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12 Easy Money Saving Travel Tips

Sally French is a travel rewards expert who joined NerdWallet in 2020. She previously wrote about travel and credit cards for The New York Times and its sibling site, Wirecutter.

Outside of work, she loves fitness, and she competes in both powerlifting and weightlifting (she can deadlift more than triple bodyweight). Naturally, her travels always involve a fitness component, including a week of cycling up the coastline of Vietnam and a camping trip to the Arctic Circle, where she biked over the sea ice. Other adventures have included hiking 25 miles in one day through Italy's Cinque Terre and climbing the 1,260 steps to Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi, Thailand.

She lives in San Francisco.

Meghan Coyle started as a web producer and writer at NerdWallet in 2018. She covers travel rewards, including industry news, airline and hotel loyalty programs, and how to travel on points. She is based in Los Angeles.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Table of Contents

1. Pack light

2. shop at local grocery stores, 3. pack snacks, 4. get yourself into the airport lounge, 5. arrive early, 6. get tsa precheck or global entry membership fees reimbursed, 7. take advantage of credit card free night certificates, 8. book hotel rooms on points, 9. travel during the offseason or shoulder season, 10. explore tourist attractions that don't cost you any money, 11. get a baseline understanding of typical costs, 12. consider travel insurance, how to save money on travel.

Travel can be expensive, whether it's high gas prices during your road trip or increasing travel demand causing hotel and airline costs to rise.

But it doesn't have to be as costly as you might think with these 12 tips for saving money on travel.

Packing light is undoubtedly beneficial for avoiding checked bag fees , but there are a few other incentives to do so. For starters, packing light means you can get around a lot easier. With a light suitcase or backpack, you're more agile, enabling you to navigate public transit rather than feel like you need to pay for a taxi.

So how do you pack light ? Bring clothes that you can wash easily in a sink. Look for items that dry quickly, and pick clothes that you can mix and match. Default to basic items that go with pretty much any outfit, so you don't need to cram four pairs of shoes into your bag.

Plus, packing light means you won't be tempted to pay for souvenirs — because limited capacity in your suitcase or backpack will deter your urges.

Visiting local markets can be an adventure on its own. You'll find different types of foods that you wouldn't necessarily come across at home. Plus, having food on hand means you'll likely save money, as you'll be less tempted to buy the stale, overpriced muffin from the hotel cafe just because you were hungry.

If you can't visit a local market, packing snacks from home is the next best thing. Look for protein-heavy items like jerky and protein bars, which can make you feel full and not take up too much space in your luggage.

Bottled water can also shape up to be a considerable expense when you're on the go. Assuming you have access to a clean water source, pack your canteen, and consider a portable water bottle that can collapse to fit in your pocket.

» Learn more: A beginner’s guide to budget travel

The Centurion Lounge at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has a full buffet and access for certain American Express cardholders. (Photo courtesy of American Express)

Airport lounges offer one of the best ways to get food while traveling. Many premium travel credit cards offer lounge access as perks, generally through the Priority Pass lounge membership program . Food quality ranges by lounge, but you can usually expect light snacks like fruit, chips, cookies and coffee. The fancier lounges sometimes provide entire buffet meals.

on American Express' website

Priority Pass Select membership. Enrollment required.

Terms apply.

Eight free Priority Pass lounge visits per year.

Some of the best airport lounges in the world are run by big banks. Those include the Capital One lounges , which offer unlimited, complimentary access to cardholders of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card . There are also Chase lounges , as well as the AmEx Centurion Lounges .

Beyond food, lounges can provide Wi-Fi speeds typically faster than what's offered in the airport. In addition, some lounges offer showers, exercise rooms or massages. Get to the airport early to maximize the amenities.

Leave plenty of time to get to the airport early. If you're running late, you might hail an overpriced cab in a panic instead of taking public transportation at typically a fraction of the cost. You may also find that rideshare prices could be higher for routes to the airport at certain times. Having more time allows you to avoid the surge pricing.

Don't risk having to rebook a flight last minute because you arrived late.

» Learn more: 6 smart ways to travel cheaply

You can speed through airport crowds by applying for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry . Both are types of Trusted Traveler programs offered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

If approved, you'll be able to use expedited lanes, which typically have shorter, quicker lines because travelers aren't forced to remove their shoes, laptops, belts or jackets. According to TSA's data, 94% of TSA PreCheck passengers waited less than five minutes in December 2021.

Certain credit cards will reimburse your application fee , typically $85 for TSA PreCheck or $100 for Global Entry (though the TSA PreCheck fee has recently changed to $78 ).

Aeroplan® Credit Card .

Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card .

Chase Sapphire Reserve® .

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® .

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card .

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card .

IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card .

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card .

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card .

The Platinum Card® from American Express .

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card .

United Club℠ Infinite Card .

United℠ Explorer Card .

United Quest℠ Card .

U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card .

Certain credit cards will reimburse your application fee , typically $78 for TSA PreCheck or $100 for Global Entry.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card .

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card . Enrollment required.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card . Enrollment required.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card . Enrollment required.

The Platinum Card® from American Express . Enrollment required.

» Learn more: How to add TSA PreCheck to your airline ticket

Some hotel credit cards — even those with sub-$100 annual fees — offer free hotel night certificates . Assuming the value of your hotel room is more than the credit card's annual fee (which it very easily can be), it could be a smart move to get one of these cards to save some money with a free night stay.

on Chase's website

• Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.

• Free Night Award (valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $15,000 in a calendar year.

• Free Night Award (valued up to 85,000 points) every year after your account renewal month.

Plus, these cards typically offer extra benefits like elite status , making your stay more enjoyable, and bonus points, which can make future stays free — or at least cheaper.

Speaking of bonus points, it's almost always a good idea to spend your hotel points rather than save them. Booking rooms on points versus cash is certainly a smart way to avoid dipping into your cash savings for a vacation, but there are a few other benefits:

You may avoid resort fees: Resort fees (those extra charges that hotels impose to cover additional amenity usages like pools and Wi-Fi) are irritating, and they can sometimes run north of $50 per night. Thankfully, some hotel loyalty programs, including Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt , don't charge them for rooms booked on points.

You might get extra discounts: For stays booked on points, you might unlock additional discounts for staying longer. For example, you receive the lowest point-value night free for every five consecutive nights stayed at a Marriott property funded with Marriott Bonvoy points. Hilton has a similar policy where members with at least Silver Elite membership receive the fifth night free when booking on points.

If you can travel during the offseason, that's not only a way to avoid crowds and the headaches that come with them, but you'll usually be able to get a better deal. A NerdWallet analysis of over 1,110 airfares found that airfares averaged more expensive for holiday travel than any other booking window .

Airfares for flight routes during the holiday season average 41% more expensive than other flights booked roughly six months out during non-holiday seasons.

Shoulder season can be even better than off-season by providing the best of both worlds: lower prices that come with off season, but the better weather and reduced likelihood of closures that come with peak season.

The Hamon Observation Tower at San Francisco's de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park is free to visit.

Even trips to notoriously expensive spots like San Francisco, New York City or Walt Disney World don't have to break the bank.

For example, there are tons of free and cheap things to do at Disney World . Ride around the monorail, or watch fireworks from the beach at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. In addition, you can find free walking tours in most major cities (though tour guides typically rely on gratuity, so tip accordingly).

Prioritize the free tourist attractions over the ones that have a fee. For example, tickets to San Francisco's de Young Museum cost about $15, but you can go to one of its coolest rooms, the Hamon Observation Tower, for free panoramic views of the city.

And while there are dozens of excellent cultural institutions in St. Louis, start at the ones that have free admission, including the Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Science Center and Saint Louis Zoo. If time permits, then turn to the attractions with a fee.

» Learn more: How to find cheap activities in any city

Knowing the general prices of things can help you avoid getting up charged with a so-called, unofficial "tourist tax."

For instance, look up average taxi costs before you travel so you know the ranges to expect. Consider researching typical prices for items at the market so you can haggle with confidence. Avoid overpaying on a bus fare by knowing how to purchase official tickets in advance.

If you're worried about losing the value of upfront travel costs, consider purchasing travel insurance . This optional standalone insurance can be purchased separately from your airfare.

But you might not even need to pay out-of-pocket for trip insurance because many credit cards offer travel insurance as a built-in benefit to customers who pay for travel expenses such as flights or hotels on that card.

Sometimes, though, not even trip insurance will guarantee a refund. Unless you’ve purchased a Cancel For Any Reason policy , which is usually more expensive, you’re only entitled to a refund if you cancel for a covered reason.

Travel costs can add up. Your vacation might not be as cheap as that slick airfare deal may have led you to believe when you factor in other expenses. Often, vacation spending can rocket past your initial budget once you're out on the road.

Saving money on travel with these tricks can give you more freedom to spend where you need, whether that's on this trip or your next one.

To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page .

To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, see this page .

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2022 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee:   Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards:  Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card  

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

• Miles & Points
• Travel Tips
• Inspiration & Ideas
• Travel Gear

The 100 Best Money-Saving Travel Tips (2022)

Feature Image by FellowNeko/Shutterstock

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There is no denying that travel can be expensive. A pastime that was limited to only the wealthy not too many years ago, travel has become widely accessible to a full range of budgets. From five-star hotels and first-class flights to budget airlines and hostels, there is an extensive range of options available to the modern traveler.

For those looking to stretch the budget so that they can make the most of their vacation, the below list of 100 money-saving tips for travel provides a detailed approach to finding savings in every aspect of a trip.

From the early days of the trip planning stage to the time spent at your destination, there will naturally be plenty of choices and decisions where having a little bit of extra knowledge can help save enough for an extra special meal or an added attraction or activity.

Pick and choose the best tips for your trip plan and save them down as reminders in the same place as your itinerary. Expect that every bit of money saved helps, especially for couples or families traveling, where a few dollars savings per person can add up.

Travel Plan and Budget Money-Saving Tips

1. Set a Budget and Track Your Expenses

One of the most obvious yet often overlooked tips, having an awareness of how much you are willing to spend on your trip in the first place, is an excellent place to start. 

Untracked spending can add up. You can create an estimate of expenses as you plan your trip, then compare the actual costs against the estimate as you go. With this tracking, you can quickly identify where you are over or under budget and make adjustments early in your trip.

Use a spreadsheet on your phone, notebook app, shared notebook over the cloud, budget app, or even keep track on paper. Evernote offers a great free phone app to keep track of trip expenses and planning in one spot, with access across devices available for planning between a computer and phone. 

2. Book Fully Refundable Reservations as Early as You Can

There is no greater frustration in trip planning than missing out on a great hotel rate or airfare. Knowing that your indecision cost you potentially hundreds of dollars is a regret that won’t escape your mind quickly.  

