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To become a frugal traveler, there's one pivotal question you need to ask yourself. Seth Kugel, author of the New York Times's Frugal Traveler blog. It's not just an inquiry into how likely you are to sacrifice plush hotels for hostel beds. It's a question of how much mental discomfort you can handle. It's about your willingness to use public transportation instead of hailing a cab, eating from street vendors instead of at four-star eateries, and haggling for the lowest price. The more discomfort you can handle, the less you need to spend. Let's take a look at a few surprisingly comfortable ways to save on your next trip. Transportation is always going to be comparatively pricey, but there are still simple ways to find savings on this unavoidable travel expense. If you're flexible on the dates and destinations of your trip, airline carriers offer discounted flights and special packages to their e-mail list subscribers.
Upon arrival, use a nontraditional lodging option to cut expenses. You could also consider a home exchange, in which you trade stays in homes with another person. Let's talk about a few ways to find the perfect budget travel destination. Frugal travel is a relative term: A ski vacation in Switzerland is probably going to cost more than tramping through Bolivia, for example. So, before your trip, research your destination and post on forums to get specific advice on how much you can expect to spend in a certain destination before you book the trip. One money-saving strategy involves finding a less-expensive alternative to a quintessential travel destination. Many vacation destinations offer special packages or deals in the off-season or shoulder seasons. Try booking a ski trip as the temperatures start to warm, or take a Caribbean vacation during the hurricane-stricken autumn. Kugel suggests considering areas whose notorious reputations are outdated. Colombia, for example, is decades removed from its epidemic of drug violence, and there are still regions of Mexico far removed from the drug violence of the northern border.
For perennial low-cost travel destinations, look to Central America, Southeast Asia and India. And while exchange rate isn't everything, traveling in countries with a local currency stronger than the dollar is almost certainly going to be more expensive. But beyond the core expenses of transportation, lodging and food, nearly every expense is discretionary. Kugel says. Ask about discounts wherever you go. But unless you're traveling on a shoestring for its own sake, make sure to budget for the activities you truly want to experience. Click ahead to find out which mode of travel is the cheapest way to reach your destination. Still can't afford to jet around on a budget? Consider taking a "staycation," using time off from work to relax at home and do things around town you wouldn't normally do. Many museums, for instance, offer discounts on certain days of the week and might even have special offers for local patrons. Determining whether it's cheaper to take a plane, train or bus depends on numerous variables.
How far are you traveling? Are you traveling alone or with the whole family? What's your car's gas mileage? Are you booking your flight in advance during the off-season, or are you booking a last-minute trip on a busy travel day? The cheapest mode of travel depends on where you're going and who is traveling with you. For the solo traveler journeying long distances, airplanes are typically the most affordable option, while driving is the least economical. Let's say you're traveling the roughly 2,800 miles (4,506.2 kilometers) between New York and Los Angeles in your own car, which gets about 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) to the gallon. Assuming you're paying an average of $3.50 for each gallon of gas throughout the entire trip, the one-way cost of driving this distance comes out to $490. Let's say you're making the same one-way trip in the same car, but this time you're driving with your spouse and two children. The one-way cost of driving remains the same $490 sum.
Taking an Amtrak train with the same family of four costs $624. However, each mode of transportation has drawbacks that muddy the picture. The extra funds required for tolls, hotels, food and other expenses incurred while driving over long distances can eliminate any savings easily. Air and train passengers may have to pay baggage fees and account for the cost of transportation to and from the airport. Should you buy that extra collision coverage on your rental car? Read on and find out. They can clue you in on affordable transportation, places to eat and sightseeing opportunities that are light on the wallet. If you're visiting a major city, you can typically save some money by flying to a smaller airport a little farther away. You might be able to find a lower rate simply by using a different Web browser. Call your auto insurance agent before you purchase extra collision coverage on your rental. Instead of going out to eat every night, buy your meals from local markets, or ask locals for cheap places to eat.
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