Table of Contents
Holiday Planning – Top 6 Budget Friendly Travel Tips
Holidays – the word is ingrained in my mind since childhood and has always sounded like music to my ears. I have fond memories of summer holidays as a kid, those were times of great excitement, you would have just turned your back on boring examinations and would be rearing to go on a holiday.
Travel is something that has been a part and parcel of my life from early years. But I learnt the word, “itinerary”, even before I learnt the word travel. It so happened that once I saw my dad sitting seriously at his desk and writing something on a pad with tremendous concentration. I asked him what he was doing. “I am drawing up the itinerary for our upcoming summer holiday”, he said. I, all of 4 years twisted the word a couple of times around my tongue and loved the sound of it, I still do!
“Itinry”, I repeated, my child’s mind like the sound of the word though not able to pronounce it properly. What does that mean? I asked fascinated by this new addition to my meager vocabulary. My dad patiently explained that it meant, planning where to go, how to go, when to go, etc., in as simple terms as he could so that a child could grasp the meaning.That encounter with a big word for a small kid remained etched in my mind. It was much later that I understood the full meaning of this term as well as the importance of planning.
So, I know how important it is to be organized and plan a holiday to ensure the entire experience is hassle free. Today with the explosion of technology, the growth of the internet and the boom of social media, planning a holiday is much easier than what it must have been years ago when there was no internet. I can imagine how difficult it must have been for my dad to prepare the “itinerary”, that he was preparing when I first heard the word. I cannot even imagine the world without a Google search! It is so easy to find information now, how difficult it must have been in those days! These days, travel inspiration and information are something which is so easily accessible. Travel Blogs pack in a lot of information as well as share personal experiences of the travelers. One of the articles about planning for a holiday which has inspired me is posted on the Edelweiss site.
Moving on, what’s to be done and what’s to be left to your impulse (I mean, what’s a holiday if you cannot move a bit out of your comfort zone, right?)
We have compiled 6 essential travel tips to make sure that your travel plan is on spot and your time-off goes off like a song. Here are 6 tips to travel budget friendly way.
Holiday Planning Tips
Holiday Planning Tip #1 – If you fail to plan, you plan to fail
As clichéd as this sounds, it is absolutely true when it comes to planning for the holiday. You do not want to land up at a destination and find out that all the hotels are booked because of an important convention happening there, do you? Or worse still, end up paying a huge amount for your airfare because you did not book in advance! So ensure you have proper planning for holiday.
Holiday Planning Tip #2 – Book well in Advance
Plan well ahead of time and book your air or bus or train tickets as early as possible. This not only ensures that your to and fro logistics are finalized, but it also results in cost savings as the rates tend to increase the nearer you get to your departure date. Book your hotels also in advance to take advantage of better rates.
Holiday Planning Tip #3 – Look out for Deals and Discounts
Traveling is an expensive proposition and hence holiday expense planning is very important to optimize travel costs. Always be on the lookout for deals and discounts. Try to plan your holiday when airfares are at the cheapest. One can use various websites to help find the cheapest time to travel as well as the cheapest options. Avail of hotels deals and discounts, there are many out there and optimize your travel costs.
Holiday Planning Tip #4 – Factor in all conceivable expenses
While doing the holiday expense planning, make sure you factor in all expenses and provision for some contingency funds in the travel budget as well. A train missed could result in paying again for buying a ticket for the next train if the earlier ticket was not refundable. This will immediately add to your expenses as something you had not budgeted for. A medical emergency could drain you of your funds unless you had foreseen the eventuality and gone in for the right insurance. So the importance of holiday expense planning cannot be underscored.
Holiday Planning Tip #5 – Research the destination
Before you land at your destination, strive to know it like the back of your hand. It is not difficult with the wealth of information available on the internet. Look up Google street maps and become familiar with the lay of the land where you have planned to stay, this will stand you in good stead. Learn about the public transport systems, like the Metro or Bus and learn to use them. This would again help in minimizing your transport expenses at your destination.
