15 lifehacks for budget travellers

Specially for you we have collected and put together useful tips to help you spend your holidays comfortably and not to go broke.

1. Rent an apartment or even settle down for free
Boring hotel rooms are unlikely to be able to convey the atmosphere of the place where you come to. Try to rent an apartment (airbnb.com), especially if you are traveling to a place on a more or less long term. You not only save your money, but also get the opportunity to mingle with the locals.
Another great option - couchsurfing (couchsurfing.com). By registering on the site, you get an opportunity to settle down in the apartment for free, and in the future you will be able to take in your own guests.

2. Flight from neighboring towns may help to save
It’s usually cheaper to get to the major airport. Keep this in mind when selecting tickets: for example, if you decided to go to Nice, is likely to be easier and more profitable to fly to Milan, and then take a train.

3. Do not forget about the low-cost airlines and airlines promotions
Cheap tickets can occur at any time - for this you need to follow the suggestions of the airlines, for example by subscribing to their mailing list. Low-cost airlines are another opportunity to save on tickets, but note that you will have to pay additional price for luggage and meals on board. In this case, you can travel light and bring a small snack on board.

4. The flights in the early morning or late at night, are usually cheaper
Most people do not like to fly in this time of the day, so airlines sometimes reduce the prices for such flights. In addition, night and morning flights can save vacation days - especially if it is not too long.

5. Use the city bus instead of a tour one
See the main sights of the many cities in Europe, you can out of the window of usual city bus. For example, in Berlin adorable by tourist route № 100 goes from Alexanderplatz along the boulevard Unter den Linden, past the Berlin Cathedral, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Tiergarten park, Potsdamer Platz and the Zoo in the heart of former West Berlin, and the fare is no more than 3 euros. In Venice, between the airport and city center runs a river tram, travel by which costs 15 euros, which is 6 times cheaper than transfer by private boat.

6. Buy the museum card
Museums Card - Special "tickets" that allow you to visit the museum free of charge within one, two or more days. They exist in all major cities of the world. With their help, you can significantly save money, if you plan visit museums actively: card provides free admission to dozens of museums, and even allows you to cut the queue, which can stand for a few hours.

7. Think about paying in advance
If you often pay in euros, it’s better to have a MasterCard, not a Visa, from which your bank makes write-offs always in dollars (do not forget about the conversion). But in some countries paying by card is completely unprofitable: there exists a "Black Course", so exchange currency on the spot. And, of course, do not forget about cash.

8. Eat properly during lunch
Cafes and restaurants usually take most of the visitors during the dinner. Therefore, in the morning and during the lunch many cafes offer discounts on certain courses, in order to attract more people. And do not forget about the rule: "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."

9. Order a "secret room" 
Another great feature for those who want to save money and not afraid to experiment. Secret room is a room that is empty and is sold at a discount price. You will not know for sure in which hotel you ordered a room, but a discount may range from 30% to 50%. These resources may help you: lastminute.com and hotwire.com.

10. Use a browser extension to find active promotional codes
In our age it is more convenient to make purchases over the Internet, in preparation for the journey all the more. Extension Honey will help you, install it on your browser, activate, and when you wander around the net in search of useful things, it will offer you coupons to help save money when shopping online.

11. Try the local cuisine without going to an expensive restaurant
Service hotwire.com will help you: here at a reasonable price locals offer to feed the tourists. Meet new people, great food - what could be more interesting during the journey?

12. Download to smartphone apps for travelers and maps
Find an application and maps that will work without the Internet. Some of them can even replace the guide.

13. Do not hesitate to ask for discounts and additional services
Upon checking into the hotel may be additional bonuses, about which you might not know, and when flying some flights offer free transfer to the city. And do not forget to bargain (especially in the East): sometimes it can throw off the price almost double when buying.

14. Prepare for the trip at home
Spontaneous trips are great, but if you pre-plan your route and spending, it is much more likely to save. Think about the transfer from the airport, to find out about free exhibitions, museums and events in the city, where you are going, read reviews about restaurants with a local flavor - download all the information on your phone, add to your favorites or simply print.

15. Travel with company of friends
Those who travels alone, overcharge for the room greatly - from 10 to 50%. Well, if you go to Asia for a long term, the company of 3-4 friends can easily rent a luxury villa at a small price.
 

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