacation and stick to it. Set a daily budget for things like lodging and meals. This makes it easier to keep track of what you’ve spent, and how much extra you have left over for side trips and souvenirs.
You can save a lot of money by being flexible on your travel dates. Hotels and resorts often offer last-minute deals to fill empty rooms – this is one time when procrastination can pay off. Flying on off-peak days, like Tuesdays and Thursdays, often yields lower fares.
Money spent eating out can really add up. To cut costs, stay in hotels that have refrigerators and microwaves in the room and offer free continental breakfasts. Always bring along a cooler so you can stop for picnics on travel days.
When making hotel reservations, always ask the service agent if they are running any specials. Also, be sure to mention any memberships you may have – a Sam’s Club or AAA membership may get you a better rate. Let the agent know that you’re traveling with children. Many hotel chains allow children to stay free.
If your family is large enough that two rooms are needed, ask if the hotel has a family suite available. These have more bed space than a single room at less than the cost of two rooms. Another option is to consider renting a weekly apartment or condo for the length of your stay.
Bring your own travel crib for baby. Hotels often charge extra to put a crib in your room, and you may arrive to find that all available cribs are already in use. If you are traveling with one older preschooler, consider getting a room with one king-size bed (instead of two beds) and packing a small pop-up tent and sleeping bag for your child. Best case: you and your spouse can comfortably sleep all night. Worst case: you’ll have to share some of your king-size space with a small visitor.
When traveling, make lunch your big meal out. Restaurants usually offer the same food as on the dinner menu, but at lower prices. If you’re traveling with two preschoolers who are light eaters, just order one kids’ meal and have them split it. Also, look for restaurants that offer a free kid’s meal with the purchase of an adult entrée.
Fountain drinks and desserts are the biggest unnecessary expenses when eating out. Carry along a good supply of special drinks and small sweets to dole out as treats during the day. At the restaurant, have everyone drink water and pass on dessert. (If the kids really complain, squeeze lemon into the water, add a little sweetener, and you have instant lemonade.)
To save on laundry, pack gallon-size zip-lock bags along with a small plastic bottle filled with detergent. When you have some small things that need washing, put them in the bag with a few drops of detergent and some water. You provide the agitation action by shaking the bag. Rinse in the sink and hang to dry. Don’t forget to bring a stain stick to rub over spills on clothing if you can’t wash right away.
Audio books are a great and inexpensive way to pass the time when traveling by car. Visit your local library before you go and stock up on a selection of stories. Younger preschoolers just like to listen, while pre-readers enjoy flipping through the book as the story is read aloud.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Best Medium to use for Monetary Exchange
Never assume you can wthdraw money from the ATM machine in foreign countries even if it Cirrus, VISA or PLUS supported ATM banking. It happened to my friend when he travel to Indonesia and several countries where the system just not coorporating enough to let you to withdraw money. I believe this is due to some currency restriction in certain countries.
The easiest method is to pay for everything on your credit card, but if you're traveling to another country there will be certain things that you cannot use the card for like bus and taxi fares and dining outside resorts etc.
Take some travelers cheques. They are safe and easy to cash, and you can always cash them in when you get home if you don't use them. You will probably need some foreign cash before you arrive at your destination. You can change money at the airport, but generally the exchange rate is not good, so shop around before you leave. While you're overseas, change your travelers cheques at banks rather than resorts for a better rate. You will find that many hotels will restrict the amount (usually $100) of travellers cheques you can cash in a day. If you can't get to a bank this restriction may not allow you to use cash for everything so its always a good idea to use both credit cards and cash for purchases.
Check if you need to pay a departure tax when leaving your destination. You usually can only pay in local currency, so put some cash away.
Try to prepay as much as possible (meals, transfers etc) so you know what you're likely to spend.
The easiest method is to pay for everything on your credit card, but if you're traveling to another country there will be certain things that you cannot use the card for like bus and taxi fares and dining outside resorts etc.
Take some travelers cheques. They are safe and easy to cash, and you can always cash them in when you get home if you don't use them. You will probably need some foreign cash before you arrive at your destination. You can change money at the airport, but generally the exchange rate is not good, so shop around before you leave. While you're overseas, change your travelers cheques at banks rather than resorts for a better rate. You will find that many hotels will restrict the amount (usually $100) of travellers cheques you can cash in a day. If you can't get to a bank this restriction may not allow you to use cash for everything so its always a good idea to use both credit cards and cash for purchases.
Check if you need to pay a departure tax when leaving your destination. You usually can only pay in local currency, so put some cash away.
Try to prepay as much as possible (meals, transfers etc) so you know what you're likely to spend.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Some Good Lesson Learn from Travelling
You will discover more when you travel more. It is something you will learn while doing it. But, there are some budget travel tips you need to consider before you go. Most of them seem obvious, but we learned how important they are. Never think that you can skip a rule, or you will be punished for it!!
Learn the exchange rates
Arriving in new countries is always a bit of a struggle. A new currency to learn, and you need to learn it fast, since you want to exchange money right away. The people at the borders, airports, or harbors exchanging money all benefit from ignorant travelers. If one is very eager on a deal, it most certainly is a bad deal for you. We have seen many happy travelers, thinking they made a good deal, but finding out later that it wasn’t. So learn the exchange rate upfront. You can follow all budget travel tips, but if you miss this one, you're money will quickly be gone.
