23 Vacation Money-Saving Tips That Actually Make A Lot Of Sense
I don't think I'm alone when I say that I would love to be on vacation pretty much 24/7.
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And I'm definitely not alone when I say that I can barely afford to take one holiday a year, let alone 10.
So I asked the BuzzFeed Community for advice – what's the best way to travel and have an amazing time...without draining my whole savings account.
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Here's what they had to say:
1."Direct flights are overrated, especially in peak months."
"I was visiting a friend in Lyon, France, and the cheapest flight there was £139 from Manchester. Instead, I looked around that bit of Europe for the cheapest flight (£19 to Charleroi, Belgium). Then I looked up local long-haul bus journeys and found a bust, which could take me from Brussels to Lyon (with a stop in Paris; bonus!)"
"Spent about 40 hours traveling, and I slept on buses and in airports BUT had a fabulous time in not one but three iconic cities, met wonderful people, and spent a third of what I would have done on a direct flight." —hobbiton193
2."I like staying at an Airbnb in a student district, as food and drinks are much cheaper in those areas."
—u/pfcnewbie
3."When I used to do lots of traveling in Europe I would go to Skyscanner and select the 'Everywhere' option. I got a lot of return flights for £30 or so, and I got to go to cheap places I hadn’t been before."
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4."Student IDs!!! I don't think people realize how many discounts on museums and attractions you can get with that, all over the world. I paid half-price for almost every single thing I did in China, from national parks to botanical gardens to educational things. Always bring it if you have it!"
—u/arabesuku
5."If possible, stay somewhere with a kitchen. It will save you a ton to not have to go out for every meal."
6."My girlfriend and I travel with some plates, bowls, and flatware. Stop at the grocery store and pick up a rotisserie chicken and those microwave rice bowls and one of those salad kits. The chicken is generally enough for a couple of meals."
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7."I decide how much I want to spend on the trip and get an international debit card. I then put the money on it, and that’s my spending money. No adding more."
"I can spend it on whatever I want, but I don’t let myself add more. That way I can have the occasional impulse buy, but don’t go over budget." —iris1573
8."Get a place that's away from the city center, but near public transport. That 15 minutes on public transport scares a lot of people away and makes things cheaper. Plus if you wander around the area, it will likely be less touristy."
9."Use the public transit that the locals use. You’ll save big bucks and learn the everyday life of the people around you."
—u/cmmd
10."Memorize the relative value of the local currency so you don’t get screwed over on exchanges."
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11."When I do a rental vacation (rather than a hotel or resort vacation), I cook in advance and freeze it. I pack coolers – with frozen food acting as the ice for fridge-temp stuff – and eat at my rental."
"I usually pick one night for a nice night out, but vacations are about relaxing, so having pre-made food makes the other nights cheap and easy." —erjames
12."Avoid or limit activities geared toward tourists, like group tours from your hotel, or those package deals from tour companies. Often they involve activities that you could just do on your own for way cheaper, by renting a car or taking a bus and packing a picnic lunch."
13."If you have the time to spare, book your travel on a train system like Amtrak. If you're traveling a far enough distance to have a sleeper car on the train, splurge for a room when available. You get comfortable digs, a private room that often has a shower and some meals included, AND you get to take in the country's scenery without having to focus on driving."
"Plus, it's a hotel-on-wheels, so you don't have to worry about additional lodging past finding some at your end destination."
"My husband and I just took a short trip; the train still had some specialized perks, and business class seats round trip for both of us were cheaper than economy seating on a plane for one of us would have been." —svenskaspark
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14."Research where the locals eat. If you are traveling to a tourist location, know that the restaurants right in that area have higher prices."
"I'm not a big breakfast eater, so I try to make my own breakfast (again, depending on where I'm staying). Grocery stores have great fresh fruit and yogurt. It's all about researching the area." —thia_m
15."A friend and I did a RV relocation in New Zealand for $5 USD a day – Queenstown to Christchurch with four days to do it."
"We stopped at Mt. Cook and the Dark Sky Reserve, which were amazing. Including gas and campsite fees, it only cost about $150 USD total for an RV that sleeps 12. I know they have a bunch of relocation deals in NZ and Australia." — u/nomadicalman
16."We added the Honey extension to our browsers, and it gave us over $100 off on our hotel stay! That was so helpful, and I never would have thought to use it that way."
"Additionally, we do use a travel credit card that we put literally every purchase on to rack up points. I would say if you’re able to get a credit card that has high rewards for travel, do it!" —jordantojo
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17."If you have the leisure of not having a schedule, cities have loads of free cultural events: walking tours, music, comedy, museums (typically have at least one day a week free or reduced entry) that you can generally find easily on social media."
—u/Hopebloats
18."Cruises can be a very good deal, as everything is included except alcohol and gambling. There are some really good cruise deals right now."
—u/Kuriboyoshi
19."Get yourself a good travel credit card — one without foreign transaction fees, with good travel rewards, and preferably with travel insurance so you don't have to buy that separately."
"I almost never spend money on plane tickets, because I just buy them all with my credit card rewards!" —Reddit
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20."When I stay at hotels, instead of asking the front desk for restaurants, I ask housekeeping where they like to eat with their family or friends, and I go there."
—u/MJJVA
21."Travel during shoulder season! If you go to any destination during peak time, everything is more expensive and crowded. Going the month before or after provides a little budget relief."
22."If you're going to drink, buy alcohol at a store instead of a restaurant or bar. It's insanely cheaper. You can get a bottle of wine or a six-pack at a store for the price of a single drink going out. If you're like me and have to experience the nightlife, pre-drinking is your friend!"
—u/BurninatorJT
FOX
23."It is often MUCH cheaper to buy plane tickets from where you're going than from where you are. Heading to Asia? Don't buy tickets to China, Singapore, and Hanoi. Buy round-trip tickets to Hong Kong, a major hub, and then buy round-trip tickets to the places you want to go, using HK as a base."
—u/Gonzo_B
Do you have a tip to share? Let us know below!
Note: Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
