How to save money on your trip

How often do we look at the vivid photos of our colleagues, friends, acquaintances overseas vacations. We look longingly at our savings and postpone the trip until "better times".

But in order to provide yourself with a comfortable and informative vacation, for example, in Turkey or Europe, it is not necessary to have a tight wallet. It is enough to know some details of a budget trip and devote a little more time to preparing it.

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1. Don't go too far
Of course, if your dream is Honduras and you are not attracted to anywhere else, you will not be able to follow this advice. If your goal is to sunbathe or even just travel, choose places closer to home.

2. Travel to visa-free countries
Fortunately, their list is not so short. So, visas are not needed to such popular Israel and Montenegro. And, for example, a visa to Italy, which is only a few tens of kilometers away from Montenegro, will cost € 50.

3. Buy ready-made package tours
This tour includes flight, hotel and transfer, you can save about 50%. What's the catch? It's simple. For such complete programs, the travel company reserves a block of places in hotels and airlines in advance, due to which they receive an excellent discount from both.

4. Purchase tours, book and pay for hotels in advance
If you make an early booking in January or February, it will save up to 60% of the hotel price. In spring, the discount percentage decreases, but when booking a hotel in March and April, you can still get good discounts of 50-30%.

5. Catch "last minute" deals
If you are easy going, do not miss the chance to have a great vacation for ridiculous money. On the websites of tour operators in the sections "Special offers" or "Last minute deals" come across very, very attractive tours.

6. Choose inexpensive hotels
The cost of the tour is significantly influenced by the choice of a hotel located on the second or third coastline and having a category of 3-4 stars. Such hotels are located at a distance of 300-500 meters from the beach. The cost of rest in such hotels is significantly lower than in hotels directly on the seashore, but the level of comfort is in no way inferior. And also the benefits of walking in the beautiful resort areas.

7. Choose rooms with city or courtyard views
These rooms are 20% cheaper than rooms with a sea view.

8. Go on vacation during the velvet season
During the velvet season (late May – early June or late September - early October) prices are lower, there are fewer people, and the weather is sunny with a low level of humidity.

9. Travel with friends
Singles always overpay for accommodation - after all, a single room in a hotel costs the same as a double room. But the cost of a triple room is slightly higher than the cost of a double room. And if you are recruited from 4 to 6 people - even better: you will find very, very inexpensive apartments in the private sector.

10. Travel by public transport, use travel passes and tourist cards
Due to high gasoline prices, it is not advisable to take a taxi or rent a car. However, public transport and museums in Europe are also quite expensive. Weekly passes are great savings. For example, in Paris, such a ticket costs about € 8, it is called Carte Orange and is valid for all types of ground and underground transport (without a ticket, one metro ride will cost about € 2). Three-day or weekly museum cards are also sold in almost all major cities and are very beneficial if you plan to visit more than 3-4 museums.

11. Eat oriental
Eating in expensive restaurants will hit your pocketbook. They are "tailored" for tourists, located in the center of resort areas, which means they pay more for rent, which affects the price of dishes. It is better to look for cafe-canteens (inexpensive in Europe - Chinese restaurants and Turkish eateries), which offer traditional dishes cooked at home, tasty and with soul. And the prices in them are more democratic. The average cost of a bill there is two times lower than in any other cafe.

12. Haggle
In some countries, like here in Uzbekistan, it is customary to bargain. In markets and stores (with the exception of large supermarkets), prices are not fixed. Therefore, for any thing or product, the price can be cut in half and save a lot.

13. Buy sightseeing tours locally
It is better to do this not in a hotel, but in travel agencies of the city or in specialized shops. They have a wider range of services and good quality. In most cases, with skillful bargaining, a discount is also possible on sightseeing tours.

14. Save on air travel
On air travel, you can save up to $ 250 per person if you go, for example, to the same Turkey from neighboring Kazakhstan. Getting to the nearest departure point - Shymkent - will not be difficult. First, drive from Tashkent to the border post. On average, it will take about 30 minutes to cross the border, about 1.5 hours and only $ 20 for a taxi to Shymkent airport. It will take a little longer than if you fly from Tashkent.