Travel destinations like Iceland, Britain, and Australia are often overlooked as potential vacation spots because of the high costs that are typically associated with visiting them. But if your dream destination is somewhere that’s considered to be expensive, you can still go and stay within your budget if you use the following tips.
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*Look for alternative accommodations. Hotel rooms tend to be the second highest expense after plane tickets when it comes to vacation costs. Going camping instead of staying in a hotel is one way to avoid sticker shock. Most campsites run around $15 per night if not less. Of course, you’ll still have access to necessary things like showers and bathroom facilities. Some campgrounds even have their own stores and restaurants so that guests don’t have to bother going back into town if they need something. A number of these spots also allow guests to rent out tents if they don’t have their own with them.
Even so, this method of travel isn’t without it’s problems. Travelers will generally have to carry around their own gear and these supplies can add even more weight to already heavy suitcases. People who are staying in a tent are also more at the mercy of the weather than they would be indoors. While a camper van is an excellent alternative to traditional camping, it would only be a financially savvy option in certain circumstances. For instance, a group of friends traveling together through Iceland could probably save a great deal of money using this option but a solo traveler elsewhere in Europe might not be so lucky.
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For solo travelers, hostels are one of the best budget options. These spots tend to be more affordable since the traveler in question is only paying for the bed and not the full room. Be sure to check their hostel’s in question ratings before making plans to stay there. But take the findings with a grain of salt. Some people just aren’t meant to stay in hostels. A good majority of these places are clean and affordable. However, the summer-camp like atmosphere found in the dorms may not be for everyone. Of course, if you’re traveling with a group, renting an apartment or a house for a few days might work out to be a better bargain for everyone. In fact, travelers who stay for a week or more at one spot can often get discounts on sites like Airbnb.
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*Change up your eating habits. If you want to keep from spending a fortune in expensive places like England and Iceland, the first bit of advice travelers often get is to eat food from the grocery store or the local markets rather than dining out for every meal. Cooking dinner for yourself is also recommended. This works very well for the most part, particularly in areas where everything is closed by 6 pm or so. Of course, sandwiches, granola, and pasta dishes can only take you so far. It’s a good idea to research affordable places with authentic flavor to get the most of dining out when you do decide to splurge a bit. Besides, street food is generally okay to eat in places like Europe, where hygiene standards are high. But, as long as there’s a constant flow of local customers, you should be alright trying the wares anywhere else.
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*Buy tickets in advance. Everyone knows that airfare has to be bought in advance. (The recommended times are something like a month in advance for domestic flights and 1.5 months for international travel.) It’s amazing how quickly prices can escalate, leaving your budget in the dust. Be sure to clear your browsing history before making any online purchases. You’ll also want to use an incognito browser to avoid the random price jumps that might occur when the website you’re on figures out just how many times you’ve looked at flights to London in the past two weeks.
If you don’t mind having your plans set in stone before you leave, it’s always a good idea to buy long distance train tickets and hopper flights as soon as humanly possible. After all, these too tend to increase in price as time goes by. You might also want to purchase admission tickets to the sites that you plan on seeing before you leave. Doing this often saves travelers some money and it helps them avoid the extremely long lines that can form at popular sites.
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Of course when you get to your destination, be sure to take advantage of free or cheap things to do so that you’re not spending a ton of money on everyday activities. You can research this before you go. Or you can always ask the staff of the place where you’re staying for their recommendations when you get there. Just remember to stay safe and have fun. And, as always, happy travels!
