My Top 5 Tips to Afford the Trip You Want

Last year, I visited 4 new countries in Europe–separately. That’s four major European vacations. I recently got back from a dream trip to Paris making this my 11th country in the span of about 5 years. And that does not take into account the multiple domestic trips I take throughout the year. I make an educator’s salary. People, even people who make way more than me, often say that travel feels out of their reach. If you are one of those people, here are some tips to take the trip you want while staying in a price range that makes you comfortable.

Tip #1

My top tip for making travel more affordable is to travel in the shoulder or off season. Airfare and hotels are much cheaper during times that are not quite as popular. Now, there is a caveat. If your dream of being somewhere like the Amalfi coast involves laying on the beach under those adorable umbrellas, then please don’t sacrifice that dream. Sure, you will have to save a little more, but if that’s the way you want to experience that part of Italy, you should. For me, laying out in the sun by the water is something I reserve for Florida where I can get lost in a good book while slathering on sunscreen every hour. To decide if traveling in the off season is right for you, you really need to think about your expectations for a destination. For example, I visited major cities like London and Paris in February when prices were down but so were the temperatures. But for me, the weather didn’t impact my experience enough to change my dates to a more expensive season.

Tip #2

Open a travel credit card prior to a trip. I cannot recommend Chase Sapphire Preferred enough. A low annual fee, great rewards, rental car insurance, and the fantastic opening bonus make this card a winner. I didn’t pay a dime for my hotel in Paris thanks to this card. Now listen, I am not a financial expert and this is in no way professional financial advice. If you don’t pay credit card balances off each month or are still working on some of the essential parts of budgeting or building an emergency fund, then I don’t recommend opening a card for travel purposes. However, if you are in a stable place financially, then opening a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great way to save on a trip. If you spend $4,000 in the first three months, you can cash in those points in the Chase portal for about $1,000 or transfer them to a participating hotel or airline.

Tip #3

Be flexible and a little spontaneous when it comes to choosing a destination. I don’t typically say, “I am going to visit these places this year.” Instead, I use the site Going, formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights, to get notifications about the best flight deals and then pick my destination based on if those deals line up with my dates. Since I work for a school system, I don’t have a ton of flexibility with my dates, but if you do, then this is another way to find a good deal. I was never a huge city person until I started finding cheap flights to Europe. London for $400? Ok! Paris for $600? Of course! The first international trip I took was thanks to Going. Southern Spain was not on my “list” but I received a notification about a $600 deal to Mallorca and I was off! I pay for the premium membership with Going, so I get daily alerts to the best international and domestic deals leaving from my home airport. It’s totally worth the $49 a year. Another option is to use the Explore feature of Google Flights. You can put in a time range and maneuver the map to see the best deals.  I never would have booked Slovenia if I hadn’t run across a cheap fare on Google Flights Explore. Keep an open mind and book a trip based on affordability versus sticking to a rigid idea of where you want to travel.

Tip #4

Consider your accommodations carefully. This is another area where you need to know yourself and the why behind your trip. When I visit major urban areas or destinations focused on hiking, I know I’m not going to be spending a lot of time in a hotel. When my sister and I hit up the national parks in Utah, we knew we would be out of the room by 7am, would come back for a quick shower before dinner, and would be in bed by 9pm. So, we didn’t feel the need to stay at a really nice hotel. We chose a place that wasn’t too far from the park entrance, had a good rating for cleanliness and safety, and didn’t worry about any of the extra frills. When we split the costs, we each paid around $200 for five nights of hotels. In Paris, it was just me and I knew I would be up early and spend the day wandering the city, so I picked a lovely but basic room since I was only there to shower and sleep. However, if I’m on a group trip to the mountains, I want to stay in a cozy cabin with mountain views and probably a hot tub–which means I’m willing to pay more because to me it enhances your experience. And if the hotel is your favorite part of the stay, take tip number two and consider getting a hotel-based credit card especially if you prefer certain hotels like the Marriott or Hilton. But if you are more likely to be out and about on your trip, seek savings in accommodations.

Tip #5

Get comfortable with public transportation. For city dwellers, a train system probably feels like no big deal. But for suburbians who live in areas where you can’t imagine getting from one place to another without driving, public transportation can be intimidating–especially in another country. Renting a car or taking Ubers or taxis may feel like the easiest option, but there may be more affordable ways to get around. Sites like Rome To Rio are a great way to research the most affordable travel option including trains, interconnecting flights, or taxis. Some situations warrant renting a car, but most places, especially cities and definitely in Europe, there’s really no need. Plus, with apps like Google Maps and City Mapper, it’s easy to navigate your way around a new place. If you’re still nervous about trying to get around a big city on a train system, here are a couple of tips: First, people are way nicer than you think. If you feel lost, just ask. If you are in a different country, learn some key phrases like exit, station, continue, etc., to help you feel more comfortable. And finally, do a little research and you will feel so much more relaxed. For example, I watched the vloggers, Les Frenchies, on Youtube to help me feel comfortable with navigating the Paris metro in the most efficient way. 

A little extra planning goes a long way in keeping some extra pennies in the bank. I encourage everyone to save enough so they can go on a trip and still feel relaxed about their spending, but there are a lot of ways to save a little here and there and decrease some money worries.

3 thoughts on “My Top 5 Tips to Afford the Trip You Want”

  1. Number 2 is such a good one. You never know when a place will surprise your or spark your interest!

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