Tips for travelling on a budget

[Katty]

I'm considering going on at least one trip in the fall, and a trip to see my family in January-February. 
I wanted to know if others had advice for keeping the prices of travelling as low as possible, but not so low that it significantly lowers the quality of the holiday. I thought I might open this thread so people can share ideas for what would be good destinations for people with different desires regarding travel, and different starting points. My starting point is Manchester international and Western Europe tends to be bring the least expensive destinations


So, what I know so far is:
to look at Skyscanner, and I look both on Skyscanner and Google Flights and track prices from both.
I've also looked at Kayak, which shows the best time frame to book a hotel from any given destination
I also look at Google maps and map 3.5 star+ hotels in whatever city I'm thinking of going to, in whatever month I plan on going.
I look at deals on lastminute.com
I also look at places on Booking.com, and am signed on to Booking Genius, plus my chequing account has allows me to get 4% cash back on booking.com provided I book by 30th of June, and the first Genius booking is 10% off. 
I also plan on getting a rewards chequing account which comes with travel insurance (for £19 a month) during the time period I want to travel.
I also plan to book directly on the airline.

I'm wondering if there's anything more I could be doing. I noticed there is a site called JW bnb which I follow on Instagram, and I wonder if anyone has tried it?

 

So, for me, what I'm planning, so far is: 
A week in, or in and around Munich for November. I know that sounds dreadful, but it's not the most popular time to go, and, so far, hotels look really inexpensive for the quality, and I plan on a lot of indoor activities.
Then I plan on, probably, 2 weeks in Louisiana in January/February, and maybe doing another week in July, since I've seen July is actually the best time to go. 

I might do more next year, we'll just have to wait and see how things turn out. I can have my baby as a lap baby until she's 2, and when she's 2, she'll need a separate seat. 

It's okay if no one has any extra tips beyond what I've written. I figured this could also be a thread to discuss best/most inexpensive destinations to fly from, best times to go, personal experiences with different booking sites, etc. 

 

[Friends just call me Ross]

I have traveled the wide world over from the comfort of my living room sofa and HD 4K Videos on YouTube.

 

Yup, I've ridden trains up switch backs high into the Alps and the Andes, crossed deserts, white-water rafted rivers,

and I've walked all over Iguazu Falls in South America. 😁👍👍

 

I've been everywhere, man.  I've been everywhere. 😂

 

And it didn't cost me a dime.  

 

 

[Ishaya]

3 hours ago, Friends just call me Ross said:

I have traveled the wide world over from the comfort of my living room sofa and HD 4K Videos on YouTube.

 

Yup, I've ridden trains up switch backs high into the Alps and the Andes, crossed deserts, white-water rafted rivers,

and I've walked all over Iguazu Falls in South America. 😁👍👍

 

I've been everywhere, man.  I've been everywhere. 😂

 

And it didn't cost me a dime.  

 

 

 

 

It's a beautiful poem really,

 

Can you now wake up from your dreams please 😊

[New World Explorer]

4 hours ago, Friends just call me Ross said:

I have traveled the wide world over from the comfort of my living room sofa and HD 4K Videos on YouTube.

Probably the safest travel manner that exists right now! 

I had plans to book trip to Europe this weekend.. and now missiles are flying towards Israel... 

The scenario of this world is fast becoming more dangerous. 

So back to You Tube for a while ..LOL 🤣

[Katty]

Yeah but video travelling doesn't work for me. I have to see my family in person. It would be unfair to my mom. I don't plan on going everywhere. My idea was to have a little trip under my belt in a relatively safe place so that I have a better idea on how to handle our baby on a 14 hour trip.
There's never going to be an ideal time to go anywhere before the new system comes, and I'm treating this first 'practice trip' like it might be my second to last chance to go anywhere outside the UK, and my trip to America like it might be my last trip to America, at least until the new system. I don't think the Russia-Ukraine or Gaza situation is going to spread to effect the Americas or Western Europe much more than it has already. 

[Tortuga]

19 hours ago, Friends just call me Ross said:

I have traveled the wide world over from the comfort of my living room sofa and HD 4K Videos on YouTube.

 

Yup, I've ridden trains up switch backs high into the Alps and the Andes, crossed deserts, white-water rafted rivers,

and I've walked all over Iguazu Falls in South America. 😁👍👍

 

I've been everywhere, man.  I've been everywhere. 😂

 

And it didn't cost me a dime.  

