Main Areas To Save Money When Traveling

We all know that traveling is certainly not the cheapest thing in this day and age, but that doesn’t mean that it has to majorly break the bank either, and there are definitely plenty of great ways to travel the way you want to without spending a fortune and actually saving a lot of money, so in this post I'm going to share with you some of the main areas that typically cost a lot of money when it comes to travel and how you can save money in this areas.

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Flights:

Flights, whilst certainly a lot cheaper than they were perhaps 20 years ago can still be quite costly depending on things like what time of year you’re traveling, where you’re traveling to, and also how many people you’re getting tickets for, but when it comes to finding cheap tickets there are definitely ways to do this. The first thing you should do when looking for tickets is to use a tool like Skyscanner or Google Flights that will search all of the airlines to get the best prices, you can also look across a broad range of days and dates to see when tickets are cheapest.

Accommodation:

Accommodation is typically one of the biggest travel costs, but you can avoid things like high hotel costs by staying in places like hostels and even doing couchsurfing or looking for other alternative forms of accommodation since there are certainly no shortage of options designed to cater for travelers on a budget.

Activities:

Though not all activities are going to cost a lot of money, some will definitely cost a bit more, but you can do things like book tickets online, so for example you could click here to book places for things like indoor shooting and get better prices than you’d have to pay on the day.

Food:

Food is typically the second biggest expense when traveling, so it’s important that if you’re traveling on a budget then you’re able to plan ahead for this and perhaps do some research before you leave. One of the best ways to avoid overspending on food is by choosing to eat at the places the locals do instead of in the main tourist spots since those will be over-hyped and over-priced. Another way to save money on food is by cooking for yourself if you’re staying in a private apartment or are couchsurfing.

Domestic Travel:

Traveling between places such as visiting another country or city close to the one you’re visiting is perhaps something you’ll want to do during your trip, and this doesn’t come without a price - however, that doesn’t mean it has to cost a fortune either, so for example instead of flying, you could take the bus, train, or even hire a car to drive if you prefer to.

Hopefully this post has helped you see that it’s actually quite easy to save money when traveling and that you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a great time or travel the way you want to.

Expect the Unexpected

Travel is awesome, but it doesn't always go smoothly even at the best of times. You have to learn to roll with the punches and be ready to employ a backup plan at any given time. If you're a person who does as little travel planning ahead of time as you can, you're probably used to that, but if you're not, it's sometimes hard to change things up at a moment's notice.

Know your alternatives

As an avid planner, I generally schedule out all my vacation days so I get to all the cool stuff I know I want to do. That said, I always add the alternate open times for things just in case something happens and I can't go or I find something last minute that I really want to do. That way I can move things around if needed.

Be open

You never know what you'll find when you travel. Sometimes someone suggests a thing you've never heard of or an amazing opportunity pops up that is only available at a certain time. Don't lock yourself into everything you want to do ahead of time.

Book most of your activities ahead of time

Avoid sold out tickets for things that you really want to do by purchasing tickets or making reservations before you leave home. Some things book months in advance, so it's good to know what those are and to lock those in beforehand. 

I'm not going to Scotland until September, but I've already booked my falconing experience. I'll also be booking things like my visit to the Cauldron Experience and the Harry Potter Studios pretty soon here too.

Don't overbook yourself

Yes, I schedule out my days, to the point that we have an itinerary, but I always allow more time than I think we'll need like, and usually that gives us extra downtime or time to wander around more or to do things we see on the fly. 

I also plan in time to do laundry, which forces me to go back to my room and chill. I unwind from the day, rest my feet and go to bed on time to get enough sleep for my next day. Sometimes we get takeaway on these evenings, and then we don't have to go back out. If you're in a rental or a place with a kitchen, this might be when you make a meal in or eat leftovers.

Knowing that things don't always work out the way you want them to doesn't mean you can't have a great vacation. Expect the unexpected and you'll never be disappointed, or at least learn how to deal with it so you don't feel like your whole trip has been ruined or you're too stressed to go on. Knowing things can and will change is your key to making the most of your trip and the time you have at your destination.

How do you roll with the punches when you travel?

Philadelphia's Elfreth's Alley

When I travel, I love to visit historical sites. I find them to be full of beauty and interesting architecture. No place is that more true than in Philadelphia. Everywhere you look there's something gorgeous to look at, and Elfreth's Alley was one of my favorites. This is the nation's oldest residential street that has only been occupied by private citizens since it was built. 

Elfreth's Alley was not included on the original plans for Philadelphia, but being the port city it was, artisan's and merchants bought up so much land close to the waterfront that overcrowding happened pretty quickly. Two landowners decided to combine their properties to create Elfreth's Alley for residential housing and also a path for carts to use to get goods to and from the river.

People have lived in Elfreth's Alley continuously since 1713. 29 of the 32 homes are residential, 2 make up the Alley's museum, and the last hosts special events. The sheer colors, brickwork and feel of the alley make it a place you want to just wander all day. 

Amazingly, Elfreth's Alley is just a few steps from other historical attractions, like Benjamin Franklin home and museum and Betsy Ross's house. You can take tours of the Alley on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as check out the museum (open 12-5pm). We visited on a weekday evening, so we just wandered through by ourselves. The best part is that it's totally free! (Guided tours are $8 and museum admission is $3.)

If you want another taste of history, there's the original Olde City Coffee Cafe right around the corner. Yum!

What's one of your favorite historical places where you live?