Last Updated on January 10, 2021
Traveling is an extremely popular hobby, and it aroused so much interest from some people that they chose to turn it into a profession. It is no coincidence that leisure travel expenses totaled $ 792.4 billion in 2019 in the United States. But whatever the motivation for the trip, it will certainly demand a considerable part of your budget. In fact, finding the best value for money when planning a trip is a complex equation because it depends on the following three D’s: destination, duration, and date. Even if you are willing to give up part of the benefit, the cost will also change according to these variables. The best time to travel cheaply will be defined by yourself, from the invaluable tips and useful tools below.
1. Destination
This is the first criterion you must consider, but don’t just look for cheap places to travel. Probably the farther your destination is, the more expensive the tickets will be. If you are in doubt about choosing your destination, count on a helping hand with Nomad List, Teleport Cities, and Forex map. The available transport infrastructure and the destination’s average cost of living also influence your trip’s price. If the place you intend to go to has a lower cost of living than your current one, it may be worth paying more for the ticket.
2. Duration
Are you going to move to another city, do a university exchange, or just want to visit for a few days? Each of these objectives involves a different duration and, therefore, a different price. In this case, you must stick to your goals, as staying more or less does not guarantee cheap travel. The expenses are not proportional to the length of stay. Whatever the duration, you should consider day-to-day spending, which should remain average. If your destination is cheaper, you can also save money. In some cases, even your plane ticket can be cheaper if your stay is longer.
3. Date
With your travel itinerary well defined, try to understand the periods of parties and celebrations to avoid them and know your best time to travel. In general, prices increase a lot when the largest number of tourists is usually received at the place. There is no differentiation between low and high season in some places with tourist potential, as the number of visitors remains stable throughout the year. In that case, you should consider other factors like the cost comparison between the four seasons and the local currency variation.
