Travel Tips: Eight Things You Should Do To Ensure Your Vacation Is Not Heavy on Pocket
Scratching the travel itch is becoming more expensive every year. And if you are someone who can't compromise on travelling during the holiday season, the expenses can be heavy on your pocket. So how do you make sure you spend less but don't compromise? Here are some tips:
Book Tickets In Advance
This is one of the most effective ways of saving some money on your overall travel cost. Choose a destination and decide on the dates a few months in advance, which helps you save a significant amount on ticket prices compared to the rates you will end up paying when booking close to the vacation. The idea is to book the tickets and accommodations at reasonable prices, as they tend to skyrocket during peak holiday season on higher demand.
Avoid The Herd
You may notice a destination trend every year. People usually like to follow what they see most on social media and among the groups of friends. For example, the Maldives was a sensation among celebrities not too long ago, driving more Indian travellers' interest. However, what suits others may not suit your pockets. Hence, make a list of holiday destinations you like and can afford and choose what you think suits you the best.
Try Street Cuisine
Food is another expensive affair while travelling, after accommodation, at times more expensive than the stay itself. To make sure it doesn't ruin your budget, prefer trying local street food and small restaurants instead of expensive ones or fine-dining places.
Use Pods
Some countries in Europe, as well as Japan, the US, and now India, have pod hotels. The concept is simple: a compact capsule with all basic facilities at budget pricing. This can help you save effectively without compromising on comfort.
Check Discount Sites
One of the least explored options, this could help you save a big deal. Check aggregators like Coupondunia.com and Dealsandyou.com that list discounts on hotels, flights, cab bookings, and more from others in one place. It is always advisable to check these sites before making those bookings.
Public Transport
Choose public transport like buses and trains over flights to travel domestically, as they are any day cheaper than planes. Besides, overnight journeys also help you save on accommodation as you have fewer days to book your stay for.
Smart Packing
Pack smartly, keeping in mind all the things you may need during the travel. As much as possible, avoid shopping for your needs while travelling, as the same items can cost more in other countries. If you are travelling to places known for sudden changes in weather, pack accordingly. However, avoid overpacking, as the airlines usually charge extra for exceeding the luggage limit.
Souvenirs
If you didn't bring souvenirs, you never visited the place! While it is a good gesture to bring souvenirs for friends and family, ensure you check multiple places before buying them. Compare the prices and pick.
Happy Holidays!
-
Talking Points This Week: Leadership Shock At Nvidia, Earnings Strength, And The Fog Over Hormuz
The Anthropic IPO pricing and first trading day, Nvidia's upcoming earnings, and any fresh signals from Iran will set the tone for the following week.
-
Signature Play: The Classic Cocktail Is Dead. Or Is It?
Classic cocktails are disappearing from India's cocktail menus. But they're still being ordered, taught to bartenders and borrowed from. So, who's really having the last drink?
-
A New Samvat Wishlist: Inclusive Prosperity And Human Development
India has strengthened its economic foundations through infrastructure, digital access and enterprise. Its next growth chapter must deepen productivity, create better livelihoods and widen participation in prosperity.
-
Love, Sex Aur Dhokha: The Audacious Plot To Spy On Jensen Huang
A Taipei dinner, a Singapore chip buyer and a suspected Chinese asset: inside the alleged spy operation that got close to NVIDIA's Jensen Huang.
-
Ten Things I Learnt This Samvat
Patience can be a trap. Cheap stocks can stay cheap. Leverage can wipe you out. What did Samvat 2082 teach us? Niraj Shah writes on 10 lessons from the year gone by.
-
Talking Points This Week: Tech Nerves, FII Buying, And A Faraway Banking Shock
The global markets are not shining this Diwali. The exception in the large markets is, India.
-
Midterm Rally Lasted A Day. The Hard Reality Of A Divided US May Last Two Years | Opinion
Between a contested AI boom, a debt ceiling that arrives in 2027 and a president with every incentive to act alone, the next two years may prove more volatile than the first day's rally suggests.
-
Blue Wave Will Derail the AI Trade but Won't Dismantle the AI Era | Unhedged Position
The Democrats' sweep of the US Congress will see politics collide with economic forces both over the long and short term.
-
It's Time To Take The GST Council's Bet On Trust Global
Payment records can prove India's services exports, and clear, proportionate rules can bring foreign digital sellers into the tax net.
-
Opinion | India at 38: From Innovation Overperformer to Innovation Powerhouse
India now has 453 VC-backed deep science startups, 18 of them late-stage, after 117 percent growth since 2020. Laurus Labs, at USD 9.3 billion, is the most valuable deep science company in any middle-income economy outside China.