Budget Travel Tips

Hello, from Ireland!

I finally have a fairly significant amount of downtime so I’m hoping to be able to bang out some new blog posts for you guys in the upcoming few days. Ireland has ended up being MUCH warmer than anticipated and unfortunately NO ONE is still selling shorts or any warm weather clothes. The answer to that is trying not to walk quite as much and just stay cool until the evening time when it actually finally does get cooler. Oh well 🙂

Budget Travel Tips

• Accommodation
  • Use Air Bnb. If you need a coupon code follow this link
  • Find an accommodation with a kitchen or even a kitchenette. You can make food, which can save you a ton of money and is great if you want to do some snacking back at your place.
  • See if your employer has a corporate code for hotels
  • Groupon now has vacation packages that sometimes even include air fare. They can have AMAZING deals so go look to see if something catches your eye
  • Try to travel with as many people as you can manage. You can generally find something much nicer and larger since you are splitting the bill with more people.
  • If you literally just need a place to sleep and don’t care about sharing a room with strangers, check out hostels in the city you are visiting. Some are actually really nice and can save you significant money to be used in other ways.

• Luggage
  • Try to only pack a carry-on or two to save on checked bag fees (and make it easier on yourself)
  • Invest in a great carry-on such as either carry-on option from Away (I’m going to do a review on my new bag once this trip is complete)
  • Bring a foldable bag with you to either act as a shopping bag if you’re out buying groceries or maybe as an extra carry-on for the flight home if you end up needing to check a bag. I usually bring one or two of my Longchamp bags with me. I have the large purse size and the gym bag size, but while I’m in Ireland I’m looking to get this one to add to my arsenal as well (Buying these abroad are MUCH cheaper. That bag is currently $255 in the US and I’m buying it in Dublin for 145 euros PLUS I will get the VAT tax back too.I’m essentially saving $100 on a bag I would have bought anyway.)
  • Research the weather before you go. I didn’t realize that it was still unseasonably warm in Dublin so I brought my cooler-weather outfits and NO SHORTS. The humidity makes it feel much warmer than it actually is and I am just sweating bullets. Also: no where is even selling shorts currently so thanks Dublin. Love you too.

• Food
  • Bring snacks to the airport and eat before you go so you don’t buy overpriced food there
  • Get a credit card that gets you into the airport lounge where there are freeeee snacks and beverages. I have the American Airlines Citibank Card which gets me points for flights, no foreign transaction fees, and I can into the AA lounge PLUS partnership lounges for freeee.
  • If you have food allergies or special dietary needs I would highly recommend bringing at least some food with you especially if your Air Bnb/hotel/whatever has a fridge or kitchen

• Drinks
  • No need to constantly be buying water bottles as you go about your day. Bring along a reusable one to fill up whenever you can. You will probably stay more hydrated that way and save yourself a lot of money. Water bottles add up!
  • Avoid getting sodas in restaurants. You need to stay hydrated and they just rack up your bill unnecessarily
  • See if you can find a traveler’s pub crawl. They are generally pretty cheap, you get some drinks included, make some new friends, and maybe even get a free tee shirt!

• Research Research Research
  • Find out if you should buy tickets to your tour in advance or maybe see if there is a free walking tour of the same site.
  • Check out TripAdvisor.com for all the best inside scoops about hotels, landmarks, restaurants, etc that will be on your trip
  • Some people just like to show up and wing it. That’s not really how I operate and I feel that you can end up wasting more money that way. I would at least research some things you want to see before you go and if there is no price difference between deciding to go ahead of time or deciding the day of then do what you feel.

• Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
  • If you have the time, just not a ton of money then I suggest taking a train whenever possible. They are generally situated right in the City Center so you don’t need to spend a lot of money taking a taxi to your next stop. They have tons of times, go tons of places, and are generally very well kept (keep in mind I’m specifically referring to Europe. I cannot speak for Asia/South America/Africa/etc…)
  • If you are going to a bunch of different countries check out getting a pass from EuroRail. It can save you major $$$
  • If you do need to fly try to look for the cheapest days/times. Check out Google Flights to compare rates from different carriers and times.
  • If you’re flying in Europe check out Ryanair or KLM for some of the best deals. Keep in mind carryon sizes are much smaller in Europe and if your bag doesn’t fit in the overhead then you will need to check it. Better to make that determination before boarding rather than last minute as it can save you about $30.
  • Rental cars can be a good option if you are looking to venture out on your own or want to make your own schedule. I would generally suggest that if you’re only staying in one city then you probably don’t need one, but if you’re trying to hit up multiple cities in a country or traveling to other nearby countries, then maybe it’s a good idea.
  • Make sure if you are booking a rental car that you HAVE A CREDIT CARD! Sometimes companies forget to tell you this and then you cannot actually rent the car in question AND you aren’t reimbursed to your debit card. Double Whammy.
  • Check to see if you can get a Corporate rate from either your credit card, employer, AAA, or some other means. This can save you a TONNN of money.
  • If you are under 25 seriously consider not renting a rental car. Due to age restrictions for rental cars, most of the time companies will either not rent to you if you’re under 25 or they will slap some ridiculously huge fee on there as well. I got stranded in Richmond, VA one time and the rental car ended up being $500 when it should have been like $150…. #goodbyesavings 

• Shopping
  • If you have been looking to invest in a high-end bag or some other items from European brands, do some research and see if they are cheaper in Europe (chances are very high that they are). Brands like Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Christian Louboutin, etc are generally much less expensive in the EU and Great Britain AND you get the VAT tax back making them even less expensive. I bought my LV Neverfull, Louboutins, and 2 Longchamp bags this way. Just by buying them in Europe I easily saved myself hundreds of dollars AND got a fun souvenir!
  • If you are still looking for souvenirs to bring back to family and friends try to look for bundle deals (like 5 magnets for 6 euro) or maybe consider just consider a post card. It doesn’t need to be fancy and you need to save space for more important purchases!

• Money
  • Most countries are great about being able to use cards, but sometimes you need cash. I would always suggest having some of the local currency just in case you need a cab, are shopping in a market, or find yourself in a bind.
  • Make sure that you have a travel notice on all credit cards you bring to avoid having your card cancelled mid-trip. That would be a DISASTER.
  • If you have time before your trip, order some Euros (or whatever the local currency is) from your bank. Bank of America at least does not charge anything for this service. They can pull the equivalent amount in dollars from either your checking or savings and generally have your money order ready within a few days. Just head to your local branch and pick it up.
  • If you realize too late that you need to exchange some funds then check out the tourism center in the city you are visiting. Sometimes they can exchange the money for no fee or be able to tell you of a local bank that can help. DO NOT EXCHANGE AT THE AIRPORT. They will DEFINITELY charge you a fee.

I hope this can help when planning your next adventure! Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever used any of these tips on your own trips or if you think of anything I missed 🙂

-Savvy