Transportation costs don’t stop just because you’ve arrived at your destination. There are always additional expenses as you rent cars, hire taxis, or take the bus, and much of the time these expenses are costs which travelers overlook when planning your budget.
Though like with any other part of your vacation, you can save a little money in these areas too, if you know the right questions to ask and the right plans to make.
Stay in One Place
A tip so simple it’s brilliant. Plan your trip so that you don’t necessarily have to make further trips each day. Choose a central location for your hotel and arrange your itinerary around that point. It will save you a lot of money compared to hopping from place to place throughout your trip.
Is that attraction 50 miles away all that better than a similar spot that is right around the corner? You don’t want to take this to such an extreme that you miss out on all the things you want to do while traveling.
Just keep the idea in mind when making your plans, and keep your transportation to a minimum wherever possible during your holiday.
Use Public Transit
By this, we mean typically mean public buses or the subway in urban areas. It’s more convenient to hail a taxi but you will pay quite a bit more.
You should know the language of your destination well enough that you can understand the routes and how to ask about stops and schedules though. Walking is still a simpler option if you can manage it.
Use Your Feet
Walking is free, and many city destinations will be easy enough to navigate on foot. Have an up-to-date map on hand, get to know the language enough that you can understand street signs or possibly ask for directions if you have to.
Not only is it cheaper than the constant taxi rides, you get to see a side of your destination you would miss.
An extension of this tip is to make use of pedal-power to get around. Many cities offer bike rentals, with pick-up and drop-off locations, quicker than walking and still much less expensive than other forms of inner city transport.
Research Taxi Rates
Buses and trains are usually constant with their ticket prices, but taxi fares are a little less steady. Some countries don’t use meters, and you simply have to pay what the driver declares.
Find out beforehand how much a typical taxi ride should cost to and from some common points in the city, and use that as your guide. If someone offers you a ride for a lot more, don’t hesitate to either haggle him down or just find another taxi.
And the only way to take this approach is to establish a price before you leave. Tell your driver where you want to go, and get an estimate from him up front. That way you can make your decision before you’re committed.
Travel Overnight
You can often save on a train or bus ticket if you chose an over-night route, since they are a less popular option.
The bonus is that you might be able to save a day’s accommodation this way, along with the initial savings on the ticket.
Granted, it may not be the most comfortable sleep of your life (catching the overnight bus made it onto our list of the worst travel tips of 2016 for this reason), but it can work if don’t mind a little challenge (and the route is long enough).
We highly recommend Will Hatton’s “How to Travel the World on $10 a Day” – he arms you with the tips and tricks you need to travel the world with confidence, on the most basic of budgets.
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- Transportation costs don’t stop just because you’ve arrived at your destination. There are always additional expenses as you rent cars, hire taxis, or take the bus, and much of the time these expenses are costs which travelers overlook.
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- Transportation costs don’t stop just because you’ve arrived at your destination. There are always additional expenses as you rent cars, hire taxis, or take the bus, and much of the time these expenses are costs which travelers overlook.
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Photo credits: New York City Cabs by Richard Burger. Pinterest image train ticket by Christopher Ruud.
14 Comments
I love this! Thanks for sharing. One of the tips I’ve found recently that you might find interesting is using your travel points from Alaska Airlines to get a free ‘stop over’. Alaska and United let you do this.
You can buy a one way ticket for 20K points with a ‘3 week stopover’ at home.
Example:
Current Location: New York City
Home: Seattle, WA
Next Trip: Hawaii
You can book a one way ticket from NYC to Hawaii with a ‘stop over’ for as long as you want in Seattle (or any other destination) as long as their is a direct flight to your final location and yes – it’s only 20,000 points!
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mileage-plan/use-miles/award-charts.aspx
Great suggestions Stay in one place made me laugh, but I love your the idea of using your feet. We are turning into lazy fat nations by forgetting about this one!
Good suggestions. Generally I do not have patience and just hop in a taxi no matter where I am but I am learning new tricks and trying to do better. Also trying out new forms of transportation such as buses and train travel.
We seem to miss the other travelling expenses and think only of the flights, don’t we? My favourite solution is to walk whenever possible because in this case I manage to see more of the place. Also, book an accommodation in the center because in this way I can walk most of the time. Great tip of the taxis though I usually try to stay away from them as much as I can.
I never really use a taxi unless I travel for my office job. I find it a luxury when I can do so but when traveling privately I always take a bus or another means of public transportation, it’s such an easy way to save money indeed!
These are really great tips. Instead of paying for the bus or using the metro, I tend to walk everywhere when traveling internationally. Not only does it save money but I get some fitness in. I couldn’t figure out why I was so tired when I was in Melbourne until I saw that I was walking 14 miles a day. Go figure. :)
I’ll have to give some thought into the staying put idea. But you’re right, there could be plenty to see and do closer and would be cheaper to get to.
I don’t use taxis, unless there isn’t Uber.
I loved your post! I’m a super budget traveler so I always try to save money on transport. Why didn’t you include hitchhiking ;) ? I always try to travel on foot as much as I can. Last month, while traveling in Lebanon, I went from the airport of Beirut to the city center by foot. 12 kilometers! It’s the best way to save money and also do exercise! Cheers!
Very helpful tips. Nowadays the transport cost once you arrive at your destination are too high. I always try to stay central, walk a lot, use public transport and in case I need a taxi I prefer uber which is cheaper.
We walk A LOT when we travel – it saves money and also allows us to see different things on the way. I’ve had my share of overnight buses in Vietnam and India and though they sometimes suck they’re also a great way to save money on accommodation.
I can relate to most of this . In New York, i walk for 40 minutes or more. I try not to take a cab and instead use the public transport. I also prefer booking hotels in a central location, sometimes its a little pricier but you save in transport plus you get a good atmosphere
Very helpful post, I myself have just started blogging so this helped give me some structure on new ideas. Thanks for the post!
Yes they are the most needed tips for the travelers around the world, as transport is one of the main factor where you need to spend a lot of money during traveling.
I’m a solo traveler and I love to walk from one place to another if it can do by walking aside from the scenery that you can see, the breeze that touches your face, and also you will observe different things on the surroundings. In addition, you will be able to save a penny.
Hey, Meg Jerrard
Yes! This list is perfect! Not only are these great ways to save money for travel, but they are great ways of cutting back on spending for things we truly don’t need! I actually followed/follow a lot of these methods to pay off my debt and become a stay at home mom. Now I intend to keep with it to save for traveling more. My favorite is the expense tracker and budget planning. Once you get into a routine of it, it’s really easy!
Thanks for sharing your tips!
Rita Kumar