Hello travelers!
I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. For today’s post I knew I wanted to talk about money saving tips while traveling. However, I wanted this post to be dedicated for those travelers that are just beginning in this budget-friendly traveling lifestyle.
Hey, I know it’s not easy to change from one day to another your traveling style in order to save money. I’ve been there, it was hard for me too to choose hostels over fancy hotels, flying low cost and backpacking. That’s why today I wanted to share with you some starter travel hacks that are truly effortless, but will reduce travel expenses considerably. So, without further due, let’s start!
Tip 1: Opt for night traveling
One of the best ways to travel Europe is by train or bus, they are usually less expensive than traveling by plane. However, they normally take longer. For example, going from Toulouse to Paris by plane will take 1 hour and 20 minutes, while traveling by bus will take 11 hours. Nonetheless, traveling by plane costs 4 times more than bus.
I know 11 hours in a bus can be hard, but hear me out. If you were to travel by plane to Paris, let’s say at 8 p.m, you will be getting there by 9:30 p.m. You’ll then have to get a taxi and spend the night in a hotel. From my point of view, that first night spent in unnecessary. You just spent a night at a hotel, but you actually didn’t do much in Paris, you just arrived. Here comes my tip, which is choosing night traveling by bus or train.
If you had chosen the bus option, you would have departed at 8 p.m from Toulouse and arrived in Paris just at 7 a.m. I think it’s pretty obvious where I’m going here, but you just saved one hotel night in Paris and spent way less in transportation. This could be the case for traveling to Barcelona, Nice, Madrid, etc.
Tip 2: Travel in group or in couple
One of the best options for saving in accommodation is to stay in a hostel. However, I know staying in a hostel is not for everyone. But would you believe me if I told you that you can be staying in a hotel or Airbnb for less than a hostel. This can be the case if you travel in group or with your partner.
I went to Lisbon in October with 4 other friends. We were looking for accommodation in HostelWorld and the average cost was 35 euros per night per person in a good quality hostel. Meanwhile, staying in an Airbnb ended up being 25 euros per night per person. We had our own bathroom, kitchen, living room, and 2 separate bedrooms with 4 beds.
Later on, I went to Bordeaux with my boyfriend and found a private bedroom in the Meininger Hotel for only 28 euros per night per person. That was the same if not cheaper than staying in a hostel, for way more comfort. So, whenever you are traveling try to invite other friends so that you can divide the cost of accommodation.
Tip 3: Rely on public transportation
Public transportation is your best friend when traveling to a new city. It is way cheaper than spending money on Uber or renting a car and finding parking. Not only that, it gives you the opportunity to visit the city as if you were a local. Nowadays every city has weekly or daily passes that include unlimited public transportation and their price is a total deal. So, my best recommendation is to go directly to a bus/metro station as soon as you arrive to the city and check for these deals, you’ll thank me later.
Tip 4: Grocery shop at your destiny
My best tip to save in food is to grocery shop at your destiny, specially for breakfast and lunch food. You can buy baguettes for 1 euro, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomate and mustard in order to make some amazing sandwiches that will save you money. Also, you can find instant food like ramen or soups that are easily made in the microwave or with hot water. Hotel food can be very pricey, and you can use the money saved for a special diner later in the trip.
Tip 5: Do not eat at restaurants near tourist traps
Now, if you still choose to eat out, I have two tips for you. First, avoid eating at restaurants that are next to tourist attraction sites. For example, avoid eating next to the Eiffel Tower, because prices are likely to be higher there. Instead, walk away from the tourist traps and you’ll see how for the same dishes, prices reduce considerably.
My second tip is to compare prices with the online menus of the restaurants, which are usually available in apps like The Fork and TripAdvisor. In this way, you’ll choose the cheapest and best option to eat in advance.
