When it comes to planning a trip away, naturally you want to organise the more luxurious and relaxing trip possible. There is no point heading off abroad on your next vacay without spending the time living in luxury and unwinding from the stresses and strains of everyday life. After all, rest, recuperation, and luxury are what travel is all about.
Of course, while you might dream of having the most luxurious trip possible, your bank account may not have the funds to support it. Holidays are meant to relax you, but if you head off abroad on a trip that you can’t afford, you will spend the entirety of your time away focusing on that, which will effectively ruin your trip.
That's why it is important to understand that travelling in style does not have to mean breaking the bank. Believe it or not, it is possible to travel in luxury without breaking the bank, it is just a case of knowing what steps you need to take to make luxury travel more affordable, that's all. In this article, you will learn about travel hacks you didn't know about. Read on to find out more.
If you are a keen traveller, you will know that it is often difficult for the initial idea of what you want from a trip to marry up with the actual reality once you are travelling as a hobby for real. This feeling of disconnect is something which can often be disappointing, but it is just one of those things.
It is likely that you are resolved to it at least a little if you have been travelling for a particularly long time or many times in the past. However that does not mean that you need to just accept it. If you do want to change it, there are actually many things you can do to make it a little better on yourself.
Almost everything about the passenger experience is more negotiable than you might think. There are lots of ways to hack this, especially if you plan to travel frequently. None of them are rocket science, but getting the basics right can make you infinitely happier while traveling.
The truth is that getting what you want out of any travel experience is something you can always achieve, so long as you know what you are doing. In the post, we are going to look at that very process in plenty of detail, so that you can do that on your next trip abroad.
If you follow the tips, you will arrive feeling refreshed and ready to see the world rather than groggy and ready for bed.
1. Eat where the locals do
Locals often know where the good food are, or at least those places with most value for money. On top of that, you’re more likely to get authentic food when you eat where the locals do. E.g. if you’re in Singapore skip the restaurants and eat at the hawker centres. Most humans everywhere are completely reasonable, good people who will be happy to help you… if you just ask.
2. Take public transportation
This is one of the best times to people watch, local people on their everyday commute give you an honest glimpse into their lives. In most cities you’ll see the metros/mrts/subways packed with people, and you really see the attitudes of a society.
3. Get a disposable job
If you don’t really care about your professional future, realistically you can travel 3 or 4 times a year, at least. Just get a disposable job, work your butt off, then quit if they don’t want to give you time off. In the restaurant business, in the U.S., you can probably find a job in 48 hours.
4. Choose a nearby destination
One of the biggest expenses when traveling is the flight/train ticket so choosing a nearby destination, or a destination in your own country may be a viable option if you’re looking to reduce your costs. Choosing accessible destinations are cheaper as well. Europe has some amazing things to see and some wonderful people, but it’s not the only worthy destination on earth.
It’s also not necessarily a very good value. Neither is the US. Planes fly all over the world, often for the same price. How about Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Botswana, Brazil, Cuba, Rwanda, Martinique.
If you really want to go to Norway (expensive place), then you should work hard, save up, and go to Norway. If you just want to see big mountains, you don’t have to go to Norway. You go to Mexico, or India, or Morocco, or western North Carolina, a whole list of places.
Stop focusing on museums. Once you’ve been to a lot of cities and museums, they often start to seem all the same. Obviously, Mumbai isn’t Topeka, and Prague isn’t Lima, and Oslo isn’t Tokyo. But get out and see some rural and wilderness areas. It’ll take more planning, and might cost more to get there, but it’s worth it.
5. Take photos and send postcards instead of buying souvenirs
Buying souvenirs can be really expensive, especially if you’re thinking of buying gifts for everyone in the office and all your relatives even the costs of small trinkets may add up.
6. Couchsurf or stay in a hostel
Reduce cost on accommodation by staying a place for free via couchsurfing, it’s great for making friends too! Having a go-to local person really helps as well especially in a place where you don’t speak the language. Hostels are great too, with so many similar minded people, you’re bound to have loads of fun!
7. Book early or super last minute
Are you wondering on how to get cheap flight? A well-known hack but not one to be overlooked. When it comes to booking a trip and saving money on it you have two options: book extremely early or book super last minute. These are the two times when travel tends to be far cheaper.
By booking last minute you could save up to 80% off the cost of a trip, that is an amazing saving. Of course, last minute booking has its downsides, but if it means you get a luxury trip for a fraction of the price, it is definitely worth it. This doesn't just go for your flights and your accommodation, it also goes for your day trips and the sights and attractions that you want to see while you are travelling.
For instance, say you are desperate to go on a party cruise, booking it in advance could cut the cost. Or, say you are really keen to visit a certain theme park, the earlier you book, the cheaper you should be able to get your tickets for, which is what makes taking the time to book in advance so important.
