Why Your Next Trip Abroad Should Be on a Budget

If you’re already planning your next trip abroad, you may not need to wait as long as you think. By travelling on a budget, you can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to save for a holiday. If you’re eager to get some winter sun, take a walking tour around Tuscany or see ancient sites in Asia, you can make a lifetime of memories without an unlimited reserve of cash.

Obviously the travel landscape has changed in recent times… I recently found a great blog post about booking a cheap holiday in a post-pandemic world which has some great tips.

To start making plans and booking your long-awaited holiday, take a look at these six reasons why your next trip abroad should be on a budget:

You Can Travel Last-Minute

When you’re travelling on a budget, it makes you much more mindful about the cost of travel. If you want to snap up low-cost flights, for example, taking last-minute excursions can be a great way to make your money stretch that little bit further.

Airlines don’t want planes to depart with empty seats, which is great news for travellers who can be flexible with their travel arrangements. If you’re working from home, for example, you may be able to continue working from abroad, which means you can fly at any time. Alternatively, if you fancy a surprise mini-break, you can book a low-cost, last-minute flight in the morning and be enjoying yourself at your destination in time for dinner.

You Can Live Like Locals

If you’re travelling on a budget, you probably aren’t going to be booking a suite at a 5* hotel. However, you can turn this into a positive by choosing to live like locals instead. By renting an apartment, like Skyterrace, or a family home, you can get a glimpse into what it’s like to live in a different town, city or country. When you’re eager to explore different cultures and get a real taste of what life in another country is like, this is the perfect way to do it.

What’s more – renting a self-catering holiday apartment gives you total freedom when it comes to how you choose to spend your time. You may be excited to visit independent restaurants and cafes, for example, or you may be eager to buy local produce and try your hand at creating your own authentic meals.

If you’re travelling as a family, staying in self-catering accommodation can be ideal. Children have got extra space to play and access to all the usual amenities means it’s easy to ensure you’ll have everything you need for a great family getaway.

You’ll Go Off the Beaten Track

Major attractions can be expensive, so they’re often not the best way to enjoy a budget trip. However, popular attractions can also be overrated and somewhat artificial. In contrast, looking further afield will give you the chance to see and experience things you would have otherwise missed. A great way to do this is via camping, I am a big fan of a roof tent which makes setting up camp very easy and much less daunting.

From wine tasting in family-owned vineyards to delicious meals in tavernas or street food in Thailand, there are endless low-cost ways to make the most of new destinations. Of course, some of the best experiences don’t cost anything at all. Strolling along the beach, watching the sunrise and relaxing on your balcony are just some of the holiday highlights that won’t put a dent in your budget.

You’ll Prioritize the Things You Love

When you’re visiting a new city, region or country, it’s easy to do the popular ‘tourist traps’ because it seems like the done thing to do. However, people often feel a little let down when these tourist traps don’t live up to the hype. If you’re travelling on a budget, however, you’ll be less inclined to do things just because other people are doing them.

Instead, you’ll be more motivated to create an itinerary that truly reflects the things you want to do. If your budget can stretch to visiting just one or two major attractions, for example, you’ll spend longer figuring out which sights you really want to see, or which excursions will be the most meaningful. As a result, you’ll still have a fabulous time and get to do the things that are most important to you, but you’ll save a considerable amount of cash in the process.

You’ll Make Friends

When you’ve got a large budget to use up, you can be so focused on visiting new places and moving from one attraction to the next that your holiday ends up being rather hectic. Instead of spending time with locals, chatting with other tourists and getting to know other holidaymakers, you end up rushing from one thing to the next.

If you decide to travel on a budget, however, you’ll have time to get to know the people around you, rather than being on a deadline to start your next activity or expedition. Whether it’s other families staying in nearby apartments, fellow couples in your hotel or lone travellers who are passing through, travelling on a budget gives you the chance to get acquainted with the people you meet.

You Can Plan a Return Trip Sooner

If you spend all year saving up for an all-expenses-paid, luxury holiday, then it might be something you can only do once a year or less. If you become accustomed to travelling on a budget, however, you’ll soon see just how fun, adventurous and exciting it can be. As well as enjoying the trip of a lifetime, reducing your budget also means that you’ll be able to plan return trips much more quickly. Instead of waiting a year or two to take your next holiday, you could take multiple budget-friendly trips a year, see more destinations and make travelling part of your regular routine.

Holidaying on a Budget

With so many benefits associated with travelling on a budget, it’s easy to see why so many people decide to forego a few luxuries in order to travel more often. By eschewing some things, you can gain so many more. With this in mind, take a look at the last-minute travel options available to you and get busy choosing your next destination. After all, what are you waiting for?