Want to travel more? Wonder how to save some cash while travelling independently? Here is an elaborate list of travel hacks to save money while planning and during your travels. Some of these money-saving travel hacks and tips can be implemented right this moment, so you’re more prepared when you actually travel.
General Money-Saving Travel Hacks
- Budget your trip: If you want to travel more, you should set a budget for your trip. You can either do this by your own drawn-up estimates, read blog posts, or use a website like budgetyourtrip.com for a more realistic estimate. Try and stick to this budget as much as you can.
- Be frugal, but enjoy your trip: Yes, we said to stick to that budget. But if spending some money is giving you a once-in-a-lifetime experience or immense comfort, go ahead and spend it. After all, you probably won’t be returning to that destination. So, if you really wish to do something that doesn’t fit your budget but you can afford, go ahead and do it so you don’t have regrets.
On a trip to Sri Lanka with friends, I was on a strict budget. I didn’t want to spend too much. Those thoughts went out of the window on the third day of being in the country as Sri Lanka turned out to be way more expensive than I had been told (I had not read up and that was my mistake). So to spend less, I ended up skipping many activities I wanted to do and attractions I wanted to visit. Now, I intend to go back to see all that I missed. - Destination-specific tips: Read destination-specific travel hacks and money-saving tips on travel blogs. These tips may not only help you save money but also help you stay safe, treat locals with respect, avoid tourist traps, avoid scams, and more.
- Travel in the shoulder/off-season: Find out the peak tourist season at your destination and plan to travel during other times of the year. During the off-season, prices will be the cheapest. However, shoulder season really hits the sweet spot – a balance between weather and prices.
We are guilty of always travelling abroad in the peak season in December. We have now celebrated Christmas and/or New Year’s in New Zealand, Vietnam, Maldives and the USA. Can’t help it Modi is able to get a long leave every year during that time so we just bear the brunt of high costs. But if you can help it, avoid travelling during such peak times. - Get travel insurance: The reality is that there is a lot of uncertainty in travel. You never know when something might go wrong. You may get sick, lose your luggage, your passport might get lost, flights may be delayed, you might have an accident, need to cut your trip short in case of emergencies at home, etc. While we pray and hope that none of this happens, it is always a good idea to be prepared for these eventualities. That is where travel insurance comes in. Travel insurance costs very little and covers any such major expenses that can occur. We never travel internationally without one. Though we usually don’t opt for it when travelling domestically, you may consider it.
Know that all travel insurances offer coverage for different things. So read up before you buy. Try Bajaj Allianz (great for short international trips and a good option for domestic trips as well), Religare (best if you have pre-existing health ailments), and WorldNomads (best for longer and adventurous trips). - Travel in a group: If saving money is the aim, you’re better off travelling with 3-4 people. The cost of car rentals, taxis, hotels etc. will be split helping save a lot of cash while also giving you the convenience of not having to opt for public transport.
- Get a travel credit card: Travel credit cards usually give you reward points on making purchases (like most regular credit cards) and extra points on any travel-related purchases. You can use these points to get free flights or make other purchases. You also get access to lounges which makes layovers more bearable and cuts the cost of airport food bills. You can compare and choose Travel Credit Cards in India here. It gives us so much pleasure to book free flights through points collected on our CITI Premier Miles Card.
If you travel internationally quite a bit, then get a card with a Priority Pass membership. This will give you access to lounges all over the world. We also have the HDFC Regalia that gives us Priority Pass Membership. If you don’t want to go the credit card route, you can even buy the Priority Pass membership.
If you’re not an Indian resident or you are but work abroad, see if you’re eligible for a travel credit card in that country. Research and get one if the card offers benefits like no foreign transaction fee, low ATM withdrawal charges abroad etc. Indian travel credit cards don’t offer this as far as I’ve read and known. We have a Bank of America Travel Credit Card that we can swipe to make purchases in any country without an extra foreign transaction fee being levied. It’s not the best one out there but it helps a lot as we don’t need to carry a lot of currency and if we ever run out, we are covered. - Do not use money converters at airports: Money converters at airports have their own fee and the exchange rates are usually exorbitant. Get a solid travel debit/credit card that lets you swipe your card abroad without a foreign transaction fee or/and lets you withdraw from ATMs abroad without incurring heavy bank changes (as mentioned above).
