A lot of people believe traveling overseas is prohibitively expensive – but while that may be the case, the truth is that it is completely doable if you really put your mind to it. Yes, traveling overseas on a lower budget does take a little bit more work and research, but it will be all worth it when you will finally be there, seeing your dream come true.
So, what are the best money saving tips to keep in mind for your next overseas trip? We’ve gathered them right below – read on if you want to find out more.
Book your flights the smart way
This is one of the first and foremost important things to do when you want to save money on your overseas trip. Booking at the right time and for the right dates can save you tons and tons of money. Keep in mind though: not all airlines work the same way, and while some may drop prices for bookings made well in advance, others might do the same for last-minute flights. Keep an eye on the prices and notice the pattern – it is quite likely the company will use the same pattern in the future as well. You can also access the sites from different IP addresses to find more savings as some sites charge differently depending on your location. For those unfamiliar with IP technology, you can find out how to hide your IP address with a VPN
Use travel miles
Using a credit card with travel miles associated to it may not seem like that big of a deal – but it is. One dollar here, two dollars there – and before you know it, you’ve saved $100 or more on your plane ticket. It’s not a lot – but it’s enough to buy your loved ones nice souvenirs from your travel destination, right?
Be open minded about accommodation
You really don’t need the 5-star hotel. Sure, it’s nice to do the whole luxury travel thing – but, years from now, you will most likely remember more of the ambiance of a location and the food and the people you met, rather than the bed where you slept.
So it’s probably best for your finances to open your mind to new accommodation options. The most popular one at the moment is AirBNB – basically, just “normal people” renting out rooms or entire apartments/ houses for less than what you would pay for at a hotel. AirBNB will allow you to see each host’s ratings and they are also allowed to see your rating – so things are pretty safe (and many people are actually very happy with this type of accommodation).
Another option is couch surfing. On a typical couch surfing site, you will find different users ready to let you live with them for free, in exchange for a room when they visit your country. Same as with AirBNB, this is a review-based system, so things are kept pretty safely. As always, use your common sense and don’t couch surf with hosts that don’t have any kind of review, don’t leave valuables at home when you are out and about, and generally don’t give up too much personal information either.
Yes, traveling overseas on a lower budget CAN be done – and it SHOULD be done if this is what you dream. Get down to planning and your dream trip will come true!