In an ideal world, everyone would have enough money to travel. But in reality that’s not the case. And for many people, their best option for travel is taking out a personal loan.
And in many situations there’s nothing wrong with that. Personal loans are a great way to reach a short term goal, and with better interest rates than credit cards, are a much safer way to fund your holiday. However you do need to approach this sensibly. Banks see the yawning gap between reality and aspirations as a tremendous opportunity, and you need to be smart enough to borrow responsibly.
So if you’re considering taking out a personal loan for travel, make sure you’ve understood the following.
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There’s no worse feeling than booking your flight, getting excited about your trip, and then having an airline rain on your parade by offering everyone else a better price. It obviously happens all the time, but is it just a matter of luck that the person sitting next to you paid half the price?
Chances are that it could have been luck, but it’s more likely that they knew how to find the best travel deals to save on flights.
Flights are often the biggest expense of a trip, so they shouldn’t be something you book blind. Use our following tips to know that what you’re paying is not overpriced.
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Cruises are a fantastic way to discover the world, and travelers who haven’t yet tried this form of travel are definitely missing out. Couples cruise for the romance, families for the stress free and family friendly environment for their kids; solo travelers cruise to be social, and others to enjoy excursions in multiple exotic lands in one trip.
Though perhaps one of the best reasons to take a cruise is the value for money. Whether you decide on Europe, or to embark on an Alaskan cruise, everything you could possibly need for a great trip is bundled into the one fare. That’s all meals, accommodation, entertainment and transport between destinations at substantially lower cost than if you were spend the same on land for a hotel, taxi, dinner and a show.
No matter what your reason for taking a cruise, the following are 5 reasons heading on a cruise is fantastic value for money.
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Often, we associate keeping costs down with sacrifice. We think that to spend less means to get less. But this is not always the case. Some of the ways in which you can keep costs down when traveling can actually lead to more wholesome and immersive experiences.
The key is to be able to keep your costs down so that you can do more of what you like, or stay on the road for longer. It’s a classic discussion, but in this article we want to show you how to keep costs down without assuming you want to stay in a two-man tent on the moors.
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Running out of money while traveling can be a nightmare. And for most travelers this means having to head home. But what if you could earn money while traveling, without having to worry about work visas, and it was enough to keep you on the road?
As luck would have it, there are always ways to earn extra money so long as you can find an internet connection. Broke on the road? The following websites let you earn cash online!
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Most travelers understand the importance of switching off data roaming when you’re traveling overseas. And for those who don’t, it only takes one $700 phone bill for this realization to hit hard!
Yet having access to mobile data is perhaps even more important for those who travel. So when it comes to hacks for finding cheap mobile roaming abroad, last year we brought you news of a company called Flexiroam, who offer a data roaming solution that lets you earn free data before you travel, avoiding huge roaming fees overseas. It’s a new approach to travel sim cards where you can earn 100 GB of free data to use in over 120 countries around the globe.
And while we were incredibly impressed by the app in November, Flexiroam have just released a major app revamp (March 1 2017) offering even more free mobile roaming while you’re overseas!
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Europe is one of those destinations where you could easily spend $400 a night on a standard hotel room, or throw down $20 for a burger, and there’s no doubt that the expensive reputation of some European cities can be intimidating for first time visitors. It’s not always the cheapest getaway.
Yet Europe is one of the most iconic backpacking destinations in the world and continues to welcome millions of budget travelers touring the continent with very little cash to spend.
These travelers know that even the most expensive cities have room to economize, and that if you’re willing to sacrifice a little comfort and convenience, Europe doesn’t have to break the bank.
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These beach camping destinations around Australia are gorgeous, and they’re some of my favourites. Here’s where to go to sleep (and wake up!) this summer by the sea.
Whitehaven Beach, Queensland: You’ll find a gorgeous array of beach camping sites in the Whitsundays, but one of the standouts is Whitehaven.
Pristine white sands and glistening blue waters await, with the campsite and toilets nestled in the bush just metres back from the beach. It’s only small (with seven sites), so book early to grab a spot.
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Thanks to the internet, you can find money-saving advice on just about anything – pet care, car insurance, the list goes on. Travel advice is one of the more popular categories; there are thousands of articles with tips for saving money while traveling the globe.
If you’ve read my article for saving money on airfare in 2017, in the same spirit, I decided to write another one on a more slow-paced means of travel: RVing.
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There’s a lot of conflicting travel advice online for finding the cheapest flights, and a lot of advice which is repeated so often it’s now general knowledge; be flexible with your dates, compare flight prices, travel during off season, don’t be afraid of a layover, etc.
But while the same old tips and suggestions pop up across different blogs time and time again, the travel industry evolves at such a rapid pace that every year is different from the one before. The tips and tricks which worked 12 months ago may not be up to date anymore.
So we’ve put together tips based on recent travel trends from the results of the 2016 Annual Flight Study from Momondo. Based on 13 billion fares across the top 100 routes searched for on momondo, this study has some fabulous insight on how you can save in 2017, making sure you’re always getting the best airfare!
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Best known for its beautiful beaches and parks and its near-perfect weather, San Diego is a popular destination along the southern Californian coast. With opportunities for wildlife viewing as well as a range of cultural, natural, and historic attractions available, you’ll never be at a loss for things to do.
There are many incredible experiences in San Diego for those with a large budget, from hot air ballooning with an ocean view to incredibly delicious and innovative dining scene. However this is a fantastic destination for the budget traveler too, and there are just as many incredible experiences for those who don’t want to spend their life savings.
The following is a budget guide to San Diego from my local point of view; things to do that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, while still getting the full San Diego experience.