 

 

I see that you took some CASH just in case...

[hatcheckgirl]

Katty, I think you’ve done very extensive research into travelling on a budget. I’ve never needed to go into that much effort, so good on you!

 

I mainly use frequent flyer points to lower the cost. I’ve noticed since the pandemic flights are still very expensive, the cheapest flights fly at awful hours, and you pay more for the add-on that were complementary before. 
 

So while budgeting is important, you are travelling with a baby. It might be better not to do a “red eye” cheaper flight. Exhausting (used to do it).

 

Another thing I avoid is long layovers. These are usually the cheapest flights too. 
When you search flights, filter by lowest cost and duration. 
 

Lastly, flight delays and cancellations. This is more common since the pandemic. You can really get stuck. The best thing is to have good travel insurance and pay extra for your flight tickets to have some flexibility. I waited 9 hrs in the airport (and caught covid) when my flight was cancelled, and even with insurance I didn’t have a full refund (because the airline managed to rebook me on the last flight).

 

What can we do? It much harder flying now. Even though we budget and plan, nowadays it’s best to pay extra to remain flexible. I’m off to Japan next month, and planning was more difficult compared to all my previous trips. The world is very different since the pandemic. 

Edited April 14 by hatcheckgirl

[coony77]

Actually, you've already done a lot to keep your costs as low as possible, there's not much more you can do. The fact is, traveling has become significantly more expensive

(This is very painful for me as a globetrotter ). Just like you, I use my Genius level discount on booking.com for accomodation, but flights have also become so expensive!

It's gotten to the point where I sometimes choose my travel dates based on the cheapest flight options (especially for short trips within Europe).

[New World Explorer]

I will state something controversial here: Flights are cheap or at least affordable in comparison to food, electricity and petrol prices (cost of living) 

When I see flight to Europe (from Australia) for $2000 and just paid electricity bill and gas..food and petrol... I say wow...flights are not that expensive. 

[Esined]

Here are my favorite tips, but take it or leave it depending on what makes sense for you:

1. I agree with Lucy about choosing flight practicality/quality over the lowest possible price, especially if traveling with a baby - if you get stuck or massively delayed, you may end up spending on food/lodging
2. I use Going.com and Google flights to find deals on flights
3. Now is a good window since you don't have to pay for an extra seat for the baby, although 14 straight hours with a baby on your lap is a LOT. Not sure if this applies in your case but being able to breastfeed was a major bonus (I used a sling/wrap for privacy) for keeping a baby happy and quiet on a flight. Also, it's free!
4. Pack your own snacks, fruit, sandwiches for travel days b/c airport food is expensive!
5. To the extent you can with a baby, pack light and/or travel with a carry-on only. Airlines charge a lot for checking baggage now. There are a lot of videos on YouTube with good tips for packing carry-on only for overseas flights. I went to Europe last year with only this tote because I packed super carefully: https://the-foldie.com/products/the-foldie-4-0?variant=43022294810844
6. Since you have a baby, you should still be able to bring and check stroller, carseat etc. for free - check airline policies. Carseat bags make it WAY easier to bring a carseat to your destination, if you use one, and save on the high cost of renting one at your destination (if you plan on riding in a car).
7. Look into staying at Airbnbs or similar vacation rentals at your destination. It is sometimes cheaper per night than a hotel, and if it has a kitchen you can save a lot and even try local foods by buying simple items local markets and bakeries to eat for breakfast, snacks, etc. In the states where portions are larger, if you have leftovers from eating out, it's nice to be able to refrigerate them and heat them up later, especially with a baby when you might need to crash and eat at "home" instead of going out to dinner.
   1. Having access to a washer and dryer is also helpful if you pack light to be able to wash clothes once during your trip. Especially because, as you know, babies aren't always good at keeping clothes clean.
8. Alternately, I found a nice and inexpensive hotel in Barcelona that had a kitchenette, so maybe look for something like that. I was able to get a small load of clothes washed and folded at a nearby laundromat for $10, which is still cheaper than checking baggage!
9. Maybe this sounds obvious, but cost check/compare accommodations based on proximity to where you want to spend most of your time and not just price per night. If a hotel or airbnb is the cheapest but far away from places you want to visit, you can lose money and time on transportation
10. Use public transportation instead of taxis or expensive tours
11. Search the heck out of ideas for  "visit [your destination] on a budget" or "free attractions at [destination]"
12. Check out the city's travel/tourist passes that offer discounts on local attractions plus public transportation. They might be a good value, depending on how long you are staying and what you want to do.
13. I'm a fan of looking for beautiful public parks and historic libraries, which are often free to visit.

