What are some tips and tricks to travel Cheap

This was a question that was asked on Quora by one of the authors. I decided to write a reply and I wanted to share that with my readers..

Traveling is a fun thing to do but yet it is considered to be expensive by many. A lot of people don’t take vacation due to this. It doesn’t need be if you follow a simple plan.

Airfares

Planning a trip is a lot of fun. Your vacation excitement begins there and continues. With that you talk to friends and family. You learn new ways and money saving ideas. Travel tickets are cheaper when bought way ahead of time. As time get closer the demand gets bigger and prices go higher. Another alternative is to travel off season. I have bought a $396 ticket to Beijing from Orlando Florida. To Europe the same way. Just because it is off season does not not mean, less fun. More people travel throughout the year now than ever before as the global population grows.

Airline websites have a Fare Calendar which shows prices for various times of the year. Choosing a destination based on price is a very good way to save money.

Tickets bought on travel sites are cheaper than on an airline websites. However travel time may be longer due to more connections and transits. Please note that these tickets once bought are not changeable or rescheduled. Dates are fixed. With longer transit you have longer stays at the airport and you will need to eat. Watch for that. Airport food is expensive. Always carry a snack with you. Water is always available if you carry a water bottle. Saving money on a trip is not automatic. It takes an effort on your part. As you do it, you become good at it.

Tickets can be bought for rewards from your credit card from their site and they could be way cheaper. If you use your credit card wisely you may be able to get free tickets just with rewards alone. Sign up for rewards from airlines and travel sites. That may pay for your hotel. You can get double rewards by signing up with these sites.

In general traveling has become affordable with too many options and companies have devised ways to get more money buy imposing luggage fees and others. It is not clear at purchasing time to know what the added charges are. It is intentional in many levels hoping you won’t notice. So always check and verify till the last minute.

One other ways to save money on a ticket is to combine airfare with hotel. This can be done on travel sites like CheapOair and other sites. Sometimes on airline websites too.

Daily commute

Once you arrive at your destination airport, you need to get to the city. This could be a big expense and tricky. I use public transport to get to the city and all my commute in the city as well. If you are in London or Chicago you will take the subway. Which is straight forward. The best way is to get the pass to use in the city for your entire stay together. In Rome I got a pass for the entire week for €24 with it I was able to use for buses too. My entire commute was taken care of. Mexico City 27cent per commute in the subway that I was able to visit everywhere too. However in Mexico City I was unaware that I could go to the city with the subway. It was not indicated. With the language I was unable to get an answer from anybody. If you are in Paris Orly airport, you can take the subway and not from Charles de Gaulle  airport. This is all planning. It is fun to know these things before you arrive. That could save you a lot of hassle, frustration and money. With all the preparations you could still get lost in a foreign place, the more you know the better it is. Google has most of the answers not all of them.

Road trips

Road trips are fun and fairly cheap in America. As gas prices are cheaper compared to other countries. However if you don’t pay attention it rise up very quick. Plan the distance with the gas mileage on your vehicle. This way you can have a budget for gas. Try not to load up snack at every gas fill up. Buy food for the trip at home. If you are traveling long distance rest in your car for couple of hours instead of a hotel.

A road trip in Europe is so attractive as countries are very close to each other and car rentals are so cheap. Remember gas is bought in liters and every country has different prices. Usually very expensive. Alternately take the train which is faster and cheaper. Tolls in Europe is ridiculous. To cross the Tunnel of Mont Blanc between France and Italy alone €65. Those two countries are the worse culprits for toll. Speeding is controlled by cameras and other devices. When you are not used to you don’t pay too much attention. This means you will be receiving speeding tickets many months after you have returned home. It takes time for them to get who rented that car from the rental companies. I have received tickets after six months.

Tunnel Mont Blanc the French side

Rest areas are open 24/7. Bathrooms are not always clean. If you showers they let you take a showers for free, if you leave the key to your car at the cash register. So when planning

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Buddy up with friends to share the travel expenses. Students are very familiar with this concept, as chances are they have done it many times. Get some ideas from them to incorporate into your plans.

Accommodation choices when traveling on a budget

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