Top 10 Proven Ways to Save on Your Next Travel Adventure

Exploring the world is one of life’s greatest adventures, but there's one problem: inflation is a growing issue for many Americans, and budgets are tightening. But there are ways to experience the world without breaking the bank. Here are 10 of our top ways for cheap unique travel.

 

Check your Credit Card Rewards

People often forget how fast you rack up points when you use your credit card. Most credit card companies offer rewards on hotels, airlines, and car rentals. You can also sign up for a travel-based credit card to get even better rewards, avoid resort fees, and get extra discounts.

Track Your Flights

Travel aggregators are getting more creative and user-friendly; you can now track flights to find the cheapest option with Expedia or Hopper. In Hopper’s case, you can freeze your flights so you can save up without having to worry about the price going back up. For more insights, Hopper released insights on the best travel times and where the best place to travel is so you know when you should start looking for a vacation!

Travel the Unbeaten Path

Explore fewer travel countries; most of the time, these locations are just as beautiful, can have cheaper accommodations, and have more free attractions. In some cases, you can spend less than $50 a day everything included.

Use Buy Now Pay Later Apps

Life is meant to be enjoyed; use Buy Now, Pay Later apps, like Affirm, Klarna, Zip Co, or Afterpay, to split up your travel costs over a few months. This is like booking with a travel agent without the travel agent fees.

Research Best Mobile Data Tactics

Traveling domestically won't impact your mobile data, but when you travel internationally everything changes. It will vary from carrier to carrier, but researching how roaming data will impact your mobile bill could be the difference in affording an extra day or two. Most carriers now offer specific plans for traveling internationally. Investigate your existing carrier and then compare it against what some other carriers offer. The other option is just to turn off your data when in a different country and use only WiFi.

Use Off-Site Airport Parking Instead of Rideshare

Parking at airports is often cheaper than using rideshare apps. If you live farther than an hour from the airport, a rideshare trip can end up costing you over $100 round trip. Explore our PreFlight locations to see how much more convenient and affordable your trip can be.

Travel During the Off-Season

Traveling during peak season can be crazy trying to navigate crowds and being able to enjoy your trip. Explore your trip during the beginning of the year to avoid peak prices or book at least a month and a half in advance to get the best deals.

Talk to the Locals!

Tourist areas jack their prices up, but go a few blocks outside of the hotbed areas, and you can discover amazing food and people. Talk to the locals! They live there, and they know where all the best spots are to eat and drink, have fun, and relax. Early in your trip, consider making a day trip to the heart of town and just walking around looking to mingle with locals to help plan the rest of your trip.

 Pack Light

Save the hassle and the money that goes into packing a huge suitcase, it also saves the worry about your stuff being damaged on your flight. It will also save time before and after your flight by avoiding searching for your suitcase or waiting in long check-in lines. Most hotels have laundry services. If you need help learning how to pack a carry-on, here are a few recommendations.

Look Up Calendar Events And Find Money Saving Events

After securing your flights, go ahead and canvas the local tourist websites for calendars and schedules. This will provide you with a couple of important items: inspiration for ways to fill your time and ways to save money by finding free or reduced-cost events to complete your trip itinerary. For instance, many museums offer discounts on certain days or at specific times, which would be a perfect opportunity for savings. Any low-cost activity will provide you with additional flexibility in spending money on what you've prioritized.

Honorable mentions:

• Consider travel insurance for the unfortunate possibility of the worst-case scenario happening.
• For international travel, look into hostels for reduced lodging costs.
• Look for bikes or scooters for quick commutes.
• Hunt for last-minute tickets to shows to get the best discounts.
• Eat at local restaurants and avoid big chains.
• Go grocery shopping to save on breakfast and snacks.

Have fun exploring the world and enjoying everything it has to offer! Don’t forget to check out the rest of our PreFlight Travel Tips! Check out PreFlight locations in Chicago, Phoenix, Boston, and Atlanta. Happy Travels!