[coony77]

17 hours ago, New World Explorer said:

I will state something controversial here: Flights are cheap or at least affordable in comparison to food, electricity and petrol prices (cost of living) 

When I see flight to Europe (from Australia) for $2000 and just paid electricity bill and gas..food and petrol... I say wow...flights are not that expensive. 

 

Maybe.

But once you´ve paid all these things you just have to pay (like electricity or food), there´s only a certain amount left to spend on things like flights. And unfortunately, it is of little benefit to me if a flight is cheaper than my electricity bill but still more expensive than what I can afford for a trip.

[New World Explorer]

3 hours ago, coony77 said:

 

Maybe.

But once you´ve paid all these things you just have to pay (like electricity or food), there´s only a certain amount left to spend on things like flights. And unfortunately, it is of little benefit to me if a flight is cheaper than my electricity bill but still more expensive than what I can afford for a trip.

Yes, but I wasn’t talking about our affordability…

Food , electricity, gas and accommodation expenses went up significantly in comparison to flights increases. 
Yes, flights are more expensive… but the rest of “daily” living saw unprecedented levels of increases. I spend $40 more per week on petrol alone than before pandemic. Not to mention other things. The way aI see it … flights costs are reasonable if you book in advance. Affordability went down due to cost of living, and this is entirely different discussion. 

[hatcheckgirl]

Flights for me border on unaffordability. I visit my mum in Sydney twice a year from Perth. That route is still expensive and hasn’t gone back to reasonable pre-pandemic levels. So I took the cheap flights last time, because I also visited Melbourne and Brisbane to visit family. But, that when the cancellation happened (in Melbourne, waiting 9 hrs at the airport).

 

All airlines cancel, of course. And it’s definitely happening more since the pandemic. But cheaper airlines are more prone. 
 

So, frequent flyer points gave me two free flights for the short Sydney-Brisbane leg. Maybe @Katty if you do collect ffp, look at using them for the shorter legs of your trip. 
 

I’ve also found that when flying overseas if you bundle your accommodations and flight with Expedia, Agoda or others, it brings the price of the whole trip down rather than separately. 

[New World Explorer]

17 minutes ago, hatcheckgirl said:

That route is still expensive and hasn’t gone back to reasonable pre-pandemic levels.

Prices will not go down .. well at least much.

 

Supply lines are more expensive after pandemic, fuel too.. Airlines also are trying to recover after pandemic loss. (Some incurred debt) 

The price of crude oil went up significantly after pandemic... so airlines are passing increase onto customers, you and me. 

The political situation in Middle East has potential to impact crude oil prices even further.. 

If the cost of living wasn't high we wouldn't see the prices for flights that expensive. (it would be more reasonable to deal with it) 

In the past I was paying to fly to Europe around $1800 AUD, nowadays is around $2200 (if purchased at least 3 months ahead) 

My friends are flying to Greece for $1600 on Turkish Airlines in peak season in June. 

[Hope]

@Katty it's probably too late for your upcoming journey, but I know a LOT of folks (especially pioneers) who have airline credit cards that give miles per dollar/pound spent. They pay their monthly expenses with the credit card to collect those miles and pay the card off with the cash normally sent to pay bills.  It's very easy to build up loads of frequent flyer miles quickly that way. Witnesses I know are able to travel as need-greaters using this scheme.  My brother and his wife like to vacation in Hawaii.  They use a card like that for car payments, mortgage, utilities, etc... round-trip tickets cost them around $11 each plus flyer miles. Since your family is in the States, that might be worth looking into for future travel, especially as your little one grows.  

Edited April 16 by Hope

[hatcheckgirl]

My sister does this too.  Those FF cards linked to a credit card can be initially more expensive.  But if you can afford the yearly upfront expense, it is worth it.  She also books through Qantas Hotels site (since I am referring to her having a Qantas Frequent Flyer credit card).  The points she accumulates through using their hotel booking system (and they do Airbnb too) saves so much and puts points towards the next trip, which is usually free.  Of course, we also check how much hotels cost separately, but in most cases, doing it through the Qantas site is better for the budget too.

