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I know a lot of you are here because you want to travel but you aren’t quite sure how to get there financially. Normally my posts are about ways to save OR travel. In this post though I am going to share with you all the ways I use to save on travel while traveling. From booking your flights to food these are all my best trips and hacks to save money on the road.

I am a very frugal person naturally so while I enjoy splurging from time to time on experiences saving money is what comes naturally. So finding ways to save on travel and stretch our own budget has brought me a lot of joy. Marie Kondo type joy lol. This post has ended up being my longest post yet and is jam packed with all my best tips, hacks and just good knowledge on how to save on travel.

This post may contain some affiliate links. This means I make a small profit from your purchase but at no increased cost to you. I only recommend products that I love and would purchase myself! Full disclaimer here.

1. Travel Off Season

My number one, most successful tip for saving money on travel is to travel in the off season. The flights are cheaper, hotels and other lodgings are cheaper, things are less crowded and the prices for everything really goes down.

The off season is roughly from September to May and if you can it really is the best time to travel. It isn’t as hot, it isn’t as crowded, its cheaper and all around just more enjoyable in my opinion. Just remember there are a few exceptions to the off season like Christmas and Thanksgiving.

2. Use Credit Card Miles

Use the extra cash you get from credit card cash back systems to pay for your travel! These points add up faster than you’d think when you put as many purchases as possible on the credit card. We have paid for a couple different sets of flights including our upcoming trip to Puerto Rico!

Credit cards are not for you if you use them to live beyond your means. But if they are used responsibly and paid off frequently then the rewards make them worth it. I recommend doing your research to see which card will fit your lifestyle and give you the best rewards.

3. Write it Out

Over time I’ve saved a lot of money by writing out comparisons. Comparing train ticket prices to train passes. Or comparing round trip ticket prices to one way ticket prices.

The convenience of a simple search and buy can end up costing you a lot. Write out all the different options and compare the totals next to each other on paper so you can really see where the best option lies.

Travel Posts:

• A Weekend in Jaipur, India
• First Timers Guide to New York, New York

4. Save on Flights

Flights are often the most expensive part of any vacation. Especially in cheaper countries like in Southeast Asia where lodging is really cheap. Because flights are so expensive I have worked really hard to find ways to save on them.

Hopper

Hopper is a website we recently started using but so far I have been really impressed. You can choose locations and watch for price drops. It will notify you by email when the price drops below what you are looking for. You can also set it to watch for anywhere out of your home airport. This is how we found flights to Italy recently for just under $540 a person!!

Another great function of Hopper is that it predicts prices of flights up to a year in advance. By looking at past trends, Hopper has 95% accuracy and can be a great tool to find the best time to purchase your tickets. This website (and app!) is completely free and can be a great way to save on flights for a planned vacation.

Next Vacay

This is a subscription service where you tell them your home airport and any time there is an exceptionally good deal leaving from your airport you get an email. The flights are usually between 3-6 months out so you can’t really use this service for a planned vacation. However if you have the freedom for a more spontaneous trip this is a great way to travel and save.

This is an email service that costs a yearly subscription fee of $50 USD. But at zero effort on your part you will get sent the emails with savings. I get roughly one email a day with new deals. We used this service to book our flights to Bali, Indonesia for only $800 a person.

Instagram

If you live in the Salt Lake City area there is an Instagram account called @flightsfromhome. All the posts are about great deals on flights out of the SLC airport. I’ve never purchased a flight that I found out about from here but I sure have been tempted. She also runs one out of Las Vegas called @flightsfromhome.las.

I found a few other accounts like these on Instagram that I will list below. But I am sure even more exist. If you know of any in your area please share them in the comments so others can use them too!

• Texas/Dallas: @cheap_dfw, @flightsfromtexas
• Arizona: @flightsfromarizona
• Idaho: @cheapflights.boise
• North Carolina: @thewrightflight

5. Save on Getting Around

Turo

Car rentals can be expensive but in many areas, in the United States especially, the public transportation is not good enough and cars become necessary. Turo is a car rental app that is often times cheaper than traditional car rentals.

It is car sharing just like Airbnb is home-sharing. We have used it a couple of times and rentals range from $24 and up on average for a whole day depending on the car. You also have to get their insurance so be sure to factor that in when you are budgeting. The young driver fee is for anyone under 26 years of age.

Subways, Trains and Buses

Look into options for week passes or even day passes. They are often much cheaper than paying the fare per ride. In New Orleans, Germany, Paris, and New York this has always been the case. The easiest way to figure out if this is the best option for you is to estimate how many times you will need to ride the transit system in a day (or week), multiply the cost per ride by that number of times you think you’ll need to ride it. If that number is higher than the pass then you want the pass.

# of rides x # cost per ride

I find it very rare that I pay per ride. The exception is when it is a day pass and maybe some days I only plan on riding the transit system to and from my hotel and sometimes it takes three rides for the pass to be worth it. Just take a second to price it all out and find what fits your needs best.

