If you’re wondering how to travel on a budget, at LOCK & enjoy! we have the answers you need. We encourage you to read this article which we have prepared so that you can consider a series of tips before planning your trip.
Did you know that we are present in many of Spain’s major cities? We have lockers in Valencia, Benidorm, Madrid, Málaga, Sevilla, Palma de Mallorca, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Plus, a few months ago we opened our latest site in Paris.
Tips for a Budget-Friendly Trip
Below, we provide a series of ideas to make your trip as economical as possible. The goal is for you to extend both your time and budget so that your holidays are a complete success.
Planning
Planning a trip well in advance is the most important key to making both transport and accommodation cheaper. For example, if you plan to go on holiday this summer and haven’t planned anything yet, everything will now be much more expensive, and it is unlikely you’ll find any deals. Take note of the following periods to make it cheaper to plan your trip:
- If your trip is during Christmas, plan after summer.
- For Easter, plan once Christmas is over.
- Summer trips should be organized after Easter.
During your holiday period, avoid key dates like public holidays. We recommend trying different dates, as prices can vary greatly depending on the week.
Transportation
Transportation is one of the major expenses during the holiday period. However, there are several tricks to find economical transport, depending on your point of origin and destination:
- The website Skyscanner is one of the most recommended options for flying, as it aggregates all airline companies, and you can make comparisons. However, Skyscanner does not show the possible offers and promotions that airlines announce on their websites, so at LOCK & enjoy! we recommend you compare between different websites before buying.
- If your holiday is in a city close to yours, a very economical option is BlaBlaCar. Moreover, it is also a great opportunity to meet people.
- Regarding trains, last year the rail sector was liberalised, so now there are more than one train company operating in the market. There are a total of 4: Renfe, Avlo, Iryo, and Ouigo. We advise you to compare between the 4 to choose the most cost-effective option.
- If the bus is the option that suits you best, Alsa is the most prevalent company in road transport. We recommend visiting their website, as they have numerous discounts, offers, and promotions.
Accommodation
Accommodation is another major expense on holidays. However, there are also several guidelines to make it more economical. Firstly, consider where you want to stay, as there are numerous options depending on your travel style.
The cheapest option is hostels and shared rooms. However, this reduces comfort, privacy, and freedom. Keep in mind that in most cities you can stay a whole week for €100.
The second economical option is holiday homes or apartments. They are pricier than hostels but more affordable than a hotel. Plus, they allow you the comfort and privacy of your own home.
Lastly, hotels. There are all types, so the range in terms of prices and services is very broad.
In any case, remember that the closer to the centre, the higher the price. If you are traveling to a city with buses or a metro, we recommend staying outside the centre to save as much money as possible.
On the other hand, compare between the different platforms like Booking or Airbnb.
Meals
Breakfast, lunch, or dinner also represent a significant expense on holidays, and are closely related to accommodation:
- If you opt for a house or apartment, it is advisable to go to a nearby supermarket and buy food that allows you to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner at home. However, this does not prevent you from enjoying the local cuisine at some point.
- Another economical option is to choose a hotel with some kind of meal plan such as half board or just breakfast. This choice will depend on your holiday destination and, consequently, on the prices.
Another important point to consider is that eating in the centres of most major cities is always very expensive, regardless of the type of place. Additionally, the food is often fast food, so allow yourself to explore other neighbourhoods — it will be cheaper, and you’ll also find typical local cuisine.
Choosing the Destination
Choosing your holiday destination is usually not very complicated, as if you like to travel a lot, the place won’t matter too much. However, it is important that you know your total budget, as based on this data you can make a list of places.
Then, analyse the destination, i.e., its standard of living, the number of tourists who visit, read reviews from other travellers, etc. This way you can be sure if it is the right place according to your budget.
Make budget-friendly tourism with the tips we’ve provided! And remember, at LOCK & enjoy! we have lockers for you to store your belongings while you enjoy your routes. Book with us!
Sevilla