Budget Tips for Summer Travel

Traveling on a Budget

If you have had trouble finding sufficient funds to travel then you are going to need to use the 6-letter B word, Budget. If you were to start today to set aside a minimum of $15 from your weekly paycheck, you would have $780 in one year! With proper planning and depending on your travel plans, that amount of money could cover a week-long vacation in the Caribbean.

To decide how much you’ll actually need in your travel budget, first examine what you enjoy doing on vacation and what you want to accomplish on the trip you are planning. For example, are you intent on seeing one of the Seven Wonders of the World or having a culinary experience? Do you prefer to be active or lounge poolside or on the beach? Once you have determined the why of your trip it is easier to find ways to reduce the cost of it. Write down the excursions that are most important to you so you can focus your vacation time and travel budget on the site seeing, excursions, dining experiences, etc. that will matter the most to you.

Finding Cheap Airfare

Once you have decided where you’d like to go, your first step when vacation planning is likely to search for affordable airfare to your dream destination. STOP right there! Your trip probably just became more expensive as a result of your search. How is that possible, you ask? The airlines now use algorithms on their site traffic to track destination searches, which allows them to increase prices on popular vacation spots. That means, the searching you do while dreaming may affect the price you will eventually pay. Let’s start over.

Step by Step: How to Find Inexpensive Airfare

1. To get prices on airfare, go incognito on your web browser. (If you aren’t sure how to go incognito, search online for instructions for your preferred browser.) When searching incognito, it is also a good idea to search for a single flight as opposed to searching for the whole family at once. Another tactic you can use to find less expensive airline tickets is to use a VPN which allows you to search without revealing your location of origin. If you don’t have a VPN, however, going incognito should suffice.
2. Instead of flying into a major city, consider alternative, nearby cities for your destination where you can often find cheaper flights.
3. If you can and are willing to be flexible in your travel times, this is probably the best way to find discounted prices.
4. If you plan to tour rather than stay in one area, don’t purchase a round-trip ticket that requires you to return to your beginning vacation destination. Eliminate that unnecessary travel expense and time drain by purchasing a ticket from the area you are traveling to on your tour.
5. Airfare prices in foreign countries can be surprisingly inexpensive compared to USA airfares, so if possible, buy only the ticket to get to the country of interest but then purchase flights to additional travel destinations and your return flight once you’re there.
6. To find airfares try Google’s ITA Matrix. It lets you filter and sort for the flight options and airfare cost you are looking but you can’t book any flights through them. TheFlightDeal.com is great for watching for airfare changes on international flights. The standard sites that people use such as Kayak.com are excellent for US travel on major carriers, though these sites generally don’t list discount airlines or many of the international carriers. For a broader search, try Momondo or Skyscanner.
7. You can further reduce your costs by using credit card points, air-mile points or as a student or if you’re less than 26 years old.
8. You aren’t required to use only one airline to get to your destination or back, so mix and match to get your best price. Sometimes flying past your destination and back via another airline can save a nice chunk of money if you are willing and have time to do that.
9. Finally, have an idea of the price you are willing to pay based on your budget and when you find that deal TAKE IT, and move on to planning the rest of your trip!

Alternate Transportation

Of course, traveling by means other than air is not only less expensive but can bring you up close to the country you are visiting and can also be an opportunity to meet new people, see interesting sites and taste local foods. Trains, buses and rental cars (BlaBlaCar.com provides ride shares) can be a much less expensive way to get about, depending on how many are traveling together and the time you have. Many larger cities now have bicycle rentals with pickups all over the city. And, of course, there is great joy in walking, if you are able. One favorite cost saver for me is to plan long distance travel on a sleeper train. For far less than the price of airfare you get where you want to go and you get a night’s lodging.

When booking flights and other transportation, the best discounts can often be found by those willing to be try new things and be flexible. Vacations are supposed to be adventures, right? So, why not looking at that cost saving layover, for example, as an adventure along your way instead of an inconvenience. In the end though, be reasonable and don’t ruin your trip by trying to cut transportation costs too severely.