The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Travel Costs

Whether you are going on holiday, travelling for business or flying off for a city break weekend, the costs of travelling can soon add up so we have put together a list of ways you can make sure you get the best value without compromising on quality…

 how to reduce travel costs

 

Check the location of the airport you are flying into

In most countries and cities there are numerous airports and you might be enticed by a cheap sounding flight but you should check at how close it is to where you actually want to go. Did you know that Oslo-Torp which is serviced by budget airline Wizz Air is actually 75 miles away from the Norwegian capital? While the flight might seem like a good price the additional travel may add both time and money to your trip.  It’s the same with departure airports – some are much more expensive to get to so factor this in before you make a booking.

 train travel

 

Look into trains and public transport to get to your destination

Taxi’s at airports can be expensive so before you go research trains, trams, buses and other forms of transport to get from the airport to your final destination as you could save loads of money. For example if you’re heading to Transylvania in Romania the closest airport Sibiu is generally over £200/$300 for a return flight with a 2 hour train journey to Brasov, whereas you can fly into Bucharest for a little over £100/$150 and the train journey is the same!

 data roaming

 

Plan how you will stay connected

It’s likely at some point on your holiday you’re going to need to use your mobile phone to get online whether it’s to show an email with your hotel confirmation or to check a map - it will happen!  Plan ahead by making sure you have a roaming plan or get a travel SIM card so you can get free incoming calls and lower rates worldwide.  In addition you are probably going to want to use internet while you are away, whether it’s to find a nice restaurant, re-confirm your flights or to upload photos to Facebook – this can cost a fortune.  Make sure your hotel has free WiFi and also have a backup solution in case you need to get online while you are out and about.  If there is more than one of you travelling a portable WiFi hotspot will enable you to set up WiFi anywhere, on up to 15 devices.

 carry on luggage

 

Make the most of your hand luggage allowance

This can work two-fold. If you’re only going away for a few days/ long weekend really think about whether you need more than hand luggage. What may look like a great deal flight will always be made more expensive with a checked in bag. On the other hand if you need a checked in bag but are worried about going over the weight limit remember that there is no weight limit for hand luggage so put your heaviest items in there and save your case for lighter items.

 travel money

 

Never buy currency at the airport

The exchange rates which you will get at an airport will be so much worse than you’d get if you order it and get it beforehand. Check in your local bureau ahead of time for the best deals.

 travel credit cards

 

Using your cards when you travel

Some bank cards can charge you for withdrawing money outside of the UK so research your credit cards and debit cards to find one which doesn’t charge you to withdraw money and ensure the exchange rates they give you are fair.  You might want to opt for a pre-paid currency card like FairFX.

 travel insurance

 

If you’re travelling more than once a year get annual insurance

While the cost of general travel insurance is quite cheap for those without pre-existing conditions if you do leave the country more than once a year you can buy annual insurance which, if you travel a few times a year can save you quite a bit.

 

Want some more travel tips?  Find out how to condense your data use so your roaming bills are much smaller.

 

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