Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, traveling can be a fun experience. However, spending a considerable amount of money can ruin your sense of fun and adventure. Keep reading to discover ways to save money on your travel expenses without sacrificing the quality of your trip.
Choose an aisle seat on the plane. A window seat has a view, but a seat at the aisle allows you more freedom in accessing your overhead bags, restrooms, getting attention of the service staff, and free space on one side of you.
If you drive to any port city prior to going on your cruise, you can find hotels that offer free parking upon arriving the night before. Always ask the hotel staff for the policies and pricing on parking at the hotel and whether deals are available.
The markup on these small products is ridiculous. Try to find a better and more space efficient way to pack your clothes. You can have more space in your bags than you thought if you pack properly.
If you want coffee in the morning, you can have filtered water if you melt hotel ice. Ice is filtered and you can let it melt overnight to use for your coffee. In the morning, you can brew your coffee with filtered water that tastes fresher.
Sleeping Pill
Sometimes, the best way to deal with a red-eye flight is to have a sleeping pill to take once you are settled on the plane. It is often hard to get much rest on airplanes, given the cramped seating, machine noise and people milling about. Try a sleeping pill might help get you some rest on a long flight if you have trouble falling asleep otherwise. The key is to hold off taking any pills until after departure so that you are not drowsy in the event you are forced to head back to the terminal.
Always look at the expiration dates that are printed on your passports. Different areas of the world have different rules regarding passports. You are usually not allowed to enter a country if your passport expires soon. Many countries require that your passport is valid for more than six months after entering their country.
Rase Marker
If you need reminders during a trip, use a dry-erase marker on a mirror. You can easily lose a note on a slip of paper, but it’s hard to ignore writing on a mirror. You can easily clean the dry-erase marker with toilet paper, which makes this approach convenient and simple.
If you plan on renting a car, check your auto insurance policy. Rental agencies want to try to get you to buy additional insurance that you may not even need. Generally speaking, most car insurance policies include some coverage when it comes to third party liability. Be sure to double-check your policy prior to leaving for your trip.
Try to score the “local” rate for a hotel, when you travel. Look for “local” rates or deals when traveling or special discounts for certain groups such as AARP, certain professions or travel clubs. If you know anyone living in the area, have them call for you to find out about any deals. This could save you a significant amount of cash.
Bring an extra passport picture when you take a trip abroad. If your passport winds up stolen or missing, it can take a while for you to get a replacement. Carrying an extra photo is one way to speed it up. Remember to bring pertinent documentation that may be needed in moving things along.
Exchange Rate
Wait until you reach your destination to exchange money; you’ll get a cheaper exchange rate. If you know there won’t be a place to easily exchange currency once you land in your destination country, exchange a limited amount before you leave and then look for a better exchange rate once you arrive in-country.
Leave yourself plenty of time for hotel checkout. Many hotels charge a steep fee if you haven’t checked out by a specific time. Allow extra time for check out.
One important factor to remember is when more than one person is traveling, separate belongings amongst all of the suitcases. This helps everyone in the event of lost luggage. If a bag becomes lost, nobody will be left without any belongings. To also help with lost luggage issues, everyone should pack a set of clothes in their carry on.
Flights that have multiple connections are often less expensive. However, be sure to be realistic when thinking about how much time you’ll spend on layover. If there is not enough time between flights, it will make it impossible to make your subsequent flight. When the layover is long, you may be bored out of your mind.
Exchange Currency
One thing you can do on an international trip to make things easier is get your money exchanged before you depart. Trying to get currency changed on your trip can be difficult, especially if you arrive after business hours. Most major banks in the U.S. can exchange currency for you. If you can take care of this before you leave, it will eliminate the hassle of trying to exchange currency in an unfamiliar country.
Be sure to book your exact seat in order to help make your flight more comfortable. Often you will be able to choose your exact seat, but occasionally that option is not available. Once your flight is booked, check the booking site often so that you can take advantage of this feature as soon as possible. Doing so can help to improve the comfort of your flight.
Following these tips should make your traveling adventures smoother and more enjoyable. You will be much happier at your destination when you realize that you saved a lot of money without losing the enjoyment.