[Andre77]

On 4/15/2024 at 10:47 PM, coony77 said:

Actually, you've already done a lot to keep your costs as low as possible, there's not much more you can do. The fact is, traveling has become significantly more expensive

(This is very painful for me as a globetrotter ). Just like you, I use my Genius level discount on booking.com for accomodation, but flights have also become so expensive!

It's gotten to the point where I sometimes choose my travel dates based on the cheapest flight options (especially for short trips within Europe).

😊 

[Amygdala]

On 4/13/2024 at 4:46 PM, Katty said:

I can have my baby as a lap baby until she's 2, and when she's 2, she'll need a separate seat. 

 

Congratulations! I didn‘t know you had a baby. Great news!  If she is under approximately 8 months, most airlines will automatically seat you in the mid-section area of the plane where you have leg room, because there is a folding table on the wall that turns into a bed where she can sleep. It has straps so the baby doesn‘t fall off the bed. Also gives you room to put her on the floor if need be, and I used to bring a blanket for that reason. You will also get a special baby strap that is attached to your seat and her so that if there is suddenly an emergency, the weight of your body doesn‘t go onto the baby. I am assuming you are talking about human, right?

[Amygdala]

You are also allowed to bring a carseat (if you book a seat) for the plane, which is a really good idea when they are small. You can youtube examples, or check the airlines for details. Another important point is that you are allowed to bring your stroller all the way to the gate, and then it will be folded and taken by the airplane staff onto the cabin. That way you don‘t have to carry your carry-on luggage or bags, and a baby all the way to the luggage pick-up area. I didn‘t know this before. I had a tough time the first time I travelled with my 8-month old (she was little so could still fit in one) to Canada to visit family, and had no stroller with me - just her baby carseat. So I ended up buying a carseat frame stroller to attach the carseat into, which was only around $100. but saved me so much grief. Good thing is most strollers allow for carseat attachments onto them, and then later as a normal seat stroller as they grow.

 

Oh I just saw @Esined‘s post. lol 

Edited April 19 by Amygdala

[Katty]

1 hour ago, Amygdala said:

 

Congratulations! I didn‘t know you had a baby. Great news!  If she is under approximately 8 months, most airlines will automatically seat you in the mid-section area of the plane where you have leg room, because there is a folding table on the wall that turns into a bed where she can sleep. It has straps so the baby doesn‘t fall off the bed. Also gives you room to put her on the floor if need be, and I used to bring a blanket for that reason. You will also get a special baby strap that is attached to your seat and her so that if there is suddenly an emergency, the weight of your body doesn‘t go onto the baby. I am assuming you are talking about human, right?

Thank you
She'll be a year when we take a shorter trip this year, and about 19 months when I plan on going to America. I booked a flight with EasyJet, which, being a budget airlines makes you sit the baby on your lap until baby is 2. I don't have a huge problem with that. So long as the flight is incident free, it shouldn't cause any problems. I liked that they also allow me to check her pushchair and carseat. She's probably going to have an easier time on mommy than she would have had on a bassinet anyway. 
The only trouble is extra leg room in the mid section would have been more than the back section, so I chose to go to the front of the back section, hoping that part might have a bit more leg room. If it's a struggle for the first flight, it'll only be a couple hours anyway.
I decided to have a week long "practice trip" because I'm so nervous about flying trans-atlantic with a baby (or young toddler by then) and not really knowing what to expect. 
I decided on going to Munich. It's not the cheapest destination flight wise, but looked pretty affordable when it came to accommodation, day trips, and things to do. 

[Katty]

On 4/16/2024 at 11:13 PM, Hope said:

@Katty it's probably too late for your upcoming journey, but I know a LOT of folks (especially pioneers) who have airline credit cards that give miles per dollar/pound spent. They pay their monthly expenses with the credit card to collect those miles and pay the card off with the cash normally sent to pay bills.  It's very easy to build up loads of frequent flyer miles quickly that way. Witnesses I know are able to travel as need-greaters using this scheme.  My brother and his wife like to vacation in Hawaii.  They use a card like that for car payments, mortgage, utilities, etc... round-trip tickets cost them around $11 each plus flyer miles. Since your family is in the States, that might be worth looking into for future travel, especially as your little one grows.  