If you can’t get your hands on such a card, use money exchanges in your country itself to get currency notes. If you’re running short of money abroad, look for money exchanges in the city. We are sure you’ll find plenty in any big city. It is also worth noting that US Dollars can be exchanged at almost any currency exchange abroad, but not other currencies. So travel with a few US dollars on you. We always do and it has helped us quite often.
However, if you’re from India, we would suggest getting a Forex Card. It is a card that is pre-loaded with foreign currency and lets you load up to 15 currencies at a time. It allows you to withdraw cash, swipe the card and check the balance. As opposed to a credit card, you’re protected from volatile exchange rates, foreign transaction fees, and credit card fraud. Plus you can always reload it if you run out of money abroad. However, note that you don’t get such a card in all currencies used in the world. So, you may have to resort to cash in some destinations.
We use an ICICI Forex card when needed as that’s our primary bank account. However, you may weigh the benefits of cards by different financial institutions to decide which one is the best.
Flight Hacks
- Book in advance: You must have heard that you should book flights 3-4 months prior. However, this is not always the best thing to do. For popular destinations like big and busy cities around the world, you’d have to book 3-4 months in advance. However, if you’re heading to holiday destinations like The Maldives or other less frequented destinations then even 4 weeks prior will do. Prices typically start to rise after that.
- Check fares for individual tickets: If you’re travelling in a group or as a couple, check if the flight fare is coming out to be cheaper when checking for one person than when checking for the whole group. Modi and I have booked our flights separately plenty of times for this very reason.
- Set alerts for price drops: Many travel booking websites offer the ability to get alerts. If you opt for it, you’ll get an email whenever flight prices for a particular destination on your given date change. You can use Skyscanner or Google Flights to set such price alerts.
- Be flexible with the date and location: Skyscanner is amazing! Every time I go to their website I’m amazed by some or the other new feature they’ve added. For now, let’s talk about how flexible this flight booking website is provided that you are too. You can really get the cheapest flights if you’re flexible with both dates and destinations. However, if you aren’t no problem. You can use the platform in the following combinations to get the most out of it.
- Flexible dates and fixed location: Find the cheapest travel dates for your location
- Flexible location, and fixed dates: Find the cheapest locations to travel to on your dates
- Flexible location and flexible fates: Find the cheapest locations to travel to year-round from wherever you live.
- Check last-minute deals to other locations before booking: Before you book tickets to your pre-decided country/destination, check for tickets and deals to other places. Use the ‘Fly to Anywhere’ feature on Skyscanner and keep a lookout for deals on flight deal websites like Flight Deal, Secret Flying, and Holiday Pirates. You never know you might find tickets to an exciting location at a far better price. The deal websites send you emails whenever there is an error in the flight fares and prices drop, so sign up for their emails and keep an eye out for these emails like a hawk. Remember that they might not work for you if you reside in India, but if you live in Europe or the US these will serve you quite well.
- Use Incognito Mode to research flights: When you use your browser to search for flights, your browsing information is saved via cookies. It is believed that flights have dynamic pricing. Meaning that with the help of these saved cookies, the cost of flights goes up as you keep searching for the same route and date. Therefore, it is best to use incognito mode for research where such cookies don’t get tracked. While the veracity of this method has never been proven, we don’t think there is any harm in doing it.
- Fly mid-week and mid-day: Weekends are popular travel days and therefore more expensive. It is best to fly mid-week – Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Everyone has their own theory on which of these days is best so we would suggest you can check which days work for your routes by yourself. As you may have noticed, flight fares are cheapest either late into the night or mid-day because most people avoid flying at such times due to inconvenience and work. Make use of it!
- Check bank offers: Indian flight booking websites like Make My Trip and Goibibo usually have bank offers and often discounts for particular bank cards on particular days. For example, on Make My Trip you usually get discounts on ICICI cards on Mondays. Likewise, check discount days for your bank. If you don’t see any bank offers for your card for a long time, consider getting a card that usually has offers.
- Use miles to book flights: If you fly one route or on one airline a lot, enrol in the loyalty program of the specific airline and book directly to collect and utilize miles. In India, Jet Privilege (now Intermiles) and Vistara have such programmes. Also, remember to take advantage of the point and miles collected on your travel credit card.