Holiday Planning Tip #6 – Go for a Home to Home Plan
Proper planning for holiday will ensure that you have everything well laid out right from boarding the cab to the airport from your home to your return from the airport to your home. Try to plan and book everything that you can, including activities and attractions. Try to book skip the line tickets for places where you expect crowds, for example, it is smooth sailing if you have the skip the line tickets to the Vatican museums in Rome or the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Holiday planning is not something about which one can be casual about, it is something one should focus on and give its due importance. A well laid out holiday plan ensures that you devote the major part of your time to enjoying rather than worrying about the nitty gritty while traveling.
Thanks for visiting our site Voyager – www.imvoyager.com and taking the time to read our post!
[pinit color=”red” size=”large” rectangular=”rectangular”]
[pinit color=”red” size=”large” rectangular=”rectangular”]
We’d love if you’d comment and share this post.
Booking in advance guys is SO key. We usually house sit, but even then, we accept jobs months out so we can buy plane tickets and get a feel for the place, planning our way to an enjoyable holiday. I also like leaving some element not planned; adds a fun element of surprise to any trip which spices things up a bit. Good tips!
Booking in advance is for sure the best way to save money. This is a great guide to planning!
I agree with the others booking in advance is the best way to save money. I also participate in frequent flyer and visit programs which help save a few bucks as you get advance notice of sales
One of my favorite things to do is look up different places I want to go and see how expensive it is. I love to plan events where I want to go so that I also know how much money I need. I love all your tips you have here.
These are some great tips, I have to admit I am a planner, I like to plan everything so I know what will happen and when, I feel safer with it that way.
These are great tips for any travel plans. I book vacations for 6 people and I have to be well prepared. I love having an itinerary!
We spent time seeing Ireland, England and Iceland this year. Thanks to our son who planned out everything we had a wonderful time. We saved time and money with the planning he did. All worked out perfectly.
My family and I have learned a long time ago, to book way ahead of time. Just because you THINK 4 months is enough, we’ve been in a situation where we had to book at a more expensive hotel, due to not planning ahead of time. I am also a person that wants to know, when we are leaving, how long will it take to get there (in between driving breaks), what we are going to do, etc.
Sometimes I think I overplan. Although, even our complex trips – 4 months moving every 1-4 days go smoothly. I am very much about the details and discounts, and checking the bill. Although, I have found that many things do not need to be planned far in advance, like excursions. Those we have been able to sign up for within a day or two prior to arriving.
These are all great tips for saving when you travel. Planning ahead and with lots of time is key for sure!
Sometimes I think I overplan. Although, even our complex trips – 4 months moving every 1-4 days go smoothly. I am very much about the details and discounts, and checking the bill. Although, I have found that many things do not need to be planned far in advance, like excursions. Those we have been able to sign up for within a day or two prior to arriving.
Planning certainly helps, and I find it can increase your anticipation and excitement too! Some excellent practical tips here, including on factors that can sometimes be overlooked…
My husband and I have a vacation fund so that we always have spending money on vacation.
It is so important to plan well in advance! I like to look on sites like groupon and livingsocial for good deals on activities.
While I am not a huge planner I definitely follow most of these tips in some way. I like to know I have a place to sleep and how to get between places well in advance!
Very good points. Traveling should be carefully planned for it to be a success. For us to be able to forecast the expenses would help us keep to our budget. Thanks for this article. I am sure it will be very helpful for those who still have plans of traveling this year.
Good tips
I completely agree that some planning is necessary, especially booking in advance if budget is a concern (who wants to spend more if it can be avoided).
That said, I hate having everything planned, as flexibility and spontaneity or so important to us!
It’s all a balance 😉
I definitely have a better time on vacation and work trips when I book and plan ahead. It’s nice having everything outlined and on paper.
I love to under plan and allow for fun surprises and allow the trip to plan itself. Many times we’ll meet people while traveling and after chatting with them, we’ll change our travel plans. I love that!
We just got back from a trip that I planned very carefully. It all went very smoothly and we had a blast!
I always think of the word holiday in terms of a special, notable or memorable day. It sometimes slips my mind that other regions think of the word in terms of a vacation.
I love planning affordable vacations and I agree planning is everything. You can find so many great deals if you just take the time to research and plan out your trip in advance. Great tips!
Going on a vacation is so much fun, but planning everything out can be stressful. THese are great tips to streamline the whole process.
