Stress Free Ways to Stretch Your Travel Dollar

A holiday is a big expense, there is the plane ticket, accommodation and excursions to budget for. You have saved hard and planned carefully to get your travels under way and see this beautiful world of ours. By following a few simple tips you can relax and make savings to stretch your travel dollar even further.

Location, location, location

When you are researching where to stay choose your location carefully. To stretch your travel dollar try to choose somewhere close enough to the city to walk and save on transport costs but far enough from the main city and tourist areas to make it affordable.  We did this in Paris, staying at the Mercure Sacre Coeur which was walking distance from Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge and two metro stations and had the hop on/hop off bus just around the corner.  In Vienna, we chose the Mercure Wien which was on the other side of the river from the city but only a 10 minute walk away and very cost effective. It was nearby the local train station but walkable to most of the attractions. In Barcelona we chose Ibis Sagrada which, you guessed it, was around the corner from Sagrada Famila and the hop on/hop off bus and very affordable.

During our Sydney trip we stayed at Novotel Darling Harbour and walked everywhere that wasn’t accessible by ferry. We found the location perfect for the annual free Vivid event and crammed so much into our 5 days. And in Melbourne we favoured the Grand Mercure Apartments in Docklands. We had a tram right outside the door but walked into the city. Another alternative in Melbourne is the Novotel St Kilda, 10 minutes from the city but with trams right outside the door and in the vibe of St Kilda’s wonderful café strip, Acland Street.

It is all about a balance of being far enough away from the expensive city centre but having transport close enough to make the saving worthwhile and eliminates the need for taxis. There is no point being well away from the city but not near transport wasting most of your time and money getting to and from the attractions.

When booking your hotel check before you take up the breakfast offer. It is often very expensive and most hotels are within a short stroll to a lovely local place where you can get an affordable breakfast and mingle and chat with the locals. We found this is not only a great way to stretch your travel dollar, but also allows you to mingle and soak up the culture.

On our first morning arriving in Paris, we checked in and went for a stroll to familiarise ourselves with the area and grab a quick bite of breakfast. Right around the corner, almost next door to Moulin Rouge we entered a little Bistrot and not speaking a word of French, mentioned the word ‘breakfast’ and made some hand gestures to mimic eating. The woman pointed to the seating area roadside and went off to prepare our food. Soon after she bought us freshly squeezed juice, coffee, a crepe, croissant, baguette, marmalade and butter. We later learned this is referred to as ‘petit déjeuner’. As we began to enjoy the buttery, warm croissant a man at a nearby table who was enjoying coffee with his wife and young family gets a harmonica out of his pocket and begins to play a typical French tune. This was the moment reality hit us that we were in Paris, all this for a few euros, bonus ambiance was free of charge.

Look into buying a travel pass for the Metro or hop on/hop off bus to make a good saving, most cities have a 3 day or weekly pass which is very cost effective. The bus has running commentary which can provide a wealth of history on the area and often include entry or discounts to some attractions.

When travelling between cities try and plan so you travel at night saving the cost of a hotel.  Another way to stretch your travel dollar is to look at travelling mid week as it will be cheaper than travelling on a weekend.

Before you arrive at your destination read up on what is the norm with regard to tipping. Many places in Europe it is not expected but make sure you are aware of the percentage to include where tipping is customary.

Check into currency exchange rates and if it is cheaper to use the ATM’s for withdrawal or to use your card. Check what currency is best for which location. Sometimes it can be cheaper to pay in advance before you leave home and other times you will save to pay on arrival in local currency.  Don’t forget to notify your bank to advise your cards will be accessed in foreign country to avoid disappointment that they decline thinking your cards have been stolen.

Check whether the local water is safe to drink. In most European cities the water is safe to drink and very accessible to fill your water bottle from the Wallace Fontaine drinking fountains saving a heap on expensive and unnecessary bottled water.

Avoid eating at restaurants for your evening meal and instead choose to go for lunch. Many restaurants have a lunch special menu which cheaper than the dinner menu and often has the same options.

Be sure to check what is included in the price. Ensure you are not hit with surprise of cover change, tax and service fees.  Also beware of the ‘extras’ placed on your table. In Barcelona it is common to receive pan con tomate (tomatoe bread) which is deemed complimentary, until you see your bill.

Further savings can be made by checking out the local supermarket, buy some bread, meat, cheese and fruit and have a picnic and soak up the atmosphere.

Check which attractions offer free entry. Some museums and churches offer free entry which can make a huge saving when travelling. Shop around for excursions before you leave home instead of leaving to last minute impulse ticket purchasing. We saved $1490.00 last year purchasing excursions in advance prior to travelling purely by searching for other options.  This also frees up your spending money.

Look for free walking tours.  The best way to see the city is to stroll around with a local who not only knows the best way to get from A to B but can also inform you of all the history about the area.  At the end of the tour you pay an amount you wish to donate to the tour guide.

Also bare in mind some countries have a cost of living cheaper than your home city so you could actually be saving more if you stay longer in places like Thailand and Turkey. Check the cost of living index and stay in the more expensive places less time than those with a more cost effective living expense.

Keep communication costs to a minimum, get a local sim card for your phone so can deactivate very costly roaming charges and utilise free wi-fi wherever possible.

One item I would not suggest you save money to do without is travel insurance. Think carefully about the activities you plan doing and check that it will be included on the policy you have selected. Better to read the fine print and spend a few dollars more for peace of mind to know if something goes wrong on your diving trip that you will be covered to fly home in a decompression tank if required.

But most of all, remember travelling is all about making memories, not ticking boxes. Don’t stress yourself out scrimping and saving every cent along the way to the point you miss the enjoyment of being there. You made a budget as a guide, if you didn’t quite stick to it it’s not that big a deal. If you didn’t see something this trip, there is always next time.

How did you find these travel tips? Do you think you could use a few of these tips to stretch your travel dollar?

Since you’re already here we have a small favour to ask and that is to please share this post or leave a comment below. If you like this post and want to read more like it why not subscribe to our Newsletter? We won’t spam you or share your personal details. If you’re not doing so already, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or click the Mix, Flipboard or other social media buttons below to share this post with others who might enjoy reading it. What are you waiting for?

This is not a sponsored post, we choose to stay at Accor brand hotels by choice and by having Le Accor membership we earn points that accumulate giving us further savings and added benefits.

Some photos have been sourced from Pixabay.