- Use loyalty points: Banks like ICICI in India give PAYBACK points on all spending, be it from your debit or credit card. You don’t opt for PAYBACK points but collect them anyway. Remember to use the points. We know so many people who don’t make use of these and we just don’t understand why. We have booked several flights for free with our PAYBACK points. Do check with your bank if they have such travel-friendly schemes.
- See alternate modes of transport: If you’re travelling within a country then check the prices of trains, flights, cabs, etc. before you settle for an option based on presumptions. For example, we usually think that trains are cheaper than flights, but it is not always so. Sometimes, budget airlines turn out to be cheaper. Better to check!
- Check for student discounts: Airline websites often have student discounts along with a higher allowance for luggage. However, we usually overlook these as we book through platforms with more options like MakeMyTrip. Don’t do that if you’re a student! Go to the airline’s website and check if they offer such a discount and book with them directly if it is an overall better deal.
- Don’t always fly direct: Often if you don’t fly direct, you save money! However, this increases travel time and discomfort. So, weigh both factors and decide whether to fly direct or not. If you have time on hand, it is great to book flights with the longest layover so you can explore the layover city too!
- Budget airlines aren’t always cheap: Flying on budget airlines is a fantastic option to save money. However, if you have luggage to be checked in, it may not be. Why? Because sometimes the cost of luggage turns out to be higher than the ticket cost. Do your research and consider your luggage before booking on budget airlines.
- Carry Snacks: Pack some food and snacks to avoid buying exorbitantly priced food at the airport or on the flight.
Travel Accommodation Hacks
- Loyalty Points: Sign up for a hotel loyalty program and try to stay at the same hotel chain repeatedly to earn points and avail benefits faster.
We have literally stayed for 8 nights just two blocks from Times Square in New York for free! If we had to pay, it would come to about Rs. 4,56,000 in total ($6500). Totally unaffordable right? This is where loyalty points come in. Modi is a Marriott Bonvoy member (Marriott + Starwood Loyalty Program) and has stayed several nights at their hotels while in the US thereby collecting all these points. The program is known to be the best in the world with 7,000+ hotels of 30 brands in 131 countries. Some known brands that are part of the program are Westin, W, Sheraton, St. Regis, Autograph, The Ritz, Le Meridian, and Renaissance, in addition to the various Marriott hotels. It has got the vastest collection of hotels out there and luckily there are plenty of them here in India too! If you think this sounds absolutely fantastic, enrol here.
That said, you can also get loyalty rewards on travel websites like Make My Trip and Booking.com (our personal favourite). Being on Genius level 2 on Booking.com, we get 10-15% off on stays. Consider booking your next stay through it! - Don’t hesitate to ask for benefits: Ask for a free room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, late checkouts etc. without thinking twice. Worst come to worst, the property will say no. No issue is asking and trying your luck. It is even better to call or email and ask beforehand.
- Book stays in advance: When you book stays in advance you make an informed decision: you do research, choose the best according to you and book within your budget. It saves you money and precious sightseeing time. Is there anything worse than wasting your limited travel time on looking for accommodation? And then settling for a hotel you don’t even like, just because you’re annoyed going from place to place?
Our favourite websites for booking stays are Airbnb (for booking homes and apartments), Booking.com (amazing interface, discounts, cancellation policy, payment policy, communication with hotel, and variety of accommodations), and Agoda (great deals). However, we use Makemytrip and GoIbibo a lot for India and to compare the prices of chosen hotels abroad too.
That being said, if you’re a flexible traveller and don’t mind searching for hotels, you might get a better deal last minute at small hotels. - You don’t need the best room or hotel: If you’re going for a sightseeing trip, consider how much time will spend at the hotel. If it isn’t much, reduce your accommodation cost by staying at places that are comfortable but not lavish.
- Consider staying at hostels that also have double rooms: If you’re a solo traveller, there is nothing better than a hostel. Couple travellers seldom consider hostels as an option. But did you know that hostels also have private rooms sometimes that may be cheaper than regular hotels? Go ahead and give it a search on Hostelworld before booking that hotel!
- Book stays with a kitchen or kitchenette: This is especially applicable if you’re travelling to an expensive country. We recommended eating lunch out (wherever you are sightseeing) and returning to your accommodation for dinner. But to make this happen, you’ll need at least a kitchenette if not a full-blown kitchen. We like booking Airbnbs with a kitchen/kitchenette, especially for this purpose.
