Top 10 Ways to Travel for Less
Top 10 Ways to Travel For Less
- Be a Planning Fascist
OK so I'm not saying you should schedule fun when you rock up but when it comes to flights, tours and accommodation, the further ahead you book it, the more money you'll save. Gone are the days of commission cutting travel agents - today it's all about building the trip, piece by piece around you. Flight Checker on moneysavingexpert.com is unbeaten to date, with a whole directory of the £1 flight deals available, but for those under 26 the Eurostar and inter-rail networks in Europe, can still work out cheaper. Take a day to brain storm it.
- Research the Best Bits - For Free
On the subject of planning, you can find a wealth of information about what's going on, wherever you're going to, before you get there. This way you can pick and choose, make the most of your time and not waste precious money on those all inclusive, tourist trapping passes. It can be tough to find a forward planning event guide that isn't all fluff, but if you want a good look ahead to Edinburgh, London, Paris, Bruges, Brighton and Berlin - you should look into the St Christopher's Backpacker Resources arsenal. Beyond that British Airways do a mean destination guide, iKangeroo shows you what's around you and free city mags like TNT are always on top of the best bits, locally. Woof.
- Hit the UK Before the Pound Bounces Back
So no one really knows or understands what the hell's going on with the British economy at the minute but for the time being you get more bang for you buck if you're coming in from Europe, North America and a whole host of other countries so now really is the time. The killer cost in the UK is the out dated and over priced transport network but there are, of course, tricks to getting around this. Buying two single tickets on specific trains for a return trip usually works out cheaper than a standard return, a £24, annual under-25 Railcard will save you a mountain of money in discounts, an Oyster Card can half transport costs across London and if you don't mind the extra transit time, megabus.com and eurolines.com get you around for next to nothing. National Express East Coast offers some amazing advance returns from London to destinations in the north, like Doncaster for £22 Leeds start from £25! To find out more or book see nationalexpresseastcoast.com or visit any staffed rail station!
- Feast Don't Fast
The common rationale that skipping meals on the road saves you money is a load of bull. Not giving your body what it needs means you're going to get ill, miss out on the sights you've been looking forward to seeing and spend a whole load of cash on fancy flu remedies, that at the end of the day are all just trussed versions of Paracetamol. Instead load up as much as you can on the free breakfast wherever you're staying and then self cater the rest. Eating a supermarket sandwich or pasta dish from a supermarket might not sound glam but it can keep food costs down to less than €10 a day. Then when you fancy a nice meal look out for meal deals on sites like vouchercodes.co.uk. Two for one on Aussie burgers at Gourmet Burger Kitchen you say …
- Track Tips On Twitter
First it was MySpace, then flash in the pan Bebo and after that Facebook. Now the social networking site du jour is Twitter, popularised by the likes of Stephen Fry and loved by indie travellers the world over. In a nutshell it's like the status updates on Facebook but with everything else stripped away. You can share your progress around the planet, link to your travel blog and recommend seasonal money saving tips to your buddies - the instant you come across them. You can also see what's been said about the places you're staying at before you arrive, get recommendations about what to see and do from the people staying there and generally feel informed, 24/7. Feel the love.
- For Free In London
The Arts Council in England has launched a massive new scheme in London - giving away thousands of free theatre tickets to anyone under the age of 26. All you have to do is whack in the postcode of your London location, pick out the plays near you and book your free tickets! Prime West End venues participating in the scheme (cleverly called A Night Less Ordinary) include the Lyric, which is slap bang next door to St Christopher's in Hammersmith. When you sort out your tickets through anightlessordinary.org.uk, all you have to do is show up with a valid form of picture I.D. (Passport, Driver's License etc) and you're set.
- Sell on What Isn't Coming With You
If you're on a round the world gig or you've been working abroad, then you could pay a shipping company to convey everything you've bought back to the homeland, or you could face the fact that you'll probably never use most of it again and turn a profit. Gumtree and Craigslist are prime retail sites for this and while we're at it, they're also great for picking up bargains, cheap rental deals, jobs and much more. They do of course have the obligatory seedy side - but as far as free resources go, they get the job done and you can earn some extra spending money from the junk you'll never need again.
- Reign in the Booze Hound
If you go out on the town with cash in your hand then the odds are you're going to have a couple, start spending and wake up in the morning without a penny to your name. The trick with this one is to only go out with what you can afford to spare and most importantly - leave your credit cards locked up in a deposit box at the hostel! You can see a lot more of the world if you set a cap on the alcohol account and your liver will thank you too.
- Keep it Local
With the dreaded R-word causing panic around the planet a lot of people are keeping their city-breaks closer to home. If domestic travel is your thing then you've already saved money by not rinsing your hard earned notes through the exchange system. Continue your winning streak by following the top ten tips so far and then throw a bike hire or car rental into the mix. You can base yourself in a hostel and fill entire days with the excursions, trails and attractions - in striking distance. A prime example of this is the hostel and surf school in Newquay, surrounded by the wonders of Cornwall. Top things to tick off on this local To Do list include the Eden Project and Merlin the Magician's old abode, Tintagel Castle.
- Tell a Friend
This one harks back to the Twitter principle but the foundation is sound. If you like something and it's helped you out, then share it with your friends and anyone who you think might get a kick out of it. Top Tens like this couldn't happen without a little nourishment from the online networks and the advice relayed from the experts in the field, so if you liked it or have a better suggestion, get involved!
- Rob Savage
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