Travelling can be very expensive especially when you need to fly halfway across the world to get to your destination. Of course, for many people the travel bug is real, and they need to venture out into the wild and see what the world has to offer. If you find that you have the travel bug but don’t have a lot of cash to spend on the trip – don’t worry because we have you covered.
We have put together some top tips for saving money on travel costs in 2019 in this article. Make sure to keep reading if you want to get some new experiences without breaking the bank this year.
Booking Flights
If you need to book some flights to get to your destination, then it is a good idea to plan ahead. Some travel experts recommend that you book any international flights around five or six months in advance of your travel. This is the best time to book as it is the most cost-effective. If you leave it any later to book, you face rising costs and spending more money than you should on this part of this trip. Think about when the best time is to book your flights and plan ahead. If you’re flying domestically, then you can leave it as late as two to three weeks before your trip to start booking your flights.
Airport Transfers
One of the unexpected costs of travelling is in airport transfers – getting to the airport in your country of departure and getting to your hotel once you arrive. This can amount to a lot of cash if you haven’t thought about what you are going to do in advance. For those travelling from Heathrow, we recommend parking at Heathrow Airport and making use of the car park there. Not only will you save some cash on the taxi or bus you would have got but you can also save some cash by booking your space in advance. You can check out heathrowparking.com to book your parking space and save some money.
Once you have your airport transfers at home sorted out, we also recommend planning your transfers for when you get there in advance. Find out if your hotel offers any sort of shuttle bus from the airport or find out how much a taxi should cost. Often tourists get charged more than necessary for taxis abroad but if you know how much it should cost you should be able to get the right price and save some money.
Skip The Hotel
Hotels can be extremely expensive depending on where you are travelling to and sometimes can take a huge part of your budget. While hotels are often a safe choice and can provide you with a comfortable stay, they are not always the best option for those who want to save some money in their travel expenses in 2019. There are, of course, many other options including staying in hostels or using an Airbnb throughout your stay. Both of these options are likely to be much cheaper than staying in a hotel and sometimes you’ll even find that they are closer to the action.
Think about skipping the hotel when you travel in 2019, find somewhere a little more cost-effective and you should be able to save your money for some fun activities while travelling rather than on simply the bed that you sleep in at the end of day.
Pack Light
One of the unexpected costs of travelling is with the charges that your airline puts on your baggage when it is too heavy. On top of this, you’ll usually have to pay extra to add a hold bag onto your booking for each flight. This can cost you a lot of money in the long-run, especially if you need to take a few flights to get to your destination.
To save some money, consider skipping the bag and only bringing some hand luggage with you on your journey. If you do need to bring a suitcase with you, make sure to pack light and don’t go over the weight limit set by your airline. If you do, you’ll need to pay some fees when you are boarding your flights, and this can add up to a lot of cash that you don’t need to be spending. Follow our advice and pack light to save yourself some money on your travel costs in 2019.
Cook Your Own Meals
Eating out when you are travelling can be extremely expensive, especially when you are staying in a tourist location. This is why we recommend that you cook your own meals when you can during your stay. The best way to do this is to stay in a rented out apartment or villa when you are travelling as you’ll usually have access to your own kitchen. While it can be disappointing to have to cook meals when you are on holiday, it can save you a lot of money, even if you’re only cooking your own breakfast and making a packed lunch. You can still go out for dinner to experience the local cuisine and save yourself a lot of money during your stay.
If you can’t cook your own meals when you are travelling in 2019, we suggest talking to the locals about where the best places to dine are. They might be able to give you an insight into some authentic restaurants that aren’t overpriced and will give you the best possible experience. The locals should be happy to help as long as you are polite when asking. You could even ask hotel staff about the best restaurants if you aren’t comfortable with talking to the locals.
Get Exploring
Our final tip for those who want to save money on travel costs in 2019 is to get out and get exploring. When you are on holiday, it can be easy to take taxis everywhere when you don’t know how to get to some of the attractions. To save a little cash, we recommend that you buy yourself a map, or use your phone, and explore the local area by foot. Think about how much more you’ll discover if you walk to the attractions instead of taking taxis everywhere. You might even find that hiring a moped or a bike could save you some money in the long-run and show you a bit more of the destination up close.
Don’t let the taxis and buses take up all of your travel cash, get out and explore using your feet or a bike that you’ve hired, and you’ll have more cash to spend on the important things when you are travelling in 2019.
Final Verdict
If you’re planning on going travelling in 2019 but don’t have a lot of spare cash, then make sure to take on board all of the tips that we have given you here. If you are flying from London, consider using Heathrow airport parking, making sure that your baggage fits the requirements and try to stay in a cost-effective location. This should help you to save some money to spend on the exciting parts of your trip!