Learn the going rates
Once you know the exchange rate, you also know what people are charging you. But, be sure not to compare them too much with the prices from the country you came from. Even between neighboring countries, the differences can be huge. As an example, pricing in Indonesia is very different from pricing in its neighbor Malaysia, let alone Singapore.
Negotiate up front
So, before you buy anything, be sure to negotiate. The only guarantee that you pay a good price is when the vendor isn’t too happy with the deal. When you feel sorry for the vendor, realize that the price you negotiate probably still is higher than what locals would pay. And the more disappointed the vendor is, the happier other locals are that you didn’t screw up the market prices.
We would like to put some extra emphasis on negotiating upfront. We have learned this golden rule the hard way. Longing for a hot cup of tea in a cold Beijing, we were very glad to get offered one. But, only asked for the costs after sipping from it. Wrong!! There was no possibility of negotiating anymore, since we already “bought” the tea. We ended up paying the equivalent of a three course meal for a simple cup of tea…
Local tours
After settling in you will plan on visiting the attractions of the region. Obviously, you can visit them all by yourself. But most of the hotels will also offer you tours to different sights. Before you turn those offers down, consider what they are offering. Compare the offer with what it would cost you going there by yourself. Very often (especially with the offerings from backpacker hostels) the deals are very good. Add that to the time and trouble you will save by not having to find it out by yourself, and then make your decision.
There is always the possibility not to visit the expensive attractions in the region. But, consider that you will probably not come here again. And if you do, entrance fees will not have decreased. So, Maybe this one doesn't belong among the budget travel tips, but do not save money by not doing things you would actually like to do. And doing them on a local tour often is great fun.
Share!!
Many local tours have originated from the idea of sharing transport to the local attractions. So if there are no organized tours, you can still decide to share the transport you arrange yourself. But in fact, you can share anything, while traveling. In many hostels, people are cooking their own food. That may be a hassle, but the hassle reduces when you share your meal, and get a meal in return. And, when the only lodging available is a double room, share one with someone else. And there are probably other things you can share too. Before you do, however, make sure you can trust the person you are sharing with.
Take your time
The last tip we will give you is to take your time. Traveling fast is much more expensive than taking it slow. Of course, you will visit less destinations while traveling slow, but you will see much more from the destinations you do visit. You will spend less on transportation, you will learn where to get the best value for money, and you will find out about the off the beaten track attractions.
Learn the exchange rates
Arriving in new countries is always a bit of a struggle. A new currency to learn, and you need to learn it fast, since you want to exchange money right away. The people at the borders, airports, or harbors exchanging money all benefit from ignorant travelers. If one is very eager on a deal, it most certainly is a bad deal for you. We have seen many happy travelers, thinking they made a good deal, but finding out later that it wasn’t. So learn the exchange rate upfront. You can follow all budget travel tips, but if you miss this one, you're money will quickly be gone.
Learn the going rates
Once you know the exchange rate, you also know what people are charging you. But, be sure not to compare them too much with the prices from the country you came from. Even between neighboring countries, the differences can be huge. As an example, pricing in Indonesia is very different from pricing in its neighbor Malaysia, let alone Singapore.
Negotiate up front
So, before you buy anything, be sure to negotiate. The only guarantee that you pay a good price is when the vendor isn’t too happy with the deal. When you feel sorry for the vendor, realize that the price you negotiate probably still is higher than what locals would pay. And the more disappointed the vendor is, the happier other locals are that you didn’t screw up the market prices.
We would like to put some extra emphasis on negotiating upfront. We have learned this golden rule the hard way. Longing for a hot cup of tea in a cold Beijing, we were very glad to get offered one. But, only asked for the costs after sipping from it. Wrong!! There was no possibility of negotiating anymore, since we already “bought” the tea. We ended up paying the equivalent of a three course meal for a simple cup of tea…
Local tours
After settling in you will plan on visiting the attractions of the region. Obviously, you can visit them all by yourself. But most of the hotels will also offer you tours to different sights. Before you turn those offers down, consider what they are offering. Compare the offer with what it would cost you going there by yourself. Very often (especially with the offerings from backpacker hostels) the deals are very good. Add that to the time and trouble you will save by not having to find it out by yourself, and then make your decision.
There is always the possibility not to visit the expensive attractions in the region. But, consider that you will probably not come here again. And if you do, entrance fees will not have decreased. So, Maybe this one doesn't belong among the budget travel tips, but do not save money by not doing things you would actually like to do. And doing them on a local tour often is great fun.
Share!!
Many local tours have originated from the idea of sharing transport to the local attractions. So if there are no organized tours, you can still decide to share the transport you arrange yourself. But in fact, you can share anything, while traveling. In many hostels, people are cooking their own food. That may be a hassle, but the hassle reduces when you share your meal, and get a meal in return. And, when the only lodging available is a double room, share one with someone else. And there are probably other things you can share too. Before you do, however, make sure you can trust the person you are sharing with.
Take your time
The last tip we will give you is to take your time. Traveling fast is much more expensive than taking it slow. Of course, you will visit less destinations while traveling slow, but you will see much more from the destinations you do visit. You will spend less on transportation, you will learn where to get the best value for money, and you will find out about the off the beaten track attractions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