Get yourself comfortable making and canceling reservations as part of the trip planning process. Then, if you see a decent rate that happens to be fully cancelable without a penalty and, even better, require no prepayment, book now and decide later.

These limited-commitment options are more often seen with hotel bookings than airfare, where more stringent cancelation policies exist. Though, when you come across an extremely cheap airfare, if there is flexibility to change the dates, a quick decision can help save you a lot of money on the fare.

Don’t forget to set reminders to cancel any bookings before the cancelation deadline. Your savings will quickly be lost when you find out that you accidentally booked two hotels for the same dates.

3. Stay Away From Big Cities

Larger cities with higher real estate costs, labor, goods, and services are guaranteed to be more expensive than the suburbs around the same cities or other less populated destinations.  

Sometimes it may be difficult to skip Paris if the purpose of the trip is to visit Paris’s attractions. But, for destinations like New England, you can save serious cash by avoiding staying in Boston if your objective is to see the historical sights around the region. Instead, head into the city for the day and book your hotel closer to towns like Lexington, Concord, Salem, Gloucester, or Plymouth.

4. Consider Off-Season or Shoulder-Season Travel

With peak-season dates comes peak-season pricing, providing great deals to be found for travelers willing to opt for a less popular time to visit. 

Most European destinations during July and August command the highest rates out of the whole year. However, visitors who can take their European vacation in late September or October will find lower hotel rates, less crowded attractions, and better rental car and airfare deals. From November to February in Europe, even better values can be found.  

Bigger cities or regions with a temperate climate will offer the best off or shoulder-season experiences. For example, while no one wants to visit a beach during a freezing winter week, Vienna, Rome, Kyoto, or Amsterdam can offer different experiences during the colder weather months. Visitors will find plenty to do, fewer tourists competing for the same attractions, and far less budget required to enjoy the same food, museums, architecture, and sights, minus the lines and crowds.

5. For Multiple Destinations, Search Flexible Routings

Nearly all airfare search engines, booking websites, or airline websites offer a third search option after round-trip, and one-way journeys, the multi-city option. This option is great for entering more complicated itineraries and seeing if the airfare comes back cheaper than booking separate one-way flights.

You can book open-jaw flights, where your departure flight is into one airport, and the return flight is back from another one—for example, flying from New York to London and returning on a Paris to New York flight.

You can book stopover flights, where you stay overnight or longer in one connection city before flying on to your destination, and then return directly back from your final destination. An example of this would be flying from New York to Paris for three nights, then Paris to Rome, and flying back to New York after four days in Rome.

You can even book a series of one-way tickets ending up back at your original departure point. An example of this would be New York to London to Paris to Rome to New York.  

While you may find that this search method returns more expensive results, there can often be savings found in some of the results, with simplified routing being an added benefit in some cases.

6. Setup Notifications or Email Alerts for Travel Deals or Newsletters

Subscribing to notifications from airlines, hotel chains, and travel booking sites will help to bring the deals to you. The downside of receiving these alerts is the frequency and volume of them, which can easily fill up your inbox.

Set up email rules to filter the emails into folders or categories. Consider setting up a separate email address to receive all of these emails separate from your primary email, where you can periodically skim the mails for deals when you are ready to book travel.

7. Be flexible With Your Travel Dates

Rates and airfare can fluctuate wildly between dates. For example, flying on a Friday could be more expensive than leaving Saturday morning, while hotel rates one week could be twice as expensive as the week before. 

Events, conventions, and higher demand can vary in rates, airfare, rental cars, and even restaurant availability. You can ensure you aren’t unnecessarily booking during a higher-cost week by starting your rate and fare searches with a range of dates in mind and even using flexible search date fields when available.

8. Avoid Peak Weeks at All Costs

Every destination has its own peak weeks for visitors every year. These could be the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day for ski resorts, Golden Week Holiday in China and greater Asia, school holiday weeks in different countries, and many others.

Depending on the destination, these peak visitor weeks can see hotel rates soar, restaurants book out, and lines for attractions quadruple in length. By avoiding these weeks, you’ll save money across nearly every part of your travel budget.

9. Search For Flights With Google Flights Explore

The most useful feature in Google Flights during the trip planning stage, Google Flights explore allows users to search for flights from a certain airport or airports without a destination and across a whole month. This essentially allows you to search for the cheapest flights across a whole region or even across the world by displaying prices on a world map.

Use Google Flights Explore to start with cheap flights for a trip to start off with one of the more costly aspects of travel.

Money-Saving Tips for Sightseeing

10. Ask for Seniors, Student, and Children Tickets or Discounts

One of the most obvious tips, yet often overlooked, keep an eye out for senior, student, and children tickets or discounts at attractions. These are usually listed along with the standard or adult ticket prices but can sometimes be unlisted. If discounted prices, just ask. 

11. Research Ticket Costs Ahead For Online Discounts

Always search online for tickets to an attraction before visiting. Check both the attractions website and a general search on Google for discounted tickets. 

Checking the attraction website can often show discounted tickets for theme parks, zoos, aquariums, museums, and more prominent attractions with higher ticket prices. These types of attractions benefit from earlier ticket sales as it helps to lock in a deal before you show up, and it helps to make for an efficient ticket sales process on site. This reduces line length and can save you time as well. 

Searching for discounted tickets on Google will help reveal any offers that don’t come directly from the attraction itself. Sometimes you can find discounted tickets through resellers or other organizations with sales agreements with the attraction. 

The knowledge of online discounts can, in many situations, be booked on the same day, allowing you to buy tickets with a discount standing right outside the attraction. This is great for those hesitant to book ahead. 

12. Avoid Booking Ahead

This tip may seem contradictory to the previous one but is essential to consider for weather-related attractions or sights. Booking ahead can commit you to a suboptimal day.

If you are visiting a skyscraper or mountain top viewpoint on a cloudy or foggy day, you’ll be let down by not seeing iconic sights you possibly paid ahead to see. Going to a theme park on a day when it’s pouring rain can be just as miserable. 

Anytime that weather or conditions can significantly impact the enjoyment of the sight, consider holding back on booking ahead, even if there is a discount by doing so. Visiting at a suboptimal time may not appear as overpaying, but it is when the conditions impact your enjoyment. 

13. Find Attraction Passes in Big Cities

Many popular cities offer tourist passes or cards that either includes entry to a number of the top sights and attractions or discounted tickets to each of them. 

These are most frequently found in Europe, with Paris, Rome, London, and Barcelona having them on offer amongst several cities and regions. Search the destination you are visiting to see if these types of passes are available for potentially significant discounts and the ability to skip the ticket line at attractions. 

The most significant savings from these passes comes when you can visit the most attractions on them. Travelers who prefer to pack a day from early to late with sightseeing will find great value. Those with more casual itineraries should calculate the individual tickets against the price of the pass to confirm it’s worth it. 

Using the Paris Pass as an example, the pass includes the Louvre, the Mussee, D’Orsay, Centre Pompidou, the Rodin Museum, Notre Dame, and over 75 attractions, including the most famous museums across the city. As a result, a two to six-day pass can provide significant savings across a trip, but only if it is used frequently enough. 

14. Find a List of Free Things to do in a City 

Web magazines, bloggers, and travel websites like this one love to publish lists of free things to do in a city. Search for these lists at your destination in Google and start your trip plan from there. 

Visitors will often find plenty of free things as an alternative to paid attractions in any given city, with architecture, nature, and viewing points being easy options. 

Below are a few examples of free thing to do lists for cities around the world:

Tokyo  – Tokyo Cheapo’s 101 Free Things to do in Tokyo

Paris – Timeout’s Best Free Things to do in Paris

London – Visit London’s 101 Free Things to do in London

New York  – Timeout’s Best Free Things to do in New York

15. Prioritize the List of Places You Want to Visit that Charge Admission

A perfect travel itinerary is often balanced with various sights, activities, and getting to know a city. The types of attractions or sights that typically charge admission are often the same: museums, viewpoints, historic buildings and homes, theme parks, zoos, nature parks. 

Prioritize the specific. Places you would like to visit to ensure you aren’t paying too much for admission over a trip. For a casual traveler, seeing more than a few museums over a few days is too much to keep your attention. 

Instead of visiting all of the top museums in a city, choose the ones that interest you the most and skip the rest. While the fear of missing out on a key attraction may drive us to keep buying tickets to everything, casual museum-goers will appreciate not paying to mindlessly wander through a fourth or fifth one on a trip. 

16. Opt for Group Tours over Private Guides

Private guides will always provide a sense of security and focused attention, especially when visiting countries where a different language is spoken or an intimidating street environment that makes you feel like you may get lost. 

The reality of a private tour guide is that they will often deliver the same information at sights as a group tour will, but at a much higher cost. 

While a private tour guide has many benefits and having idle chit-chat between attractions can help get to know a city, the cost can be significantly more expensive than a group tour. 

17. Skip the Paid Tourist Viewpoints

Seeing an iconic city skyline from a high viewpoint is one of the most exciting parts of travel. A perfect photo of a sunset lit sky or a fully lit city at night can make for the best travel photos. One consideration that is often overlooked in travel planning is the cost of tickets and time spent waiting for popular views. 

Plenty of cities offer alternative viewpoints that can be visited for free, with some even offering better views. 

If you are visiting Paris, skip the Eiffel Tower and opt for Montmarte. Not only is the viewpoint free, but you also get the Eiffel Tower included in your iconic photo, which you can see when you are standing on top of it. 

If you are in Hong Kong, skip Sky100 or the Peak Tower and visit the Lion’s Pavillion for a free and wide-open view of the iconic city skyline.

If you are in Tokyo, pass on the Tokyo Skytree or the iconic Tokyo Tower. Opt for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which offers sweeping views of the city, with Mt. Fuji visible on a clear day.  

Airfare Money-Saving Tips

18. Search on Google Flights

There are plenty of great flight searches online, with many having different business models or capabilities. However, Google Flights consistently offers the most extensive search results and the best features for searching flexible itineraries.  

Start with Google Flights to cover searches across dates, airports, and even use the explore function to search for low airfare to whole regions at a time. Want to go to Europe and not too picky about the exact city? Using the explore function, Google Flights will search for the cheapest airfare across the whole region in one single search.

The search feature also allows you to search across multiple cities simultaneously, and with easy-to-use alerts, you can wait for the best deals to come to your inbox.

19. Earn Miles from Credit Cards

Most airline mileage programs have transitioned from awarding mileage on miles flown to awarding them on dollars spent. Unfortunately, outside of business travelers and those paying for business or first class fares, this makes earning meaningful balances from flying increasingly tricky for the less frequent traveler. 

