Travel in Budget

Travel Mum asked:


Going for a vacation is always a big expenditure. However, with careful planning, your vacation can be fun and enriching without compromising on its quality. If you are on a budget and planning for a vacation, here are some useful tips for you.

Flight Planning

1. Always compare flight deals. Look for lowest rates and understand what they are offering. Do note their cancellation policy before you make your reservation.

2. Look for a flight and hotel bundle which will save you money.

Transport Planning

1. Grab a rail pass to make travelling easier and hassle-free. Some countries offer family passes too. Usually, rail companies will have discounted packages with admission to attractions or accommodation deals.

2. Go for sightseeing buses to minimize transfers and maximise sightseeing. Sightseeing buses provide interesting commentary, unless you want to miss it.

3. Look for free airport transfer from hotels or free transport around the city. Some cities and attractions provide free city tourist shuttle.

4. Always look for sightseeing passes. There are a number which includes transportation. These passes can save you tons.

5. Get a local transport bus pass if you intend to adventure out on your own.

6. If you are planning a self-drive vacation, compare the terms and conditions of different car rental companies.

Activities and Attractions Planning

1. It always pays to look into local tour operators for activities and tours. They are often able to provide better or competitive deals than the rest.

2. Spend wisely and work on a budget by pre-booking your tours. Identify activities which are ‘must do’, attractions which are ‘must visit’ and those which are optional.

3. Visit the homepage of attractions to secure on-line specials, early bird specials or download coupons.

4. Look for combo packages. These packages allow you to enter a few attractions at a discounted rate.

5. Some attractions offer free entry on certain days or after certain hours; while others may have discounted entry after certain hour or during weekends.

6. Get coupons provided by tourism businesses or restaurants. Look for visitor cards with discounted admission to attractions or dining privileges.

Accommodation Planning

1. If you are working on a budget, hotels with free nights or hotels where kids stay free will be a good option. Do consider staying in a hostel. Many hostels offer freebies such as free breakfast and free airport pickups.

2. Always read hotel reviews before you book your accommodation. You know what it means to make a wrong choice.

Travel Ideas

1. Read travelogues or blogs to find out more about the destination. It’s worth to find out how other travellers made it in each destination. Travellers are likely to comment on their experiences for each activity, tour and provide excellent travel tips.

2. Participate in travel forums. Usually there are experts for each destination to answer all your questions. So don’t be shy to post your questions.

3. If you do not have an idea of where to go, you can begin with travel deals. Also, suggested itineraries from tourism boards offer excellent ideas. Check the events calendar for your desired destination would be helpful too.

Other budgeting tips

1. If you are planning a self-drive holiday, check the petrol prices of the destination.

2. To find out the cost of living of your desired destination, visit the homepages of its major supermarkets and fast food chains. You can have an accurate estimation of the cost of living and plan a budget for your meals.



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Paul Hata asked:


The rental car can be a big vacation expense, and getting the best deal you can on the transportation you need is important to keeping your vacation fun while staying within budget.

One way to keep costs as low as possible, of course, is to choose the smallest, most economical car you and your family are comfortable with.

Choosing a compact, subcompact or economy car makes sense on a number of levels. For one thing, such cars are generally less expensive to rent in the first place.

The other important consideration, however, is gas mileage. You as the renter of the car will be responsible for keeping it gassed up, including topping off the tank before returning it.

Buying a car that gets great mileage will definitely help your travel budget stretch farther.

If you need a larger car or minivan, it is important to shop around for the best deal you can find. While it is important to shop around no matter what type of car you are considering, it is even more important when trying to rent vehicles for which there is a lot of demand, like convertibles, minivans or SUV’s.

Shopping around at a number of travel related web sites, as well as at the web sites of the rental companies themselves, is usually the best way to land the best deal.

The length of the rental can have a large impact on the cost as well. Weekly rentals are often far less costly than a comparable daily rate spread over a week. So if your vacation plans are for a week or more, be sure to inquire about special rates.

Joining a frequent renter club, or using the same rental car company each time, is a great way to get some special coupons and some very good deals.

In addition, most car rental companies partner with at least one airline to provide frequent flyer miles or other types of rewards when you rent a car.

In addition, many airlines run bonus programs where you get extra miles or extra credit, so be sure to inquire about these bonuses when making your reservation.

Another great way to save money and keep your rental car budget low is not to buy things you do not need. In most cases, this means waiving the optional collision insurance coverage offered by the rental car company.

Many rental car companies really push this insurance, but in most cases you are already covered and can safely decline it.

For instance, most automobile insurance policies already provide collision coverage for rental cars, so be sure to check with your car insurance company before starting to plan your vacation.

Even if your insurance company does not cover your rental car, chances are one of your credit card companies does. Many credit cards provide coverage for rental cars paid for with the card, so be sure to check with your credit card company to see if they provide this coverage.

Another method to keep rental car costs to a minimum, and one that many people are unaware of, is renting a used car. There are a number of large national companies, and a number of smaller local companies as well, that rent used cars at a much lower price than comparable new cars.

In most cases, these cars are only a few years old, and they provide the same protection, and the same transportation as more costly new cars.



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