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If we (almost) all like to travel and set off to discover the world, this does not prevent this pronounced taste for adventure from being quantified. And the bill can be painful for our wallets. Fortunately, there are several tricks to reduce it and be able to taste the joys of travel without necessarily selling one of our organs. Here are our 5 tips for traveling at a lower cost!
Your plane, sooner or later, you will book
Here, two schools compete in the race for the lowest prices. Those who book extremely early, or those who book at the last minute. For the latter, it’s the opportunity to come across last-minute deals at bargain prices, but these are becoming increasingly rare, which means that the ranks of the “last minutes” are melting while those of “well in advance”, they grow.
Moreover, the travel company Expedia took an interest in the subject by analyzing the prices of plane tickets in 2022. According to experts, to save up to 30% it is recommended to book domestic flights between 70 and 90 days before leaving. For international flights, the window is a little shorter: between 70 and 78 days before departure.
In addition, Expedia recommends booking tickets on a Sunday, which is the day that offers the best prices. And if possible traveling on a Friday is often also cheaper. The days to avoid to take off? A Sunday or a Monday. So you have been warned!
Flexible on your destination you will be
Flexibility is the key word when you want to save money while traveling. Both on the dates (we avoid the high season) and on the destination. Because some vacation destinations have become so popular that their prices have skyrocketed.
Leaving for lesser known areas, or without a real destination, allows you to reduce your budget while discovering new places. For example, the landscapes of the Amalfi Coast make you dream, but the price to go there (and on site) a little less? Why not let yourself be tempted by Croatia and its coast to Dubrovnik, with an almost similar atmosphere but much more attractive prices?
Private browsing you will use
It is known, we leave traces on the Internet. And if all its traces lead to “romantic trip for two to Porto”, strangely more and more pubs will offer you to go to Porto, and the plane tickets which were still accessible the day before, suddenly turn out to be much more expensive. the day after all your research.
This (unfortunate) phenomenon is IP Tracking, and all travel professionals use it. The goal is simple: push you to finalize your purchase, letting you think that prices will continue to grow while inflating prices. By switching to private browsing, you are no longer targeted by cookies, no more tracing, and prices drop!
Together you will travel
And finally, last but not least, traveling in a group can sometimes sweeten the bill. Regarding fixed costs, such as car rental, hotel nights, sharing them with several people is much more advantageous. The same applies to costs relating to food or other items. Several people are better for the wallet!
The train you will prefer
Traveling on rails is on the rise. And we understand, it is a means of transport that can be much more pleasant than the plane in many ways. But which can also be less expensive than the latter.
The Old Continent is extremely well connected thanks to numerous train lines that crisscross Europe and connect its major cities. And sometimes taking the train over the plane can be better for your wallet.
If it is indeed high time for the train offer and the accessibility of these to be improved, the fact remains only according to a study carried out in 2021 and carried out by the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir, a 2h30 trip by train would cost on average 8 euros less than the same trip by plane.
Without forgetting its even more virtuous impact on the environment, where a train journey emits 80 times less CO2 than a plane journey. Not to mention that more and more distant destinations are reachable via a night train. And if the latter is sometimes more expensive than a plane, it saves a hotel night on the trip. It’s up to you to do the accounts, but this is not negligible!
