Comments on: 5 Ways to Save Money While Traveling – Budget Travel Tips

By: cydonia16

cydonia16 — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:53:54 +0000

Nice video and advice. I agree that travelers checks are more trouble than they are worth. I had plenty of trouble redeeming some of them in the past, they were eventually sorted out for me, but it’s still something I will be sure to avoid in the future.

By: David

David — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:33:38 +0000

Thanks! These are some great money saving tips. Very practical, but achievable for most travelers. Airline fare cycles are a great way to save money.

By: David

David — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:33:38 +0000

Thanks! These are some great money saving tips. Very practical, but achievable for most travelers. Airline fare cycles are a great way to save money.

By: Paul (Context Travel)

Paul (Context Travel) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:18:19 +0000

Great advice Kim, especially the bit about airfare cycles. I'd love to see a graph or schedule of these cycles...

Another tip I'd add would be to visit local markets (like the San Lorenzo market that you just visited in Florence) and buy breakfast and lunch there instead of at a restaurant. You save cash, eat better, and have a great experience.

By: Don P.

Don P. — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:41:34 +0000

Have you considered taking a mobile (cell) phone abroad? It can be done cheaply and is invaluable for many purposes .... eg pre-bookings, emergencies, etc...
You first need a multi band GSM phone. Then have it "unlocked" so it becomes a "world phone" ..... ie it will now accept a SIM card from any phone service provider in any country.
My quad band GSM phone cost less than $100. To have it unlocked cost $35. Around $20. will get you the SIM card, a local phone number and lots of airtime no matter what country you are in. I've used it in Turkey, Chile and Hungary and I don't know what I would have done without it.
Remember, all incoming calls are free, when outside of North America and calling back home (Canada) is not at all expensive.
Cheers!

By: Anne (1st Home Exchange)

Anne (1st Home Exchange) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:23:04 +0000

Not only can you save money with a house swap, it's a great way to make new friends.

We started house swapping for financial reasons - wanted to travel more often and for longer. On a limited budget this wasn't always easy to do.

With our first swap, we learned that the other benefit of home exchanging is the friends that you make. Something that doesn't usually happen when you book and stay in a hotel.

We loved the concept so much that we started our own home exchange website, 1stHomeExchange.com .

And here is another tip to help stretch a travel budget.

You can save time and money by letting a travel search engine find you the best airline fare. It will search hundreds of airlines and travel sites and display the results including price, number of stops, and more. Clicking on a result, redirects you directly to the vendor. Nothing could be easier!

Kayak and Momodo are two popular ones. (Because we think this is another great way for people to save on airfare, we've included a flight search engine on our website.)

By: Wendy U

Wendy U — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:31:45 +0000

Great post! I just posted here on my favourite spot for souvenirs - the supermarket. Lots of quirky, cheap gifts there, and no, you don't have to just stick with food.

By: Kim Mance

Kim Mance — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:59:23 +0000

Wow, you guys are awesome!

Alex, your post on International Credit Card Fees is fantastic.

Jamie, I’m totally gonna use your tip, that’s a great idea.

Kelly, I’m off to check out your post, why didn’t I think of that?? Genius .

By: Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:51:07 +0000

Great tips, another way you can save money on souvenirs is to head to local thrift stores (we wrote about our experience here.) We had some Italian friends visiting us here in the US, and they really wanted to buy iconic American things...tshirts, a flag, etc. for friends back home. They found some really fun tshirts and quirky Americana that they wouldn't be able to find in a traditional tourist trap, and for very little money.

I haven't tried this myself abroad, but I bet open air markets in Europe would be a great place to find inexpensive vintage treasures.

By: jamie

jamie — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:16:18 +0000

Good advice Kim! I’m just now blogging about cheap souvenirs myself, so here’s my tip: just about anything small can be purchased abroad and turned into a Christmas tree ornament. For you, or the folks back home…

You can thank me later