16 tips and tricks to travel cheaper that agencies do not want you to know
16 tips and tricks to travel cheaper that agencies do not want you to know
Traveling and seeing the world on a small budget is possible and in this article I will tell you how. I will give you the best tips to learn how to travel cheaply, because the pleasure of getting on a plane and enjoying new experiences is one of the greatest in the world.
1. Use Booking.com to save on hotels
If you use Booking.com to find the best hotel price and I look for one that has good reviews, at least more than 8.0 rating, I always use it and I save a lot on the stay.
2. Travel on days of less demand and that are cheaper
What is the cheapest day to fly? The cheapest days to take a flight are between Tuesday and Wednesday. The most expensive are between Friday and Sunday.
3. Look for discounts for students, teachers or young people
Take advantage of special discounts for teachers, students and young people under 26 years of age. Buy tourist cards for tours and transportation, sleep in hostels and prepare your own meals.
4. Use airline ticket search engines to find cheaper flights
How to travel cheaply by plane? One of the best answers to how to travel cheaply by plane is to help yourself with flight platforms and applications, such as despegar.com, expedia.com.
Online ticket search engines show you a wide variety of options, comparing different airlines, airports, departure days, and even times.
To buy the cheapest ticket you must consider many factors. For example, going to the airline counter at the airport is better than buying online. Also, knowing how to choose the right day, accept scales, travel at midnight, among other tricks.
5. Buy the plane ticket on Mondays
When is it cheaper to buy plane tickets? The airlines launch new offers on Mondays and depending on the success, between Tuesday and Wednesday they will lower prices.
6. Buy your plane ticket at 3 in the afternoon
A Wall Street Journal study concluded that the best time to buy a plane ticket is 3 in the afternoon.
7. Book your flight 54 days before your travel date
How much time in advance do you have to buy a plane ticket? The sooner you start planning your vacation, the better off you’ll be with pricing. However, starting too quickly looking for your plane ticket could increase costs.
A ticket purchased well in advance or too close to the travel date can cost you up to three times the average price.
It’s best to buy in the time frame that the airline is desperate to sell seats and not when you are.
On average, the companies offer the tickets about 331 days before the date of the flight and it is around 104 days that the prices experience the greatest drop in the market. It means that the best time to buy is 3 to 1 month before your trip.
To be more exact, travelers recommend that the perfect time is 54 days before your tentative date.
How to find cheap flights? Let’s evaluate the factors that can help you get cheap flights.
8. Have flexibility in your travel date
The best way to get cheap flights is that your travel dates are free, between months in which most people are working and with the possibility of moving the scheduled days to accommodate offers or benefits from the airlines.
9. Subscribe to flight search engines
Subscribe to airline apps and ticket and travel websites to receive alerts on ticket prices and flight days.
10. Look for flights with stopovers to make them cheaper
Although making scales is tiring, these are useful for you who want to save money. Get ready to go through a couple more airports and try to enjoy the view.
11. Do not buy round trip flights at the same time
In general, airlines offer the set of tickets both round trip. However, in some cases buying both at the same time is not the best option.
First research and compare different prices with both itineraries separately. With this in mind you will make the best decision.
12. Find out which is the cheapest airport
The main airports are not always the best option to fly, although neither are those of neighboring cities.
The wisest thing will be for you to consult departure and arrival itineraries with different airports, without forgetting the transfer costs and your city of origin or destination.
13. Choose the best time to book
Advance notice is a key factor in ticket prices. The closer you are to your travel date, the more difficult it will be to get available tickets, which will mean higher ticket costs.
It is best to do it well in advance.
14. Take advantage of airline discounts
Most airlines offer special discounts to certain types of people, such as students, children under 2 years of age, seniors, among others.
Use the discounts that can be adapted to you by consulting with the airline.
15. Do not check baggage
The truth is that there are not many airlines left that allow free luggage. In general, a tax for the suitcase is included in the final cost of the ticket.
I recommend that you travel with hand luggage, which is included in the cost of the net ticket.
Find out the characteristics that cabin luggage can have and use it to carry your changes of clothes. Take as many as you can without exceeding the norm and remember that at your destination you can always wash it and with it help yourself.
16. Travel in low season
What is the lowest season of the year to travel?
Choosing the right time of year is a key to cheap travel. In the world of tourism there are two critical points for travel: high season and low season.
The first of these is August, December or holidays in each country, with a high flow of tourists because it is the holiday period.
The low season are the months in which school and work activities are in progress, making it rare for people to travel on vacation.
This time may vary depending on the destination. In general, between February and May or September and November, they are good times to look for tickets and get cheap accommodations.
How to travel cheap to Europe
Europe is one of the dream destinations to undertake a trip.
The “Old Continent” has all the tourist attractions for visitors to fall in love with, therefore, the “First World” cannot be left out of your itinerary.
Although it is famous for having the most expensive destinations for tourism, today we are going to show you how to travel cheaply to Europe.
1. Choose the cheapest cities in Europe
Not all cities in Europe are expensive. Some of them are not because they are outside the average tourist circuits, so you can get to know a different face of the continent with a conservative budget.
