Here’s how you can travel on a budget.
With school letting out and summer days ahead, it’s time to finalize your vacation planning. From selecting your accommodations to deciding between driving or flying, there are a lot of expenses to consider when dreaming up your ideal summer escape.
To help you navigate through the stressors of planning, we’ve come up with a few tips to help you travel on a budget.
How are you getting there?
According to ValuePenguin, “the typical vacationing U.S. family spends about 44% of their travel funds getting to, from, and around their destinations. They spend an average of more than $2,100 each year on the transportation costs for their vacations.”
With this in mind, if you’re planning on flying to and from your destination, you can use comparison websites such as Expedia and Kayak to monitor deals on airfare. For international travelers, the sooner you can book, the better – typically by 3 months before your departure. For domestic travelers, you have more flexibility. This may also be the right time to cash in on your frequent-flier miles if you’ve accumulated them.
If traveling on four wheels is more your speed, ensure that your car is in good working order prior to departure. Making sure that you have roadside assistance can provide some peace of mind if, in worst case scenario, your car starts experiencing any issues. Depending on your plans, don’t forget that busses or trains, such as Amtrack or Greyhound, could be a great option for those really wanting to travel on a budget.
When are you visiting?
Many popular destinations have peak seasons for visitors where costs are usually significantly higher and the crowds are much more prevalent. For example, Travel + Leisure mentions that “while early summer ushers in the best weather across all of the Grand Canyon, it also tends to be the busiest time to visit.” Knowing this, you may want to think twice before continuing to plan your dream trip to this iconic National Park. Instead, do some research to find destinations to visit during their particular off-season. For some ideas, check out this off-season travel calendar.
Where will you be staying?
Once you get to your destination, you need a place to stay! Thankfully, many popular hotel chains offer rewards programs to help members save some cash. These programs provide loyalty members a discount when they book a room through their own website. Keep in mind that staying in a hotel is not your only option for accommodations. If you really want to travel on a budget, you can also explore Airbnb, hostels, or CouchSurfing which can save you a few bucks.
What about activities and excursions?
Now that you know where you’re going and where you’ll be staying, vacation planning isn’t finished until you fill your itinerary with fun activities! However, you don’t need to pay an arm and a leg to have fun while on vacation. If you’re visiting a major city, do some research to see if you can find free walking tours. For example, if you’re taking a trip to Washington D.C., you can create your own tour of the National Mall, Capital Hill, the Smithsonian museums, all of which are free. In addition, adding some time in the great outdoors is a great budget-friendly activity. There are so many beautiful city, state, and national parks near large metro areas that can help you escape the hustle and bustle the city and reconnect with nature.
If you plan on spending a little extra on activities, it may be a good idea to use a cash back rewards credit card to pay for them. Check out how out the perks of our Premium World® Mastercard Cash Back Card to help you pay for all aspects of your trip!
Now that the summer months are in sight, so are all the expenses associated with vacationing. Keep in mind that these tips and tricks can be used for any trip you plan during any time of year! Whether you’re vacation planning for the summer or decide to take that ski trip in the winter, there are plenty of ways travel on a budget.
