The golden rules of affordable travel

Travel is, for many of us, a distinctly rewarding experience – yet it comes at a price. Sky-high flight costs, accommodation costs and over-priced restaurants can make budgeting seem impossible, and, suddenly, booking that trip quickly becomes daunting instead of exciting. While we can’t promise your dream holiday will ever be a bargain, our editors have picked up a few tips and tricks during their years of travelling for cutting costs. Travel is for making memories, so it is important to carefully plan your spending to make the most out of your trip. Here is how to stretch every penny with the golden rules of affordable travel our editors swear by.

Talk to locals

Most of us tend to plan our trips in advance, with bucket-list attractions or restaurants we want to tick off. But leave some space on your itinerary for spontaneity and get chatting with locals to find their favourite places. “Eat where the locals eat,” says Callie Thorpe, an international travel influencer. “These off-the-beaten-track kinds of places are often far more affordable with less inflated prices, and you can support a small local business.” Avoid eating out in high-pedestrian traffic areas, as these are usually more expensive and not as good. If you’re finding it hard to meet any locals, try asking around at your accommodation – “I always ask the front desk for tips,” Sarah Allard, Condé Nast Traveller’s digital director tells us. “They are usually locals and have the best insider intel.”

Pack sensibly

Airlines have increasingly begun to overcharge on luggage, and there’s just no getting around it anymore. Instead, try to fit as much as you can into a carry-on bag. There are lots of tips and tricks when it comes to how to pack efficiently, so we asked the experts for packing tips to help maximise space on your next adventure. Most people agree that rolling your clothes to the smallest possible size is the way to go – this saves space and stops your clothes getting wrinkly. Using packing cubes is another great way to organise your luggage and help make sure you have the right amount of items for your trip.

Don’t pay for airline seats

Similarly, airlines often ask travellers to pay for seat selections on flights. As nice as it is sitting next to a friend on a long flight, most of us tend to just plug in and watch movies, listen to podcasts or read for the journey, so paying extra doesn’t make much of a difference. Save precious cash by allowing the airline to allocate you a seat and take lots of entertainment to distract you and stop you from getting bored.

Book flights strategically

There are lots of handy tips and hacks for finding cheaper flights if you know where to look. While many people believe that searching for flights in your browser’s incognito mode will help avoid cookies and prevent the airline from raising the price on your most-searched flight routes, however, this has recently been proven to be a myth (according to Quartz). We asked our favourite travel experts for reliable tips on how to find cheap flights, from price comparison sites and what dates, months and time of day are best for booking affordable travel. Booking on Sundays, for example, can save you money.

Travel off-peak times

Naturally, prices peak during the school holidays and summer months, when everyone wants to travel. Choose to travel during the off-season or shoulder season to get good value for your trips. The more clever you are with your holiday times, the better deal you’ll get – particularly for traditionally expensive trips, like safaris. “Seasonality should always be considered and prices compared,” advises Yellow Zebra Safaris. “November sees rates drop in Serengeti, but 15 November sees migration in the heart of the park, where there is also a huge concentration of cats and fewer tourists. It’s clever and good value and a great experience as the rains don’t tend to set in till December. Alternatively, by travelling to Tanzania in November, you're away from the crowds, and you can take advantage of areas where the migration herds have flattened the grasses, as these areas will now be in an ideal place for big cat sightings.”

Don’t overlook travel agents

Most of us tend to book our holidays by ourselves these days, but while many brick-and-mortar travel agents have disappeared from high streets, lots of online travel agents specialise in finding the best value trips for customers. “A lot of travel agents (like Flight Centre) offer to beat any price for flight bookings,” Charlotte Davey, fashion editor at Condé Nast Traveller, tells us. “So, if you take in screenshots of the flights you want with the cheap price being advertised (the price that disappears as soon as you actually try to book) they will book the flight for under that price. I did this once when I was travelling over Asia and saved literally hundreds of pounds.”

Think outside of the box with accommodation

Booking accommodation can prove tricky on a budget. Of course, Airbnb offers plenty of pocket-friendly choices, but if you’re looking to save cash it’s better to be choosy about the location of the accommodation – staying in the city centre will always cost more than opting for somewhere on the outskirts or in a lesser-known neighbourhood (just make sure there are good connections into the main hub areas). “Don't price yourself out of lovely Airbnbs with too many rooms – it's always worth messaging the owner and asking if they'll let you use fewer rooms than advertised for a discounted rate (especially for last-minute bookings),” Anna Prendergast, travel writer and editor, advises. “I've had homeowners from places like Lisbon and Nicaragua offer bigger properties for less than advertised.”

Other options include home shares or house swaps – Live Kindred is a members-only home-sharing community where users earn credits as they host and are then able to stay at other properties for free. Trusted House Sitters is another site where pet and home-owners offer their house up to travellers willing to look after their animals and property while they’re away.

