So you finally decided to take that dream holiday you have been wishing for for years. Give a pat on your shoulder if you are going through it with cash saved over time. It is always great to end a holiday with no credit card bills to look forward to right? What’s better is coming home with shop items to remind you of your fantastic travel!

Or better yet, spare cash to put on your next dream vacation fund. So how do you do that? There are many ways to work out your plans so you can save yourself extra money without jeopardizing the fun. Don’t lose your frugality and you’ll end up having extra cash to perhaps pay for a special travel experience like skydiving or hot air ballooning. Here are some tips to make your holiday more affordable.

1. Pick the right time.

Determine what season you’d prefer to go and find out if that’s a peak or off-peak time to travel. Traveling on peak periods incur extra cost as prices of accommodation and flights are relatively higher. Tourists are plenty too, so that equates to longer queues on popular spots.

Consider whether you are better off traveling on an off-peak period. This option is especially fine when you are not after what a particular season has to offer say snowboarding in Canada which of course you have to visit on winter. It is also wise to brush up on coming events such as festivals and international conferences as this may render hotel prices to go higher than usual due to demand and supply.

2. Find alternative lodgings.

Although staying at a hotel is a popular choice, there are many apartments that offer short term lease to tourists. They are often a few kilometres from the city and are relatively cheaper and have facilities for cooking and laundry, saving you extra cash.

If you have friends or family, ask if you can stay with them or offer to rent a room for a few days. Nevertheless make sure that your choice dwelling is conveniently located near public transport. Read on the next tip to find out why.

3. Know your transport options.

Transportation cost is one of the hidden costs that many fail to take into account when budgeting. It is best to to find out all the transportation options to and from your lodging and to the areas you wish to visit. Taxi fares can be expensive and many tourists are trapped when they find out that a cab is their only choice to go back to their hotel. Know your alternatives especially on places with bad traffic conditions. Most cities offer free tourist shuttle so take advantage of that. Compare the cost of renting a car versus cab fares but take into account parking fees of course.

4. Use discount cards.

There are many discount deals on famous destination spots available. Paris for instance, has a Museum Pass which allows you to skip the queue and enter up to 60 museums in the country. Check if vouchers will come out as a cheaper option for you. Add out entrance fees of where you wish to go and compare the numbers. The same goes for public transport passes. You’ll be surprised how much you can save on these discounts or family passes made especially for tourists.

5. Consider travel insurance.

For your peace of mind and a fraction of the cost of your total travel expense, a travel insurance can be your best investment. Nowadays when the unexpected seem to be happening more often, it is comforting to know that you are covered and you can get the best assistance available. Accidents and sickness may come up when you least expect it and not only will it ruin your plans but they are likely to siphon out your hard earned and saved holiday cash.

Travel insurance is advisable especially on countries that you may not be very familiar with and have high risk of crimes such as theft. So read up on travel advisories to know how to best protect yourself and look up on the type of insurance that will suit your plans. Travel insurance may save you lots should you find yourself in a crisis.