PLANNING
There are two approaches to travelling cheaply. One is to plan far ahead to take advantage of discounts or travel opportunities such as volunteer programs or house swaps.
The other is to be flexible and travel light so you can jump when a bargain presents itself. In both cases, the internet is a great starting place.
The Times Online has taken some of the hard work out of web research by creating a list of its top 100 travel websites, grouped by categories such as bargains, flights, insurance, accommodation and inspiration. Although it tends to suit UK travellers, it’s a great place to start.
The giant travel website expedia.com is a good example of bargains to be found online and the trip-building tools that good travel sites offer. Expedia provides hotel and flight calendars to show how much you can save by moving your trip. You can sign up for alerts and search on your areas of interest, such as family holidays or honeymoon packages.
Get the lowdown on real travel experiences by talking on the web with other travellers. Sites such as tripadvisor.com and virtualtourist.com let you read tips and reviews from other travellers and even share your photos. You can find out if your budget destination gets a thumbs-up or if you’ll be sharing with bedbugs.
FLY CHEAP
These days you can compare flights, take advantage of specials around the world and even bid for airfares through online auctions. If you’re looking for flights from the US, try cheapflights.com. From the UK, check out kayak.co.uk.
In Australia it’s worth using webjet.com.au to compare flights and then skipping to the airline’s website so you can book directly and avoid Webjet’s surcharge. You can also use cheapflights.com.au for flights in and out of Australia and New Zealand.
You’re more likely to get an upgrade if you’re at the higher level of frequent-flyer status. Depending on where you’re flying, you can use your miles to upgrade, or buy upgrades at the airport on the day of departure for much less than the cost of initially booking first class.
The net is full of suggestions for getting cheap upgrades. Start with wikihow.com/Get-an-Upgrade-to-First-Class.
Courier flights – where you personally take documents or packages with you – are still available around the world. For US$22.50 you can become a member of courier.org and find out about courier flights and promotional fares.
SLEEP CHEAP
The staple of budget travel is the backpackers’ hostel or lodge. These days, hostels cover the gamut of travel experience, from a shared dormitory through to “flashpacker” accommodation with your own room and bathroom.
Hostels and lodges are good places to meet other travellers. You can hang out in communal living areas and cook your own meals in shared kitchens. Hostel owners tend to be an encyclopaedia of local knowledge and you’ll pick up lots of tips and ideas from your fellow travellers. Start with hostelworld.com.
If you’re staying in one location for a while, book a house or apartment with a kitchen. They often cost less than a motel and you can cook your own food. Sharing an apartment with friends is a great way to spread the costs.
Look up stayz.com.au for houses and apartments in Australia and newzealandstays.co.nz for New Zealand.
SWAP YOUR HOUSE
If hostels and shared apartments sound a bit too cosy for your taste, what about swapping your house? The internet has made it simple to find a compatible family or person who will swap houses (and sometimes cars, pets and even friends) with you. The further ahead you can plan, the better choice you’ll have.
You can browse the Australian and New Zealand site aussiehouseswap.com.au for free and then pay if you want to make contact with someone or list your house. If you want to swap with someone who shares your taste, search for a house-swap service that matches similar types, such as Christian home swap (christianhomeswap.com) or gay home swap (purpleroofs.com).
Housesitting is a way you to stay for free in return for looking after pets, taking messages, watering plants and keeping an eye on your host’s property. Check out housecarers.com.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
If you really want to experience local culture, you can try “hospitality exchange” where you stay in other people’s homes as their guest for free or a very low cost. The international hospitality association Servas (joomla.servas.org) began in 1949, aiming to build world peace through friendship. Servas brings together hosts and travellers with a fairly formal process involving letters of introduction.
Less formal is couchsurfing.com, which has nearly a million members and the mission of spreading tolerance and cultural understanding, while hospitalityclub.org has almost half a million members. Staying in someone’s home means you’ll truly have a taste of local culture and lifestyle. You’ll have to make firm travel plans ahead of time and be willing to risk that you may not “click” with your host.
Of course you can also try the old-fashioned standard of contacting friends, friends of friends, their parents, their grandparents, or the cousin of some exchange student you met at high school.