- Stay at accommodations with complimentary breakfast: Another way to save money on food is to eat a heavy complimentary breakfast at the hotel so that you can be full enough to skip lunch or make do with just snacks. Even if skipping lunch is not your preference, having breakfast in the hotel will save you time and money. Airbnbs may not have complimentary breakfast. In that case, get some fruits, eggs, bread and butter and make your own.
- Free stays: If you’re a budget traveller for whom money is a make-or-break factor, then there are plenty of options for you to consider. Some of these would be more suitable for long-term travellers.
- Couchsurfing: You get to stay at local’s houses for free. However, you may only get improvised sleeping options like couches, makeshift beds etc. Also, check out Be Welcome and Hospitality Club.
- House Sitting: Locals allow you to stay in their home for maintenance and security purposes when they are away on vacation or other business. Check out Trusted House Sitters, House Carers, and Mind My House.
- Home Exchanges: Two parties agree to live in each other’s houses without any exchange of money to be able to travel around each other’s home locations. Check out Home Exchange and Home Link.
Cheap Food Hacks
- Check Food Menus: When deciding on a place to eat, you can check the restaurant menu online or on-site. If we are deciding based on Trip Advisor/ Google ratings back at our accommodation, we check the menu and reviews online. If we are out and chance upon something to our liking, we check menus on-site (mostly before taking a seat). If you do take a seat, do not hesitate to leave if you don’t like the place, menu, or prices. It may seem odd and embarrassing but there is nothing wrong with it.
- Steer clear of tourist sites: Food right outside popular attractions is usually overpriced and often mediocre. Walk a few blocks or metres away from the attraction to find restaurants where food doesn’t cost an arm and a leg for no reason.
- Ask hostels for suggestions: Ask your hotel reception or Airbnb Host for inexpensive restaurant suggestions. Better yet, ask at hostels even if you’re not staying at one. Hostel receptionists are asked this question nearly every day by backpackers and know the cheapest yet best eateries.
- Eat local food: Sometimes, familiarity is great. Much needed for longer trips. But if you’re on a short trip – one week to two weeks types – do eat local food. Why? Firstly, it helps understand people and culture and truly immerse yourself in your destinations. Secondly, it will be cheaper than international food. Always! Thirdly, isn’t trying new things the whole essence of travel. What’s the point of sticking to things you eat all the time at home.
Modi is a vegetarian and yet we manage to eat local foods wherever we go. Always keep an open mind when trying out local food. - Eat street food: There is nothing better than street food to give you a taste and vibe of the location. Choose places that have a queue or have a bit of a rush so that you don’t end up eating stale food and getting sick. Carry your own travel cutlery to avoid using plastic as much as you can.
- Cook your own meals: I know a lot of us don’t like to cook meals on a holiday. However, cooking at least one meal in expensive countries like New Zealand can save you so much money. If you don’t want to cook a full meal adjust by buying microwavable food, instant noodles, ramen, bread/fruits/spreads, you get my point. Readymade food sold at groceries is also quite cheap. This will make the process faster and easier, but still, save money.
We will let you in on a little secret. Whenever we stay at expensive hotels for staycations where we know the food is going to cost a bomb, we carry our own food and eat it for at least one meal. To save money in the Maldives, we carried Ramen, Theplas and snacks to eat during lunch. It was perfect! People we tell this to roll their eyes or are just shocked. Or they say- but we are foodies, we can’t do that. Well, if you have the money to spend or you don’t have the urge to travel every other day, go ahead. But since we do wish to travel a lot, we try to save money wherever we can. - Have Picnics: Buy bread, cheese, fruits, spreads and the likes to have picnics or eat on the go. This not only helps save money but also ensures you maximize your sightseeing time. All with a good view! If you can’t do picnics, just carry food with you and sit somewhere and eat.
- Try expensive restaurants during lunch: If you really want to eat at an expensive restaurant, then lunch is the best time to do it. Expensive restaurants usually offer food at lower prices or have lunch specials. Keep a look out for these. In fact, it is best to eat out anywhere during lunch because lunch prices can tend to be 30%-50% lesser than those of dinner.
