35 Secrets To Save Money On Your Next Vacation
This page is full of money-saving tips and tricks that will help you get more vacation for your buck.
Now that you have found a property that suits your requirements for your next vacation, whether that’s sunbathing on a beach, hiking in the mountains, or anywhere in between, you can save even more money with a little help from us.
Just follow the tips and tricks below…
Saving Money On Your Next Vacation
We all want to save money when we travel, but sometimes it can be hard to know where to start. Here are 35 tips to help you save money on your next vacation:
Save Money On Your Next Vacation
Saving money by planning your vacation
1. Plan ahead
This may seem like an obvious one, but planning your trip in advance can help you save a lot of money. Not only will you be able to find better deals on flights and vacation rentals, but you’ll also have a better idea of what activities you want to experience while you’re away and how much they’ll cost.
A well-planned vacation will reduce impulse spending and planning what to see and do in advance is a fun thing to do. Tripadvisor.com is a great place to discover things to see and do and places to visit.
2. Avoid the most expensive destinations
If you’re looking to save money on your vacation, it’s best to avoid the most popular (and expensive) destinations. Instead, try exploring some of the less-visited places around the world where your Dollars, Euro, Pounds, or other currencies will go further.
Bermuda, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Barbados are the 5 most expensive destinations to visit so don’t expect to have a cheap vacation at any of these places.
These are some of the cheaper countries to vacation in…
3. Create a budget before your trip (and stick to it)
One of the best ways to save money on vacation is to create a budget before you even start packing your bags. Decide how much money you can realistically afford to spend and then make a list of all the expenses you’ll need to account for, including travel, lodging, food, activities, and souvenirs. Once you have your budget, do your best to stick to it!
Check out the Travel-spend app, it’s great for creating and tracking your travel budget and it has great customer reviews
4. Research the price of travel and seasonal trends
Avoid the holiday seasons
When it comes to saving money on vacation, knowledge is power. Before booking your trip, take some time to research the average cost of travel to your destination and look for any seasonal trends that could affect pricing.
Dates that coincide with school holidays, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are always classed as high season, and booking these dates will be more expensive than booking in mid or low season. Booking one week on either side of these high-season weeks can result in big savings.
Seasonal weather impacts vacation pricing
The chart above shows the seasonal weather for Honolulu, Hawaii. You can see that the beach/pool score is highest between mid-May and mid-October. This is high season and prices will be higher then.
If you visit https://weatherspark.com/ you can view ‘at a glance’ charts like this for anywhere in the world
5. Price check your accommodation choices
Accommodation hosts and owners often advertise their properties on a number of vacation rental listing sites. The most popular vacation rental websites are Airbnb, Booking (.com), and VRBO but there are 100’s of other smaller ones and in some cases local listing sites too.
The major online travel agencies (OTA’s) all charge booking fees and these fees can REALLY add up.
Here at Hichee.com you can easily see if the property you are thinking about booking is listed on Airbnb, Booking (.com), and VRBO and once you have entered your planned dates of travel you can easily see which company is offering the lowest price. In some cases, you can literally save thousands of dollars by carrying out a quick check using our site.
Here’s an example where a 1-minute check saves me $5,836
Before You Book, Give Hichee a look
6. Be flexible with your travel dates.
If you’re willing to be flexible with when you travel, you can often find cheaper flights and accommodation. For example, traveling during the week can often be cheaper than traveling on weekends.
According to Experian…
“Generally, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the cheapest days to fly, while Fridays and Sundays are pricier, according to travel deal site FareCompare. Leisure travelers tend to fly on the weekends, either starting their vacations on Friday or taking a long weekend Friday to Sunday. Business travelers often return on Fridays and head out on business trips on Sunday evenings. Mid-week flights are cheaper because there’s generally less demand from both business and leisure travelers”.
7. Book-direct with the owner or host
In a lot of cases, you will get the best price on accommodation if you book the property directly with the owner or host.
They don’t charge large commissions like Airbnb, Booking (.com), and VRBO do, so you could save up to 15 percent on properties advertised on these listing sites.
Check to see if the rental you are looking at has verified owner status on Hichee. If it does, contact the owner in order to secure the best price on the web.
Here’s a short video showing how to get great deals with verified owners on HiChee
If the HiChee listing doesn’t show a verified owner section, you can use our magic search function to see if the property you are interested in booking is available on smaller listings sites or if the owner has their own website.
Here’s a short video on our magic search function…
See how I save over $2,000 in one minute
8. Save money by booking accommodation for longer in order to get discounts.
If you’re looking to save money on accommodation, one way to do so is by booking for a longer period of time. Many vacation rental hosts offer discounts for longer stays, so you can end up saving a lot of money in the long run. If you book direct with a host or owner you may even get a ‘Book six days, get an extra day free’ deal.
It pays to ask.
Save Money On Your Next Vacation
Finance
9. Use a credit card to get a good foreign exchange rate.
If you have a good credit card, you can often get a better exchange rate than you would at a bank. Just be sure to pay off your balance in full to avoid any interest charges.
Look for travel rewards credit cards.