Embrace a picnic meal

“Eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner can add up,” admits Callie. “Opting to do a supermarket trip to stock up on essentials and food to make sandwiches on beach days (even when staying at a hotel) can save so much money and allow for a special splurge for a bucket list restaurant.” Most cities have lovely parks or green areas perfect for settling down for a lazy picnic lunch in between museum- or gallery-hopping. The same applies to long travel journeys. “Pack your own sandwich and snacks for both short and long-haul flights, stopovers and journeys,” Anna suggests. “Carbs and protein bars are always useful when you’re travelling in between meals.”

Stick to one destination

As much as we love a multi-destination trip, the cost of flights and trains between countries racks up pretty quickly. Instead, focus on travelling slowly – choose one destination and really get under its skin. This way, you’ll be able to really discover where the locals hang out; the more affordable restaurants and bars, the under-the-radar galleries to visit, the neighbourhoods that give you a feel for the destination – it’s better for the environment and for your wallet. “Picking one country versus trying to conquer lots in one trip will help save costs on flights and potentially visas,” says Yellow Zebra Safaris. “It also allows you to maximise your time instead of moving around from place to place.”

Do your research

There is no right answer to the debate between package and independent booking – it all depends on the holiday. Some destinations, such as Costa Brava or Sharm el Sheikh, thrive with all-inclusive package holidays, whereas a quick city break to Paris or Amsterdam may be better organised by yourself. On the one hand, independent bookings offer more flexibility, the control to avoid unnecessary add-ons and no travel company fees. On the other, package bookings offer bulk savings for families, better financial protection and no burden of price comparison sites. There are lots of factors to consider, and ultimately it comes down to finding the best option for the type of holiday you want to have.

Travel passes

Particularly for longer trips, it is a good idea to invest in a travel pass. Daily, weekly, or monthly passes are much more cost-effective than single fares and, with no need to wait in ticket machine queues, they are also more convenient. Many cities now offer travel cards tailored to tourists, including quick access to all the popular areas, different modes of transport and sometimes even airport transfers. If you’re city-hopping in Europe, a great option is the Interrail Pass, offering a range of rail routes across 33 countries. These passes can be limited to one country or include all and have options from as little as 3 individual journeys to 3 months of unlimited travel.

Avoid foreign transaction charges

Foreign transaction fees are the charges placed on card payments abroad for currency conversion. They are usually just a small percentage of the purchase, but for frequent travellers, they can quickly add up. Avoid these pesky charges by opening a credit card or bank account with low or even no foreign transaction fees. Monzo and Revolut are popular app-only banks which do not charge foreign fees, while Barclaycard and Natwest offer specific credit cards that cater for travel. Foreign ATMs often have the most extortionate charges, so if you plan to spend cash, make sure to exchange your currency at home.

Choose attractions wisely

Once you arrive, the holiday buzz often means all thoughts of money go out the window. This is when you are at risk of racking up unnecessary expenses, so it is important to plan ahead. The most famous gallery in the city may be tempting, but often, if you dig a little deeper, you will find plenty of cheaper (or even free) options available, showcasing work which is just as impressive. Check if a place you want to visit offers free admission in the evenings or on Sundays. Of course, some attractions are worth the extra pennies, so set aside some time to map out a balanced itinerary. Once you have chosen your main event, fill the rest of your day with budget-friendly activities, like hiking, sunbathing on a beach or visiting a government-funded museum.

Visit cheaper destinations

While this may be stating the obvious, falling into the tourist trap of big-ticket places is one of the most common mistakes. One way to steer clear of this is flight-centric planning. Choosing your next holiday based on where offers the cheapest flights will prevent the shock of pricey air travel after settling on your destination. Affordable holiday options are neither few nor far, as the Post Office includes certain places in Portugal, Turkey and Cyprus in its Top 10 Destinations for 2024 Holiday Money Value report. It’s important to remember that cheaper does not always equate to worse – it may simply mean it is yet undiscovered by the travel crowds. Often the lesser-known locations are the most beautiful. They offer idyllic, unspoilt nature, authentic cultural representations, and, most importantly, the chance to see impressive sights which are not overrun by tourists.

Hire a bike

One of the expensive but inevitable costs when travelling is transport, so consider going back to basics with a bike. Seville, Paris and Vienna are just some of the cities across Europe investing in cycling infrastructure, making riding a bike accessible to even the most inexperienced cyclists. Across 70+ European cities, Donkey Republic supplies classic and electric bike rental through their app technology with pay-as-you-go fees from as low as £4 per hour. Cycling as an alternative is not only kinder on your pockets but kinder on your health and the environment as well.

Have fun

As important as it is to stick to your budget plan, remember that you are travelling for a reason – there’s not much point in travelling only to stay home and avoid doing the things you’ve travelled for. “I only ever regret the things I didn't do, not the money I spent on doing it. Do the thing!” says Anna. Don’t restrict yourself too much, and make sure you're still able to enjoy your holiday while you're there.