Uber

Uber is a great way to get around while traveling in certain situations. If you are splitting the cost with other people or if you’re in a country like India where prices are much cheaper than in America it can be especially worth it. We use Uber in situations when we don’t have a car, there is no public transportation, and we just need a quick ride somewhere.

Uber is also great to use going to and from the airport in order to avoid paying for parking at the airport.

Get your first ride for free by using code “rachelp20093ue” when you sign up! For new users only.

6. Save on Lodging

Home Share

A great way to save on travel is to bypass hotels and use home sharing sites like Airbnb and VRBO. They can offer especially great savings for large groups and long stays. If you are only staying in a place for 1-2 nights the cleaning fees may make it less worth it but it is always worth looking into.

Home sharing can also help save on food because most homes include a kitchen where you can cook your own food rather than eating out which always adds up so fast!

If you are a first time Airbnb user get $40 off your first stay using this link! And if you’ve been thinking about earning some extra money and becoming a host you can sign up here!

Hotels

If you do decide to book a hotel wether for convenience or amenities then I highly recommend using a sight like Trivago or booking.com that compares prices across several different sights. This way you know you are getting the best price.

Check and see if you have access to additional discounts on sites like booking. com through your work, phone carrier, credit card or another source. For example I use T-mobile as my phone carrier and they have a special code that gets me up to 40% off on booking.com! All I had to do was sign up for their “T-mobile Tuesday” app.

Another great option to save on travel lodging is to stay at an all-inclusive hotel or resort. The upfront cost may be higher but once you factor in meals and activities it can end up being a whole lot cheaper than you might think. Groupon also often has deals on all inclusive stays that can help you save even more.

My final tip for saving on lodging is to pick a place that includes breakfast. This cuts down on food costs which can go a long way especially the longer you are away from home. Buying breakfast for one or two days isn’t a big deal but added up over two weeks that can really make a difference.

Related Posts:

• Easy Hacks to Save Money on Groceries
• 7 Ways to Save Money While Shopping Online

7. Save on Food

Eat Out Less

When you’re at home you know you aren’t supposed to eat out every meal because it is just too dang expensive. The same thing applies when you’re on vacation. By finding a hotel that offers complimentary breakfast or by staying in an Airbnb that you can make your own food in you can end up saving a lot of money. Think roughly $10 per meal per person if you’re in a western country. That cost does drop to about half if you are in cheaper countries like India, Thailand or Bali.

Another way to save on eating out is to pack picnics for your adventures out. You just buy the ingredients your first day and use them during your trip. Make sure to pick up a yummy treat to finish off the meal. With minimal effort you can have breakfast and lunch taken care off for really cheap, saving you money or leaving you a little extra to splurge on dinner.

Eat With the Locals

Do not get stuck eating in tourist traps with subpar overpriced food. Although convenient because it is situated close to tourist sights you will get more authentic foods at a better price is you get away from those sights to eat. sometimes as small a distance as just a few blocks can save you money. Not to mention get you better tasting food as well.

8. Save on Souvenirs

My best advice on saving money on souvenirs is to buy less of them. So often I go crazy buying all the cute unique things on vacation only to get home and those same items sit on a shelf or in a drawer collecting dust. And eventually you will run out of space for all the small trinkets you’ve gotten over the years.

My solution: Buy one souvenir per trip.

It has saved me so much money! I collect keychains so everywhere I go I look for the perfect one and then back home I have a display case for them all. That is not to say I am perfect and never buy something extra. In Germany I bought a Nutcracker and a “christmas pyramid” because growing up we had them in our home. I splurged and bought nice ones that will be around as my kids grow up. But overall I stick to the keychain!

You can pick what you like. A few popular options are:

• Magnets
• Professional Pictures
• Shot Glasses
• Spoons

9. Save on Sightseeing and Activities

CityPass

A great way to save on travel is to save on sightseeing. It adds up so fast! When I am traveling to major cities within the United States (and Toronto) I like to use CityPass. CityPass bundles popular sights to see and then offers those bundles to you at a discount. Usually as big a discount as 40%!!

From New York to San Francisco plus cities in between like Chicago and Boston there are 13 US cities and 1 in Canada. So before you travel check if you are going to one of the cities covered by CityPass and claim your savings!

Groupon

Another great site to save on activities is Groupon. Groupon is a web sight that offers discounts on local businesses. I have used it for savings on everything from massages to oil changes.

The most important savings though are on fun local activities. Just look up activities you are interested in doing and find an option with good reviews at a steep discount.

Save Money While Traveling, Book More Flights

By using these tips to save on travel I know you can make the most of your travel budget! Stretch it to your last nickel if you know what I mean. What do you do to save while traveling? I want to hear all about it and so does everyone else so please leave your tips and tricks in the comments.

Now if you need some inspiration for where you are going to travel using all the money you saved I have a few ideas. Indonesia is a country where you can really stretch your budget and get the most from it. The island Bali is very popular and has many unique experiences. Off the coast there is a cluster of three small islands called the Nusa Islands that have some amazing natural sights to see.

Within the southern U.S. I highly recommend both Dallas, Texas for its bluebonnet flowers and the RODEO’S as well as New Orleans, Louisiana for its incredible food and culture.