 

On 4/16/2024 at 11:18 PM, hatcheckgirl said:

My sister does this too.  Those FF cards linked to a credit card can be initially more expensive.  But if you can afford the yearly upfront expense, it is worth it.  She also books through Qantas Hotels site (since I am referring to her having a Qantas Frequent Flyer credit card).  The points she accumulates through using their hotel booking system (and they do Airbnb too) saves so much and puts points towards the next trip, which is usually free.  Of course, we also check how much hotels cost separately, but in most cases, doing it through the Qantas site is better for the budget too.

We plan on David(@Ferb) getting a rewards card before we go on the big trip to America. It'll help with having money that we can spend there as well. 
We probably won't have time to garner many rewards on there, but it might be worth it, especially if rewards include cash back or something we can use on something other than travel. I was also considering going back to see my family in the fall if I can, so it might work towards that as well. 
 

[Amygdala]

2 hours ago, Katty said:

I decided on going to Munich. It's not the cheapest destination flight wise, but looked pretty affordable when it came to accommodation, day trips, and things to do. 

 

Nice. Munich is about 6-7 hours away from us. You will enjoy it! Southern Germany is great as there is so many activities for children of any age, especially outdoor activities. One is the Rodelbahn. Here is an example I found online:  Rodelbahn.  But if that is not your cup of tea, there are many fantastic child-friendly museums here, of any age. Also Sealife. Ice skating is popular, too. There are many English congregations in Munich. They are known for being zealous, and have a nice, encouraging spirit. I am sure you will enjoy. ❤️

 

Edited April 19 by Amygdala

[Amygdala]

2 hours ago, Katty said:

The only trouble is extra leg room in the mid section would have been more than the back section, so I chose to go to the front of the back section, hoping that part might have a bit more leg room

 

Just a small suggestion, you might want to change that because usually the back rows are limited and you can’t really recline your seat due to the wall. Also the washrooms are usually at that location, so you would hear alot of flushing, and if your little one wants to sleep, that might be hard. Legroom on those cheap airlines are really tight. You can also ask the airline directly, and ask which seat would be better with a toddler. They might even change it if you check-in early enough and they see you have your toddler with you. Or you can ask to be re-seated somewhere where it is more comfortable, as they usually reserve a select amount of premium seats for the day of check-in. Happy baby, happy flight.

 

But I would try and contact them beforehand, as nowadays, people rush at reserving the good seats. With my family of 3, some planes have 3 seats on the side. So we had a whole row to ourselves on a few flights, but sadly they are mostly 2-seaters. A few times at check-in at the airport from cheap airlines, we had the surprise privilege of being given the first row. Plenty of legroom there. Most airline personnel do try to make it easier for those with little children, and give them seating and check-in pre-boarding priority. It stops around kindergarten age. So a nice advantage with that.

[Katty]

18 hours ago, Amygdala said:

 

Just a small suggestion, you might want to change that because usually the back rows are limited and you can’t really recline your seat due to the wall. Also the washrooms are usually at that location, so you would hear alot of flushing, and if your little one wants to sleep, that might be hard. Legroom on those cheap airlines are really tight. You can also ask the airline directly, and ask which seat would be better with a toddler. They might even change it if you check-in early enough and they see you have your toddler with you. Or you can ask to be re-seated somewhere where it is more comfortable, as they usually reserve a select amount of premium seats for the day of check-in. Happy baby, happy flight.

 

But I would try and contact them beforehand, as nowadays, people rush at reserving the good seats. With my family of 3, some planes have 3 seats on the side. So we had a whole row to ourselves on a few flights, but sadly they are mostly 2-seaters. A few times at check-in at the airport from cheap airlines, we had the surprise privilege of being given the first row. Plenty of legroom there. Most airline personnel do try to make it easier for those with little children, and give them seating and check-in pre-boarding priority. It stops around kindergarten age. So a nice advantage with that.

Okay I'll consider doing that. I think I can still edit my flight online

[Andre77]

On 4/20/2024 at 12:05 PM, Katty said:

Okay I'll consider doing that. I think I can still edit my flight online

😊