One alternative to earn sizeable mileage balances for reward flights is earning through credit card spending. Many airlines offer affiliated credit cards that earn miles with the use of the card for everyday spending and offer lucrative signup bonuses that can sometimes be enough for a reward flight. 

20. Book long layovers on flights to add a city

Long layovers are typically dreaded. They can extend your flight itinerary and require you to spend extended time in an airport, tired and waiting. 

Use these long layovers to your advantage. Those looking to add an extra destination to their trip can consider flights with long layovers that last from a full day or overnight to an extra day. Leave your luggage checked in and head out to see a different city you weren’t expecting to visit. 

You can also search directly for these layovers using the multi-city search function on airlines websites. When connecting at the airline’s hubs, there can at times be no difference in fare price for a couple of days layover. Some airlines even prompt these types of bookings as an added benefit. 

Search for these by targeting major airline hubs. 

To name a few options:

Emirates Airlines – Dubai

Singapore Airlines – Singapore

British Airways – London

Air France – Paris

ANA – Tokyo

Korean Airlines – Seoul

21. Don’t pay for seat selection when traveling in groups of two or more

Airlines love scaring travelers with the idea of getting a dreaded middle seat by charging seat selection fees to prey on these fears. 

When traveling in groups of two or more, the airlines will typically seat guests next to each other, except in situations where there are only middle seats available. 

While there is no guarantee that you will be seated together, there is a higher likelihood that you and your travel group will be put into seats next to each other, avoiding all being put into middle seats. 

There is an element of playing with chance with this tactic in that there is no guarantee in the terms of the fare that you won’t get random middle seats. But conversely, by paying a seat selection fee for a middle seat, you will be paying a fee to reserve one of the least desirable seats. 

Single travelers that dread the idea of getting a middle seat may still want to pay these fees for peace of mind. 

22. Search Across Different Dates and Different Airports

Airfare supply and demand can create significant anomalies at times. For example, flights one day can come in much higher than the next, and two nearby airports can offer vastly different fares.

Put in flexible search conditions and even tick the box to check fares across multiple days if you can. Depending on your location, consider flying from different departure airports that are within reach of your home. Then look for other airports that you could practically arrive at, and search for all of the combinations.

Instead of searching for only flights from BWI Airport to London Heathrow, consider searching for Dulles and Reagan airports, and also include Gatwick, Stanstead, and London City airports. The expanded search covers a much higher number of flights when connections are considered, giving you the lowest possible fare from your location.

23. Fly on an Off-Peak Day or Time

While business travel has naturally been reduced from the pandemic, higher demand travel times remain depending on the location. 

Some cities can see higher fares in the morning or evening than late afternoon weekday flights, while these afternoon flights can have higher fares on weekend days. 

Limiting yourself to specific times and days of the week can reduce the possibility of finding the cheapest fares. 

24. If You Find a Deal, Search Across Sites and With the Airline

When you have finally found flights that work for you and are at a reasonable cost, search for the same flights across several other sites to spot anomalies. Then, run an additional search on the airline’s website to see if they offer a lower fare as well.

While today’s flight searches seem as though they cover everything, you’d be surprised at how often an extra search can uncover additional savings.

25. Make Sure You Are Considering All Costs When Comparing Airfares

While low-cost airlines have been around for some time, the introduction of cheaper airfares from full-service airlines marketed as basic economy fares is a recent industry innovation. These are different from traditional economy fares. Some airlines have limited the carry-on baggage to a single personal item that can fit under the seat and no longer includes seat selection in the fare.

Low-cost airlines are well known for charging for bags, carry-on baggage, seat selection, the printing of tickets at the airport, snacks, drinks, the use of bathroom inflight, and more.

While these airlines and different airfare categories can help save money, calculate the final cost before committing to one option over a traditional economy fare. Saving a few dollars to have your legroom cut, seat padding limited, and likely a long delay with your flight may not be the best savings when considering the stress it could add.

Airport and Inflight Money Saving Tips

26. Bring Food to the Airport

While bringing drinks through airport security is highly restricted, bringing food is not. So skip the typical and generally bad airport food officers to save some money by bringing your own sandwich, fruit, and snacks to enjoy before your flight. 

All items must be adequately wrapped and may need to go through the scanner separately, but for a family, homemade food for the airport is an easy way to save at the start of a trip. 

27. Bring Snacks For The Flight

To extend the tip from above, bring your own snacks for the flight. Skipping the airport snack purchases saves money on candy and snacks and allows you to consider healthier options that might not be found at the airport.

The limitations on liquids are still in place, so be mindful that the snacks will need to go through security. 

28. Don’t Buy Anything at The Airport

Limit your airport purchases to only things in the event of an emergency. Skip the books, ignore the magazines, avoid the bags of candy and snacks, use your own water bottle to skip buying one, and don’t fall in love with an intelligent travel gadget.

Anything you find at the airport will be overpriced, so you can find it outside if you do need it. Except for a last-minute purchase of a local food or snack as a gift, which will also be more expensive than outside the airport, there is no need to spend extra money shopping at the airport.

29. Get Dropped Off or Take an Uber

Check the prices on long-term parking and consider asking a friend or family member for a pickup or drop-off.

Ease the guilt of asking for an untimely favor by Handing over a handmade coupon for you to return the favor for their next trip.

If you don’t have someone close by to take you, or your flight is too early to too late to inconvenience someone, price out the cost of Uber compared to the cost of parking.

30. Download Your Entertainment For The Flight

Buying books and magazines at the airport bookstore has long been one of the standard travel experiences. A $20 book for two 8-hour flights was a worthwhile investment to stay entertained.

With inflight entertainment, tablets, kindles, laptops, mobile phones, and offline downloads from streaming services, there is no reason to pay extra at the airport for entertainment.

Download everything you need before you head to the airport, and you’ll have no worries once you switch to airplane mode.

Transportation and Getting Around

31. Walk Everywhere You Can

Walking is not only a great tip for saving money while traveling; it allows you to get to see a city in a way that you never could in a subway, bus, or even speeding by buildings in the back of your car. 

Getting your steps in is also a fantastic way to burn the extra vacation calories, giving you an excuse for the extra crepe, waffle, gelato, or mango sticky rice. 

32. Know Your Traffic Rules and Speed Limits

Driving in another country is far less intimidating than most people expect. However, the relief of getting on the road can quickly turn to overconfidence, with drivers losing track of traffic laws, speed limits, and parking rules. 

Be aware of the laws and your own speed to avoid receiving a ticket in person or even a camera-triggered ticket in the mail weeks after returning home from your trip. 

33. Look for Multi-Day Transport Passes

Whether you are looking for a European rail pass, Japanese rail pass, regional pass in a particular country, or city pass covering a city, transport passes across multiple days can offer a lot of Vaud to travelers. 

Typically these passes are offered exclusively to foreign visitors, which is below what typical commuters would pay for a similar amount of use. 

Consider the transportation included, the number of days of validity, and your expected use before purchasing. For example, a $10 a day all-you-can ride subway pass sounds like a no-brainer until you estimate that you really only need one or two round trips at $1.50 a ticket, for a total cost of $3 or $6 maximum. 

The same goes for long-distance trips. For example, the weeklong JR Rail pass in Japan is often purchased by travelers who only use it for a round trip train journey from Tokyo to Kyoto, which is cheaper if purchased separately. 

Calculate your needs first, and if it makes sense with your itinerary, make the purchase. 

34. Compare Rental Car vs. Rail Pass

Europe is famous for its rail passes, making them an iconic part of traveling across the continent. As a result, international travelers will often assume that rail is the most logical option for easy travel and even cost, with great multi-day passes. 

The above assumption is typically correct for single travelers moving between cities, though a key exception is when traveling as a group. One rental car can offset four rail passes, providing substantial savings depending on the itinerary. 

Don’t forget to factor in tolls, gas, and parking when comparing the options. While a rental car can provide a level of convenience as a sort of a mobile home base, the comfort can be lost when city-hopping across Europe. 

35. Use Public Transportation

Public transportation can be intimidating for inexperienced travelers and with language barriers. Some countries cater well to foreigners with English signage and announcements, while others make navigating bus routes nearly impossible for non-locals. 

Anytime you use public transportation like local trains, subways, or buses, you’ll find significant savings over taxis, Uber, or car services. 

Subway or rail lines should be the first option when available, with the ease of use limiting the intimidation factor. Bus lines are also a viable option if you feel comfortable with the information available to navigate the network. 

Multiplied over a whole trip, using public transportation is an easy option for daily savings. Reserve the taxi or Uber trips for late-night trips back to your accommodation to stay safe. 

36. Use Google Maps and Citymapper Apps to Get Around

Beyond money-saving tips, both of these apps are travel essentials for anyone looking to get around major cities. Both offer easy-to-understand directions, with integrated public transportation routes.

Those looking to navigate public transportation systems will find these apps do all the hard work, breaking down the route, location of stations or stops, and walking directions to get there. Then, all you need to do is research how to use the city’s transportation.

37. See If the City Offers Public Bicycles

In the current times, with environmental awareness and quality of life in city’s getting a lot of focus, public bicycle sharing has become more prevalent globally. Globally there are different programs, ranging from government-sponsored bike rentals to companies offering public bike use.  

Research to see if your destination offers public bicycles and see how to sign up for use. Not only does using a bike in place of more expensive transportation save money, but it’s also a great way to see a city.  

Check out Citi Bikes as an example of how New York City’s program works.

Saving Money on Cruises

38. Book Last Minute Cruises

Unlike hotel rooms and airfares that can spike in price for last-minute bookings, especially when limited rooms or seats are available, cruise bookings will generally drop in price.

The primary reason for this is the business model of a cruise ship, where significant revenues come from onboard sales, activities, meals, drinks, and gambling. Fewer guests aboard will limit the ability for ships to make these additional revenues, incentivizing cruise lines to drop prices at the last minute to fill the vessel up.

Those with flexible plans or willing to wait until later can find significant savings booking as late as possible. However, this also runs the risk of missing a dream destination for specific dates, so you should only wait if you are flexible.

39. Consider the Cheaper Room Options

A window with a view or a balcony to get fresh air is essential for some cruise fans or first-time cruisers looking for the best experience, though they cost more than the inside rooms. 

Consider an inside room for some easy savings on a cruise, with the room category being the cheapest available across ships. While the lack of an outside view does t sound optimal, those planning on making the most of the ship’s facilities will find that their room is primarily used for sleeping and showering, and a window at night doesn’t offer much scenery when at sea. 

Families in need of more than one room can request an inside room across the hall from a room with a balcony. This helps balance the budget and have the best of both worlds in savings and outside space. 

40. Know The Cruise Line’s Policy on Bringing Alcohol Onboard

Cruise lines vary in their policies for bringing alcohol on board. Some are pretty restrictive, limiting guests to only bringing a bottle of wine or two per person, while others are more relaxed.