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Many people make resolutions heading into the new year, and from a travelers perspective this may be to travel more, seek out immersive experiences, or even learn a new language. Though for me, this new year meant cleaning the house. Tidying up our garage, donating clothes, and cleaning out some old drawers. And it’s quite amazing what you find when you clear out your old draws!
Like $450 in forgotten cash.
You’re probably wondering how it’s possible to just “forget” about $450 in your sock drawer. That money represents a flight, a couple of nights at a hotel, or even a couple of weeks throughout a cheap country in South East Asia. But I’m not able to spend it. My problem is that my $450 is in Turkish Lira. And Euro. And Pounds. And Canadian Dollars. And Czech Koruna. And honestly there are a lot of coins and bank notes that I don’t even recognize!
Over 10 years of travel, all of that leftover currency adds up, and if you’ve been adding to your own jar over the years, you’ve probably got hundreds of dollars sitting there too. Here’s how to exchange those mixed foreign coins and bank notes for actual cash.
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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 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.
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Travel is a dream for many people. Laying on exotic beaches, roaming the streets of ancient cities, tasting foods you’ve never heard of- it sounds like heaven! Though unfortunately, many people consider travel something utterly beyond their reach.
Travel takes time, money, and planning. And people always seem to find themselves coming up short on at least one of those things.
But travel is within your reach, even if you’re a small earner like me. Be deliberate about where you actually spend your money, and take every opportunity to save that you can. You’ll find that travel presents itself in lots of little ways!
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Do you want to travel on the cheap? Many people save money with the aim of taking vacations during the festive season. However, they fail to plan in advance on how to spend money once they start travelling.
That means they end up paying more than what they initially budgeted. Fortunately, this step by step guide to travel on the cheap will help you to save money.
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Travelling can sometimes be a costly affair. Paying for flights, accommodation, insurance, souvenirs, activities it all adds up. But thankfully there are many websites out there that allow us to save money when it comes to booking travel.
Here are just 5 ways you can save money, whether you’re planning your travel route or already on the road.
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If there’s one thing most of us expect nowadays it’s a reliable internet connection, and having access to mobile data is perhaps even more important for those who travel. That connection means access to information, money, and methods of communication when you find yourself in a foreign land. It’s how we organize everything from where to eat to finding a route to the hotel.
Mobile data has become such an integral part of our daily lives that most of us would be lost without it. Though international roaming can be ridiculously expensive, so staying connected overseas usually means hitting up a local café, finding an insecure public hotspot, or buying a local sim.
Thankfully, companies like Flexiroam are starting to step in, offering a data roaming solution that lets you earn free data before you travel, helping to avoid huge roaming fees when you’re overseas.
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New York City bears a reputation as a pricey destination, which is not wholly undeserved. Recent reports from Statista put the price of an average New York City hotel at $254 per night.
If you’re a budget traveler, the outlook doesn’t have to be grim. You can find great deals on New York City hotels, and if you’re savvy and use the tips below, you can also find cheap rates on comfortable, clean rooms, in prime locations, too.
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Who hasn’t dreamt of going travelling and escaping off into the sunset for a while? Seeing parts of the world and experiencing different cultures can be costly, but costly doesn’t mean impossible.
Here’s some handy tips for those wanting to escape the 9 to 5 on a budget.
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Heading off on holidays is one of life’s great joys but it can also be quite the drain on your hip pocket. It’s no secret that the moment we start travelling it doesn’t take long for the funds to start unravelling. Once we’re abroad, logic goes out the window and the wallet can seriously suffer.
In fact, a recent study by Choosi found that fifty percent of Australians surveyed admit they’re careless with cash when on holidays. So how can we enjoy our time away without breaking the bank?
Read on for some top travel tips that’ll keep you in budget.
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There’s a myth among many that travel is an activity reserved for the rich. When you consider the cost of hotels, flights, public transportation, and food, you can easily spend a fortune if you’re not careful with your cash.
But if you have a tight budget, there’s no need to despair. There are many ways to cut your costs when traveling. Follow these basic tips and tricks for traveling on the cheap, and you might even return home with extra cash to spare.
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Recent years have seen the rise of the Digital Nomad; those lucky few self-employed thrill-seekers who travel the world with a laptop in their backpack, and think that working 9-5 is for suckers.
I’m sure you’ve heard all about them and you’re probably wishing you could do likewise. Being able to go where you please, when you please, and call nobody boss is a fantastic lifestyle in theory, but how does it work in practice?
We’ve looked at many different ways to earn money while you travel, including blogging, freelancing, and other ideas for jobs you can pick up on the road, though today we’re going to focus on setting up a business, and specifically, how you can build a thriving online travel marketplace.
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Gas prices are down, the temperature is heating up, and travelers are inevitably looking to take advantage of both this summer.
In fact, with all the sunny news about oil prices you may be itching to plan an escape of your own. But summer is three whole months long, airfare is usually priced at a premium, and there tends to be a lot of confusion for travelers around the optimal purchase date to obtain the best deal. Indeed, the most asked travel advice question posed to Hipmunk Navigators concerns the best time to purchase a ticket.
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If money was no object, where in the world would you go on vacation? Only a select few get to plan their vacation with abandon, not spending one second worrying about their budget.
Here are 5 places we would love to stay if we could afford to, or if someone else was picking up the tab! These are definitely worth the splurge if you’re not worried about your budget abroad.
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The airline industry has been struggling to make money since the beginning of flight. But because of their mismanagement, the consumer now has to pay.
Although certain perks such as comfortable seats and WiFi may be worth the extra charges, the escalating fees airlines are now charging have become a joke. The industry has gone above and beyond to charge passengers for everything from the aisle seat to printing a boarding pass. And when you add up these airline fees, you’ll be surprised at how quickly your money accrues.
Many of the following fees used to be hidden. Though now many airlines don’t even bother disguising them.
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