Highlights of the Post:
Off-Peak Season
Affordable Stay
Transit Alternatives
Fly Smart
Save Money for the tour
Attractions
Save on Food
Plan
Travelling doesn’t always have to be luxurious and expensive. If you want to explore the world and are waiting for a lottery or miracle to happen – it wouldn’t happen. The trick is to watch your pennies and spend wisely – or not at all. That said, here are some tips for travelling on a budget.
Tips for Travelling on a Budget
Follow these tips if you want to travel on a budget:
Travel in off-peak season
Everyone travels during the holiday season – the hotels and airlines know it. It is purely why the prices for something as common as a guest house, sky rockets during the season.
However, if you plan a vacation during the off-peak season, not only would the prices of things, and services would be nominal, as hotels and airlines lower the prices to attract guests. You would also be able to better enjoy your destination, for the place would not be bustling with crowds and you can enjoy your surroundings.
To get the best out of your trip, you should plan it during the ‘shoulder season’. The northern areas are filled with tourists during the summers, so visit the cold areas during fall or early winter, when the cold is tolerable and it is less crowded.
Affordable Stay
While staying in hotels might seem attractive, they are unnecessarily expensive. You can trade these expensive hotels with guest houses and AirBnB.
By availing options like AirBnB and guesthouses, you can greatly reduce the cost of your stay, and also get the local experience. You can also plan a vacation somewhere your friend or family lives; you could stay there for free-of-cost.
Bonus Tip: If you stay with a friend or a family member, they can also act as your guide.
Transit Alternatives
While flying to your destination is definitely an easier route, try using the alternatives especially if you are travelling within the country. There are many cheaper alternatives, for example, trains (green line service), bus services (Daewoo and other private services).
You can even make a road trip out of it. However, before you leave for a road trip make sure to pack the road trip essentials and do search for the best road trips in Pakistan.
Fly Smart!
If you do have to fly to your destination, domestic or international. Here are some ways you can reduce your airfare expense.
Book in Advance: most of the airline companies share the schedule of the flights running, and the closer one gets to the date of departure, the more prices skyrockets, especially in the last few weeks.
Travel Economy: The business class surely is nice, but not so much to your wallet. Travel economy, especially if it’s a short flight.
Frequent Flier Miles: If you are a frequent traveller, you should sign up for the frequent flier program. In this program, everyone collects some points (free flying miles) on every flight you take. Once enough miles have been collected, you can exchange them with a free flight.
Sale: Most airlines offer discounts to different destinations, during different times of the year. Stay updated by regularly visiting the airlines’ websites or their social media pages.
Save Money for the Tour
Pack lightly, only the essentials, so that you don’t need to buy anything while on the tour, except maybe for souvenirs.
Not only would packing light be easy for you to handle your luggage, it would actually save you from having to use the facility to hold luggage. If you are planning to continuously travel for a month, packing light is extremely crucial.
Choose Attractions Wisely
You can further reduce your cost by visiting attractions located near your city, and cut down on your travel expenses.
If you are going to far away locations, try to visit the parks and the best mosques of the region, which are usually free of cost, or visit attractions that have nominal entry fees.
Pro Tip: If you are visiting a historical site, make sure to research it beforehand, so you don’t need a guide.
Save on Food
An Instagram of an overpriced coffee, or steak won’t be easily digested by your wallet. Aim to wander around the city and indulge yourself in some street side food or some local diners. Not only would this be good for your pocket but it would also give you the taste of the local cuisine.
Plan
The most important factor you need to take care of while aiming to travel on a budget is planning. Making a spontaneous plan and executing is surely great, but only if you have the time and the money for it. At the last moment, not only would the airlines cost a lot, but also the rent-a-cars, or the hotels you wish to stay at.
Make a proper plan. Take a look at our checklist of travelling. Calculate how much time and money you will be spending in each city, and stick to it. Make slight changes if necessary.
This brings us to an end on how to travel on budget. We have mentioned some tried and tested tips on how to reduce your expenses, from booking your flights in advance to planning almost every step of your trip.
For more updates about the tourism and the real estate industry in Pakistan, follow JagahOnline Blog.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook.
Bon Voyage!
