5 tips on how to save money while traveling and spend wisely

There are so many reasons to love traveling. I summed up what traveling means for me in this article.

As I am a full-time travel writer and blogger, traveling is my lifestyle and I travel extensively. While I surely invest a lot in it, throughout the years I learned how to spend less and still get the great experience. That's why I would like to share my tips on how to save money while traveling. I hope you'll find it useful and try to apply some of the tips on practice.

1. Do the research on the destination

It is important to know where you're going. Let's take, for example, a trip to Paris. If you don't prepare accordingly you will arrive and end up with hundreds of tourist scams of all the sorts and forms starting from the food, excursion, taxis and ending with overpriced hotels and shady clubs. That's why the research is the first step to more clever travel spending.

Know your destination and divide your trip into blocks. For public transport read the local carrier's website and tips on getting the best fare, for food read the local travel bloggers and scout the TripAdvisor and Google Maps, for sights, check out the guidebooks. By doing that you will ensure that you won't be tricked and in the end will spend wisely on the things that are really worth it.

2. Book tickets in advance

One of the most burdensome parts of any travel is buying a ticket. Of course, the transatlantic flights will be expensive and travel around Norway by train is far from cheap. But if you look closer and book wiser, you enter in the magical world of deals and promotions.

The main rule here is book in advance. I can't emphasize more the importance of it. If you book in advance (in advance being starting from the month ahead of the trip), you are getting yourself a much better pricing. There are transatlantic flights with layovers that can be two times cheaper. In Norway, there are special half-price tickets with limitations on canceling and change. The key to finding all those deals is booking in advance!

3. Use the apps and websites that help you save money

The right tools for travel planning are essential for getting the affordable trip. Skyscanner can save you a lot comparing flights, Busbud can do the same for buses. With Rome2Rio you can find the right local transport and Wikitravel will give you an idea for the places locals go to and all the transport options. But one app you should really be friends with is Google Maps.

In the recent years, Google Maps has become a real alternative to travel guides with the infinite possibilities of exploration and research. Download the offline maps of the destinations you're traveling to, save places you're planning to go to in your favorites, read the reviews and see the interiors. Google Maps is an essential tool for an effective travel planning today.

4. Go where locals go

Let's take Paris again. So you want your magical coffee experience in the capital of love. You have thousands of options. You can go to one of the Starbucks and pay 15 EUR for a pumpkin latte with a croissant on the side. Would it be magical, would it be French and ultimately would it be a good way to spend your money? Isn't it better to find an article of a local travel blogger on the best coffee shops in Paris, check the prices beforehand and ultimately enjoy le café with the real croissant looking over Eiffel tower from some hidden rooftop hipster spot? All of it for 6 EUR. Go where locals go, prepare your trip beforehand.

5. Look for the alternatives

Have you seen one of those "alternative destination" articles like this from Guardian or this from Time? They suggest the alternative cool destinations to touristy places around the world. Like for example, go to Annecy in France instead of Venice and etc. This may be a great way to save money as usually touristy destinations are overpriced. However, I would like to elaborate on a different kind of alternatives.

Let's take Venice. You have the famous Piazza San Marco and a magnificent St Mark's Campanile. Everybody wants to go to the top to see La Serenissima from above. It costs 8 EUR and from 10 to 60 minutes in the queue. On the other hand, a few know that just a few blocks away is another tower, with a cheaper admission and much fewer crowds - San Giorgio Maggiore bell tower. Here's what I am talking about. Look for the alternatives and it will help you saving money on traveling.

Thank you very much for reading!

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