Travel out of season
The first piece of advice you should take into account to avoid increasing your holiday budget is to travel out of season. If possible, start by avoiding school holidays, bank holidays and other long weekends.
⋙ School holidays: When will we be able to go in 2022 and 2023?
In general, avoid travelling during July, August and December! However, it is possible to fly to sunny destinations in March, June or November, or to go to snowy places in January and early February, for example.
⋙ Where to go in November? Ideal destinations for an autumn sun holiday
Choose your travel destination based on current offers
Most travellers book their holidays by thinking about the destination first: rather than having a specific drop-off point in mind, why not look at the deals on offer from tour operators or airlines, or simply look at which destinations are most affordable at the time of your holiday?
At the end of 2022, it seems that for Europeans, countries such as Hungary, Romania or Turkey, where you can discover Istanbul and Cappadocia, in particular, are affordable spots. If you want to go further afield, Japan, which has just reopened its borders to tourists, but also South Korea, Laos, Argentina andEgypt are destinations that should not break your budget.
Book your flight on a Sunday
A study conducted by Expedia.co.uk, in collaboration with the Airlines Reporting Corporation, estimated that the best day to book your flights in 2023 is Sunday: travellers would save on average about 25% on their domestic flights compared to a Saturday booking, and about 10% on their international flights compared to a Friday booking.
⋙ Here are the best tips for stress-free, money-saving air travel in 2023
Travelling by train? Opt for a discount card
If you choose to travel by train, you can also save money by buying a discount card from the SNCF, as far as France is concerned: with the Avantage Jeune, Adulte or Senior card, you can benefit from up to 30% discount on your travels to Switzerland, Italy,Spain, orGermany.
⋙ SNCF voyageurs launches the Max Senior card
Travel at night to save a night's sleep
It's a well-known tip for budget travellers: travelling at night, for example by night train, saves you a night in a hotel and you arrive at your destination rested. In Europe, several companies offer night travel, starting with France: from Paris, you can wake up a few hours later in Toulouse, Cannes, Nice or Briançon. Also from Paris, head for Vienna for a night on the Austrian national airline ÖBB.
⋙ Midnight Trains: discover these "hotel on rails" style night trains which should be running from 2024
In the rest of the world, for example, you can travel between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam on a train that runs along a railway line that is over 1,700 kilometres long. For a rail safari, don't miss the Tazara line, which runs from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia: the route passes through Tanzania's Selous Game Reserve, allowing passengers to see elephants, black rhinos, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles.
⋙ Tanzania vs Kenya: which is the better safari destination?
Opt for a hostel stay to travel cheaper and meet other people
While there are ways to get free accommodation abroad, such as couchsurfingor woofing or home exchange, a youth hostel is still one of the cheapest accommodations available.
⋙ Private rooms, neat design, prime location... What do the "new" hostels look like?
Popular with backpackers for ages, youth hostels are increasingly frequented by travellers from all walks of life, who prefer to spend their budget on things other than accommodation. Hostels are also a great way to meet other travellers along the way, whether you choose to sleep in a dorm or not.
Avoid tourist areas at mealtimes
Once the two biggest expenses on a trip - transport and accommodation - have been minimised, it's time to look at the food budget, which can get out of hand if you eat out at lunchtime and in the evening. If you want to eat out while travelling, aim for places away from the tourist epicentres: prices are often cheaper, and the quality is usually better.
⋙ Gourmet stopover: specialities to try on the road
In countries where street food culture is widespread, it is possible to enjoy local specialities at low cost by eating at street stalls. It's an authentic experience that we recommend!
Even better: if you're staying in a furnished apartment, cook your own meals to save even more money.
Take advantage of free activities
Whatever the destination, if you look hard enough you can find free activities or attractions. Many museums around the world are free, from the Tate Modern in London to the Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares in Mexico City, the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the National Art Center in Tokyo.
⋙ The world's weirdest museums
In France, many cultural venues are also free on certain days, and for certain age groups (European nationals between 18 and 25, in particular).
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