This photo is from 2012 in front of the Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh Scotland!
Right now we’re on vacation and I’m sure we’re having a great time! (I’m obviously writing this in advance so I’m just assuming 😉 ) I’m sure all of you love to go on vacations and travel, even if it’s not a crazy location or super far away. As much as I love vacations they can get pricey fast – especially when you add in transaction fees, gas for rental cars, and other random expenses! Today I want to share some ways you can save money on your next trip without sacrificing comfort or fun!
Set A Budget
Step 1 – know how much money you want to spend! Having $1000 to spend is very different than $5000+! Both types of vacations are fun, but knowing what you’re working with will make you less stressed before and during. The New York Times has a fun series where they spend $100 a day in various cities (like Sydney) for you to get some ideas about what you can expect to spend. I also highly recommend their 36 Hours series for what to do or eat in various cities, and their Frugal Traveler for more ways to save money.
The Parthenon in Rome
Track Airfare Prices
Using an app like Hopper or a site like Google Flights can tell you the cheapest places to go for any given date. You can also sort by type of vacation on Google Flights (beach, historical, cultural, city, etc) to see locations and prices. Obviously this would be done before your vacation, but saving money on flights goes a long way! For example we were able to find a ticket from Minneapolis to Munich for $400 by using Google Flights! We had never thought about Munich but we just put in our dates and looked at the cheapest cities that appeared. I also setup alerts on Hopper to “watch” certain routes and see when fares drop.
Carry On Your Luggage
Unless you have a rewards credit card or are flying an airline like Southwest you will be paying to check bags. And they are usually $25+ a bag – more if you’re flying on discount carriers! This is hard if you’re going somewhere for a winter vacation where you have big or bulky clothing, but most other vacations can be managed with a carry on. If you are an over packer I would challenge you to create a list of outfits and pack pieces that work for multiple events! I.E. my black J. Crew pixie pants are great for wearing all day and can be dressed up by adding jewelry or cute flats. Don’t bring clothes you can only wear one place! (Besides swimsuits, PJs, etc 🙂 ) If you need help creating a packing list search “packing a carryon” on Pinterest and you will get SO many results!
Venice!
Travel in Shoulder Season
One of my favorite memories is going to Venice in April and having the city basically to ourselves! My friend and I walked around and explored canals without running into anyone else! This is a dramatic difference from Venice in the summer where it is a madhouse – my husband went in June and HATED it because of the crowds. This just shows how time of year can really impact your experience of a location! Shoulder season (Spring and late fall) is a cheap time to travel to Europe and other destinations since it’s not a typical time to travel. Just beware of Easter week (big vacation time in Europe and in National Parks) and any bank holidays abroad. Plus hotels are cheaper at non-peak times, as are Airbnbs!
*Now is a really great time to go to places like the United Kingdom or Eurozone because the dollar is so strong! The exchange rates are AMAZING. So if you’re considering it, you will save some serious $$$ compared to even a year ago.
Don’t Stay in a Hotel
First – I love hotels and I love room service! I always order room service at least once when I’m in a hotel. It’s definitely fun but hotels can get pricey – especially when you add in taxes, resort fees, and expensive amenities. You also typically don’t get a fridge or space to keep any food/snacks. So if you haven’t done this yet, go look at Airbnb or VRBO! You can stay in homes (or apartments, treehouses, tents….seriously anything!) anywhere across the world. From renting a room in a house to getting a huge mansion, these sites have every type of place imaginable. This is especially great if you have a family or group – you get a place to hang (family room) that hotels just don’t have! Obviously they aren’t always cheaper than a hotel, but in my experience they are cheaper than nice hotel chains. Plus you can still try out fun restaurants, bars, or breweries without staying in their hotel!
*Note – I don’t think staying in a hotel is wrong for every vacation. For example, a honeymoon! Splurge so you don’t have to cook and can have room service!
Edinburgh, Scotland from the top of Arthur’s Seat
Use Public Transportation
If you’re going to a major city you probably don’t need a rental car – especially since you probably have Uber on your phone! If you get a car you have to pay for gas, find a place to park it, and you probably won’t use it if you’re in a big city. The NYTimes actually just wrote an article about how to navigate major cities without a rental car! Using public transportation in places like London is part of the experience! (I’m a MAJOR tube geek. Love it!!!) Little known fact – buying one of the reusable/reloadable fare cards will often give you cheaper fares than buying single use paper tickets. Most have a fee to get the card ($10-15) that you will get back upon returning the card. I still have my Oyster Card since I’ve been to London so often. If there are more than two of you using cabs/Uber will most likely be cheaper, but if you’re alone or with a friend stick to buses or trains! Plus public transportation is a great way to see more of a city and not be as touristy.
Eat In
One of the great perks of staying in a house or apartment is that you have a kitchen so you can prepare meals at home! Even if you just have breakfast at your Airbnb every day you can save some serious cash. I love to check out fun restaurants and bars in new cities, but sometimes it’s nice to eat boring food back at your house. I get sick of eating out for every meal (and my husband does too!) so it’s great to be able to have simple breakfasts or lunches at our Airbnb/VRBO.
Snowdonia Park in Wales – hard to get to but so beautiful!
Watch Out For Fees
This is especially if you’re traveling internationally – beware of added fees! From roaming to charges per call for using your phone, to transaction fees on your credit card, they can add up. Do your research and see if you can use your phone overseas. If not, turn it to airplane mode so you can use it when you’re by wifi. If you have an emergency you can always turn your data on and use it! (As long as your phone works on the cell services in the country you’re in – you can search all that on your carrier)
Transaction fees are another tricky culprit – you can get charged a fee per transaction and then a percent of the overall transaction! Either find a card without fees (Here is a list for 2017) or stick to using cash. Speaking of cash – don’t get your currency in an airport! You will pay the highest exchange rates and big fees. Go to your bank before you leave to get some currency, and then use an ATM to withdraw cash when you’re at your destination. NEVER accept the offer of someone to help you “exchange” money (this happens frequently in cities like Prague and Budapest). They are scammers and aren’t giving you a real exchange rate!
*Note – be sure your card has a Chip & Pin if you’re going to Europe. They don’t accept magnetic stripes/swiping!
Well this post ended up being a bit longer than I expected! I hope it wasn’t too wordy and you found something helpful. Even if you only use a few of these tips you can save money on your vacation or use the money you saved on checked bags for a fun dinner or show. Just by planning ahead and making some easy choices you can save money and still have a great vacation. Let me know if you enjoyed this and would like to see more posts like this in the comments below!