Confirm the policy before traveling to maximize your allowance. For example, buying on board can be more costly, and having a bottle of wine to enjoy from a sea view balcony offers an affordable way to enjoy a sunset aboard. 

41. Pay-up for a Beverage or Dining Package

Beyond the base dining package on cruises, various premium packages are available depending on the line. These include meals at the higher-end onboard restaurants to all-you-can-drink options across the ship’s bars and lounges. 

Those who plan on enjoying more drinks and better meals can find decent savings with these packages compared to ordering individually throughout the trip. Research the costs of ordering off-menu to see if these packages are the right choice for your trip. 

42. Bring Aboard Everything You Will Need

Cruise ships at sea are the perfect captive consumer base that cruise lines love when pricing items for their shops. As a result, they can almost charge guests whatever they want for essentials, steep premiums over what can be found in stores on land. 

Carefully write your packing list to include everything from essential medication, toiletries, suntan lotion, batteries, chargers, sunglasses, and swimwear. Limit the possibility of having to buy anything on board to avoid overpaying. 

43. Use Your Credit Card or Visit ATMs When in Port

Stay away from exchanging any currency onboard and use your credit card where possible when visiting each destination. If in need of hard currency, use an ATM to get the lowest exchange rate when in port. 

If you are on a cruise with destinations that use different currencies, avoid getting cash or using it where possible. Even small amounts of leftover currency at each port will result in lost value when exchanged onboard or leftover at the end of a trip. 

44. Try Out the Free Activities Onboard First

Cruise ships can at times feel like floating theme parks with the number of attractions, rides, games, and activities on board. However, the challenge to your wallet can be that many of these attractions have prices associated with them. 

Each ship will offer several free activities, and the information desks can help point these out upon inquiry. Start with the free activities before moving on to the paid ones; this will avoid any unconscious spending when the excitement from being onboard is still high. 

45. Visit the Gift Shop’s on the Last Day

On the last day, ships will often discount items in their stores and gift shops to move inventory and reduce onboard stocks of items. 

If you are looking to pick something up as a gift or souvenir to remember the trip, wait until the last day of the journey to get the best possible price. 

46. Reconsider Paying For WiFi

Unfortunately, some cruise lines still charge daily or trip-long fees for a WiFi connection. Research your ship’s policy before your trip and consider whether you need it. 

Some ships offer several free WiFi locations to help you connect with family or check messages periodically. Consider if you really need to pay the sometimes outrageous fees for a continuous connection or if you can enjoy some time being off the grid. 

How to Save Money on Rental Cars

47. Book Early, Cancel Later On

Many directly booked rental car reservations do not require any down payment and have no cancellation penalty. If you see a reasonable rate and there is no need to worry about your plans or dates changing, get the booking in, and you can cancel later if there is a change.

Be sure to read the rate terms to confirm that you are booking a no-penalty rate.

48. Search For Package Deals

The package deal includes a flight and car rental, and possibly a hotel is often the best way to reduce car rental costs for a trip. Online travel agents like expedia.com or priceline.com often provide the best deals for those booking in one package. 

Perform a couple of searches to compare rates. While the savings for shorter trips may not be massive, you can find significant savings for multiweek trips. 

49. Search For Discounts Before You Book

Rental car companies are notorious for having multiple sales, discounts, corporate discounts, and coupon codes running at all times.  

Do a little research online or check for discounts from organizations you are a member of or your company. Larger travel desks often have discount codes available to staff for pleasure booking, and plenty of other organizations and credit cards also have discounts.

These discounts are more widely available for future reservations compared with last-minute bookings when rental car companies have more knowledge of their supply of cars available.

50. Bring Your Own Child Seat

Rental car companies can often charge $10 or more for a child seat per day. This can really add up across multiple days or with more than one child.

While packing a child seat for a trip may sound like a hassle, your luggage allowance should have room if the child has their own ticket, meaning in most cases, there won’t be an additional cost to bring it.  

Don’t be deterred by the thought of lugging the seat around airports as it only needs to be carried from the baggage return to the rental car pickup. Then it can remain in the car for the rest of your trip.

51. Skip the Added Insurance

Rental car companies are notorious for offering additional insurance that most renters do not need. Offering an additional insurance policy that will cost an additional $30-60 USD per day is an easy way for the fear of driving an unfamiliar car to get the best of us.

Before your trip, check your car insurance policy to confirm your coverage as well as its applicability to rental cars. For drivers and car-owners with existing insurance, many policies will cover everything the $60 policy will cover, with the same deductible you would have to pay if you damaged your own car.

52. Use a Credit Card That Covers the Primary Insurance Deductible

Car rental companies also offer insurance coverage at a per-day cost to cover the deductible you would pay with your policy.  

Beyond your insurance, premium credit cards include additional rental car insurance coverage as part of their benefits. This coverage will not replace your insurance policy but can often supplement it to cover the deductible. 

Yet again, if you have these benefits and are clear on the coverage, there is no reason to buy additional coverage with your rental car that would overlap with the coverage from your credit card.

53. Pay Tolls in Cash or Bring Your Own Toll Pass

Another money grab by rental car companies is to offer the convenience of an automated toll pass located in the car already.  

The pass is set up so if you need to drive through a toll, you can pull down a box to expose the toll pass and go through the automated lane without having to pay at the toll.

The downside of this convenience is that you will still need to cover the tolls, but with some rental car companies, you’ll be charged an additional $5.95 daily fee from the first day you use the pass. After that, the rental company will charge this fee every day until you return the car, even if you only use it once on your first day.

To avoid this charge, pay your tolls in cash or bring your own toll pass on your trip if you have one for added convenience.

54. Turn Down The Extras

Beyond the examples mentioned above, rental car companies offer plenty of extra services that are not essential as part of a trip.  

Prepaying for a full tank of gas when you return the vehicle sounds fair when you see the price. However, in reality, this doesn’t make sense when you realize the likelihood of you managing your gas usage to have a perfectly empty tank is relatively low, meaning you will most likely be paying for gas that you never use.

Paying by the day for satellite radio or GPS in the car is also unnecessary considering that your mobile phone and Bluetooth connectivity will cover both for free.

55. Take a Walk Around the Car Before Driving Off

While it’s not a common occurrence, it’s still possible for a scratch or dent that was previously on a rental car to not be identified by the rental car company when the vehicle was returned, resulting in it being attributed to your rental period.  

To avoid the possibility of taking the blame, charge, and hassle for someone else’s mistake, take a quick walk around your car before you get in and drive off. Then, if you spot something, raise it to the staff.

56. Set a Reminder To Fill-Up on Gas Before Returning

Returning a rental car with a full tank sounds easier said than done when trying to remember your flight time and navigating to the airport on unfamiliar roads. It’s easy to forget the stop you need to make for gas.

Add an alert to your phone, which can be set up even when you make the rental car booking, to make sure you remember to stop around the time you would be driving back to the airport.  

If you remember as you start your drive, don’t enter the airport address into your navigation app, but enter a gas station. Look for one that is close, but not too close, as airport gas stations will charge higher rates than their competitors even a few miles further from the airport.

Shopping Tips to Save Money While Traveling

57. Buy Less

Souvenirs and gifts brought back from vacations used to be an essential part of the experience. They were the best things to keep around to trigger a happy memory and share exotic finds with friends and family.

In previous decades, the number of rolls of film, film processing, and photo printing could add to a traveler’s costs. Fast forward to the digital age, and you can photograph or take a video of almost everything on your trip.  

Enjoy capturing your memories in photos and video, and enjoy not needing to buy as many things to remember a destination. Of course, this doesn’t mean you don’t shop while traveling, just that being more thoughtful in your purchases can save you money.  

58. Avoid The Touristy Souvenirs

The Big Ben snow globe probably doesn’t drive the same excitement in the 2020s as it did in the late 1980s, so no need to pick one up.

Pass on the overly touristy souvenirs, which are often overpriced and not even made in the country you are visiting. For example, the cheap chopstick set at the Tokyo gift shop may cost a lot less than a handmade set from a specialty store. However, there is a much higher possibility of the budget-friendly set having its paint chip away after a few years, while the handmade set could last a lifetime.

59. Don’t Be Afraid to Bargain or Negotiate

Bargaining or negotiating prices in the US and other Western countries is not typical due to the corporate nature of the economies. The produce manager in your big box grocery store is not likely to be able to accept your lower price for oranges because you are pretty convincing.  

Many other countries worldwide have long histories of market cultures allowing for or even expecting bargaining for the price as part of the experience.

Don’t be shy about asking a shopkeeper or market stall owner for a lower price or a special deal when buying more than one item. Each country has its own norms on bargaining, so be sure to research a little and don’t be intimidated asking for a better price.

60. Look Out for Local Heritage Brands as Souvenirs

Many countries or regions often have decades-old local brands that have stood the test of time and built up a loyal following. These brands could sell anything from soap to knives to tools but are often closely associated with their home country and may not even be known overseas.  

Once you have done a little research to find the legendary local brands, take a stop by a local store that is not remotely touristy to find those items as a gift.  

Examples of this could be picking up a tool at a German hardware store, paper at a Tokyo stationery shop, or a traditional corkscrew in Spain. These common everyday items will make fantastic alternatives to cheap souvenirs and save you money if you find something you need.

61. Buy Something You Will Consume

Rather than forcing yourself to buy another coffee mug, t-shirt, or keychain that you don’t need, buy everyday items that you can enjoy.  

Look for local soap, shampoo, cosmetics, or everyday personal care items. Also, consider buying food items in the grocery store that you’d love to try, sample sauces, pickles, spices, noodles, oils, or snacks.  

By purchasing consumable items from local stores as souvenirs or gifts, you will save the money otherwise spent on things that might end up in a box or closet within a couple of weeks of returning home.

Tips to Save Money on Hotels and Vacation Rentals

62. Consider Airbnb and Other Home or Apartment Rentals 

Airbnb’s disruption to the hotel industry has opened up plenty of unique and high-value accommodation options for travelers.  

Deserving of being the first tip in this category, searching for Airbnb and other vacation rentals is an easy way to better meet your needs outside of hotel offerings.  

Whether you plan a more extended stay, opt for renting a room over staying in a hostel, or need enough beds that multiple hotel rooms would be too expensive, looking into vacation rentals is an excellent place to start for savings.

63. Beware of Resort Fees

One annoying charge at many resorts in the resort fee, which can be most commonly found in the US. Resort fees are additional charges that can sometimes be called destination fees, facility charges, or amenity fees.  

They are an additional per-day charge that resorts will charge for gym access, WiFi, pool access, beach services, etc. Ranging from as low as $20 a day, they can reach $100 a day.

