Travel Tips – Budget Tips for Spring and Summer Travel

Spring and summer are fantastic times to travel. Traveling to and experiencing new locations in any season can create the best memories Unfortunately, traveling does cost money. Through our years of traveling we have discovered some useful tips to help us stay on budget and make our trips less stressful. Here are our top tips to help you have a non-stress experience, and keep some cash in your wallet.

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Budget Room for Souvenirs – Don’t Over Pack

Only bring the bare essentials with you and leave some extra room in your suitcase for items that you will purchase on your trip. Think about where you will be traveling and pack accordingly. For instance, if you are going to a resort in the Caribbean, pack suntan lotion, it is not budget friendly at those resort towns. You know you are going to buy souvenirs, why not buy them at the airport on the way out? They will allow you to bring them as carry on, it will save you from spending money on overweight check-in. Research the area you are visiting and think about what is budget friendly and purchase it there as your souvenirs. For instance, going to Spain? In Barcelona, buying leather outerwear is cheap, why pack your own when you can bring it home as a souvenir?

Budget Time in Nature – Plan Your Destination Wisely

Some places are a lot more budget friendly than others. Do some research on each potential destination and what you would like to experience there to determine if it is worth the time and money to spend in that location. Maybe you could stay at a farther away, more budget friendly place, and spend a day at the more expensive area. Don’t forget to check out the scenery in between destinations, spending time in nature is always cheaper. Sometimes there are some exciting places to view and some local places that can bring even more enjoyment and make it easier on your budget.

Budget Where to Stay – Research Where to Stay

When trying to find a place to stay there are a few things to consider. How long will you be in that location? Do you need any special accommodations? Will there be a complimentary breakfast? What did you budget? Depending on where you are located you could stay at a motel, hotel, B&B, cabin, or campsite. When we went to Port Washington, we did research on where to stay. It was actually cheaper to stay in the luxury bed and breakfast, a block from main street, than at the commercial hotel on the lake and it included a free breakfast, the commercial hotel did not. In addition, check and see if you can use any types of discounts including travel reward points, AAA, senior citizen, or military. Remember you are traveling to visit the location and though you want to remain comfortable you are probably not going to spend too much time in the hotel, except for resting.

Budget Dining Options – Limit Eating and Drinking Out

A way to cut back the cost of your trip is to limit the number of times you eat at a restaurant or stop for fast food. If you’re heading out on a road-trip, then spend some time stocking up on food that you can eat on the road. If you are staying in a cabin or a hotel with an in-room kitchen, then buy your food from the supermarket and cook indoors or on a camping grill. You will spend less money overall making your food.

Why not stop at a winery and pick up a bottle or two of wine, then stop at a local shop and get cheese and crackers. When you get to your destinations, pop open the wine (we always pack a corkscrew), enjoy the cheese and crackers in the comfort of your hotel room, or by their pool. The wine might have cost you a little more, but in the long run you had an amazing experience picking it out and in the long run it will be more budget friendly than the expensive wine and appetizer at a restaurant.

Budget Transport Costs – Check Out Public Transport

If you are in a city, then you can probably reach most of your destinations by walking and checking out the public transport. You may need to ride subways and buses to get around. There may even be options to rent a bike. In more rural locations keep track of how much you will spend on gas from one place to another. Gas prices fluctuate so you may want to check out apps like GasBuddy to find lower prices in any location you travel. Planning ahead to walk or use public transportation will definitely help the budget.

Budget Time Outdoors – Enjoy the Outdoors

Spring and summer are a great seasons to take advantage of the warm weather and enjoy the outdoor activities. Budget friendly activities range from laying on the beach to hiking in the woods, rafting down a river, fishing on a lake, or even climbing to the heights of a mountain. There is so much to be explored, and all you need is your time and energy. Sometimes your most enjoyable experience is being able to stop and enjoy life at the moment. So make sure to slow down and take some time to take in the environment and positive atmosphere.

Budget Entertainment – Search for Free Events

In almost all communities, there are always free events to enjoy. What is more budget friendly than free activities? Mingle with the locals and check out some activities where you don’t have to spend too much money to have fun. You can plan to see if there are any festivals during the time you are traveling and plan accordingly.

Traveling on vacation is something everyone should have a chance to experience themselves. By following these tips, you should have an enjoyable experience while staying within your set budget. Have a great trip and don’t forget to have fun.

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