- Use a reusable water bottle: Try not to buy bottled water. Single-use plastic is the worst for the environment and adds up to a lot for a whole trip of drinking bottled water. Instead, use a reusable water bottle. At airports, carry an empty bottle and fill it after security check at airport water fountains. At your destination, either fill from a tap (if tap water is drinkable) or ask at restaurants/hotel reception. If you like cold or hot water, then get an insulated bottle (Buy in India | USA). If you think, bottles are too bulky to carry get a foldable one (We use this collapsible one from the US). If you’re going to be hiking and camping a lot or are travelling to countries where tap water is unsafe to drink, consider getting a bottle with a filter (Buy in India | USA) to make any water safe to consume.
- Share food: Share costly food and treats. This way you can try something interesting and still save money.
Sightseeing Tips
- Check for city tourist pass/card: Usually big cities and small countries that are heavily frequented by tourists offer City/Country passes. E.g. Berlin Welcome Card, Swiss Pass, etc. These passes when purchased and used, reduce the overall cost of visiting attractions in that location. Sometimes they even offer discounts at restaurants & shops, skip-the-line options, free or discounted transportation, and guidebooks. Check if your destination offers such a pass and buy it if you’re visiting a lot of sites that the card covers. If you think that the pass seems too expensive, calculate the individual costs of the tickets you’ll have to buy and see if it exceeds the pass cost. You’ll have your answer! Our purchase of the New York City Pass helped us save time and money when touring the city. We are so grateful for having purchased it.
- Check if there are any free entry days for major sites: Sometimes, major attractions offer free entry on particular days of the month or particular hours of the week. For example, in Paris entry into popular museums like The Louvre is free each first Sunday of the month, Vatican entry is free on the last Sunday of the month, and so on. Better to check such things when planning your itinerary.
- Check for student discounts: Attractions often have student discounts. Always check for them when purchasing your ticket (that is only if you’re a student)
- Take free walking tours: Walking tours are the best way to learn about a city and guess what, most European cities and other big cities around the world have free walking tours. A tip is expected at the end, but only as much as you can pay. Cheaper than spending on a paid walking tour.
- Google Lens: Don’t want to hire a guide or take a tour? No problem, just install Google Lens (iOS | Android). Now whenever you take a picture of famous monuments, the app will show your interesting information on the location. You’ll learn about the history and culture of its site at no cost!
Tips for Getting Around
- Hotel shuttle service: Often hotels have a shuttle service either to other of their hotels in the same city or to major attractions and neighbourhoods. Ask your hotel if they offer such a service when you’re checking in. If they do, make full use of it.
- Take public transport: Public transport is always cheaper than hailing a cab. However, if you’re travelling in a group, cabs might turn out to be of a similar price when divided per person. Compare before you settle.
- Avoid Taxis: Avoid getting in a taxi as they’re usually expensive. If you have to use a taxi, then get the local taxi app (especially if you’re travelling abroad). Uber is an easy and convenient option available in most countries but also consider local alternatives like Ola in India, Grab in South East Asia and Lyft in the USA to save more money. Grab has saved us from getting ripped off in Vietnam (taxi meters in Vietnam are insane and seem to be built to rip people off) and comfortably travelling in Thailand when no tuk-tuks could be found. For intercity travel, consider BlaBlaCar – a carpooling app (Download on iOS | Android).
- Walk: Cheapest of all is obviously walking. Plan your visit to attractions in a way that you can simply walk from one to another. This is obviously not possible everywhere but do check distances between locations when planning your itinerary.
Walking is also the best way to explore a city. More often than not, you’ll chance upon hidden gems. Get off in a popular neighbourhood or walking street and just walk around.
In Christchurch, New Zealand, we had no plans. So, we got off in the downtown area and simply walked in search of a place to eat. We chanced upon charming streets, wonderful street art, and ate at an amazing eatery.
Kudos to you! You’ve reached the end of this super lengthy post. It goes to show how much you wish to travel more. Honestly, we don’t follow all these tips all the time. But we try to follow them most of the time to save some bucks! You should also pick and choose based on your trip. No point taking out the entire fun of carefree travel right?
If you want to know how to travel better, read our post 40 Smart Travel Tips. If you want to learn to cut your expenses and save money, read How to Save Money for Travel.
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