Given that these fees are not typically quoted as part of the room keeping an eye out for them is critical for comparing across properties.  

There are some ways to avoid them, either through having certain levels of loyalty status with the big brands or even in some cases complaining to hotel managers when caught by surprise.

64. Book a Hotel For a Purpose

Know the reason you need to book a hotel in the first place before choosing which one. Quite often, consumers will align themselves with a certain standard, and in the case of hotels, book certain brands or rated properties by default.  

This post breaks down the methods you can use to make more strategic hotel bookings and avoid booking a hotel with facilities you won’t need during your stay.

65. Compare Prices With Booking Directly

With plenty of online travel websites like Expedia , Agoda, Booking.com , and Priceline offering great deals, and more consolidated searches across brands, it’s easy to find what you need on these websites. 

If you are looking to maximize your savings, check out the hotel’s website before you book, as it may offer a better deal, or the brand may have a policy of always offering the cheapest rate. Using Marriott Hotels as an example, the hotel chain has a low-rate guarantee and will provide up to 25% off the competitor’s published rate if cheaper than their own, depending on the brand.

Additionally, loyalty members may only receive benefits for reservations made directly with the hotels, possibly cutting out additional savings if booked through an online travel agent.

66. Pack The Air Mattress

When traveling with a group of friends or family with older children, the discomfort of full-grown people sharing a bed can drive the need to book a second room. Such as booking a room for four, including parents and two grown children.

If you book a room large enough in square footage, consider packing an air mattress and ordering an extra pillow or blanket. This will save on the costs of the old-fashioned rollaway bed that hotels used to offer for free. This tip is most practical for car trips, as flying with an air mattress will use up a large chunk of your luggage allowance.

67. Skip the Minibar

The convenience of the minibar gets the best of all of us at some point in time. It’s just too easy to reach for a cool refreshing drink when room temperature bottled water or tap water just won’t work.

Plan ahead and bring your own drinks and snacks to the hotel, or head out to a convenience store nearby. Cities in Asia will often have a convenience store no more than a block or two from the hotel, often right outside. So there is no reason to spend $5 on a drink that would cost you $1 outside.

68. Book a Room With Club or Lounge Access

Assess the rates for rooms that offer club or lounge access and calculate the value for your stay. Hotel clubs and lounges typically include breakfast, all-day drinks and snacks, and an evening happy hour with a small buffet.

A family of four looking to unwind at the hotel in the evening may find that the difference in rates for the club and lounge rooms divided by four offers excellent value for the meals it provides. This is also a good value for groups who prefer to relax with a few drinks and snacks at the end of the day.

Those looking to explore the local food scene, especially in cities with a great local breakfast culture with cheap baked goods right outside the hotel, will find the value isn’t there.

69. Consider the Breakfast Rate

Calculate the cost of breakfast and alternatives when comparing the different room rates. For example, when a breakfast rate is only an additional $15 for a room with four guests, that will offer a great value compared to buying breakfast outside the hotel.

If you are in Paris, with a breakfast rate costing an additional 30 Euros per night, it might seem like a lot. But, considering, if you would be happier spending only a couple Euros for breakfast at a local bakery, the breakfast rate doesn’t make sense.

70. Join the Hotel Loyalty Program

If you are staying at any major hotel chain that offers a loyalty program, it always makes sense to join before your stay. Even if you don’t foresee yourself building up to point balances from multiple stays that could ever earn you a free night, these loyalty programs often offer some free perks just for general members that sign up for free. 

Perks like free WiFi or even the ability to justify a slightly later checkout can make the few minutes to sign up worthwhile.

Money-Saving Travel Tips for Eating and Drinking

71. Eat Like a Local

The more you localize your dining and drinking choices while traveling the more you will save. From skipping hotel restaurants and avoiding foreign foods and drinks to eating humble street foods and dining at restaurants frequented by locals instead of tourists, the more that you can dine like a local, the more you’ll save.

Try local foods, local brands, local drinks, and avoid ones that would be more familiar to you in your home country. Local beer and wine will typically offer a reasonable discount over imported brands, local fast food and chain restaurants will always be cheaper than foreign brands and chains. Eat and drink local and it’ll go a long way to saving you money while traveling.

72. Make Lunch Your Main Meal

Lunch is cheaper in nearly all destinations, with plenty of top dining spots and even Michelin-starred restaurants offering a lunch option that can be even half the price of their dinner menu, with the same quality of food served at lunch.

Restaurants catering to locals will also try to drive business by offering special set menus or business lunch specials that provide an excellent value for visitors looking to save.  

Having a larger meal at lunch also works well with itinerary planning. It is typically in the middle of a day that you may be walking a lot, providing an energy boost when you need it, and while you are out in areas that have interesting restaurant offerings. 

73. Keep Your Meals Simple, Skip the Extras

For some, dining out on vacation in a food-focused country is the highlight of the trip; for others, it is part of a complementary experience. Those in the second camp should order the must-have dishes and skip the rest. 

Stick to main courses and a drink to go along with them. Order the popular dishes, but skip appetizers and desserts. While these are undoubtedly great additions to a meal, cheaper alternatives will also add to your experience, like street snacks or desserts.

74. Have Drinks in a Park or With a View

Many countries don’t have open container laws limiting people from having alcoholic drinks in public. If your destination has fewer restrictions on this, consider buying a bottle of wine or a few beers and enjoying some drinks outside with a view or in a scenic park.  

Not only will the savings over a bar or restaurant help with your travel budget, but the experience will also make for a unique memory on your trip.

75. Shop at Local Grocery Stores

Local grocery stores offer the best source of affordable food while traveling anywhere. In addition, stores can offer a selection of snacks, fresh fruits, prepared meals to go, drinks, and ingredients to make meals at a home or apartment rental.

Even shopping at a local grocery store can offer a great experience of exploring how locals shop and eat in modern times while allowing you to save some money at the same time.

76. Find Local Markets and Buy Fruit for Your Hotel

Picking up some local seasonal fruit while walking through a market is not only a smart way to save money on snacks or food at more expensive restaurants; it also adds to the trip experience by exploring local specialties.

77. Ask for Tap Water

If you are traveling to a destination with reliable and clean local water available, don’t be afraid to ask for tap water at a restaurant. Many restaurants offer it for free when requested.

Menus, especially at more touristy restaurants, may lead you to believe that large bottles of premium still or sparkling water are the only options available. Before ordering, ask for tap water to save some precious funds for better use.

78. Avoid Touristy Restaurants

Touristy restaurants are guaranteed to cost more than similar ones frequented by locals. While they may sometimes be an attraction themselves or offer an iconic view, avoid them at all costs for other situations.

There are plenty of rules that travelers use to avoid touristy restaurants, like don’t go to a restaurant in a foreign country with a menu that is not in the local language, or don’t go to a restaurant within a five-minute walk of a major attraction. Whichever rule you are using, be on the lookout for any restaurant primarily serving tourists.

79. Skip the Hotel Breakfast

If breakfast at your hotel is already included in the lowest rate, you can find substantial savings, especially for a family. If it is not included, reconsider paying up for the inclusion, and avoid paying for it separately.

Hotel breakfasts offer plenty of convenience for business travelers but are known not to provide an excellent value for others. Additionally, hotel breakfasts, especially at the large chains, are generic in their offerings and rarely offer as memorable an experience as a delicious local breakfast.

80. Don’t Skip Convenience Store Snacks

Local convenience stores offer the perfect opportunity to sample everyday foods that locals eat today. Countries with strong convenience store cultures, like many in Asia, offer a wide selection of local snacks, quick meals, drinks, and more.  

With affordable prices and an opportunity to sample what locals eat in modern times, sampling food and snacks from convenience stores make for a great way to curb your hunger, avoiding the need for larger meals at more expensive restaurants.

81. Have a Hotel Picnic

Avoid the pressure to feel that you need to eat every dinner out while on vacation to avoid missing out on an experience. Instead, a hotel picnic is a more affordable alternative that helps you relax and enjoy delicious local foods.

Plan to bring local specialties, fresh foods, and gourmet market foods back to the hotel for an in-room picnic while relaxing after a busy day out. You can bring together a variety of must-try foods from your destination to enjoy while recounting the events from the day or planning the next.

Visit our guide to hotel picnics to learn how to plan the best one.

Travel Money-Saving Tips for Foreign Exchange and Credit Cards

82. Avoid Foreign Transaction Fees

Foreign transaction fees are simply transaction fees added to any foreign transaction made on specific credit cards for the currency conversion on the transaction. This is typically a flat rate of around 3% of the total charge, which can quickly add up when using a credit card for hotels, rental cars, rail tickets, and meals while traveling.

Avoiding the fees is simple. Many credit cards are available which don’t charge foreign transaction fees, and some don’t have an annual fee. Bring a credit card that doesn’t have an annual fee, and use it wherever credit cards are accepted for payment.

83. Skip the Exchange Desk, Get Your Money From ATMs

ATMs will almost always provide the best exchange rates for purchasing foreign currency.  

If you are using your Visa or Mastercard at an ATM, those companies will calculate the interest rate, which is a very fair rate due to the high volume of foreign exchange transactions processed by the companies.

Ordering foreign currency at your local bank or exchange desks in airports, hotels, or railway stations will naturally need to use worse exchange rates or add fees to compensate for the labor involved in the transactions compared with the automation from an ATM.

84. Get a Debit Card With Free ATM and No Foreign Transactions

While using an ATM with the fees involved will typically still be a better deal than exchange desks, having a debit card that doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee and waives ATM fees will help to reduce unnecessary costs further.

Cards with these favorable fee policies are rarer, though still readily available. Charles Schwab was one of the first banks to offer these in the US, though Capital One also provides a popular option for a similar no-fee account.

85. Look Out For Dynamic Currency Conversion

By far the most egregious mistake a traveler can make while abroad, Dynamic Currency Conversion is typically seen at credit card point of sale terminals and ATMs. The machine will offer the option to pay or be charged in your countries home currency. This will be presented as a more convenient alternative for the customer.

This effectively means that the company that provides the point of sale terminal or the ATM will perform the currency conversion rather than your card issuer. With the extremely favorable conversion rates offered by Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, by choosing to be charged in USD instead of Euros, you will likely be paying a much higher charge on the transaction than if you accepted in the local currency.  

There are awful examples of a $1000 hotel bill costing an extra $70 due to you accidentally accepting the charge in your card’s currency instead of the local currency. Therefore, unless your card network or issuer specifically has unfavorable terms for foreign transactions, always accept payment in the local currency.

86. Know Your Exchange Rates

Avoid overpaying for items in the local currency by having a benchmark in mind or a rough rate to quickly calculate on your phone.  

