Americans are traveling to destinations they can’t initially afford. According to research, nearly 75 percent of Americans are getting into debt to go on vacation.
But, guess what? You don’t have to push the boat out if you want to go to the most expensive cities in the world.
You just need to get your hands on more cash to take advantage of the wonderful opportunity of spending time in the world’s richest cities. Follow our tips below to discover how you can enjoy traveling for less.
1. When to go Traveling?
The best time to go traveling is when other people aren’t traveling. But this changes according to the place you’re going.
You never want to travel when the children aren’t in school, such as summer holidays. This obviously isn’t so easy if you have children yourself.
Many of the world’s most expensive cities have a peak and low seasons. For example, you want to avoid the “super peak” periods around the Chinese Lunar New Year in the Asian cities of Singapore or Hong Kong.
Whereas, in many of the most expensive European cities, such as Oslo and Paris, the peak season is in the summer months between June and August.
If you want to take advantage of the cheaper hotel prices and fewer crowds, you need to keep an eye out for the low seasons in your desired destination.
2. Be Invisible When Searching for Deals
Nowadays, over 90 percent of flight bookings are made online, according to Hotel Marketing.
Say you want to travel from JFK International to Zurich, Switzerland. You need to find an affordable flight to one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Many of the booking websites have algorithms which determine the prices of each individual seat on each journey.
You can protect yourself by getting rid of cookies and deleting your history. You need to go undercover.
Depending on your browser, this could be called anything from the private window (Safari) to Incognito (Chrome). This way your previous travel searches cannot be detected and you can find incredible savings on your flight purchases.
3. When to Book Your Travel?
Did you know that you can save up to 60 percent by booking your flight at a particular time?
Some people think that booking flights 54 days in advance is the key to cheaper flights. Other people believe that actually, you need to book up 200 days before you go to make the most savings.
The truth is that there aren’t simple answers. Whatever you do, make sure you take advantage of the price-tracking tools so that you’re informed whenever you’re destination reduces in price.
It’s definitely worth keeping in mind to avoid when most people book travel. That means you need to avoid weekends, especially Saturday. Consider checking out your flights mid-week, such as Tuesdays.
4. Become a Savvy Packer
If you’re going to one of the super-pricey cities in the world, you’re probably not going to be spending money shopping for souvenirs and gifts.
Therefore, you don’t need much extra space in your luggage. You can probably get by with your carry-on bags alone.
Make sure you reduce your packing to the bare essentials. Keep in mind these ideas about a capsule wardrobe.
You may need to make some difficult choices about what you really need to make the most of your traveling experience. But you’ll be thankful that you saved money on buying additional luggage.
5. Free Activities and Events
Just because you’re in one of the most expensive cities in the world, it doesn’t mean everything costs money.
For starters, many of the most expensive cities can be explored on foot, such as Paris and Copenhagen.
Plus, in London, many of the most famous museums are free to enter, such as the Tate Modern and the British Museum. While many of the most popular activities, such as sipping local wine at the vineyards around Vienna is extremely affordable for any savvy traveler.
6. Keep to Your Budget
According to research, nearly 70 percent of people overspend during their vacation. This figure is going to be even higher if you only consider expensive destinations.
That’s why it’s so important to plan a budget for your vacation. And also, to stick to what you agreed.
This involves a great deal of planning and researching before you set off on your traveling trip. How can you estimate how much your budget is going to be if you have no idea what things cost when you arrive?
Make sure you discover how much it costs for your daily flat white or for the public transport. This way you can ensure that you don’t overspend while you’re on vacation.
If you need more advice on how to get money for your travel, check out Bonsai Finance here.
7. Eating Meals Out
According to research, over 80 percent of vacation meals are eaten in restaurants.
In the most expensive cities, eating out can leave a big hole in your pocket. Especially if you’re going out for dinner in fancy places.
However, you don’t have to spend so much of your vacation budget on eating out in restaurants. There are a growing number of cheap-eat places popping up in cities around the world which offer diners delicious meals for an affordable price.
Additionally, you may discover that you can make significant savings by eating in your rented apartment a few evening during your vacation.
Most Expensive Cities in the World
Now you know how to enjoy yourself in the most expensive cities in the world without going broke at the same time.
It’s totally understandable that you want to explore some of the most pricey destinations in the world.
Whether it’s Singapore and Toronto or Paris and Sydney, there are always tips and tricks to save money along the way.
For more travel tips, check out more of our blog today!
