ad collaborative post // Hello traveler, if you have arrived on this post it is because you are looking for information, advice, ideas and ideas on how to travel at a low cost. You can find cheap air tickets online now.
Without a low-cost travel budget, we were able to visit most of Europe and beyond. We share our experiences around the world with all other travelers like us and lend a hand to all those who share our same goal: to travel more while spending as little as possible.
HOW TO TRAVEL LOW COST
Flexibility in the choice of destination. This is the first rule for low-cost travel. I know, we all have a favorite city where we would like to go, but the price of the flight to that destination does not always satisfy our wallet.
Do you love to travel? Then choose the destination by opting for the cheapest one, unless that city is right for you.
Travel in the offseason
Traveling in the summer, at Christmas, on New Year’s Eve or on bridges and during the holidays is cool, but in those periods the prices are high for both flights and accommodation. If you want to travel at a low cost you have to do it during the low season.
Generally from the second half of September to the end of November, and from mid-January to the end of April, very interesting prices can be found.
Flexibility in departure dates
Unfortunately, prices change from day to day and to get the cheapest ones you have to be flexible in dates, or rather not have fixed dates. I know, it is especially difficult for those who have a fixed work schedule and find it difficult to take days off, but the cheapest prices can be obtained by traveling from Tuesday to Thursday. But it is also not impossible to travel at a low cost during the weekend. I often traveled at a low cost even on weekends.
Choose carefully when to book your flight Recent studies have revealed the best times of the week to book a flight and travel at low cost, and combining that research with my experience I wrote a post that I suggest you read carefully: When to book a flight: tips and strategies to save.
Travel with hand luggage only
Not only the low-cost airlines but also many traditional airlines, offer discounted fares for those who travel only with hand luggage, as long as the weight and size limits are respected. Some companies, such as Ryanair, offer the possibility to take two pieces of luggage on board for free.
Do not purchase ancillary services
Very often, during the purchase phase of a flight, notifications such as add priority boarding or activate the SMS notification arrive. These services are almost always paid for. Unless you have special needs, you can avoid buying them by saving some money and traveling at a low cost.
Evaluate whether it is convenient for you to stop over
Sometimes it happens that the direct flight costs more than the one with the stopover. Obviously, this applies to particularly long flights, such as intercontinental ones. Services like Skyscanner, Kayak and Bravofly – which I mentioned above – perform a search by combining multiple airlines.
I remember that in September I reported flights to New York with Norwegian for € 330 round trip but with a stopover in Oslo, while with other direct companies they cost almost double. Here it is up to you to decide whether to waste time making the stopover while saving a few hundred euros or fly directly to the city of your dreams.
Take advantage of pricing errors if possible
Sometimes airlines or OTAs (online travel agencies) run off a few mistakes and come out with plane tickets at very low prices.
Use coaches or train discount codes
If you want to travel low cost in Italy, look for an active Italo discount code or a Trenitalia discount coupon, or consider traveling aboard the FlixBus buses that often offer very attractive rates. Speaking of trains, in your Italian journeys take advantage of the information made available by Viaggiatreno.
Travel to Europe? Evaluate Interrail
Are you thinking of making a traveling trip to Europe? You could buy an Interrail pass and travel by train while saving on the price of individual train tickets. Now it is no longer just for the youngest but can be purchased by anyone without age limits
Use carpooling
A person who makes a certain route makes available passes on his car in exchange for sharing the costs of fuel and motorway tolls. This system allows you to save on means of transport, meet new people and reduce air pollution.
Reach the city center by bus or metro
Before leaving for any destination, find out how to get to the city center. The central airports of large cities almost all have a convenient metro service that takes you to your destination with a few euros. Many others have a bus service instead.
If you are traveling with three or four other people, you could also consider taking a taxi, sometimes dividing the cost is cheaper than taking the bus. Here too, however, you have to make two calculations upstream.
Evaluate the convenience of day tickets and passes for public transport
In large cities where you have to travel by bus and metro, it is often convenient to buy day tickets or passes for three or more days, which guarantees considerable savings on the price of the ticket for a single journey. Frequently they can also be used for the airport-center route and vice versa and purchased at the ticket offices in the airports.
Take advantage of offers and discount codes from hotel booking portals or hotel chains
Before booking a hotel, always look on our blog in the Offers and Promotions or Discount Codes section, if any offer is active that allows you to save a little bit.
To book hotels I still feel good with Booking.com and Venere.com, especially when I find rates with free cancellation that make me feel comfortable not losing money when for some unfortunate reason I can no longer leave.
Remember, however, in that case, to report your “no departure” at least 24 hours before, otherwise, the sum will still be charged to you (always read carefully the rules for that specific rate). A useful tool to search for the hotel at the lowest price is the Trivago search engine which scans all the booking portals in search of the best offer.
Very often, of course, the more you move from the center, the less you pay. However, always check that the hotel is well connected by public transport, otherwise, the game is not worth the candle.
But be aware that in many hotels breakfast is not included in the room price and sometimes has a considerable cost. Evaluate if you should buy it (if it is very full-bodied you could fill yourself and skip lunch) or make it at the bar saving money.
Related read: 8 Things To Add To Your Post Lockdown Travel Wishlist
Thanks for sharing, these all seem to be good tips 🙂
So many good tips! I did not know about the discounted fares for flights when you only carry on hand luggage.