When shopping, if you see an item that costs 250 in the local currency, which you can roughly convert at 100, equal to $12, you can easily know that the item will cost you $30.Having a benchmark will help avoid purchasing items that you would never buy for the price offered or skipping restaurants out of your budget.

87. Never Pay in A Foreign Currency For Convenience

Shops will often proudly show signs to let customers know they will accept USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, or other currencies. But, unfortunately, this seemingly convenient gesture will only overcharge you compared to other payment options due to largely unfavorable exchange rates.

Use a credit card with no foreign exchange fee at these shops, and you will avoid the excessive rate.

88. Earn Points or Miles With Your Credit Card

Having a credit card that earns points or miles with everyday purchases is a great way to save for lucrative travel rewards every day.  

Using these same cards while traveling can often lead to higher point or mile earning opportunities. Airlines, hotels, and premium card issuers generally offer higher earning options per dollar spent on airfare, hotels, and other travel arrangements using the cards.

89. Know the Tipping Culture

Each country has its own culture around tipping, with some having a percentage of the bill left as a tip for certain services, others rounding to a certain amount, and plenty having no tipping culture whatsoever.  

Research tipping rules before you travel to know the cultural practice, and don’t tip beyond that. Knowing the norm will not only save you money, but it will also avoid you disrespecting someone in countries where tips are viewed as an insult, like Japan.

90. Get a Card with Travel Perks

Beyond earning points and miles, many credit cards offer a variety of valuable travel benefits that can enhance your experience.

Airline cards offer baggage allowances, lounge access, priority check-in or boarding, and other discounts. Hotel cards provide room upgrades, late checkout, and sometimes free elite status.  

American Express, Citibank, or Chase premium cards offer a mix of benefits for air travel and hotel stays, along with valuable trip insurance, lost baggage compensation, and other perks that can enhance a trip or offer value in the event of a disruption.  

Annual fees vary depending on the card, so choose the right card for your travel frequency and habits to ensure you aren’t overpaying for the benefits you need.

Internet, Phone, and Connectivity Travel Money-Saving Tips

91. Use a Local Sim Card

International roaming and international plans offer very little in value, considering the costs they add to an overseas trip. 

While the security of knowing you will be connected right after you land may sound essential, most airports these days have WiFi you can access by the time you reach the baggage claim. 

Do a little research before you depart for your trip, and you’ll find the options available to get a local SIM card for your destination, offering sizable savings, sometimes with a much larger data allowance. In addition, you can order some overseas SIM cards before you fly, though these will also have a convenience fee built-in. 

92. Opt for a Mobile WiFi Device if Available 

Even better than getting a local SIM card, renting mobile WiFi devices often offer better value. They can be used for your phone, tablet, and even laptop and can be shared across multiple users. 

Often referred to as WiFi eggs, Mobile WiFi devices are like a small portable router that receives a data signal through a SIM card and send it out to users through a typical WiFi connection. 

Research your destination online to see if these are available, with their recent popularity for use by travelers, making them commonly available for pickup and drop off at international airports. 

93. Get The Right Data Package

Whether you opt for a local SIM card or a mobile WiFi device, knowing how much data you will use is key to avoiding running out or being overcharged. 

Many budget-conscious travelers have made the mistake of thinking that 2 GB of data could get them through a week, only to find that their social media, YouTube, and Netflix use burned through the data on the first day. 

Error on the side of cautions by getting a bit more than you think you need.

94. Switch to Free WiFi When Possible

Even if you have set yourself up with an affordable local connection, it’s still worth tracking your usage and switching to free WiFi when you can. 

A common mistake with travelers who got themselves a local SIM card is forgetting to switch to free hotel WiFi when winding down in the evening and catching up on a Netflix show on their mobile phone. 

Most phones will auto-connect to WiFi when you return to the hotel, so set it up once, and you won’t need to worry for the rest of your stay. 

95. Don’t Pay for Long Distance Calls

The days of $5 a minute international calls from hotel rooms being rushed to tell your loved ones that you are still alive and enjoying your trip are finally behind us. 

With a wide selection of options to make phone or video calls over the internet, there is never a reason to need to make a long call home with your hotel phone. So don’t even consider it. 

There are plenty of options available from WhatsApp, Google, Skype, Zoom, Facebook, and more. If you have less tech-savvy family members, take some time to set up their account before you travel and give it a test run as well. 

Packing and Travel Gear Money-Saving Tips

96. Borrow Travel Bags and Gear Instead of Buying 

There is no need to go online and order every travel accessory available to start your packing process for your big international trip. Instead, ask a friend or family first if you don’t have a travel adapter, luggage, roller bag, digital camera, action camera, large backpack, or other accessories.

First-time travelers can find that all of the accessories that help for an exciting vacation can add to their expenses when buying in one go. Luggage, cameras, adapters, and other small accessories can easily cost hundreds of dollars, with suitable options to borrow.

Borrowing is also a great way to find your preferred features on different travel gear before purchasing something that could last for years.

97. Pack Light to Avoid Extra Baggage Fees

Packing is a practice in prioritization. Spend the time to make decisions with your packing between what you truly need and what you can leave out.  

Limit the number of shoes you need to bring. Pack clothes with the plan to re-wear things that don’t get seriously dirty. That nice shirt or dress that you might only wear for a two-hour dinner can be worn again a few nights later.

Even if you are well within the weight and baggage limits that come with your airfare, packing light can also create some extra space for anything you might buy along the way.

98. Weigh Your Luggage Before You Leave

Avoid the surprise of excess weight charges at the airport due to not taking a few minutes to weigh your luggage before leaving.  

Paying extra for luggage when you could have easily prevented the charge by making a few more packing decisions makes for a frustrating start to a trip.

Weighing your luggage for your return flight can be harder, with most hotels not offering scales. Ask housekeeping if a scale is available.

99. Take a Water Bottle 

Make a green decision to bring your own water bottle for your trip. Pack it empty in your carry-on bag, and you can save money avoiding buying the ubiquitous airport water bottle, then use it along the way for the rest of your trip.  

Clean public water fountains and sources have become more prevalent globally, do a little research before you leave to know where to find them when you arrive at your destination.

100. Limit the Devices You Pack 

Many see a twenty-hour flight itinerary, followed by two weeks traveling across Southeast Asia as the perfect opportunity to bring their phone, iPad, laptop, drone, GoPro, DSLR, extra batteries, charging cables, and accessories. Unfortunately, though the advertisements may have sold you on the need for these devices to capture memories and stay connected, they never mentioned weight.

While most travelers will pack fragile electronics in their carry-on baggage, this weight and space will use up valuable space that could be used to manage your checked baggage weight. Some airlines, especially low-cost airlines, will charge you for overweight carry-on bags.

Prioritize what you need to bring for your trip and share the pain of carrying it all amongst your group. For example, will you really need your tablet and your laptop? Will you have to bring a digital camera or can your phone take what you need? Are you visiting a big city where drones may be difficult to use?

You don’t need to over-minimize your packing and bring only your phone, though you can, but rather it’s suggested to be mindful of the potential costs that come with carrying too much, even if it is in your carry-on.

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Money-saving travel trips

You can always count on TIAA for strategies and tools to help you save for short-term goals like travel as well as longer-term priorities like retirement. When you're planning for a trip, it’s important to save money for travel, but it's also valuable to think about how to manage money when traveling.

Careful planning and being smart about how to save money for travel will help turn your dream adventure into a reality. We've got some tips to help you manage money when traveling so you can have the best experience without financial stress.

Select an affordable destination

For many, saving for a vacation is as valuable an investment as saving for retirement because exploring the world pays dividends to your personal growth. But simply throwing darts at a map is a great way to ensure your trip never gets off the ground. Before you take flight, it's important to do some deeper research into a destination's cost, your travel budget and the best way to travel with money when you get there.

You might want to start by choosing a region known for its affordability—including a strong exchange rate. The best way to exchange money is typically at an ATM when you arrive, but it's best to check rates with a currency exchange tool Opens in a new window and then find out what the typical fees are where you're going. It's a good idea to do this for all the places you’d like to visit.

As you evaluate your destinations and travel budget, be sure you look into the average cost of travel basics, like where to sleep (you could start with hostels or homestays), what to eat (try street markets or food trucks for quick, authentic bites), and how to get around (trains or buses could save you money and connect you with the locals). These are the most critical things to understand before you determine your travel budget.

Create a realistic travel budget

Now that you understand how much things cost, the next step is saving up travel money so you can avoid any financial stress when deciding how to afford to travel. To come up with your vacation fund goal, multiply your estimated daily costs in the places you'll visit by how long you hope to stay there. For example, if you want to spend three months somewhere where it would cost you about $800 a month, you would need $2,400. Next, break this monthly total into a daily amount: $800 per month / 30 days = $25 a day. While you’re traveling, it’s much easier to track against a daily budget than a monthly one.

Your phone is your friend for managing money when traveling

The first rule for how to manage money when traveling is to create a simple system for tracking everything you're purchasing, but you probably don't want to be updating spreadsheets every day of your trip. After all, that feels like the opposite of a vacation. Luckily, all you really need to do is create a daily note on your phone and input everything you spend money on that day—including travel costs, food, lodging, trips, gifts and everything (yes, everything) else. If you can make this a habit during vacation, you can easily keep it up once you get home, and that’ll lead to even better spending habits for life .

The 15-minute rule

Here's one of the most useful money-saving travel tips: Take 15 (or fewer) minutes each day to track your spending. Consider making it part of your vacation routine, maybe during your morning coffee or that sunrise bus ride to an exotic temple. During this downtime, review your previous day's spending and look for categories where you may have overspent (or even underspent!). Also check your online bank and credit card accounts to make sure everything looks accurate.

Adjust on the fly

Staying consistent about tracking your spending will help you understand it better and use your travel money more wisely, increasing your financial confidence.

Once you arrive in a new place, the things you thought would be important may change. Maybe you realize that you just can't pass up an opportunity to explore the untouched beauty of a hidden waterfall even though you hadn't budgeted for a three-day kayak excursion. All is not lost! By looking at your daily travel budget notes, you can easily adjust for that leg of your journey by increasing your sightseeing allotment and decreasing in other areas, like food or museum-entrance fees. A good rule of thumb is to figure out what excites you and redirect your travel money toward those experiences.

Waste happens

If you're traveling to another country, there's almost a 100% chance you'll overspend on something during your trip. Don't beat yourself up about it. Remember, you're on vacation. Instead, recognize those moments and learn from them.

Here are three great traveling abroad money tips:

1. Understand tipping etiquette Many countries don't tip. If you come from a country where tipping is the norm, you may be spending your travel money when it isn't expected.

2. Chat with other travelers Strike up a conversation to find out how to save money on food and how to avoid overpaying for goods from shops.