8. Go self-catered
Don't book a hotel as this will always cost more than booking self-catered accommodation or couchsurfing. Instead, book a rotel hotel, boatels or beautiful villas that comes with its own private garden and pool - what is more luxurious than a private pool? By going down this route, you can significantly cut costs, making your trip far more affordable.
Plus, you won't need to eat in the same hotel every night, you can go out and explore the different restaurant options open to you. Just think, one night you could eat in a seaside restaurant, the next you could be in a themed restaurant. By going self-catered, you allow yourself to really explore the area and enjoy a far more authentic trip.
Luxury travel does not have to be expensive. It is just a case of ensuring that you know what hacks to take advantage of to cut costs and make your trip more affordable. Hopefully, the tips and advice above will help you to do that effectively. Use the in-room electric kettle or coffee-maker to make ramen noodles. Just be nice and wash it afterwards!
9. Knowing What You Want
Sightseeing can get really boring after a week. It’s also extremely superficial. Have you thought about eco-tourism, staying on a farm, taking a month-long language class in a foreign city, taking a cooking class, doing house-sitting? You’ll stay in one place longer and get to know what life is actually like there, instead of the glossy facade and all the half-truths that mass tourism feeds.
Travel has high highs and low lows. It’s not always amazing. Sometimes, you want nothing more than to go home and sit on the couch. Get ready for that.
Basically, if travelers wrote or posted to social media about whatever it is they’re doing, every five minutes of a trip, on the dot, travel would look a lot less fun, interesting and romantic that it usually appears. Travel photos tend to be highly selective. Keep that in perspective, check your expectations, and try to stay realistic.
It might sound obvious, but the fact is that you need to actually know what you want first if you are to be able to get it, and this is something which you need to think about long and hard in order to make sure you are really clear on it. Knowing what you want means being able to have a clear image in your head of the kind of experience that you are likely to want to have, and that is something a lot of people struggle with.
If you struggle with that, you might need to spend a little more time on it, which could include some of the things we are about to mention too as a means of getting clearer on that. As long as you know what you want, you are that much more likely to get it, so this is important to remember.
10. Research
In order to be able to get that clear image of what you want, it helps to know your preferred destinations and activities inside out, and that generally means carrying out lots of research. The more research you carry out, the clearer this will be, and the easier you will find it to put the trip together in just the right way. When researching, be sure to use only those sources which you actually trust.
If using the internet, make sure that you are aware of which are trustworthy sources and which are not. For instance, you will obviously find that Lonely Planet and so on are trustworthy, whereas many other sources are not. As long as your research is qualified by real sources, and you do plenty of it, it will be that much easier to get to know what it is that you really want from your travel experiences.
11. Overstaying Your Welcome
Hotels have set checkout times for guests, and you are expected to leave the room at the predetermined time when your stay has ended. Missing this checkout time sometimes results in being charged for an extra day's stay. If you have trouble waking up on time, consider arranging a wake-up call with the front desk and setting several alarms.
You can also request a late checkout time, which typically adds an extra hour or two to your stay. You may have to pay more for a late checkout, but the cost will still be considerably less than a day's room rate.
12. Expensive Snacking
Shampoo, soap, lotion and pens are often complimentary items added to hotel rooms for the guests' convenience. You can use or take these items with you at no additional charge. However, the waters get a little muddy when it comes to other consumables provided in the room. For example, bottled water prominently displayed on a table or desk might incur a hefty charge if opened.
The same is true for items stocked in your mini bar. You can request for the hotel staff to remove any items that can result in a room charge to help avoid confusion. This option is ideal for families with young children who might be tempted to crack open a jar of peanuts or a bag of candy.
13. Using Hotel Wi-Fi
Some hotels provide Wi-Fi free of charge to guests, while others may tack on extra fees for the privilege of Internet access. It's a good idea to research the network access in any hotel before you book a room, particularly if you are traveling for business. One way to avoid the issue completely is to add a Wi-Fi hotspot to your current phone contract. This provides a dependable network connection without having to worry about extra charges.
14. Housekeeping Gratuity
Tipping the housekeeping staff for their work during your stay is customary, but some hotels have begun adding a mandatory gratuity to guests' bills. Should you decide to leave cash in the room for the staff without reading your bill first, you may find that you're tipping twice. Unfortunately, some travelers only discover this addition to the bill after they've checked out and turned in their keys. You can avoid tipping twice by asking about a housekeeping gratuity when you check in.
15. Telephone Charges
You may only use the landline phone in your room to call the front desk or room service, but it's still a good idea to research the hotel's policy on making local calls before you check in. Hotels charge fees for placing local and long-distance calls on these phones, so even a quick call for a pizza delivery can end up costing you more than expected.
Use your smartphone for calls while in the room to help save money. If you don't get any reception in the hotel, consider asking the front desk to arrange food delivery or taxi service on your behalf instead of picking up the phone yourself.
Which is your favorite travel hack that you use every time you travel? Feel free to share it with us in the comments section below.
