5 Easy Tricks to Get Better Deals on Your Travel Expenses

If you enjoy travelling in comfort, you may already know that you’ll have to spend a fair amount of money to ensure you get your preferred travel arrangements. Fortunately, even if you’re on a limited budget, there are still ways to satisfy your wanderlust and enjoy the creature comforts that you desire. All it takes is a little extra effort to look for great travel deals.

The best part is that you can apply these clever tips no matter where you’re headed or what you want to do, whether that’s going on a Changi Airport shopping spree in Singapore or visiting the Eiffel Tower in France.

Need some help hunting for excellent prices when booking your flight, finding comfortable accommodations, or planning your next retail therapy adventure? Here are some tips that you can use to land better deals on your travel-related expenses:

1. Use an incognito browser

People oftentimes look for flights or hotel accommodations online because they believe that that’s where they’ll find the best deals. But although visiting different travel sites will help you find all sorts of promo deals and discounts, your browser setting may be affecting the prices you’re seeing.

This is because many travel-related sites use cookies to see if you’ve visited the site before, which makes them privy to the kinds of deals you often search for. That also means that these same sites may show you higher prices because they’re aware of how interested you are in their offers.

As such, when searching for flights and accommodations online, make sure to set your browser to private or incognito mode. Doing so prevents cookies from being stored in your browser by default, thus helping you get the most affordable deals from travel websites.

2. Select airlines that offer ample baggage allowance

Travelling has never been more accessible thanks to budget airlines. But whatever you save on flights may go to excess baggage fees instead. Budget airlines often advertise promos that come with limited luggage allowance so that passengers end up either leaving their travel essentials behind or paying for additional baggage.

To ensure that you get to bring everything you need for your trip without the extra costs, look for flights that come with an acceptable baggage allowance relative to your needs. In most cases, these flights have separate limits for carry-on and checked-in luggage, which you can maximise.

If you’re travelling during colder seasons like autumn and winter, take note of which airlines give generous baggage allowance relative to what they give for their spring and summer flights. This will allow you to spend less on bringing along season-appropriate items like thick and bulky outerwear.

3. Book directly with the hotel

Third-party sites may feature attractive offers throughout the year, but few of them come with customer-friendly cancellation policies. As a consequence of booking with a third-party site, you may end up spending more if you need to cancel your reservation for any reason.

By contrast, booking a room directly through the hotel’s website or via phone gives you access to a 24- to 48-hour buffer period before your check-in date. This gives you a more flexible accommodation option should you need to make a cancellation.

In addition, if you book directly with the hotel, there’s a chance that you’ll get access to exclusive and unadvertised promos that the hotel may be running during your stay. Some examples are a free breakfast buffet or a discount partnership with local restaurants and attractions, which lets you in on money-saving deals for local dining options.

4. Look for multi-day transport passes

Getting around your destination is another travel expense that you need to prepare for. If you’ll be using public transportation, it’s a good idea to spend on local transport passes. Many cities around the world offer multi-day transportation passes that both tourists and locals can use. Such passes are typically loaded in advance with credits that you can use on local buses, trains, or ferries. 

5. Head to local markets for awesome dining and shopping options

Lastly, when you’re out travelling, don’t limit yourself to fancy restaurants or storefronts. Local delicacies and other affordable food options await you in street markets, food courts, hawker centers, and holes-in-the-wall. These will likely satisfy you more than the overpriced items in your hotel or at popular tourist spots.

Neighborhood markets and shopping centers are also fantastic places to buy souvenirs and unique gifts to bring home to your loved ones. Go here to find locally made products at excellent bargains, and check off on your need to do retail therapy while travelling.

As these tips demonstrate, you can go on the trips you’ve been dreaming of without going over your budget. With careful strategy and planning, you’ll be able to make the most out of the deals you come across, travel on your terms, and have an amazing time.