There are many different options to budget your travel and getting the most for your money and time. You can increase your budget spending power by including your daily routine expenses. You can take advantage of a tripod or quad-point vacation. You can also join a travel club.
You will have more budget spending money for your trip if you remove money budgeted for home expenses and put it into your travel budget. You will not be eating at home so there is no reason to buy groceries for home.
Basic Budget Travel Tips
If your child care provider allows you a two week vacation without cost, you can apply that money to your travel budget too. If you are on a month to month contract with your gym, you can apply that month gym budget to your travel one. Taking advantage of what you don’t need will add a lot of dollars to your travel budget.
Being on vacation does not limit your destination and itinerary. If you were vacationing in Europe, you would not stay in one city soaking your money into their economy. The same rule applies in the United States. You can plan a tripod or quad-point vacation giving yourself three or four vacation locations.
You will find savings when booking more than one flight and bonus flying miles for booking three or more flights. You can fly cheaper to New York City, Las Vegas, California and Chicago on your vacation than if you flew one way to Florida.
You can also BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS AND HOTEL RESERVATIONS TOGETHER to get additional savings on lodging. Airlines offer free shuttle service to your hotel and it is optional if you will need a car rental. Hotels that are located in the tourist vicinity are popular since you are in walking distance of the places you came to visit. Some hotels offer tours and provide transportation and that is also a savings.
A nice hotel caters to guests and some times provides A FREE BREAKFAST BUFFET OR A CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST to your room. That saves money and provides you with more choices for lunch and dinner.
You should have already reserved tickets for shows, concerts, and other entertainment. It’s always nice to TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HOTEL SPA AND POOL after you have been out for a few hours. Depending on the location, some hotels have outdoor swimming and you can also have lunch poolside.
THE BENEFITS OF A TRAVEL CLUB ARE GROUP RATES and being with other people who love to travel. You may have discovered some unique things to do that are not well known. Think how much fun it will be when your travel club companions share some of their travel delights with you. Being with a travel club means that your vacation will always be busy and happy.
Travel by its very nature requires a budget. You need to know how much you have to spend and you need to know how long your money must last. That is what your budget does for you, it helps you come up with an amount that you can spend everyday.
You need to include your food and entertainment costs when you are figuring your budget. What traveling well means will differ from person to person but for most people it means having a comfortable room, in a safe place, eating good food and enjoying some activities. All of these can be accomplished well on a budget.
Set Your Budget
Be realistic when setting a budget. It is impossible to spend two weeks in Paris on $100 unless there is a relative or friend offering room and board. Know in advance what is necessary to travel in the style you prefer. You need to figure the average daily costs for food, transportation, accommodations and entertainment.
Take Advantage of Specials
Specials abound in this economy, almost every city and country in the world has been affected by the downturn in the economy, there has never been a better time to find a bargain. If you can find a five star hotel that is offering a free night if you book two, it may end up being less expensive than paying for all 3 nights at a 3 or 4 star hotel and staying in a 5 star hotel is traveling well. It takes a little longer to find the good deals but they are out there. You can also look for small family run hotels.
Smart Dining
No matter what the destination is, there are local specialties and great restaurants to try. A wonderful dining experience can really make a trip special. It may be that a friend recommended a restaurant or it was featured by Rick Steves or Rachael Ray on their shows. To get the most from your dining budget, try lunch at the special restaurants. Lunches are usually much less pricey than dinners. Breakfast is a meal that should be provided by the hotel or bed and breakfast as part of the accommodation cost, this is a great way to make the most of a budget.
Free Entertainment
There is not a destination in the world that doesn’t offer some sort of free entertainment. Find out what is available and take advantage of it. Tourist Boards are great sources of information about what is happening and what is worth paying for.
When visiting Paris, walking along the Seine is free as is people watching, these are great pastimes. Walking in the parks in London and most museums are also free of charge. Save the entertainment budget for something memorable, a great play, tickets to a sports event or the cover charge to that special club.
Conclusion
Making the most of a budget will get you a lot of extras. It is worth noting that TRAVELING OFF SEASON will make any budget go farther. You can travel on a budget and you can travel well, just take the time to do the planning and use the Internet to help you find the deals that make your budget work.
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