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YahooIf we wait until we have all the money we want for travel, most of us will never get off the couch! You need adventure and a broadened perspective while you are still young enough to be a participant and not just a spectator. So the theme here is flexibility in timing, availability and target countries. The more flexible you are, the longer the money can stretch.
Remember, too, that most organized travel is designed to keep you away from any real contact with the local people and their culture. If you want a great travel experience with new friends made and new stories to tell, stretching your money will result in a much less isolated travel environment. Don't be a spectator...get stuck in!
Schedule your trip during the off season. This can reduce by half the price of hotels and airfares as well as food and entertainment. Off season does not necessarily mean bad weather...just children in school or other national timetable problems. But check for national holidays in the country you are going to. If it is a big holiday, prices will skyrocket and travel can be awkward.
Book early or wait for last minute deals. If you're adventurous, look for packages (air, hotel) a week before you are to leave. This can be a great family game, too. You'll be amazed at how far package prices can fall when the travel agent has unsold seats in the package and he needs cash flow.
Do your research. Ask friends who have been there. Information is key. Go to your library to check out travel books. You don't have to buy one as chances are these days, there are guides of all kinds published locally that you can get for free when you arrive in the place. By the way, many new travel websites have evaluations of hotels by previous travelers. Take a look...it's a way of staying cheap but not dirty!
Book into hotels that include free breakfast. Eat a serious breakfast. Buy some fruit on the street and bring it back to the hotel for a good wash...and you have a great lunch. Or go to the local grocery and buy groceries you can keep in your hotel fridge and prepare a sandwich. An in-house picnic can be fun for the family, too. Fight the urge to go to an international chain restaurant. Eat local...what a price difference!
Negotiate hotel rates. A hotel with an advertised rate of $95, you can easily get (when you stay longer) at $56 with free breakfast. If you are in a city for a week or so, look around the first morning for a small hotel or guest house. This can be REALLY cost effective and you get good advice on all kinds of local, non-touristy things to do.
Travel light...you don't need very much with you. If you are planning to be in a hotel for 2 nights or more, wash your clothes. You bring fewer changes with you that way. If they're not dry in the morning, use the hair dryer. Get away from the temptation of buying all those little curios that several years later, you will be putting in the garage sale. Pick ONE souvenir worth keeping and make sure it is good value for money, i.e. a work by a prominent local artist or sculptor which is light and you can easily carry without paying that extra luggage fee. You really will save money if you don't buy all the airport art!
Use local transport. If it is good enough for the locals, it is good enough for you. As an example, you can easily get downtown from Hong Kong airport now by train and just take a taxi to your hotel from the nearest station exit. Tickets are sold in very convenient places in the airport and going to this public transit is very easy. It has luggage racks right at the entrance, not crowded and it is fast. Going back to the airport, take a taxi from your hotel to the closest transit point and you can check in right there. In Europe, the rail system at most airports brings you to almost any destination in Europe with Amsterdam (Schiphol) leading the way. Also, book into hotels that are centrally located so you walk to places and don't spend your cash on taxis.
Watch for money exchange and bank fees. They charge you for automated bank transactions over what your own bank charges. Use credit cards with advertised (and lower) forex (foreign exchange) rates. Don't take money out of the ATM every day...it's a new charge each time.
Take a chance...go for last minute deals...it adds to the adventure.
