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Make the most out of your time and money.
Introduction
Planning for your next getaway can be exciting, just like it can be stressful. In this post, I will be discussing a few pointers to keep in mind when planning or booking your next vacation. The advice given could potentially help you save both time and money.
5. Travel is cheaper in January
If you’re looking to save money on your next vacation, statistically, travel is cheaper in January. Of course, the location plays an important role as to how much you will pay during the time of year. In the cold months, places in the south like Mexico, Jamaica, Panama etc… will undoubtedly cost more since this is when people typically visit; to escape the cold.
However, if your reason to travel is to explore the city(s) and fully experience the country’s culture, then you could use this as a compass. When it’s cold (Winter), go to a place where it’s cold and when it’s warm (Summer), go somewhere warm. Using the southern countries for example, if you wish to visit Mexico, then you can certainly expect to pay significantly less during the summer compared to winter.
January is an ideal time to visit places in the northern parts of Europe like Paris, France or Places in Asia such as Kyoto, Japan, just to give you an idea.
4. Don’t Book on Fridays
Flights are often more expensive when booked on Friday and Saturday and this comes down to one reason - a wandering mind. During the week, we commute to work, commute back home, make dinner and tackle other things life throws at us. This leaves us with an hour or two to unwind and enjoy ourselves, before going to bed to do it all again in the morning.
On Friday and Saturday, for the most part, we have a bit more free time. With more free time comes more time to sit with your thoughts. You start thinking about that vacation in Greece you’ve been wanting to do for a while, or you’re having drinks with friends and collectively talking about how Mexico would be a blast! Finally, someone comes to the conclusion that “I’m booking it!”
Now, this is just my theory as to why Fridays and Saturdays drive the prices up, however, it is in fact true that it’s more expensive on the two above mentioned days of the week. According to Yahoo Finance “You can expect to pay 5% to 15% more, depending on the flight.”.
3. Take the Layover Flights
This isn’t always convenient although very beneficial for two reasons: Cheaper flights and further exploration. On average, layover flights are over 15% cheaper than direct flights. Now, say you have a layover of 6 hours or more, capitalise on that opportunity to explore the area you’re in. Some airports are a little more secluded than others, however with the amount of money you are saving with a layover flight, you can invest that into a taxi to visit the nearby city.
This strategy is a great way to get a little sample of a city or country you’ve never been to, without fully committing to it. And who knows, you may love the location and decide to book your next trip there.
2. Do Your Research
This is a no-brainer, although it’s pretty common where people are disappointed by the journey they embarked themselves in. This, often enough, is due to a lack of research.
You see this stunning landscape in a movie, tv series or magazine and are mesmerised by its beauty. You decide to open your go-to travel company’s website or app, and search the city you recently learned of. Luckily enough, there's a discount to travel there in the next month but the offer ends in two days. You quickly browse through the internet to learn more about this particular location. Based on the minimal research, you’re convinced! You decide to book it!
Once there, you learn their diet consists of more fish than you read about when quickly browsing the month prior. And unfortunately, you hate fish. Your meal for the week consisted of bread and convenient store snacks, where the prices were much higher than anticipated.
That’s okay, you still get to see the stunning landscape you saw in the movie you watched, which is the main reason you’re here. You ask locals for help as to where to go to get a nice view of the city. They look at you funny, almost as if you had three eyes, point to a direction and quickly turn around. With the local’s minimal help, you eventually arrive at the scenic point. Although, it turns out you need to pay a fee in order to enter the area with the breathtaking view. Fine… you pay the fee. At this point, you’re having trouble enjoying the very reason you’re there in the first place. You just can’t wait to go home.
This is an exaggerated example, however it could very well happen. You go somewhere with minimal information, learn that their diet consists of food you dislike, the prices are outrageous, the locals are unwelcoming etc… This is why thorough research is essential before booking a trip somewhere you’ve never been before wasting your time and money.
1. Enjoy the Process
As mentioned in the introduction, the process can be very stressful at times, which is completely reasonable. Although, enjoying the process is very important because it will inevitably come to an end.
The thing is, when stressed out, you don’t get to fully enjoy the moment you’re in. Your mind is constantly on go, worried about under/over packing, thinking about the what if’s, worried that the money spent won’t be worth it and so on. Once it’s all said and done, you will look back at that moment and wish you were more present and enjoyed it more.
Being anxious and nervous about an upcoming trip, especially to somewhere you’ve never been, is completely normal. Just don’t let it get the best of you. Understand it is okay to feel this way and embrace those emotions.