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You want to travel, but you’re looking for ways to save money. Even though inflation and high gas prices are putting a strain on your wallet, you can still go on your next vacation.
Here are 13 ways to save money on your next travel adventure.
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1. Embrace the cost savings of fall travel
Fall is a great time to cash in on low travel expenses. Fewer travelers and less demand make it a cheaper time to travel.
“Traveling in the fall is actually my favorite time to travel. The summer crowds are smaller, so you’re not shoulder-to-shoulder with other tourists, and the prices are generally lower for both flights and accommodation,” says Matt Kepnes, author of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day and the website Nomadic Matt. .
Autumn and October, in particular, is a beautiful time of year to travel; The changing seasons and cooler weather make it a great time for outdoor travel.
“October often has some of the best weather around the world,” says Sarah Stocking, Destinations Editor for Lonely Planet. “The crowds and the amazing weather, it doesn’t get any better than that.
2. Go outside for travel savings
Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images / piola666
Autumn is a great time to travel with cheap hotels and plane tickets.
Outdoor activities are fun and affordable when traveling in the fall. There will also be fewer people competing for equipment rentals and fewer people on the river, lake, road or trails.
“Get outside,” says Stocking. “Hiking, kayaking, biking, these great outdoor activities are great in the fall and don’t cost much more than equipment rental.”
If you prefer something less strenuous, check out the outdoor markets and street food wonders and discover local produce and cuisine. Not sure if there’s a market nearby? Check with the local tourist information center for information, but many markets take place on Saturday mornings and run through the afternoon.
“Fall is harvest season, and the farmers market is full. Plus, it’s a great way to get into some of the local culture,” says Stocking.
Find free, outdoor recreation. You may not have to pay anything to listen to a local band in the town square. Keep your eyes and ears open for local entertainment. Look for signs in the town square, the town visitor center and do a quick search online. You can also ask a local. They know their city better than anyone else.
“So many towns and cities have free concerts in parks and squares, lots of free outdoor movie nights and open mic nights,” Stocking says.
3. Check city websites for travel deals
Cities are looking to drum up tourism in the fall. So check out the deals and specials before you go. Choose your destination, the dates you want to stay and search for accommodation and travel deals. You can get quite a bargain.
“San Diego has a kid-friendly October with lots of discounts for families and other cities, and they use fewer tourists to offer discounts and free days to all kinds of attractions,” says Stocking.
4. Be flexible with travel plans
Credit: reviewed / Getty Images / spooh
Flexibility with your travel dates and destinations can help you save on travel costs.
If you have your heart set on traveling to a specific destination, it can be difficult to find an affordable price. But if you cancel travel plans and go where the deals are, you’ll save money.
“For the best deals, be flexible with your travel dates and make your destination the best it can be,” says Kepnes. Your stubborn plans.
5. Choose convenient places for travel
Some places are less expensive for travelers. Choosing one of these places for your next trip is a great way to save money.
“When it comes to balancing affordability and safety, you can’t beat Southeast Asia. Thailand in particular is very cheap and very safe and has something for everyone,” says Kepnes. “And, while Europe is traditionally considered an expensive destination, countries like Portugal, Greece, Romania and Albania make it very affordable to visit Europe without compromising on quality or safety.
6. Sign up for travel deals websites
Not sure how to find the best travel deals? Make a website for you. Airfarewatchdog and Cheapflights are among the travel sites that offer deals on airfare.
Kepnes prefers Scott’s cheap flights. “To save on airfare, you should sign up for websites like Scott’s Cheap Flights,” says Kepnes. They scour the internet for the best flight deals so you don’t have to. I’ve saved on hundreds of flights thanks to the deals you’ve found.
7. Use an app to save gas
Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images / DjelicS
Every opportunity to save on gas is important these days.
Any way to save money on gas is greatly appreciated. Kepnes recommends Gas Buddy, an app that finds the cheapest gas prices near you.
