• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Pinterest

We all want to travel, but sometimes, it can be hugely expensive to do so. In the UK, at least, the average holiday for a family of four costs almost £2500 on average, which sounds like an eye-watering amount. It might feel like you can’t take a trip away without it costing the earth, but that isn’t the case. If you plan smartly and consider all of your options, you can take a budget holiday that can be just as unforgettable as one on which you spend a huge amount of money. Here are 10 great ideas for a budget holiday!

1. Take a day trip to your home city

You don’t have to leave your home city or country in order to have a great experience traveling. There are almost certainly lots of things in your home that you haven’t seen or experienced yet, so why not take a day out of your busy schedule to try some of them? You could visit a restaurant, for example, or try a museum or zoo you’ve never been to. However you decide to plan the best day out for you and your family or friends, think about a day trip – you’ll save on travel costs!

2. Try regional travel

Let’s say that you live in the UK. Rather than jetting off somewhere exotic and sunny, why not think about going to one of the UK’s other countries? If you’re in Scotland, for example, you could take a trip to an English city like York or Manchester, and if you’re in England, why not try visiting Cardiff or Swansea? Every major city has a huge amount of culture and history to soak up, so consider traveling between regions rather than paying a huge airfare cost.

3. Work while you’re traveling

While this isn’t necessarily a good idea for a budget holiday in and of itself, you can recoup some of the costs of your trip if you decide to work while you’re away. This could take the form of taking on a second job while you’re there, for example, so that you can pocket a little extra change, or you could even work on your day job if you’re able to do so remotely. You can seriously reduce the cost of your trip if you let it pay for itself, so consider picking up an extra job!

4. Go somewhere less “touristy”

Many of the most tourist-friendly locations around the world will have much higher prices for attractions because they know they can entice you. However, there are plenty of different locations you can visit that are less well-known and more off the beaten path, and these places can be just as beautiful and breathtaking as the most popular tourist destinations. Crucially, they’re also usually much cheaper, so consider going somewhere less well-trodden to keep your costs down.

5. Book a cruise close to departure

You might be cutting it a little fine with this one, but it’s a well-known trick among seasoned travelers to book a cruise close to its time of departure. After all, most cruise ships don’t want to leave without a full complement of passengers, because it could actually result in a loss for them. As such, if a cruise ship has empty cabins, you could find that it drastically lowers its prices just as it’s about to depart. Make sure to scour travel sites for near-departure cruise ships to get a great deal.

6. House sit for someone

House-sitting can be an excellent way to enjoy a budget trip without spending too much – in fact, if you’re a house sitter, you’re often paid for your work, and you could be doing that work somewhere beautiful, too! Start off by house sitting for friends and locals who trust you. Ask them to review you, and then you can start trying to attract more remote clientele once you’ve built up a contingent of reviews. Before you know it, you could be holidaying somewhere sunny and gorgeous and being paid for your work too!

7. Go backpacking

As a backpacker, you’ll get to experience real, unfiltered life in the country you choose to travel in. You won’t be fed the tourist vision of the country; instead, you’ll be shown the rough and ready roads and backstreets of cities, as well as the untamed wilderness. You’ll also potentially keep your costs down by sleeping out in the wild or in cheaper hostels and hotels further out from cities, so this is a great way not to break the bank when you travel if you’re an outdoorsy type.

8. Look for free things to do

Near enough every major tourist destination has things to do that won’t cost you a penny. That could take the form of visiting a local park, for example, and simply walking amongst nature. Alternatively, you could walk the streets of a city as a “flaneur”, taking in the stories and people and immersing yourself in the local atmosphere. Whatever you choose to do, you should make sure that you stay away from the major tourist traps, as they could end up costing you.

9. Eat at smaller restaurants

In most cases, you’ll find that when you travel, locals don’t eat at the restaurants that are trying to get your business. In fact, they usually know of smaller spots and hideaways that serve superior food, so if you can, try talking to some of the locals and asking where they eat when they go out. Usually, you’ll find that it’s not the big chains or the restaurants loudly advertising for punters. The smaller restaurants are also cheaper, so you’ll save money too!

10. Travel in the winter months

Depending on where you’re going, traveling during the winter months can save you a huge amount of money. This is because most people who travel like to do so when the weather is warmer, so you’ll find bookings surge during the summer (whenever that happens to be for where you’re going). However, traveling during winter can be just as magical, and what’s more, you’ll save a lot on travel fees and potential tourist activities while you’re there as well.    

---

Disclaimer :

The reproduction of any of the content, including the photographs without prior consent/permission of the writer, is strictly prohibited and a violation of the same will attract legal action.

Did you like the post? 

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, and stay updated and notified about the latest posts.

For any kind of collaboration with My Travel Diary, reach out at [email protected]