WORK AND PLAY
The growing trend of “travel with a purpose” means there are lots of programs where you pay to volunteer. While many are wonderful, they usually save little of your travel costs. But there are volunteer opportunities where you can travel for free or at a greatly reduced cost, especially if you have some interesting skills to offer.
Becoming a WWOOFer, which is short for Willing Workers on Organic Farms (wwoofinternational.org) means you can get free board on organic properties around the world in return for helping with farm work for several hours a day. You don’t need to have special skills, just a willingness to get your hands dirty.
You can work in Australia and New Zealand on conservation projects through conservationvolunteers.com.au without needing any special experience. You join a team of other volunteers for $40 a day or $208 for a week including meals and accommodation.
Volunteers for Peace (vfp.org) offers placement in more than 3000 volunteer projects in 100 countries. You can take the whole family with you for $500, which covers two to three weeks of room, board and work.
If you have professional skills to offer, you could try artcorp.org for professional artist placements; geekcorps.org, which places IT experts; Voluntary Service Overseas (vso.org.uk), which places professionals in the world’s poorest countries; or the Financial Services Volunteer Corps (fsvc.org), which puts business and financial professionals in developing and emerging market countries. The United Nations Volunteer Program (unv.org) and the Peace Corps (peacecorp.gov) are two other classic expenses-paid volunteer opportunities for skilled volunteers.
THE LAP OF LUXURY
If you’re not ready to give up the joys of luxury travel, then use hard times to drive a hard bargain. On luxurylink.com you can bid on destinations and packages around the world, saving over 50 per cent on the normal costs.
The Australian site lastminute.com.au offers a “secret hotels” deal where you make a booking at a discount of 75 per cent knowing only the location, facilities and star rating – you only find out what hotel you’ve snagged after you book.
The international site lastminute.com is a great way to grab a bargain on the hop and it covers a huge range of countries, offering flights, accommodation, hotels, car hire, experiences and even travel insurance. Expedia also has the option to search for “luxury” under areas of interest for bargains.
If your budget is seriously tight but you want a taste of luxury, ask about day passes to luxury resorts. You can sleep in a nearby fleapit and then, for far less than the cost of a room, you can lounge by the swimming pool, use other facilities and spin out your drink for hours.
GETTING AROUND
Once you’ve arrived in your destination country, you can save plenty of money by choosing different ways of getting around. Hitchhiking in the 21st century takes place over – you guessed it – the internet.
The website backpackerscarpooling.com has a trips feature for backpackers travelling in Australia and New Zealand. In Europe try car-pooling.com. You usually make a small contribution towards petrol.
Hiring a campervan can also save money, as you have your accommodation and transport all in one, plus you can cook your own meals. Public transport including trains and buses can be cheap ways of getting around, though it’s worth checking because sometimes discount airfares can be cheaper. If you’re making a long journey, go at night so your seat doubles as your accommodation.
SPECIAL OCCASIONS
If your trip is celebrating a special occasion such as getting married, a 50th birthday or a honeymoon, make sure you tell everyone, starting with your travel agent. Mention it when booking and when checking in.
You might get lucky and score an upgrade or at least a special meal or bottle of champagne. There are thousands of companies that offer packages for occasions such as honeymoons, with the benefit being you know the total cost right at the start.
RELAX AND ENJOY
You don’t have to be lying on a deckchair in an exclusive resort that cost a month’s salary to be having a great holiday. It costs just about nothing to enjoy walking along the beach, tramping through the bush, swimming in a river, taking in an art gallery or cooking a feast with your holiday companions. Picnics, people-watching, cycling and sightseeing won’t break the bank.
Remember the things you love to do: the activities that leave you refreshed and relaxed. Follow the suggestions in this article to save yourself some money, but at the end of it all, remember that it’s your holiday. Don’t end up stressed about saving every last cent. Set a budget you can live with and then get on with relaxing.
BUDGET TRAVEL TIPS
• Plan well ahead to get long-term bargains
• Be ready to jump for last-minute opportunities
• Be open-minded and adventurous
• Share accommodation or transport
• Avoid restaurants
• Don’t travel at peak season
• Try a travel agent
• Use your frequent flyer points
• Ask, bargain, haggle!
