How To Make Travel Affordable
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I want to start this post by saying that we understand travel is simply not possible for some, and no amount of money saving tips are going to change that. Travel is certainly a privilege and we want to teach our kids to treat it as such. The following is what has worked for us to make travel affordable within our budget. We hope that even if overseas travel isn’t possible for you, this will inspire you to take some local trips and see the beauty of your own country.
Travel Points/Loyalty Programs
Earn travel rewards with everyday purchases through credit cards or other loyalty programs. This allows us to pay for a large majority of our flights and is a huge reason we are able to travel as much as we do. Some cards offer companion flights as well that give you a discounted price for someone travelling with you. We have 2 separate credit cards that earn us points. One for airlines and the other for hotels. While we often stay at vacation rentals as a family, the hotel points come in handy when its just the two of us or when a vacation rental isn’t a good fit.
Plan and Book Well in Advance
I always start the planning process of a big trip well in advance, around 9-12 months before we are planning to depart. This allows me to flag accommodations and tours that I think will be a good fit. This also allows us to budget accordingly to make travel affordable. I start the actual booking process at least 6-9 months in advance. When booking an Airbnb, it often allows us to spread the payments out over that period and makes it a bit easier on the daily budget. It also gives us more options for location and price. I can often find hidden gems that normally book up quite fast!
By the time our trip rolls around, our flights, accommodations and all tours are completely paid for, and we only have to worry about spending money.
Conversely, many properties on Booking.com don’t require pre-payment so you can save up and pay once you arrive in your destination.
Location
Stay outside the city if neccessary. There are usually plenty of more affordable options the further you get from the city center. If you are booking an Airbnb and have a specific budget, set that into the search filters and stick to it, even if it means not getting the perfect location.
Make sure you are near a subway station or bus terminal as big cities are usually well serviced by public transport for those that need to commute daily. This should make getting into the city fairly straightforward. On one of our trips to Paris, we had 6 of us staying together, and a place to accommodate our group in the city center was unaffordable at the time. We stayed in the quaint little neighbourhood of Bagnolet, just outside Paris, and it was very easy to access the city by metro every morning.
Packing
Less is always more when packing for a trip. If everything can fit in our carry on sized backpacks then there will be less chance of getting charged baggage fees. Sometimes this is unavoidable with smaller budget airlines as they usually don’t allow anything larger than a purse. But even then, a small backpack is not going to be charged as much as a full suitcase. Once we were travelling with friends who had full suitcases and they ended up being charged over €400 in overweight baggage fees.
See our Ultimate Packing List for carry on packing tips
Eating
Book a Full Kitchen
Another big way that we make travel affordable is by booking accommodations with a kitchen, usually in the form of an Airbnb. This is especially handy when travelling with kids. Having a full kitchen to make meals instead of eating out for 3 meals a day is a game changer. I can stock up our fridge for a couple of days often for the same cost as one dinner out. Yes, part of travelling is sampling the local cuisine, but it doesn’t have to be for every meal.
Try a Street Vendor
Street Food is another great option to save money. Every big city has street vendors with local cuisines that are just as good if not better than a lot of sit down restaurants. This is so convenient if it’s a busy day of sightseeing and you just need to grab something quickly. Plus you usually get to chat with some pretty cool people while you wait for your food!
Pack a Picnic
Packing a picnic is another fantastic way to make travel affordable. Some of our best meals have been when we go to a grocery store, load up with some yummy food and find a park to sit and enjoy. Or find a restaurant that has take-away and let them do the work for you. Take-away crepes in front of the Eiffel Tower is a must-do!
Get off the Beaten Path
When you are craving a good sit down restaurant to indulge, try to search out restaurants outside of the touristy areas. Ask a local for some recommendations or research before you go. You will always pay higher prices in the touristy areas of any city. While in Rome we stopped at a cafe near the Spanish Steps for a quick beverage and snack on an extremely hot day. Upon seeing the price of an Aperol Spritz, we immediately left to find something more reasonable. We found a cafe a couple of blocks away that was almost half the price. It’s certainly worth getting off the beaten path.
Getting Around
Within the City
Choose to walk if it is an option and everyone is willing. Some cities are more walkable than you think! This is a great way to see the sights and also allows you to hit little shops and restaurants that you might not otherwise see. Unfortunately not every city is walkable though and sometimes public transit is necessary.
