If you’re like me, you’ve almost certainly been sucked into a travel spiral of over-the-top destinations, beautiful scenery, thrilling adventure after thrilling adventure, never-ending stress after a stress-filled adventure.
But, despite all these heady times, there’s always one golden rule in travel: Your luggage! Sure, we all want the experience to be special, but remember, your luggage is the most precious piece of luggage you’ll take with you!
When planning your next trip, consider these travel tips for packing light. No matter where you’re going, packing light is going to save you time and money. In addition, it helps ensure that you arrive safely and on time. Here are some tips to help you pack light when traveling.
10 Tips to Save Money and Visit More Places
Avoid Peak Travel Days
As we all know, peak travel days include Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, and Hanukkah (the Jewish holiday). If you’re traveling during peak travel days, be sure to pack as lightly as you may find that you overstuff your suitcase and can’t squeeze in much of anything because it’s too heavy.
Carry Local Currency
For example, if you travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, bring Rupees instead of Dollars. This is especially important if you’re traveling to major cities such as Islamabad (the capital), or to smaller towns such as Rawal, Pakistan. By doing so, you’ll save money on taxis, restaurants, and other expenses associated with travel in Pakistan.
Book your Plane Tickets in Advance
The best way to cut travel costs is to book your flight far in advance. In fact, if you can wait until May or June for your trip, the cost of the flight and airfare will drop. This is especially true if you purchase your plane tickets in advance through a travel agency or online travel site.
Be a Savvy Traveler
One trick that many travelers have found helpful is to get an alert on your cell phone when the weather reports are issued. A lot of airlines now issue weather reports on their websites. You can receive these alerts through text messages or email. Although some airlines issue these alerts, most will not.
Travel to the Countryside
For some reason, Americans tend to travel to cities more than the rest of the world. This may be because the people there are friendlier than those in major cities. It may also be because the cost of living is much lower. However, if you want to save some money and visit some of the country’s smallest towns, consider taking a bus or a taxi from the airport to the outskirts of the city.
Avoid Going During the Holiday Lull
Many travelers often take breaks between their holiday celebrations. If you do, check whether the weather is favorable for visiting any of your destinations. Taking the holidays off during lulls in the winter can save you plenty of money if you know where to look for it.
Do your Research
If you want to save money, you will need to do a bit of research. For example, check out how many airlines fly to your destination during particular periods of the year. You should also ask about the fares for traveling during this time. Check online for low airfare rates or, conversely, seek out cheap flights only to popular destinations. If you don’t pay attention to this step, you could end up spending more on tickets and rental cars than what you would have if you had done your research beforehand.
Go for Hybrid Routes
When traveling during the winter holidays, some travelers choose to travel via airports instead of driving or hopping on buses. Some of them even prefer flying to smaller cities that are nearby. If your goal is to save money on transportation costs, you can opt to take these routes so that you don’t have to drive through traffic-laden cities and avoid paying hefty parking fees at the airport.
Know When to Book your Flight and Where
In order to get the best deals on your holiday season travel, it is important that you know when to book your flight and where to book it. Most airlines offer detailed information regarding their routes and rates. However, if you do not book early, you may miss out on great deals. To make the most out of your holiday, you should plan to travel no less than 30 days ahead.
Don’t go During Peak Travel Days
One of the biggest reasons why plane fares go wrong in travel is because of when they are scheduled to be departing. Thanksgiving is one of the peak travel days when flights are most likely to go wrong. When it comes to going on holiday, the days when the crowds are the worst are the days when you should make your plans early.
