Traveling and spending little money while traveling?

Accommodation costs are always a big part of any travel budget. And this is where you can start saving money on your trip. Booking hotels online or going without anything, negotiating directly with the accommodations is half way to savings.

But if you give up some luxuries, which most of the time don't even enjoy, and combine alternative accommodation solutions with online reservations / direct negotiation with the owners you will surely save money on the trip.

• Couchsurfing: this seems to be the most logical solution to save money on accommodation. Using Couchsurfing, it is possible to fully reduce the expenses with overnight stays. However, it is not always possible to resort to Couchsurfing, either because there is no offer on the site, either for security reasons or because it simply does not do your thing.

• Hostels and local accommodation: resorting to hostels or local accommodation services, now very popular due to Airbnb, is an excellent alternative to traditional hotels. The daily rates are, in most cases, significantly lower than those charged by hotels and as such it is possible to save a few euros daily and still maintain standards of comfort.

Regardless of the accommodation solution you choose, there is always a rule to save money on travel: the good location of the accommodation, because accommodation far from the places you want to visit makes you spend more time and probably more money because of the transport to move around.

Saving money on the road and saving money on food are almost synonymous. It is true that tasting the local gastronomy is part of the travel experience, but it is not necessary to have all meals in restaurants to have this experience.

• avoid eating in tourist areas, as eating in these areas is the same as paying more at least, or even less.
• chooses to eat street food, which is cheaper than a restaurant, even if it is a small local tavern.
• when you choose a better restaurant, go for lunch and taste the menu of the day.
• if you stay in hostels or local accommodations with access to the kitchen, you have your meals. Go to the supermarket to buy some delicacies and get to work.

If you want to save money on travel, then it is mandatory to use public transport. It uses private transport only when there is no other offer.

With public transport, don't think twice and do a little homework:

• inquire about the availability and respective prices of City Cards, passes and prepaid cards and public transport and buy with individual ticket prices.
• it studies the timetables and transport alternatives to and from airports, bus terminals and train stations.

Roaming charges are one of the worst enemies for anyone looking to save money while traveling. Fortunately today there are lots of solutions to keep in touch with family and friends, all you need is access to the internet and in big cities you can easily access Wi-Fi.
In more isolated places, if it is some time, it is best to take an unlocked cell phone and purchase a local sim card.

The commissions that banks charge for withdrawals and use of credit cards abroad are yet another setback for anyone looking to save money.

Whenever you withdraw money abroad your bank charges you a fixed amount and a percentage commission. Therefore, avoid paying for purchases or meals with a credit card abroad. Commissions are very large. The alternative is to use withdrawals or change money.

The only way you can not pay fees is to purchase the Revolut card, which among the main financial advantages is that there are no or reduced fees and the fact that, allegedly, it uses more favorable exchange rates than traditional banks. Find out about this card and it will certainly help you a lot in savings.

Entrance to tourist sites is another setback for anyone looking to save money during the trip.

Therefore, the ideal is to select well the attractions you want to visit, what you consider really a must and then take the time to explore the places far from the tourist center. You will certainly be surprised by the amount of monuments, gardens, streets, viewpoints and squares that do not charge anything for the visit.

Calculations done, the photos you can take are by far the best memory you can take from the places you pass. Of course, you can always buy a souvenir of the places you visit but don't overdo it, save that money for a future trip and you already know, take lots of pictures to remember later.

Negotiating is the watchword for everyone who wants to save money on the road.

In so-called western countries, opportunities to bargain prices are reduced, but in most Asian countries, Latin America and Africa bargaining prices is common practice.

As a general rule, in these countries the prices presented to tourists are highly inflated, as tourists are already expected to negotiate. And do not restrict yourself to trading only in the markets, also negotiate transport, tours, accommodation and even the price of meals.

Believe that you can even pay up to ¼ of the initial price, especially for handmade products.

Source: vagamundos.pt