YOU go with the rope around your neck and you can’t afford to go on a trip this summer? It drives you crazy about the expenses of the mortgage, the car insurance, the kids, blah blah blah. Do not worry. It has all happened to all of us. But don’t worry that you don’t have to be a millionaire to be able to go on a trip. If you know how you can organize a simple getaway considerably reducing travel expenses. If you want to tighten your belt, but without giving up traveling, keep an eye on this article with all those tips to save money on your trips that you have to keep in mind.

Some of these tips will be quite obvious and you will think that I am not discovering the world, but surely there are some that you do not know or that you do not usually use that will surprise you. Let’s go for it!

Take advantage of last-minute discounts

Sometimes, travel agencies have really irresistible last-minute discounts. From offers in a pack with accommodation + very tempting flight to super cool destinations, or discount coupons in hotels that are a real bargain.

Try to be flexible both in dates and destination

One of the conclusions that I have drawn from my travels is that in the end, a destination that you have between the left eyebrow and the right eyebrow can end up looking like a milestone. And another destination, to which you reluctantly, you may end up charming. Adaptation is the key to happiness.

To know how to take advantage of last-minute travel offers, I advise you to avoid closing in a band with a destination and try to be open to several options. In addition, a tool that I really like to use is the “anywhere” option in the Skyscanner flight comparator. With this option, you can search for flights from a specific place and the possible destinations from the lowest to the highest price appear in order.

Book the airport parking well in advance

It may seem like bullshit, but on my last trip to Granada to leave everything for the last day I forgot to book the airport parking and pay 50% more than if I had done it a few days before. I recommend that you book at least 24 or 48 hours in advance if you want to save some money.

And do not forget the option of booking low-cost parking. It will be somewhat further from the airport, but it will be perfectly connected and it is surely much cheaper. All major cities in the world already have this type of service.

Take advantage of the free days

There are quite a few museums and tourist sites in the world that allow you to visit them, free of charge, at least once a week. The best way to know if the place you want to go to offers free days is from their website or by asking other travelers.

Almost every museum in the world has one day a week or month in which admission is free. On the days of free entry, there will be more influx of tourists, but it sure is worth saving that pinch of money.

Rent a room / apartment

If you have the goal of taking a city as a base to get to know it thoroughly, like its surroundings, renting a room (or apartment if you prefer to have your own space) could do you more than good. On Airbnb, you can start your search in its database, which offers availability in 192 countries.

Carpooling

The carpooling (which means “shared transport”) is similar to the practice of hitchhiking, though it is that several people traveling in a car to a destination sharing among all travel expenses. So far there is no official page that brings together people from each country doing carpooling, but you will have more chance of finding something if you search on Google “carpooling (country name)”

Long live free tours

If you like to enjoy the history of a city and you just have enough money to spend on guided tours, I recommend you use the free tours. My experience in this type of service has always been more than positive.

It allows you to visit the city with a specialized local guide who is going to tell you a lot of interesting things that you would completely overlook for free. Although eye, they really are not free. At the end of the tour, you must give the guide the will.

Avoid over costs with hand luggage

Checking the page of the time of your destination you can think carefully about the clothes you are going to wear and thus not fill the suitcase of “just in case” that you will never wear. This way you will avoid a surprise with excess baggage and having to pay to check your bag. And, of course, don’t forget to always prioritize the things you really need for the trip.

The art of walking/cycling

There are those who, in order to get to a place quickly, miss out on the best things to see in a city or town. Go calmly, walk on foot and explore every corner you can. Do not forget that walking is free. Now, if you are a bicycle lover and lazy like me, there are many metropolises (both in Latin America and in other parts of the world) where bicycle culture has become popular in recent years.

Do house sitting

If you are not attracted to camping, stay at someone’s house through Couchsurfing, if you rule out volunteering in a hostel or if you don’t get the budget to use Airbnb, definitely the house sitting is for you. It consists of taking care of a house while its owner goes on vacation.

You take care of the basic tasks (watering the plants, picking up the mail, cleaning the house, taking care of the pet) and by way of payment, you stay at home for as long as you consider necessary. The benefits of being a house sitter are quite obvious: free accommodation, the opportunity to explore a new area and meet people. It also offers the possibility of having a lot of free time.

And these are all the tips to save on your trips that I recommend. Do you use any other one? I would love to know your tricks!

By the way, I hope you’re enjoying the summer a lot.