I did all of these for our last family vacation except the transportation part.
We paid $40 more than we needed to because I didn’t plan our transportation from the airport.
I won’t make that mistake again.
These are all great tips, especially booking in advance. I try to have everything booked for a big vacation at least 6 months or more in advance. I hate introducing stress to what is supposed to be a relaxing time by having to rush around to find accommodations because I didn’t plan ahead.
These are awesome tips! Booking in advance is always my top priority when it comes to planning a vacation. I usually book airline tickets 6 months in advance. Thanks for sharing!
Looking out for deals is so crucial! It’s amazing how many deals you can find on travel related things. My favorite place to go is Groupon for that! These are great tips!
I always like having everything organized. It definitely keeps things hassle free especially with kids.
Booking well in advance or directly in the spot (if you are not there for the high season) is gold.
This is another helpful travel tips from you. Yes, it is always better to plan before your trip, to maximize everything when you get to your destination. Anyway, this will surely be a help not just for travelers, but in anything that we do. Some of your tips can really be applied in almost in everything. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Oh, Thank you for reminding me that I get to be good in organizing my travels, I’m really bad when it comes to organizing.
You have some great tips! I completely agree with you that its so important to book in advance ! I think this is especially true with flights as prices tend to fluctuate sooo much! And researching your destination is key so you can figure out the little things like can you walk there, where to uber, when to take a cab etc.
I’m a big fan of booking in advance and getting to know something about the place before I arrive. I’m also big on understanding the logistics — even if it is just knowing how to get from the airport to the accommodations, I feel better if I understand my options. Planning for the bill is something I don’t always get right. I’m good at the basics, but I often forget to check exactly what the taxes are (in California, they are quite substantial). Great tips!
I can’t imagine a time when travel agents did all the planning for us! I like to be hands-on with my travel itinerary, so that would have stressed me out. I agree 100% that booking well in advance has many benefits when planning your trips. I also love researching my trips by reading other travel blogger’s posts 🙂
Totally agree, very much a planner. I would say that for me, booking in advance does indeed secure best rates, and it’s also a case of getting the dates I want for somewhere with limited availability and high demand. But I would also add that for those who are not fussy about where or when they travel, that last minute booking can also be a great budget option!
These are really great tips! I agree that you should at least plan a bit, otherwise you’ll miss out on things. I don’t usually plan out from home to home unless it’s a week or less and then I get a ride to the airport lined up. The deals and discounts is a HUGE thing. That’s how you get to travel longer or better than you originally planned!
The planning part is one of the most important, even today without any kids in tow. You can safe so much money if you do your research properly.
These are some of the great tips for the holiday planning. But Honestly, me and my husband are very bad planners. Our majority of the national trips are unplanned and we always end up paying more. Yes, but for international trips, we try to get our tickets done at least a month before.
Excellent post! I coudn’t agree more with your tips, especially with the “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” I’m all for spontaneity but I do believe that every journey needs some type of framework. In my opinion, it’s also a waste of a trip if you miss out on the best things the place has to offer due to poor prep work. Also, calculating for every conceivable expense is something I’m so, sooo bad at, but its truly necessary. People always forget that transportation is a huge expense while on the road and never appropriately factor those expenses in!
“If you fild to Plan, you plan to fail” a great thing said in this piece! I couldn’t agree more with these tips. I would certainly be sharing these tips with my friends soon! Thanks for sharing this! Cheers!
Planning from home from home is really important, especially if you are flying with a budget airline. Some of them can be quite ‘ imaginative’ with the airport names implying they are closer to your destination than they actually are.
I do second that you have to plan in advance, it’s the best way to get the most out of your trip and save money. We also research a lot and try to make sure to set up alerts to be aware of discounts and deals!
Great tips! I can see these being very helpful. Not only will they save time but also money!
Wonderful tips. We always plan our end to end travel in advance, and I find that very useful. This way, we are also able to make the most of our time while we travel. And it all goes smooth and hassle free.
SO important to research the destination as in being familiar with streets and public transportation. I feel that’s always my weakest points and why I always prefer to travel with a buddy…so we don’t get lost!