3. Practice your haggling skills In many countries, haggling is the norm—and you'll find vendors quickly negotiating prices to try to sell you something. Be prepared with a price you think is fair (possibly by asking experienced travelers what they paid), negotiate confidently to get the best price, and don't be afraid to walk away from a purchase that feels too expensive.

You'll find that no two days are the same when you're traveling. Your spending will go up and down—and that will provide a great learning experience for balancing your travel budget.

Remember, if your spending feels too high one day, you can pull back on another day. By saving ahead and tracking your expenses, you should feel more confident that you don't have to miss out on an amazing opportunity because you're worried about money.

Bonus: Consider a trip that could be tax deductible

One of the hottest travel trends right now is combining tourism and volunteer work abroad into a single trip—turning your vacation into an opportunity to enrich your life and someone else's at the same time. With the right research and some attention to detail, the travel money needed for your volunteer vacation could be tax deductible.

You can start by volunteering with a qualified group. Just make sure to choose a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that’s approved by the IRS Opens in a new window so your trip can be considered tax deductible.

This is important: If your trip includes excursions or recreation in addition to volunteer work abroad, the IRS may not allow your deductions when tax time rolls around. Get to know the guidelines it's set before you go so that once you’re there, you can maximize the good you'll do and the total amount of your deductions.

You'll also need to know how to write off travel expenses, exactly what you can deduct Opens in a new window  and what you need to keep track of before leaving for your trip. Keep track of those receipts!

Finally, once your trip is over, if you need any additional helpful advice for saving and investing back at home, we're here to help. Happy travels and smart spending!

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This material is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute fiduciary investment advice under ERISA, a securities recommendation under all securities laws, or an insurance product recommendation under state insurance laws or regulations. This material does not take into account any specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on the investor’s own objectives and circumstances.

Travel on a Budget: 8 Money-Saving Tips from Finance Gurus & Travel Experts

If 2024 is the year you plan to check off some places on your travel bucket list, this post is for you.

Whether you want to see the orangutans in Borneo or climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower, learning how to travel on a budget means you can visit more places and get the most out of your travels.

So, we've asked five finance gurus and travel experts to share their top tips for traveling on a budget to help you book your next vacation without breaking the bank.

Book Last Minute

Booking a vacation months in advance has its perks; you can take your time finding the perfect hotel, you'll have more flexibility around flights, and you get longer to be excited about your trip!

The downside is you'll spend more. Holiday packages tend to cost more the further out you book because there's no urgent need to fill spots yet.

However, if you wait until 2-4 weeks before you plan to travel, you'll often find last-minute deals from providers trying to fill up those empty spots.

If you're going traveling and you're happy to take some risks, wait to book your flights and hotels until the last minute to save yourself a chunk of your budget.

"It can be nerve-wracking leaving your travel arrangements until just a few weeks before you plan to leave, but you can still do plenty of research in advance to get prepared. Set up price alerts on your phone so you can keep an eye on those last-minute deals." – Kelly Ann Duhigg from Girl with a Passport

Look For Alternative Accommodation

Popular hotels are easy to find on booking sites, which means they're also the most expensive option. If you're willing to try something a little different, look for local Airbnbs, house shares, and hostels to save serious cash while traveling.

"Staying with locals who host tourists or in local Airbnbs is a fantastic way to explore somewhere new, and you'll save money by avoiding the large hotels. Plus, you'll help support locals – win-win!" – Fiona Spinks from FollowingFiona

Don't forget to do your research when booking alternative accommodation. Make sure it has good reviews and you are totally sure about the hosts. Safety is the number one priority, especially if you're traveling solo.

Eat Like a Local

Any restaurants or cafes in the main tourist areas are notoriously expensive because vendors know tourists have no other options. Or do they?

If you take a stroll just a few streets from the main drag, you'll find plenty of local eateries frequented by locals. These are much cheaper, and the food is usually home-cooked and delicious.

Consider a Cruise

It's true that cruises aren't a budget-friendly form of travel on the face of it, but if you're planning a trip around the world, this could be a great option.

If you're savvy about sales, choose an inside cabin, and you're not too picky about where in the world you go, cruises can cost under $100 a person per day, which is an exceptionally cheap way to travel.

"Booking a cruise is an easy way to affordably see the world. Your accommodation, food, and entertainment are all included, and you'll get to visit some of the world's most popular destinations without worrying about hotels or transfers. " – Hannah Dorling from Love Cruise Ships

Use Local Transportation

Most tourists use taxis to sight-see, which are expensive and hard to get in popular cities. Instead, use the bus or train.

It can be daunting getting on public transport in an unfamiliar country, especially if you don't speak the language, but it's a rewarding experience and will save you some serious cash.

Find Travel Coupons

Plenty of travel sites have discount codes that not many people know about. A quick Google search before you commit to a deal could save you up to 40% off the normal price.

"There are so many websites with hidden coupon codes, you just need to be willing to find them. Most last-minute booking sites have discounts, but you might also find them for the large airlines and hotels." – Yiannis Zourmpanos from Bountii

You can also sign up for free email alerts from Google Flights, Scott's Cheap Flights, or Airfarewatchdog to get last-minute deals and discount codes. This will help you get a great deal and set a good point of reference for your travel costs.

Go For Free Activities

It's easy to get sucked into paid excursions while you're traveling, but some of the best experiences you'll have are totally free. From hiking and nature walks to wandering around the most iconic museums in the world, you don't need to spend money to have fun while traveling.

You can even turn this into a challenge – see how much you can do in a day without spending any money, or set yourself a low limit for food only and don't go over it. You'll be surprised how much fun you can have on travels when money is out of the equation.

Start a Travel Fund

No matter how much money you save on your trip, traveling is never free, so it's time to start factoring it into your budget.

Set up a separate savings account for travel, and aim to put a set amount away each month. When you treat your vacations like a necessary expense, you'll find it easier to save up.

"The easiest way to stock your travel fund is by making extra cash. Whether you go for a side hustle or investment strategy like day trading, it's incredibly rewarding to watch your savings account grow for your next trip." – Steven Kibbel from Day Tradingz

Enjoy Your Trip!

Contrary to popular belief, traveling doesn't have to cost a fortune. With some savvy planning and clever money-saving tips, you can check off your bucket list on a tight budget.

The key is flexibility. The more you're willing to stray from the beaten path and travel outside of the norm, the more money you stand to save.

This article originally appeared on TheRoamWild and was syndicated by MediaFeed.

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The Best Time to Book a Flight for Domestic, International, and Summer Travel

Here are our best tips for booking travel in 2024.

When to Book Flights for Domestic Travel

When to book flights for international travel, when to book flights for summer 2024 travel, when to book flights for holiday 2024 travel.

Buying plane tickets is something of an art form. Ideally, you want to secure your spot months in advance to avoid the inevitable price spike as your travel dates get closer. But sometimes the best time to book a flight also depends on the destination and whether it's domestic or abroad. The trends are always changing, but experts say the sweet spot for booking domestic flights is 28 days, or 60 days for international flights.

Flights generally open for booking about a year ahead of time, and the airfare will change often between then and takeoff. Although you can book just a couple of weeks before the departure date in some cases, prices are likely to be astronomical. In other cases, when you want to go somewhere popular or during a big travel weekend, flights could fill up faster than normal. Our advice: Track flight prices on Google Flights or Hopper as early as possible so you can keep an eye on cost fluctuations. Read on for more advice about when to book flights from the pros.

According to Expedia's 2024 Air Travel Hacks report , you should aim to book 28 days before your domestic flight. "Doing so can save travelers up to 24 percent compared to those who wait until the last minute, from zero to six days out," Expedia travel expert Christie Hudson tells Travel + Leisure.

For domestic trips, pricing is elevated when tickets are first released, about a year before the flight. Those prices will slowly creep downward, all the way to their lowest point in the prime booking window, after which you'll likely see a huge increase in cost for last-minute travel.

Meet the Expert

Christie Hudson is a travel expert at top booking site Expedia.

You're better off booking earlier rather than later for international travel, but the Expedia report says ideally no more than four months before your desired departure date. The sweet spot is around 60 days. "This is a big change from 2022 data, which showed the cheapest fares were secured when travelers booked four to six months out." Hudson says. "2023 data revealed that people who booked that far in advance actually paid more on average." The report says the least expensive day of the week to book is Sunday and the most expensive is Friday, for both domestic and international travel.

But there is some regional variance. Going , a platform that tracks flight prices and notifies members of good deals, has found the best months to book flights to Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Latin America, for travel about 60 days out. Here's what it says.

Africa: Book in May.

Asia: Book in August or October, followed by April or September.

Oceania: Book in November, January, or July.

Europe: Book in August, October, or November.

Latin America: Book in October.

The real trick to finding good deals on international airfare is to avoid booking your travel for peak times, which include summer and major holidays (don't forget — that includes holidays in your destination, too).

Summer is traditionally one of the most popular times of the year to travel, which means it can be tough to find a good deal on airfare. Ideally, you should book flights for summer travel as soon as possible, preferably at least six months in advance.

"The best time to book for peak season is … the opposite season," says Katy Nastro, travel expert at Going. "While most of us are scrambling to focus on our winter holiday plans, we should also keep our eyes open for some great summer fares."

She notes that the booking window for peak season ranges between three and seven months for domestic flights and four to 10 months for international trips. "And if you do book something, keep that flight alert on," says Nastro. "If it drops again, depending on your ticket type, you can call to rebook and get a refund or travel credit back with the difference."

Katy Nastro is a travel expert at Going, a website that finds flight deals to more than 900 destinations around the world.

Around the winter holidays is the priciest time to travel, Nastro says. "Your best bet is to remember the Goldilocks zones: look to book between three to seven months ahead for domestic travel and four to 10 months ahead for international travel."

Hudson advises that at the very latest, your holiday travel should be booked by mid-October. "But the biggest holiday travel savings actually come from choosing the right dates," she says. "Avoiding the busiest days like the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Friday and Saturday before Christmas will yield major savings."

Track flights and book your holiday tickets as soon as you find a decent deal, but make sure to book a fare that will give you a credit if you cancel (generally speaking, that means don't book basic economy). That way, if prices drop between the time of booking and your travel dates, you can cancel your original ticket and use the credit to book the cheaper fare. The only downside is you'll still have some remaining credit, but you can then use it to treat yourself to a future flight. Just don't let that credit expire.

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Money blog: HSBC, Nationwide and Virgin Money hit by glitches; how to stop your car being stolen - or even 'cannibalised'

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and advice. Let us know your thoughts on any of the topics we're covering using the comments box below.