Let’s see which are the cheapest cities:
2. Book your accommodation in advance
Europe adds thousands of lodging options. From very luxurious hotels to conservative hostels with shared spaces.
Despite the many alternatives, the influx of tourists equals or exceeds supply, potentially reducing your cheap options.
The best way to ensure a good price and take care of your budget is to be aware of the possibilities and take the time to investigate and look for different options, being able to capture offers.
3. Apartments are the best for family trips
As more people travel, the costs of lodging, transportation and food will increase.
In Europe it is best to rent an apartment with a kitchen and with space for everyone, which will reduce expenses on food or the excess cost in hotels.
4. Get away from the city center
Everything in the center is more expensive, especially when it comes to lodging. The best options are the accommodations in the surrounding provinces, where you will also get excellent views and places to visit.
The European transport system is quite good with all the cities connected, so not being in the center will not prevent you from easily reaching the attractions.
5. Look for accommodation close to public transport services
Staying close to any public transportation system will cut costs on taxis, other buses, and perhaps the train.
6. Buy a Eurail
Buy the Eurail ticket, a train pass that includes different types of trips. From a single country connection, to connecting more than 3 countries.
If you go throughout Europe you will need a Global Pass, a train pass that connects to 28 countries.
7. Cook your food
One of the easiest ways to cut costs during your European adventure is to prepare your food.
In any country of the “Old Continent” you can enjoy free water from any tap. At least you won’t need to invest in bottled water.
8. Take advantage of the free tours
Some of the major European cities have volunteer tour guides in parks and squares, walking tourists around the city’s best attractions. Take advantage of them.
Although they do not charge anything for it, a collaboration will not hurt.
What are the low season months to travel to Europe?
Winter is the best season to travel to Europe. It starts on December 21 and ends on March 20, a very cold period and, in many cities, snowfall.
What is the cheapest month to travel to Europe?
The best season to travel to Europe is between December and March, during winter.
Determining a specific month as the best is somewhat complicated. It depends on factors such as the temperature reached in winter. In general, the coldest month is January and as we know, snowfall and low temperatures translate into cheaper costs.
The problem with this is that many attractions could be closed. The best thing is to consult the climate calendar and get advice on the predictions regarding temperatures and snowfall, to look for cold but not totally icy days.
How to travel cheap in Mexico?
Mexico is one of the most chosen destinations in Latin America for its rich culture, colors, flavors, warmth of its people and history. Let’s learn how to travel cheaply to Aztec lands.
Bet on the local
Choose local food and products when you stock up. In addition to coming into direct contact with the true tradition, you will be helping the economy of the region.
Look for tour packages
In Mexico, tour companies operate with complete packages to different cities in the territory, with meals, lodging, and transportation options included.
Take advantage of public transportation
Buses or trucks will be cheaper than paying for taxis or renting a car.
Almost all cities and towns are connected, so from the Internet you can access maps with transport routes.
Camping can be an excellent option
Mexico has a wide range of destinations and natural attractions that include excellent places to camp safely.
Remember the advice to buy your air tickets
To travel cheaply to Mexico you have to consider the ticket factor. As in any other destination, you must buy in advance, do it on the cheapest day and consult different options.
Don’t forget to plan your vacation during the low season.
Consider work and travel
If you will be touring Mexico for several months, it is best that you try out job options.
In highly touristic regions like Cancun, you will be able to find simple part-time jobs, which will allow you to have income to continue your trip.
What is the cheapest month to travel to Mexico?
To recognize the seasons in Mexico you can consult the school calendars on the Internet. There are the festive dates and the vacation months that, as we know, constitute the high season.
The high season is from mid-December to early January, at Easter and between early July and mid-August. It means that the cheapest months to travel to Mexico are February, March, April, June, September, October and November.
Look for a job in your place of travel to have more money
Another way to achieve this is by paying for your trip by working abroad. There are job options that you can explore such as teaching a language in the destination country, working on farms during the harvest season or taking care of children in family homes.
This last alternative is one of the best because if you stay in the position you will live with the family, you will have covered meals, some money for walks and you will be able to practice the language.
How to go live in another country without money?
Going to live in another country without a large budget is possible. You can do it with little money, at least enough for the air ticket.
To make a life in another country without an economic cushion, you must clearly evaluate the destination. In some countries, a specific budget is mandatory to enter migration.
Some countries offer you the possibility of emigrating to perform specific tasks, such as Canada, where one of the entry modalities is with a job offer.
Countries like Australia and New Zealand offer the Au Pair modality. It is a host family that welcomes you into their home, feeds you, gives you a modest salary and the opportunity to learn and/or perfect the language, in exchange for your help with housework and child care.
Traveling is one of the best experiences in the world. It is about the opportunity to broaden your horizons, learn about other cultures, fall in love with other countries and learn languages.
That’s why you can’t let any budget stop you from starting the adventure. There are many answers to how to travel cheap so that nothing stops you.
If you’ve enjoyed our tips or know any more tricks, be sure to share them in the comments!