4 Genius Hacks to Travel in Style When You’re On a Tight Budget

One of the most common limitations for traveling is the lack of adequate finances. Although globetrotting can be a costly pastime, getting a little creativity can help you find plenty of affordable ways to visit some of your favorite destinations and attractions. If you have a limited budget and want to satisfy your desire to travel, it’s wise to rethink your travel style. Simply because one kind of trip costs less than what you probably imagined, it doesn’t imply that you will be getting a substandard experience – you are simply getting a different travel experience. Go out of your way and explore some less expensive ways to travel, like choosing a cheap destination, traveling in the low peak season, or booking a budget airline, among others. Although traveling is often hardly a bargain, you can make it less burdensome on your wallet using these suggested smart hacks.

Consider Your Budget When Selecting Your Destination

According to travel experts, one of the many challenges people have to deal with when planning their travels is choosing the destination. Instead of choosing a destination first and then searching for flights that will meet your budget, try to invert the search process. If you have some degree of flexibility with destinations and timing, it is recommended that you start by researching some cheap potential destinations during the period you are aiming to travel. Additionally, you should try to consider the destination country’s economic stats, and the first thing to factor in is the exchange rate against your currency. It is important to take into account the conversion rate and use it to your benefit whenever it’s possible.

Choose the Off-Season Period

The time of the year you decide to travel can not only affect the cost of airfare, but also the cost of accommodation and services. If you travel to a tourist destination during the peak season or on a weekend, the trip will definitely cost significantly more. Consequently, deliberately making the trip during the destination’s off-peak season can help you save a substantial amount. In fact, most airlines tend to offer cheap flights during the off-peak season, so you should make a point of trying to find the most affordable flights if you want to save some money on your travels.

Choose Less Popular Destinations

Furthermore, given that most popular tourist destinations tend to be the most expensive, it makes perfect economic sense to visit smaller local towns and destinations that are off the beaten path. In fact, this might turn out to be not only more affordable but also more culturally enriching than touring a capital city. In case you have to travel to the capital or major city, you can save some money by finding budget-friendly tourist activities to add to your itinerary.

Use Internet Tools that Help People Travel Cheaply

In case you are separated from your loved one over vast geographical regions and you’re trying to find a way to travel cheaply to meet him/her, you can make use of an internet tool that helps long-distance couples find cheap places to meet. With such an app, those in long distance relationships can find cheap travel destinations to meet based on how much it costs to fly from each of their points of departure. You simply have to enter the two points of departure you and your partner will be flying from and the dates you both plan to travel and the app will recommend the cheapest destinations to take into account. In case the app suggests that the best point to meet your partner is in the U.S. and you are not a U.S. citizen or resident, you may consider applying for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). ESTA USA is a better, faster, and cheaper alternative to applying for a U.S. visa. This is an automated system that establishes the eligibility of visitors to travel to the U.S. it helps to bypass the lengthy process that may be involved in getting a U.S. visa.

Whether you are planning to travel to the desired destination for two weeks, months, or two years, travel does not have to force you to dent your wallet. The trick is to stop thinking that travel must involve using a flight-accommodation combination. In order to save big on your travels, try to think out of the box and choose non-traditional ways to travel and destinations to visit.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.