There are a number of credit cards that offer rewards specifically for travel, including points, miles, and cash back. If you’re a frequent traveler, these cards can help you save a lot of money on your trips. Just be sure to pay off your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges.
Use points and miles to book free or discounted travel.
If you have any points or miles from past travel, be sure to use them! You can often use them to book free or discounted travel, which can save you a lot of money.
Save up your points and miles.
If you don’t have any points or miles yet, start saving them up! Many credit cards offer sign-up bonuses that can get you a free flight or hotel stay.
10. Don’t pay foreign transaction or ATM withdrawal fees
Fees percentages may not sound like much, but they add up quickly when you’re withdrawing cash from an ATM abroad. To avoid these fees, look for a bank account that doesn’t charge them or use a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
11. Travel in places where your home currency takes you farther.
You can travel to countries with strong currencies, like the United States or Japan, and get more bang for your buck. Another way to save money is by visiting cheaper destinations (see tip no.2). Countries like Thailand and Mexico offer cheaper accommodations and food options without skimping on quality or experiences.
12. Track your spending with an app
NAB (You Need A Budget) is one of our favorite budgeting apps, but there are tons of others out there that can help you track your spending. Having a clear idea of where your money is going is the first step to saving money.
Trail Wallet is another simple and elegant app for tracking your travel spending.
Trail Wallet can help you stay on budget while you’re on the go. The app lets you create budgets for individual trips and add expenses as you go. You can also see where you’re spending the most money and adjust your budget accordingly.
XE Currency
This free app is essential for anyone who travels frequently
XE Currency is a simple and easy-to-use currency converter that gives you live exchange rates for over 160 currencies. The app also lets you set up rate alerts, so you’ll always be aware of changes
13. Avoid losing all your money with an emergency stash
Losing your wallet on vacation is a nightmare, but it happens. Before you leave, stash some cash in a safe place in your luggage so you’re not completely stranded if it does happen. Don’t wander around town with a lot of cash and all of your credit cards on you. Just take a limited amount of cash and just one credit card.
That way, if the worst does happen you’ll not have lost everything.
14. Never exchange money at the airport
The rates offered at airports are almost always terrible, so avoid exchanging money there if at all possible. If you must, XC (Local Exchange Company) is one of the better options, but your best bet is to withdraw cash from an ATM at your destination.
15. Shop around for trip insurance online.
Gather quotes from a few different companies before you buy travel insurance. Prices can vary widely, so it’s worth it to shop around.
Be sure to read the fine print on any travel insurance policy to make sure it’s right for you.
Save Money On Your Next Vacation
How do I save money on travel?
16. Save by traveling on certain days of the week.
You can often save money on flights and rental accommodation by traveling on certain days of the week. For example, flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday is typically cheaper than flying on a Friday or Sunday. And vacation rentals and Airbnb’s often have lower rates during the week as well.
Also see tip number 6 for more on this subject.
17. Travel outside of high season
Traveling during the off-season can also help you save money. Not only will flights and Airbnb’s be cheaper, but attractions will likely have shorter lines and be less crowded overall.
18. Find the best price for flights.
Many factors go into the price of a flight, so it’s hard to say definitively how to find the best deal. However, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of finding a good deal.
First, be flexible with your travel dates. You may be able to save money by flying on different days of the week or there you have it! A few simple tips to help you save money on your next vacation.
Here are some more money-saving tips for when booking flights
19. Use Skyscanner
One of the easiest ways to save money on travel is by using Skyscanner’s search tool. Just enter your departure and arrival airports and select single or return flights and Skyscanner will return a list of flights, starting with the cheapest.
Skyscanner’s whole month search tool allows you to see the cheapest days to fly in any given month, making it easy to score a deal.
20. Search for flights on Skyscanner using incognito mode
Travel sites use cookies to track your browsing behavior so search for flights using incognito mode in your browser otherwise you can fall victim to the prices creeping up as you search or when you return to the site.
21. Look at skiplagging options
This tip is a little bit risky but may save money for some travelers.
Skiplagging, also known as hidden-city ticketing, is a travel booking technique that takes advantage of how airlines price flights. By booking a flight with a layover at your desired destination, and then not taking the last leg of the trip, you can save money on airfare.
While this may sound like an obvious way to get cheaper flights, it’s actually against most airlines’ rules and can result in passengers being banned from future flights.
It’s important to know the risks before you book a hidden-city ticket.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Most airlines consider skiplagging to be a form of fraud, and they may cancel your ticket if they find out you’re doing it.
You could be banned from flying with that airline in the future.
Your checked luggage will be sent to the final destination so you’ll end up without it. Hand luggage and cabin baggage shouldn’t be a problem.
This video explores skiplagging in more detail…
22. Sign up for Scott’s Cheap Flights
Scott’s team of Flight Experts is constantly monitoring fares. When deals pop up, they let you know, via email. The very best deals get sent right to your inbox, or you can log in any time to browse the current deals from your airports.
Got a specific destination in mind? Search for a city and they’ll show you all the current deals to that destination, plus give you the scoop on average prices for that route so you know a good deal when you see one.
