Traveling appeals to many people, but not all of them feel like they can afford it. Some think they’ll never be able to pay for the trips they want to take, either for vacation or other reasons, like visiting relatives they don’t see often.
There are certain ways you can save money while traveling, though.
We’ll talk about some of those right now.
You’ll see that your dream trip is not as unachievable as you may believe.
You Might Rent a Bike to Get Around
Some people get to a city they’re visiting, and they rent a car.
Others might use Uber or taxis to get around.
The problem with doing those things is that you’ll rack up expensive transportation bills very quickly. However, you can always use public transportation or walk, or else you can rent a bike.
In some cities, like New York, there are now bike rentals available.
You can easily rent one for the day, or you can pay an hourly fee.
Just be sure that you follow all traffic laws if you decide to save some money this way.
Also, never operate a bike if you’ve ingested alcohol.
Motorist or cyclist alcohol consumption accounts for 37% of bike-related fatalities.
Use Credit Card Points
You can save money if you want to travel if you plan it for several months or even a couple of years in advance, and you save up your credit card points.
When you shop for credit cards, there are tons of different ones available, but look specifically for those that offer travel perks.
With many of these cards, you can save up your points and then use them all at once to pay for your plane ticket to and from your destination, your hotel, or other travel expenses.
You can even find credit cards sometimes that allow you to transfer points from one to another.
American Express is usually the company that gives you the best cards if you have this goal.
Stay at Hostels
You can stay at fancy hotels in virtually any exotic travel destination you can name, but you don’t have to.
You will often save a ton of money if you stay at cheaper hotels, or else you can look for hostels.
Some cities have very clean, inexpensive hostels where you can stay for a few nights.
If you do this, not only will you save money, you can often meet interesting travelers who are also passing through.
You may meet someone and like spending time with them, starting a lasting friendship or even a romance.
Go on a Weekday
Most people feel like traveling on the weekend makes the most sense for them.
For instance, you might go on a weekend getaway, leaving after work on Friday and then heading back on Sunday.
Friday and Saturday nights are typically the most expensive ones if you’re staying at a hotel, though.
Weekend flights are also more expensive than weekday ones.
You can take advantage of cheaper hotel and flight rates if you leave for an exotic destination on a weekday.
For instance, if you don’t mind flying to your destination on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon and staying there during the week, you can often enjoy your entire trip for half of what it would cost if you did a conventional weekend stay.
Book at the Last Minute
You can also avoid booking several months in advance like so many other travelers do.
If you book flights and hotels several months beforehand, it’s convenient for you because you can clear your calendar.
You can also look forward to the trip and count the days till you leave.
However, you can often save a lot of money on hotel costs if you book at the last minute.
Those hotels might be trying to fill those rooms that same day, and they would rather give it to you at a much lower rate than normal rather than collecting no money at all.
There are certain travel websites with which you can sign up.
You can mention what cities you want to visit and approximately when, and the site will send you alerts.
If you have a little schedule flexibility, you can often take that trip you’ve wanted to for so long.
It’ll just have to be more spontaneous than you might have envisioned.
If you use a little ingenuity, you can often figure out how to travel as much as you like.
Photos: Shutterstock
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