As most of my trips are of short duration, I really do have to plan my itinerary well in advance so that I make good use of every single day. If I have a trip with a bit of leeway, I love to leave some free time in for pure spontaneous fun. Thx for sharing your great trip planning tips.
Great tips! It sounds like you are quite a planner. I always struggle to achieve a balance between having things planned, and just letting spontaneity take over.
My mind is usually torn between a trip having an unplanned fervour and planning to the tee. My recent trips to Thailand and the Andamans, had me planning my return flights, and booking accomadation for 4 of the 9 days. So in those 4 days, I had the flexibility to explore around from a single place, and then based on inspiration, I keep the canvas open to decide where I want to go, and what I want to explore. I always need a nudge from nature to tell me where to go and what to see 🙂
I like to have a good plan before I leave, but leave it open to possible changes. Budget-wise, whatever I calculate, I add an extra 20%. Vacation is not the time to be overly thrifty at the loss of great memories made:)
I’m a planner so was interested to see how your plan worked with mine. I’m constantly on sites looking at deals and, although I agree with booking in advance, I also think last minute deals are worth waiting for if you are comfortable taking the risk and can stand not having everything organised up front. We tend to travel to places in their off peak season so there are usually attractive last minute deals worth waiting for.
There are planned travellers and there are spontaneous travellers. Like you, we fit into the first slot and like to have all the essentials sorted before an upcoming trip, specially when we are travelling with limited time.
I think the most important is planning and booking in advance for holiday travel for sure. We actually try to avoid holiday travel because of the high prices and the preplanning, but that’s not always an option! Great tips.
I agree with your tips and I think they’re great! Yet somehow I always fail to research my destinations properly and I always feel a bit crap about it haha!
These are some great tips. We try to book in advance as much as we can. We are still not very good at the home to home plan. We forget to book the finer details and end up paying more. Really gotta work on that.
Great tips, although expect from booking in advance I usually do not plan every little thing. I prefer to plan once on the destinations, except if there are some sight I really really want to visit and it’ better to book them in advance.
Research and booking in advance are the keys. Admittedly, I am notoriously bad a latter one. I love researching new places, perusing maps, finding as much info as possible. Paradoxically, I am always hesitant to make the last step and actually book tickets to my by now so familiar destination.
Interesting post. I only plan my main flight, eventual visas, first night hotel and I improvise the rest. But I suppose it depends on the kind of traveler you are and the kind of destination you choose. I agree that if you want to visit Eiffel Tower it needs to be planned! 😉
Really great tips – I completely agree with the “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail” throughout my backpacker years I seemed to be the only one who was obsessed with meticulous planning and not leaving my plans up to spontenaity and fate – I grew up hearing that “prior planning prevents piss poor performance” and it’s so true. First and foremost it’s one of the best ways to keep yourself safe in a foreign environment, but also so you don’t waster your precious vacation time once you arrive trying to sort everything out, or come up with Plan B’s when Plan A inveriably fails.
Great post!
These tips are spot on! I try to do all of them as much as possible because I’m also a planner. I find that I save way more when I plan ahead. I’ll be traveling Asia for a few months soon, and most blogs I read recommend to go with the flow and just book upon being there and so on. I’m really having a hard time with that because I’m such a planner and I like saving! Lets see how it goes!
Sound advice Sandy & Vjay. I find myself booking well in advance to get the best possible hotel deals but also sometimes like to turn up and just see what happens. Its all depends on the trip and how I’m feeling.
I think #4 – Factor in all conceivable expenses is a good tip. I think many people (myself included) rarely think about all of the other expenses involved in a trip other than hotel and airfare.
Booking and researching well in advance is key for me. Thanks for these great tips!
I have always believed that a certain element of planning needs to go into travel. “Winging it” can be fun and spontaneous but it can set you up for unexpected issues which can have a big effect on your holiday. I am always prepared for most eventualities when I am abroad so that I can maximise my experience! Looking for deals and discounts is so much fun too!
Even if you are not a big planner there is always a to do list to any travel adventure 🙂
Great tips for planning a trip. As I have traveled more than 4 decades, I would also add to research and understand the rules and laws of the location. Especially when it comes to taking photos. There are countries where taking photos of military personnel is enough to get someone arrested. Be vigilant and aware!