Solo Travel: How to Save Money Pt.3
Everyone wants to make the most of their travel dollars. With this six-part series I want to show you different ways to save money when traveling solo so you can travel more and/or longer. Use one, some or all of the techniques and you will be well on your money saving way!
This is part three (check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here) of the six-part blog post that will cover the different areas of a trip. I will be writing them in order of how I go about planning a trip.
- Trip planning
- Flights
- Accommodation
- Exploring
- Getting around
- Food & drink
Lets settle into some accommodation tricks.
Use a travel rewards card
When people think of travel points cards, they only think about flights. But hotel points are just as valuable and can allow you to stay in some pretty amazing places you couldn’t afford on your own. Get a card that gives you a sign up bonus of points for a hotel rewards program you like and then continue to use this card for All your purchases daily.
There is a whole lot to learn about earning and using travel rewards. Head on over to The Points Guy to start learning the basics along with help to determine which program is right for you. Rewards Canada gives Canadian specific information. Know what you want to use the points for and look into how to accumulate what you need before you leave.
Do your research
When you arrive at your destination you want to be happy with your accommodations so you don’t have to have headaches fixing problems wasting time and money. This is where research comes in. You want to look into the areas that are best to stay in for what you want to do, compare prices on different websites (I like booking.com) and then also cross check prices with the actual hotel. Giving the hotel a phone call (the actual location, not the call centre) and see if they can give you a deal can be very successful. You also want to be sure you are reading the reviews of the places you are considering. This will tell you a lot about the place you are thinking about. The research you do prior to your trip will allow you to have a much more enjoyable time while you are away. Just because something is inexpensive, make
sure you are fully aware of what that cost entails. With accommodation, saving
money by staying out further from the city centre may not save you money in the
end. The costs of going to and from the city centre (if that is where you are
wanting to spend most of your time) can add up, as well as the time it takes.
Decide which is more important to you and really know how long it takes to get
to the places you want to see. Yes, this is not always a popular choice
for most people but hostels have definitely changed from what most people think
of them. You can still find the super cheap not so great party hostels, but there
are also non-party hostels. These are totally modern, super comfortable and not
a super young crowd. Most people don’t realize that you can book
private rooms, and some offer female only dorms. You can get all different sizes
of dorm rooms as well (I don’t recommend going for ones that have 10+ beds in
it). The private rooms will probably be along the same cost lines a budget
hotel/motel, but there are advantages to choosing a hostel over a budget hotel.
The type of people that stay at hostels are very open to meeting new people and going around the city with those new friends, if you want. There are common areas that are very social, a kitchen that you can cook in for your meals, and some hostels have social events (free and paid) that give you built in options. You won’t get these things at that budget hotel. Hostelworld.com and hostles.com are two great places to start looking for ones that suit your needs. If you own your own place or your rental allows you to sublet short term, then you can save a bunch on your accommodation. This option does require more time to be put into it, but for some it is well worth it. This article by the Globe and Mail gives you some great tips and information if you want to go down this route. If you don’t think hostels are your thing, then the room rental through Airbnb could be a great option for you. If you are planning on doing a lot of touring around, you won’t be in your accommodation much except for sleeping and probably breakfast. Being able to stay with a local has its benefits as well. They can give you their recommendations and advice that you may not get anywhere else. Be sure that you read the reviews, know the restrictions and what is available to you during your stay and what is not. Also note the times available for your arrival. Good accommodations are important to have
an enjoyable and comfortable holiday. Know what you want and will be happy with
to choose the best ones for you. Use these tips with abandonment to help you
travel and explore more. Be sure to check out part four, all about
things to do on your holiday, next week so you can continue to save money
throughout your trip. Know
your limits
Stay
in hostels
Try out a home exchange or rent your home while away
Book
just a room instead of the whole place on Airbnb