After working hard, planning and saving money, we all strive to travel and vacation like we have always wanted. Travel hacks are useful tips and ways to save money. Hopefully, these 12 will help you not end up completely broke after such a trip.
1. Combine One-Way Tickets
Round-trip may be the easiest to research, however, it may not be the least expensive or most convenient option. Purchasing two one-way tickets is a great travel hack that allows you to pick different airlines, as a result, you can save some considerable money.
2. Search Offbeat Or Little-Known Websites
Find the best deals on flights on websites like flightdeal, CheapOAir or skiplagged which can offer incredible savings. You can also check with budget-minded airlines directly like Frontier Airlines at FrontierAirlines.
3. Check In Ahead Of Time
The best way to avoid a time crunch to get to your gate to board the plane is by checking in for your flight online or through the airline’s app. This little travel tip allows you to print out your boarding pass and go right to security.
4. Book Last Minute For Cruises
One of the best travel hacks is booking cruise tickets as late as possible. Unlike air travel, it is often found that the cheapest rates for cruise tickets are found last minute. This is a great option for long cruises like Trans-Atlantic’s. Most cruise packages also come with food included so you can end up saving a considerable amount when put against the cost of a hotel and eating out.
5. Download Before You Leave
Make sure to download movies, books or games you will want to be using before you leave. If you are traveling with children you definitely will want to do this. Free wifi may not be available in all the places you visit. If you happen to find yourself stuck somewhere, like on the tarmac for an extended amount of time, for example, you will be well prepared.
6. Free Walking Tours
If you are looking for popular attractions or just looking to explore a city on foot, then free city walking tours are available to help you. Explore about 90% of the major cities in Europe, as well as a few other large cities around the world for free. You can find these by visiting local tourist offices, your hotel or hostel or even just Googling “free walking tours nearby”.
7. Travel Off-Season
If you want to enjoy a little extra attention, extra privacy, and maybe some extra space, traveling in the off-season can considerably cut down on the crowds of people. This allows for things like more intimate tours and being able to visit popular attractions without the normal huge crowd. Off-season travel can also lead to a much more relaxed trip.
8. Get A City Pass
When traveling if you want to maximize your time and what you can see and do in a city, the city pass or city tourism cards is the way to go. Travel hacks like this often offer great discounts such as free shuttles and other services or free or discounted access to attractions.
9. Make Lunch Your Biggest Meal
When traveling it’s a great idea to cook meals yourself if you have the ability to do so yourself. However a lot of times, you will not have that option and will have to dine out. One of the top travel hacks when it comes to eating out is, eating your largest meals during the day when restaurants are likely to have daily specials. These at times are often 50% cheaper than their dinner equivalents.
10. Book An Airbnb
Travel hacks for accommodations are just as important as how you get there. Booking on Airbnb instead of a traditional hotel can save you anywhere from a modest 10% up to about 80% off the price of a room. Booking Airbnb can also offer you a more “local” feel to your trip.
11. Use Cash Back Rewards And Loyalty Programs
When you use your credit card you might as well use one that will give you something back. Choosing a credit card or a program like Ebates, that gives cash back rewards will help you stretch out that dollar. Similarly, try to pick a hotel chain to always stay at because most have a loyalty program that will offer you free nights and upgrades after you have stayed with them an “X” amount of nights.
12. Finally, Camp For Free
If you love to camp than I would definitely recommend using the free campsites website or mobile app. It not only shows where all the paid camping sites are in an area, but it also shows all the free ones as well. If you are traveling and looking for a free place to stay some of the free sites even have some amenities like showers and wifi.
