Traveling On A Budget

by Meredith Wilshere

Photography courtesy of Ariana Quihuiz

Traveling the world is an amazing opportunity, but traveling expenses can add up quickly. However, if you are careful and do a little bit of planning, you can travel without breaking the bank. Here are a few tips to travel without paying through the nose:

Don’t book without knowing the price:

Flights can get very expensive, but there are tools to monitor when flights are going to be more expensive and less expensive. Use tools like Hopper, Google Flights and Expedia to track when prices for certain flights are going to go up or down.

Travel during the off-season:

Flights and any form of accommodations are going to be very expensive surrounding major holidays, three-day weekends and breaks in school calendars. If you aim to travel when there is a slow season (ie: not during any of these times) you will be able to take advantage of lower costs.

Know what you’re going to be charged for:

Airlines like to add in hidden fees and baggage charges, especially if you are going to be flying on a budget airline. Before you bring a bag, or pack an extremely heavy suitcase, look to see how much you will be charged - for extra weight, for extra baggage, or even or just booking a specific seat on a plane. These can add up really easily.

Skip Uber and learn the local public transit system:

Taking Ubers, Lyfts or other ride-sharing services can be easy and familiar in new areas, but those charges add up. If you are staying in an area with safe and easily accessible public transit, learn how to use the system. This will help you get to places and, like the quintessential red buses in London, help you see different parts of the city from a great view.