Travelling can be expensive, there’s no doubt about that. There are many ways to save money on your trips though. You can try to travel in the off season, choose to stay in a cheap hotel, or avoid the most expensive destinations. These are effective tactics to save money when booking your trip, but what about while you’re away? What can you do to spend less during your travels? This post explains five simple tips to save money while travelling and avoid overspending on your future trips!
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Avoid eating out near famous landmarks
You will always inevitably find plenty of cafés, restaurants and ice cream shops around famous landmarks. Their prime location often gives them huge advantages: not only would you have the convenience of finding food and drinks right in the places you’re likely visiting, you’ll also be enjoying beautiful views of the landmarks. The appeal of establishments in the vicinity of landmarks is undeniable.
However, you may want to skip these places on your next trip. First, they tend to be significantly overpriced. Second, the quality of their products is often substandard, and better food can be found elsewhere. And third, these establishments tend to be the most crowded. This often leads to worse service, longer waits and even queues to get seated.
I’d strongly recommend avoiding eating near famous landmarks. In some situations you may have to eat there, particularly in remote areas. But in most places you’ll easily find alternative locations, especially in cities. Try exploring what the streets have to offer, sometimes even a few streets away from a landmark you’ll find better food at cheaper prices.
You could also venture into less touristy areas of cities and towns, where the locals would go. Again, you may find less crowded places, with more authentic food and lower prices. Avoiding establishments near landmarks is by far one of the best ways to save money while travelling!
Nowadays, tools like Google Maps or Tripadvisor make finding an ideal restaurant incredibly convenient. Make sure to check for the best places in the area, their menus and price points. You will certainly find what you’re looking for!
Shop at larger supermarkets or local markets rather than convenience stores
Convenience stores are, quite obviously, convenient places to shop. You will find them everywhere in cities, and even in small towns. They usually offer all the essentials, allowing you to pop in for a quick shop. The choice can be limited, but you should find the basics you need.
However, aside from the limited choice, convenience stores are generally expensive. If you shop only at convenience stores while travelling, you’ll end up overspending on your essential purchases.
Instead, I’d recommend shopping at larger supermarkets or local markets whenever possible. Larger supermarkets offer much more choice, and the prices tend to be much lower than convenience stores. On the flipside, they might be harder to find. In cities, however, you’ll still find plenty of supermarkets. If in doubt, a quick search on Google Maps should point you to the nearest one.
Local markets also tend to have lower prices than convenience stores. Moreover, they often have local products that you might want to try. Why not try some local produce, or unusual dishes when visiting a market. Finally, by shopping at local markets you’d be supporting small businesses, helping the local economy grow and the markets to stay vibrant.
In general, avoiding convenience stores is a great way to save money while travelling.
Take public transport where possible
Public transport may not be available everywhere, but it’s an efficient way to get around in many places. And you’ll almost always save money by using public transport compared to other means.
Taxis, for example, are much more expensive than buses or trains. And renting a car is also usually much more costly than using public transport.
Bear in mind that all places are different. In some places like the Amalfi Coast, public transport is the best way to get around. In other places like Bali, taxis and private drivers are much more efficient, and quite affordable.
You should research the places you’re visiting thoroughly to evaluate the best ways to get around. Chances are you will come to widely different conclusions depending on the location. But in general, public transport is always the cheapest option. So you’d rather save money on transport, try to use buses and trains whenever you can.
Use a debit card with no fees for foreign transactions
Banks often charge fees when you use your card abroad. These charges appear low at a first glance, but they add up quickly. At the end of a trip, you may have overspent a significant amount in transaction fees.
But luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way. You have many options nowadays that won’t charge fees to use them abroad. You should get a debit card with no fees on foreign transactions, which avoids overspending when making purchases.
Your card should also have no fees, or fee-free allowances, on cash withdrawals. As discussed in the following section, cash is still a necessity in many places and it’s good to carry some everywhere. Therefore, it’s important to be able to withdraw cash abroad without incurring extra fees.
If you live in the UK, check out my article on the best debit cards that offer these travel benefits!
Similar cards are offered in many other countries, so you should research what products are available to you.
Bonus tips!
Remember to always pay in the local currency when using your card abroad. If you pay in your home currency, you’ll be charged extra conversion fees with worse exchange rates.
And remember to withdraw cash at free cash machines. Many ATMs charge their own fees when you use them, and they can be extortionate. Free ATMs should be easy to recognise, and they’ll allow you to avoid overspending in withdrawals fees.
Avoid exchanging currency at airports
You should always exchange some currency before travelling abroad. In some countries you’ll need to use cash on a daily basis. In China, for example, foreign cards aren’t accepted as payment methods, and you need to open a Chinese bank account to get a local debit or credit card. Therefore, you’ll end up always using cash in China.
Even in countries where cash use has declined, you may still need to carry some. In the UK for example, convenience stores often don’t accept card payments for small purchases. In general, you should always carry some cash in the local currency whenever you’re abroad.
However, you should avoid exchanging currency at airports. They often use unfavourable exchange rates and charge extortionate fees. Therefore, you’ll end up losing a lot of your money by overpaying in fees.
If you are abroad and need to exchange cash, you should use a bureau de change outside of airports. The availability of these establishments varies across the world, but they are common in touristy areas. You should research the country you’re visiting to determine the best way to exchange cash.
You also don’t usually need to exchange cash. It may be better to withdraw cash abroad with your debit card. This would save you the hassle and risk of carrying a lot of cash. And as explained above, if you use debit cards with no fees you can avoid overpaying when withdrawing. If you live in the UK, find out the best available debit cards for travelling abroad.
To summarise, I’d recommend exchanging some cash before you travel in a bureau de change or a bank. And when you’re abroad, I’d recommend using a fee-free debit card to withdraw cash. Avoiding overprices airport currency exchanges is of the best ways to save money while travelling!