Metro/Bus/Tram passes are more economical than buying a new ticket every ride. We will purchase a pass for however many days we are in the city depending on what form of transportation is most readily available.
Ride share is often cheaper than a taxi if it is an option. You also know the price up front with ride share as opposed to a taxi where the price might creep up if you hit traffic.
Long Distance Travel
Travel by train whenever possible. We find train travel to be the most economical and sustainable form of travel. Of course there are times where we can’t use a train, but whenever possible we choose to do so to make travel affordable. We use Omio to book all our trains within Europe especially when we are staying within one country. Trains are flagged as “fastest” or “cheapest” so we can make the best decision for what works on that particular day. We find the app quite easy to use and then have all our tickets in one place.
Be flexible with dates, times and routes. This can usually equate to lower fares. Direct high speed trains will be more expensive than trains that have 1 or more transfers. Travelling at off peak times will be easier to find a lower fare and make train travel more affordable. For example, mid morning or early afternoon departures will likely be cheaper.
Consider overnight trains. This can save time and also saves you money by combining transportation and accommodation into one price.
Consider a Eurail Pass if you are travelling to multiple countries within Europe. You can choose a global pass that will allow you to travel from country to country within the EU. A Flexipass will allow travel on a certain number of days within one or two months. For example, choose 7 days of travel within one month for one inclusive price. Whereas a continuous pass will allow travel everyday. It’s certainly worth looking into if you are planning to bounce around to multiple countries.
Car Rentals
There are often times when you are staying in rural areas where trains or public transport aren’t an option. When looking to rent a car there are a number of ways to save money:
Compare prices across various websites like Kayak, Expedia or Booking.com. Booking.com is our go-to website to find the best deals on car rentals.
Book early to help secure a lower rate. Last minute deals might be available if you wait it out but I’m never willing to take that risk.
Choose a smaller vehicle rather than a large SUV or luxury vehicle. These usually come with the biggest price tags.
Read the fine print on mileage, fuel policies and insurance limits. Sometimes the cheapest deals can become expensive in a hurry due to unexpected fees.
Use membership discounts. Memberships like CAA, AAA or even certain credit cards can offer car rental discounts.
Read the reviews of the rental company to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
Attractions
Free Attractions
Most cities will have many attractions that are always free or free on certain days. For example the Colosseum and Roman Forum are free on the first Sunday of the month and the Vatican is free on the last Sunday of the month. This certainly helps to make travel more affordable.
Public squares are always free and are a great way to pass the time. Lounge on a beach or hike in a nature reserve. Wander a farmers market or attend a local festival. Churches are often free to enter as well. Sometimes the best part of travel is just exploring on your own and seeing what you find!
If there are major attractions that are a must-see on your list, pick your favourites and skip the rest. Remember you don’t need to see everything. It can actually end up making travel very overwhelming!
Free Walking Tours
Most cities will have free walking tours that are a fantastic way to see the city and make travel more affordable! Make sure to tip generously though as these people put in a lot of time and effort to make this possible. But even a generous tip is less than paying for a full tour.
City or Museum Passes
When we are visiting major cities that have a lot of attractions we will sometimes buy a museum or city pass that includes most of the major attractions for one inclusive price. This often allows us to skip the line and ends up being cheaper and more convenient than buying each ticket individually. When we were in New York City we bought the New York Pass and it was so convenient, especially with kids. Just make sure you are planning to hit the majority of these attractions anyway to make it worthwhile.
Tours
Book tours early. The most popular tourist attractions book up very early so its best to get things organized well in advance so you don’t miss any of the big attractions that you are planning to see. Not only do we get more choice of date and time by booking early, some companies will allow you to book now and pay later when its most convenient for you.
Choose tours carefully. You don’t need to book a guided tour for everything you see. We will book tours for attractions on occasion but we often just get a skip the line ticket with an audioguide and find this to be a cheaper option.
Slow Down
As I’ve said many times, you don’t need to see everything in one trip. If your budget is low, go sit in a park, wander the streets or eat some ice cream in a square and be entertained by street performers. You are still travelling and experiencing a different culture and way of life. These are sometimes the moments we remember most.