Maybe there’s a destination you’ve wanted to visit, but you’ve never made the significant travel arrangements. You may have even begun looking into international travel options, hotel rates, and famous sights in the area you want to visit. Instead of just daydreaming about that perfect vacation, it’s time to start planning it. You’ll find a much better deal if you take the time to plan your trip in the off-season rather than delaying until the busiest travel period.
Here are some helpful ideas to help you plan your international trip on a shoestring budget.
Making a Reservation for a Flight
International airfare will account for the majority of your trip’s cost. Booking your flight well in advance of your trip is essential. Start looking for flights 90 days or more before departure. Use a travel search engine like Kayak to get an idea of the price of tickets for your destination. Examine airports that are not located in well-known tourist areas as well. These smaller airports frequently have bus and rail connections to major cities.
Credit cards with airline miles or hotel rewards are popular among international travelers. Getting one of these cards might be a wise choice if you intend to travel frequently. Choose a credit card with few limitations on how you can use your points and bonus points. Additionally, look for a card that has no fees for international transactions. You won’t incur significant fees when using that card while traveling.
Perhaps you’ve put off planning a trip because you’re concerned about how uncomfortable the lengthy international flight will be. Fortunately, you can apply many wise purchasing techniques to get a fantastic deal on a business-class upgrade. Some strategies for getting a low-cost upgrade include:
- purchasing a seat on a nearly full plane,
- at the gate, offer your seat to a different traveler.
- looking for a business-class seat two-for-one deal;
- enquiring about upgrade offers that might be available on the day of your flight with the gate attendant.
Housing Options
A significant portion of your budget for international travel goes toward lodging. Booking housing well before your trip date is wise, just like booking flights. The cost of hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals are likely to increase as the peak tourist season draws near and more travelers reserve flights. You can set up price alerts and learn more about the lodging choices available at your destination using a travel search website.
If you have relatives or friends who live nearby, ask them if you can stay at their house or if they know of a cheap vacation rental. Try contacting hotels directly and enquiring about any current promotions on rates. Many offer better rates when you make a direct reservation with a hotel. Another choice is regularly searching for significant hotel discounts and participating in hotel hopping. The main caution here is that before deciding to switch hotels daily, you should find out if any security charges will be deducted from your credit or debit card.
Although it may be tempting, going to an all-inclusive resort or package can be costly and restrictive. If you go on excursions, you’ll have fewer options for where to eat and might end up skipping meals entirely. You may also find rental-by-owner and hostel options in larger areas. These housing options may be cost-effective picks. They might not have as many amenities as a full-service hotel, but they can provide a place to sleep for a reasonable price.
Explore Without Breaking the Bank
You undoubtedly anticipate doing a lot of exploring while on your international trip. You’ll need to look for cheap attractions and excursion deals if you want to keep busy every day. First, give a travel agent a call and enquire about excursion packages available in the region you’re visiting. Travel brokers frequently have access to local guides and expeditions that must be listed online. You’ll also have someone to contact if something goes wrong with one of your excursions.
Looking for an all-city entertainment pass is also a smart move. Such passes include tickets for a variety of attractions. Pay close attention to the fine print on your all-city passes. Every pass has specifications, including how many days it can be used. Of course, buying rail and transit passes is a smart way to cut your transportation costs to get from destination to destination too.
How to Find Last-Minute Deals
If you’re looking to book a last-minute flight, you’ll need to keep an open mind about your destination. Make a list of a few destinations you’d like to visit and look at deals for each of those places. Remember that travel deals change daily, and landing an excellent price for your international trip means having the patience to review dozens of deals. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be challenging to get started. Try searching the most popular travel destinations to find out what hot deals are available now.
Featured Image: Unsplash © Annie Spratt
