It’s one of the questions many aspiring travellers have on their minds. Before even choosing a destination, they’ll look at their bank balance and think “how am I going to travel on such a tight budget?”Of course there are easy ways to ensure that you’re always getting the most bang for your buck. The first obvious solution is to search online for cheap flights and accommodation. Using a flight comparison site can save you a lot of time as well as money. This isn’t just for long-haul flights; you could easy save money on short European flights to Tenerife, Amsterdam or hundreds of other popular destinations as well. Going for ‘secret hotel’ deals can reduce the cost of your stay; as well as adding a sense of adventure to proceedings.
Of course, booking a holiday in a hotel might incur a lot of charges you hadn’t considered before. Every night you will be encouraged to eat out at a restaurant, costing a fortune in food bills, or enticed to drink in bars. Booking yourself into a self catering apartment or villa may seem more costly than a hotel at the outset, but as soon as you step into a local supermarket and see how cheap local produce is you will realise that you’ve made the right decision. This is widely regarded as a great way to save money on holiday.
If you do go out drinking, stick to local versions of alcohol as these will cost a lot less then the big brand names you are used to at home. If you’re staying in an all inclusive resort these will be the drinks that you are served (without incurring an extra charge).
Once you land at the airport you will need to think about how you are going to get to your accommodation. Airports are normally quite far away from the resort, so you can book a transfer taxi, rent a car, or use public transport. Do your research before you leave, as you may find yourself far too tired to work it out once you land. This way you will save any nasty surprises.
Don’t take anything for granted. In some countries, a taxi might set you back a lot of money whilst the bus is just as convenient and far cheaper; cities like Belfast for instance have a great airport shuttle bus and flights to Belfast are usually well-priced, from most UK cities at least, making it an easy city to visit. In other countries you might find that taxis are a lot cheaper and busses are not as reliable, such as Seoul. In these cases you’d be better to go against your instinct and take a taxi.