“If you’re going on a long road trip, sign up for the monthly plan; It costs $9.99, but it saves you up to 40 cents per gallon,” says Kepnes. “It pays for itself quickly.”
Getting a gas credit card is another way to save money at the pump. You can get cash back or earn reward points. These days every little bit helps.
8. Get a travel credit card
With a travel credit card, you can earn free trips, free stays on your credit card, and free annual travel credits.
“You can get free flights and free hotel stays with your regular, everyday spending, which can significantly reduce the cost of your next trip,” says Kepnes.
With the best travel rewards cards, you get many additional benefits such as travel accident insurance, trip cancellation insurance and coverage if your luggage is lost or damaged. They all look out for you if something goes wrong on your journey.
9. Avoid foreign transaction fees
Are you going overseas? Pack a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, which can be as low as 3%. Otherwise, you’ll pay up to 3% more for every item you charge on your overseas adventure.
Looking for the best travel card you can get? A reviewer recommends the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. This card topped our survey of the best travel credit cards.
And don’t forget to pack a backup card or two.
“It’s good to have a few credit card options when you’re abroad, just in case one stops working or gets lost or stolen,” says Kepnes.
10. Stay in hostels
Credit: Reviewed / Getty Images / kenzaza
Staying in hostels is a great way to save money, especially if you’re a light packer and staying all day.
Want to lower your travel accommodation costs? Stay in budget friendly hotels.
“You can save a lot of money by choosing to stay in a dorm room over an expensive private hotel room at a cool hostel,” says Matt Kiefer, founder of Hostelgeeks. “Most hostels come with fully equipped kitchens, which means you can cook your own meals. This alone will save you a lot of money, especially when traveling in Western countries like France and Spain.
You can learn about some fun and affordable activities that you can do while staying in a hostel.
“Hostels are known for organizing budget-friendly travel activities and even tours,” Kiefer says. “This could be half the normal price in Amsterdam or a free walk around Paris.”
To lower the cost of a hostel stay, visit a hostel price comparison website like hostelz.com. You may be able to knock 10% to 20% off your stay per night.
“It’s super easy to use, and in a few clicks you’ll know which booking platform offers the cheapest hostel rates,” Kiefer says.
11. Be creative with travel destinations
A little savings on travel won’t beat any savings on travel, so don’t be afraid to earn points before full travel rewards are available.
“Our latest and greatest tip for saving money on travel is to creatively use your accumulated credit card and airline points to get[discounts]on the trip, even if your points don’t cover the full cost of the flight,” says Becca, owners of Siegel and Dan Gold, and travel blogger Halfway. Half a trip.
Siegel and Gold used this strategy for their trip in 2022.
“For example, so far this year we’ve used a combination of Wells Fargo, Capital One, Chase Altima Rewards, United Airlines and American Airlines miles to get free flights or hotel stays,” says Siegel. But it’s not like we had enough points on any platform in particular to cover the entire cost of the trip.
So mix and match travel rewards on your next trip. Even without a full reward, you can reduce your travel expenses by a good amount.
12. Sign up for airline email alerts
Do you have a favorite airline? Sign up for email alerts, and you can score major cost savings on airline ticket prices.
“The best way to score super cheap airline tickets is to use flash sale advertising only with email alerts,” says Jennifer Rose, who writes the travel and lifestyle blog at GenniferRose.com. “When you receive a sale alert email, open it immediately and search for flight options for your hometown and desired destination. The best ticket prices sell out very quickly. I scored $30 tickets from SFO to NYC during JetBlue’s Halloween flash sale.”
13. Shop smart on travel accessories
Shop the travel accessories, travel bags, travel cameras, travel pillows and weekend bags you need before your next trip. Reviewed, looked at them all and decided on the best.
Product experts at Review have all your shopping needs covered. Follow what’s reviewed on Facebook, TwitterInstagram, TikTok or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews and more.
Prices were correct at the time this article was published, but may change over time.
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