Friday 28 June 2024 14:18, UK

• Trio of banks hit by pay day delays
• Fuel shock could be on the way - as sports shop hit by Nike downgrade
• UK's economic growth better than thought
• 10 million homes have days to check energy meter reading to avoid paying too much

Essential reads

• Save 105 teaspoons of sugar (and money) by switching to classic ice cream
• How to stop your car from being stolen - or even 'cannibalised'
• A week when probable future of mortgage rates became clearer
• Savings Guide: What to look for with 5% rates still available on easy access accounts
• Women in Business : How accident in cafe and £400 turned into a genius business idea that's about to go global
• Money Problem : 'I bought a new car but it's been back six times with same fault - what can I do?'
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

Ask a question or make a comment

By Emily Mee, news reporter

A car was stolen roughly every eight minutes in the UK last year, according to DVLA figures. 

Some 64,087 vehicles were reported stolen - an increase of 5% on the previous year. 

While car thefts are on the rise, reports have also highlighted a growing trend of "car cannibalism" - when criminals rip parts off cars to order. 

Bonnets, bumpers and headlights are among the parts often nicked by thieves. 

It might sound like a familiar refrain at this point, but consumer rights expert Scott Dixon says the cost of living crisis is largely to blame. 

Scott, who runs The Complaints Resolver , told us the costs of spare parts and insurance have "rocketed" post-COVID - driving opportunists to turn to crime. 

He also pointed to a scarcity of decent second-hand cars on the market currently, saying people are "holding onto their cars for longer because they can't afford to change them". 

How can you protect your car? 

Scott says there are numerous ways you can prevent your car from becoming a target - and many of them are cheap and simple. 

Get your keys recoded

If you're buying second hand, getting your keys recoded can give you additional security. 

Scott says it's possible the person you bought from could have copies of the keys, allowing them to steal your car or break in. 

Fit a tracking device

This should be fitted professionally, and while it won't stop your vehicle from being stolen, it will increase the chances of police being able to track it down and return it. 

You should be aware, though, that you'll need to pay a fairly costly annual subscription fee. 

Secure your number plate

Some thieves will take number plates so they can steal petrol from forecourts - and Scott says some are now doing this to escape ULEZ fines. 

He recommends getting anti-theft screws to secure your number plate. 

Keep your car tidy

Handbags, phone leads, sat-nav holders and paperwork can all attract the attention of opportunist car thieves. 

Scott says many people are "too careless and complacent" with this - and it's completely free to fix. 

Fit a steering or handbrake lock

You can get these on Amazon for less than £20 each - and because they're visible, they can also act as a deterrent. 

A pedal box, which encases the pedals in a highly visible metal box, is another option. 

A good wheel clamp - Scott recommends this one  - can be bought on Amazon for about £30. 

Another visible deterrent is a sticker to say the vehicle is alarmed or has a tracker fitted. 

Think about where you park

Thieves are more likely to target quiet and dimly lit areas, as well as quiet side streets, Scott says. 

If you can, try to park in a well-lit and busy area - preferably with CCTV. 

Install cameras 

You could keep your dashcam recording through the night (which could capture anyone walking in front of the car) and put up signs stating you have cameras around. 

Fit a car alarm or immobiliser

Although most modern cars have these fitted, older cars often don't. 

Plus, having a professionally fitted alarm or immobiliser could lower your insurance premium. 

Etch your car windows 

You can buy a car window etching kit for less than £15, including warning stickers to show the identification number is traceable. 

If you have your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) etched onto the doorframe, windows and steering wheel, it can deter thieves from stealing the vehicle or its parts as it will be harder to sell stolen parts if they're personalised. 

Window tinting

Of course, you'll only be able to do this to a certain extent as the law states the front windscreen has to let in at least 75% of light through. For front side windows, you need 70%. 

But there are no rules around the rear windscreen or rear passenger windows, and having a tint can deter criminals from looking into the car. 

Take steps to prevent relay theft

An increasingly popular way to steal cars is through relay theft - when criminals use devices to relay signals from the car key to the car. 

One person will get near enough to the key inside the house to pick up the signal, while a second person will hold another device next to the vehicle. 

All keyless cars are vulnerable to relay theft - but in particular, Audi, BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Land Rover, Mercedes and Volkswagen cars are the most popular targets.

You can help prevent it by keeping your keys in a "Faraday pouch" - which has a lining preventing the keys inside from receiving or transmitting radio frequency signals.

A pack of two is available online for roughly £8. 

Another option is to use a metal container, as the relay device cannot pass through metal. 

You should also avoid storing your keys near doors or windows. 

In the last few minutes, HSBC has confirmed issues earlier today - with online, mobile banking and payments - have been resolved.

 More now on the news that a string of banks have been suffering from glitches that have delayed payments being made for millions of customers.

Nationwide, Virgin Money, HSBC and Barclays all reported issues with their digital banking services this morning.

It comes on a day many workers are due to receive their wages and many households are paying their bills.

Here are the latest updates from each bank affected:

Virgin Money has announced its mobile banking app is now "fully restored" as of 12.52pm.

"Like other banks, we’re working hard to process the backlog of payments delayed as quickly as possible, and will update you as soon as we can," it posted on X.

"If you have tried to send a payment from your Virgin Money account and received an error message, but it has debited your Virgin Money account, please do not try to make the payment again, as it is in the queue and will be processed."

HSBC customers can also now log on to personal banking both online and on mobile. 

The bank says there are still "secondary issues" they are trying to fix, including viewing recent transactions.

"Customers sending payments may see a slow response or see a failure notice," it added. 

"Please check with the recipient or view your recent transactions in the mobile app via the notifications bell icon in the top right corner before attempting to send the payment again."

Nationwide has reported no issues with its banking app.

In response to the problems receiving salary or pension payments, the building society says payments are being processed and expects them to be paid into accounts today.

Barclays says that some of its customers are reporting that incoming payment issues have now been fixed.

Replying to one customer on X, the bank said: "We have been experiencing some issues with the Faster Payment Scheme that most banks operate through when making payments, however we have had some positive news in the last 5 minutes confirming that the issue is now resolved! 

"With that being said, any payments that you have tried to make should now go through for you so please keep an eye out on your account for these to be reflected. If you do need any further help then we are here 24/7 for you."

On Barclays' service status page, all indicators have now been turned green to show there are no ongoing issues.

Another bank has been affected by technical issues with payments today.

In a reply to a customer on X, Barclays said the glitch was "happening across all banks".

The Barclays reply said: "So sorry to hear you've been caught up in the issue with regards to the payments being made and received. This is an issue with the faster payment system and it's happening across all banks."

More now on the IT issues affecting people who bank with Nationwide, HSBC and Virgin Money.

Customers of all three have been hit with problems affecting their banking services today.

On what is pay day for many across the country, some customers have been unable to receive their salaries or pension payments.

According to the website DownDetector, more than 7,000 problems were reported at about 8.45am this morning.

The site also shows a spike in reports of outages for high street bank Virgin Money and building society Nationwide.

Customers of the banks are particularly upset by the timing of the glitches, with many people needing to pay their bills.

"I'm waiting on money coming into my bank which is still not received even though it's been sent. I can't pay any bills. Even though I have the money for bills," said one customer on X.

"My bills are bouncing and I can’t pay for a train ticket I need in the next hour," said another.

Bank responses

Nationwide  customers complained on X they had not received their wages into their accounts.

The building society said it is "aware there is a delay with some customers receiving their salary or pension payments today".

"These payments are being processed, and will be paid into your account today," it added. "Sorry for any inconvenience this is causing."

Virgin Money  addressed its issues on X this morning, warning customers not to attempt to process payments a second time if they had already tried once,

The bank issued an update on X later, adding - as of 11.08am - it is "aware of intermittent issues with accessing online banking and our app, which we're working to resolve as quickly as possible".

HSBC apologised to its customers and said its IT teams were working on the issue.

In a second update at 12.22pm, the bank said customers could now log into personal online and mobile banking but could still not view recent transactions.

Earlier, we brought you the news that HSBC customers have reported IT issues with mobile banking and the bank's app (see 9.37am post).

Now Nationwide has also said there was a "delay with some customers receiving their salary or pension payments today".

Read more in our breaking news story...

Forget the bank of mum and dad, the bank of gran and grandad is coming into play as parents struggle to afford school trips.

Some 23% of parents say they have had to make cutbacks - even to essentials - to fund them, while 10% said grandparents had paid for the trip and 8% said an aunt or uncle had chipped in.

The research, undertaken by public sector insurer Zurich Municipal, found one in five financially pinched parents felt embarrassed about struggling to pay for trips.

"School trips bring a plethora of benefits to young lives, it's heartbreaking to see so many could miss out due to cost," said Tilden Watson, head of education at Zurich Municipal.

"These trips can also expose some children to new places and experiences that they wouldn't necessarily get to enjoy with their families so they really do offer a window to the world they otherwise wouldn't see."

OnePoll surveyed 1,000 parents of children aged five to 16 across the UK in May.

More than a third (35%) of parents believed school trips are critical to their child's education.

A major bank has apologised to its customers for IT issues.

In a post on X just before 9.30am, HSBC said: "We’re really sorry that some customers are having issues accessing personal online and mobile banking. 

"Our IT teams are working hard to get these services back to normal. 

"You can still authorise online card purchases via SMS."

By  James Sillars , business reporter

The FTSE 100 is on course to end the week on a positive note, opening 0.4% up at 8,211.

Energy stocks are leading a march north following a rough few days for shares generally.

The reason, however, is not great news for us consumers.

Resurgent oil prices are driving the performance, with Shell and BP among the early winners.

The Brent crude contract for August delivery is currently trading just below $87 a barrel, leaving oil costs on track for a third week of gains in a row.

There are a wealth of reasons for the surge but analysts are crediting hopes of a US interest rate cut for the latest lift.

Meanwhile, on the high street, shares in JD Sports are among those dragging.

Its stock opened more than 4% lower after Nike flagged yesterday a downgrade in its own revenue expectations for the current year.

That saw 12% wiped from Nike's price on Wall Street.

Almost 10 million households need to read their energy meters this week to make the most of the energy price cap change on 1 July.

Missing the first week's worth of cheaper energy would cost them £30m collectively, according to Uswitch.

From 1 July to 30 September 2024, the annual energy price cap will be set at £1,568 for the average household - £122 lower than it is at present.

"Households should be adding 'read my energy meter' to their to-do-list this weekend if they want to take full advantage of lower energy prices from July," said Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.

MoneySavingExpert's Martin Lewis has issued a similar warning.

Without an accurate meter reading, households on standard variable tariffs without a smart meter will be charged estimated ones.

The difference between a week's worth of energy at June's rates compared to July's is £2.78 for the typical household.

Mr Gallizzi said now is also the time to check if you can get a better energy tariff before expected price hikes in October.

Industry analysts suggest energy rates will rise again by 12% to £1,761.

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