In 2017, 27-year-old Cassandra De Pecol set 2 world records: she became the first woman ever who has traveled to all sovereign countries and the first ever human being who managed to do it in just 1.5 years. Many of us probably also want to travel the world, but not everyone can afford it. So we’ve decided to collect some tips that will help you travel more and spend less.
Bright Side is sure that every person who wants to travel can actually do it. If you know several tricks, you can easily save money and have wonderful experiences on your journeys.
9. Choose bus and train trips that travel at night.
Night trips make traveling by bus or train less expensive. You can use this option to both save money and time, and not have to stay in a hotel. It’s better to get first class tickets. So you’ll have a chance to sleep in comfort.
Buses aren’t that convenient, so it’s not recommended to plan night trips every day if you don’t want to feel exhausted. But there’s an exception to the rule: there are sleeper buses that are arranged with soft decks instead of chairs. It’s a really good way to have a cheap and comfy trip.
8. Set a notification about your trip.
If there’s a certain place you’d like to go to, sign up on AirfaireWatchDog. Each time prices for your destination drop, you’ll receive an email. What’s more, there are many other websites that send notifications for a small fee. This method usually allows you to save up to several hundred dollars.
7. Secret hotel offers
If you don’t have a lot of time and money, pay attention to websites that post secret hotel offers like Hotwire or Priceline. You might not know where you’re going to stay, but your discount will be 30-80%.
The closer the date is that you want to check in, the better your chances are to get a good discount. It’s more beneficial for hotels to sell a hotel room than leave it empty and earn nothing at all. So if your schedule is flexible, you don’t care about the brand of a hotel, and you’re adventurous, these sites are just what you need.
6. How to cancel a non-refundable ticket?
If you suddenly change your plans and you need to cancel your airline ticket, you should know that it can be done in several cases, like:
- if your flight was cancelled;
- if you were bumped from a flight you paid for;
- if your flight was significantly delayed and this changed your plans;
- if you, or a person you were going to go with, got sick;
- if a family member passed away;
- if you just missed your flight, you can try to get back half of the paid sum.
First of all, you’d need to cancel your reservation and then prepare all of the necessary documents that explain the reason and prove you’re not lying. But you still have to be clear on your airlines’ requirements.
5. Look for other options.
Pay attention to countries that are less popular among tourists. This doesn’t mean that your vacation will be worse there or that you’d be disappointed. For example, Montenegro, Bulgaria, or Thailand can be replaced with Albania, Romania, and Cambodia. These countries have similar climate, there’s the sea nearby, but the prices are lower there. What’s more, there are less tourists, and this fact makes these destinations even more attractive.
4. Look for tickets for one person.
If you’re going to travel with your family or friends, find tickets for one person first. The thing is, airline websites try to sell tickets that cost more if you travel with one or more people.
The difference between prices isn’t that obvious sometimes once you see the total sum. You can miss the fact that one or 2 tickets (that appear to be first or business class) cost more than others. It’s better to find out the lowest price first and then check to see if the price of each ticket is the same.
3. Buy tickets online using “Incognito” mode.
If you check prices online and then go back to check the same tickets a little bit later, the prices can rise. The thing is, airlines already know that you’re interested in these tickets and they will try to sell them for a higher price.
You can avoid this if you look for tickets using “Incognito” mode. This way, you won’t leave any trace and airlines won’t be able to make you unprofitable offers. Each browser has its own combination that switches it to Incognito mode. For example, in Google Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + N.
2. Don’t use a MacBook to buy your tickets.
Many websites trace the model of your computer or device that you’re using while booking tickets. Moreover, they can identify your region and your computer’s operating system. For example, if you use a MacBook, you’d be probably offered more expensive tickets. It’s better to use a PC or a computer at an internet cafe.
1. Use layovers as an opportunity.
Flights with layovers resemble transit flights. The main difference is that a layover can last for one day or sometimes more. In this case, you could have a chance to get acquainted with the country where you’re going to have your layover. For example, if you fly from London to Ankara, you could choose to layover in Rome and while you’re there you can enjoy the city.
Do you like to travel? Do you have your own cheap travel secrets?
Preview photo credit depositphotos
Kayode Emmanuel Ojo is the Co-Founder and Managing Director at SHEFFA Limited. He is presently studying Computer Science at the National Open University, Victoria Island, Lagos.