23. Save money with rental cars.
Look for the best deals.
Prices for rental cars vary widely, so it pays to shop around. Check out all the major rental car companies as well as smaller regional ones.
Pay in advance.
Paying in advance often gets you a lower rate than if you pay at the counter when you pick up your car.
Use coupons.
You can often find coupons for rental cars in travel magazines or online.
Compare rates with other transportation options.
In some cases, it may be cheaper to take a train, bus or even Uber (see below) rather than renting a car.
Here are 6 great money-saving tips on renting a car from the deal guy.
Some of these tips show how to save up to 30 percent off your rental
24. Save money by using Lyft and Uber.
If you’re traveling in a city, using a ride-sharing service can be much cheaper than taking a taxi. Just download the app and enter your destination to see the rates.
25. Use public transportation.
In many cities, public transportation is not only a great way to get around, but it’s also very affordable.
Most major cities have an app that will help you find your way around by bus, tram, or train. Many cities also have open-top bus tours so you can take in all of the sights and get a commentary while sitting in your seat. You may need sunscreen and a hat in some hotter countries.
26. Hire bicycles
This is by far the best way to get to know a city. You can follow your own preferred routes, stop when you like and it’s super cheap in most cases.
Check out Donkey Republic. No, you don’t rent a donkey, this app assists you in finding and renting bicycles. They are based mainly in Europe but they also cover some cities in the US.
Save Money On Your Next Vacation
How do I save money while ON vacation?
27. Take self-guided tours
Sightseeing can be one of the most expensive parts of a vacation, especially if you’re paying for a guided tour. A great way to save some money is to take self-guided tours instead. This can be done by doing some research ahead of time and then exploring on your own, or by picking up a map when you arrive at your destination.
There are some great self-guided tour apps too
If you are traveling in the US, check out Clio
The site has **38109** historical entries from all across the country and **1415** walking tours, virtual tours of museums, heritage trails, and other curated experiences authored by hundreds of organizations.
Geotourist is your personal mobile tour guide for the world’s best travel landmarks. Download the app and access auto-play guided audio tours in multiple languages right on your smartphone.
Hearonymus offers the best value professional audio guide for smartphones for central European destinations.
Secret City Trails offers self-guided discovery city games in several European cities. Follow a trail of clues, explore the city’s best spots and unlock local recommendations.
29. Minimize attractions with entrance fees or cover charges.
Many museums, zoos, and other attractions come with an entrance fee that can really add up, especially if you’re traveling with a family. One way to save some money is to look for free attractions or those with minimal entrance fees.
Many museums offer free days or reduced rates for students too.
30. Look for free things to see and do
If you’re looking for things to do, be sure to check out the free attractions like national landmarks, parks, and museums first.
Use Google or Tripadvisor for free things to do in the area.
If you are taking a vacation in a big city then visit https://www.timeout.com/ as you’ll find a ton of free events that you can attend
Time Out | Best Things To Do and Events In Cities Worldwide
31. Stay off the beaten path
Do some research and try to avoid tourist traps, which are often overcrowded and overpriced. Instead, explore some of the lesser-known attractions or do some activities that are unique to the area you’re visiting. This can not only save you money but also give you a more authentic experience.
32. Eat like a local
Dining out can be one of the biggest expenses while on vacation, especially if you’re eating at tourist traps. To save money, try to eat like a local. This means seeking out local restaurants and markets where you can get cheaper and more authentic meals.
You can also save money by cooking some meals in your vacation rental or Airbnb. After all, that’s one of the main advantages of booking a vacation rental.
Take advantage of food delivery apps too. Having McDonald’s, KFC, Domino’s Pizza, Planet Sushi, Pizza Hut, Speed Burger, O’Tacos, Subway, and more delivered to your rental will be cheaper than eating out in a lot of cases.
33. Have sundowners on the deck, not on the beach
It’s tempting to visit well know bars like Harry’s bar in Venice, Napoleon House, New Orleans, and Tiki Ti, Los Angeles but these famous bars are super expensive.
The same goes for a lot of beach bars as you are paying for the view and location as much as you are for the drinks. Pick up your favorite drinks at the local store and have these on the deck or around the pool at your vacation rental. You’ll save a small fortune over the course of your vacation.
34. Buy local brands and locally-grown produce as snacks.
A fresh coconut can be a cheaper alternative to a can of Coke in many destinations. The same goes for local street food and fresh fruit over branded snacks.
If you are preparing meals in your vacation rental then check out the local farmers market. These always have the freshest produce and are always buzzing with local colourful characters.
35. Shop around for the best vacation rental, Airbnb, Booking (.com), and VRBO prices.
If you are reading this article then you are already on Hichee.com
You can compare accommodation prices in order to make sure that you are paying the lowest price for each property on selected dates.
In most cases, booking directly with the host or owner will save you even more money.
Even if the property is only listed on one platform, you’ll go away with the peace of mind that you still got the best deal available.
Conclusion
With a little planning, flexibility, and nouse you can save a lot of money on your next vacation. By employing some of the above tips you can keep costs down and have more vacation for your bucks.
So get out there and start exploring!