40 nifty tips for the budget traveller

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know how much I love to travel. I have circumnavigated this glorious globe of ours twice. In my younger days I purchased several of those terrific world tickets that allow you to keep travelling and flying as long as you keep moving in one direction.

Here’s my BIG BONUS travel tip from those days

Back then my basic travel strategy was to ‘live in the sky.’ I would sleep on planes – eating my meals at night while flying. This way, I would always get a great meal and a sleep without forking out any extra dollars. This single strategy saved me thousands as a student traveller and also forced me to stop at a huge number of destinations, which eventually helped satisfy all the travel cravings I’d had.

In total I think I’ve taken well over 500 flights in my lifetime (and counting!), so I figure I’m well qualified to now deliver you this quick summary of my top ten reasons to travel and 40 tips on how to travel on a budget.

Firstly – here are my top ten reasons for travelling

1. See amazing destinations
2. Enjoy the thrill of a flight
3. Sip champagne in economy
4. Get away from it all
5. Learn about other cultures
6. Get the most out of my life and day
7. Find new inspiration
8. Get perspective on life
9. Make new friends and visit family
10. To have fun!

Makes me think of this song actually…

And now for the big list:

40 tips for travelling on a budget from a gal who’s been there!

Packing

1. Pack neutral colors that allow for easy matching of clothes
2. Don’t over pack your bag and risk excess luggage fees
3. Make sure your check your allowances are correct
4. Weigh your bag to make sure it is within limits

Bonus packing tip!

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Flights

5. Book in advance to avoid hefty fees
6. Double check the fine print on your flight
7. Use flight comparison sites to get the best deals
8. Try to package up flights with other goodies like cars & hotel rooms
9. Avoid being to rigid with travel dates and times
10. Look for ‘deals’ on sites like Groupon or Livingsocial
11. Travel out of season

Airport

12. Eat breakfast or lunch before leaving for the airport. Meals at airports can get pricey – especially if purchasing for an entire family
13. Shop around online for the cheapest airport parking and book in advance
14. Consider taking a bus to the airport from your city
15. Take nibbles on the plane – that you bought at the supermarket – plan ahead
16. Bring your iPad and stock it with movies
17. Don’t buy gifts at the airport – buy them when you get to your destination

Accommodation

18. Shop online and use budget sites to get the best deals
19. Go to a supermarket upon arrival and stock your hotel room with nibbles
20. Go for self-contained accommodation options, which allow you to cook & store food
21. Consider a bus tour of the city – they are often affordable, quick & money-saving
22. Consider home exchange programs rather than paying for accommodation
23. Consider campgrounds instead of hotels
24. Remember that staying just near a big city(in a local town) might be more affordable than right in the middle of a city

Keeping in touch

25. Turn OFF international roaming before leaving home or risk getting stung big time
26. Use international phone cards to keep in touch
27. Use internet cafes or FREE Wi-Fi at places like McDonalds
28. Plan your day around places that help you keep in touch
29. Use technology like Snapchat or Viber to save on calls

Transportation

30. Only hire cars when you are leaving big cities
31. Checkout car relocation and camper relocation deals at all destinations. They go for as low as $1 per day!
32. Use a Navman in cities to avoid getting lost and chewing up unnecessary time and money in petrol
33. Consider deals on public transport (i.e train passes) rather than car hire
34. Make sure you make use of all concessions available to you
35. Consider flying or travelling at night to avoid extra accommodation costs

Food

36. Avoid hotel breakfasts and eat at cheap local eateries instead
37. Pre-prepare snacks, water, drinks and lunch for your day out
38. If going out to eat consider lunch over dinner
39. Consider sacrificing a meal. E.g Eat a big lunch and skip dinner
40. Consider simple options like noodles for one meal each day

Do you have any fantastic travel tips? Submit them in comments below.

Happy travelling!