3… 2… 1… Let’s Go!

You know the drill: look at the calendar, decide when to go on a trip, put in that PTO request, once it’s approved you start choosing a destination and planning. I mean why would you start planning before you even know if you can get the time off?

However, this is a very costly mistake. We’re no longer planning trips in that order. Instead, you’re going to learn how to plan a budget friendly trip. To do that, choose a destination first. Don’t look at the calendar and don’t put in any PTO requests yet!

Do you already know where you want to go? If the answer is yes then jump to the section titled Budget Friendly Trip: When Should I Go?

If the answer is no then the next question you need to ask yourself is if you want to fly or drive.

Budget Friendly Trip: Flying or Driving?

Flying

Typically, flights are pricy. But we’re going to discuss how to include them on this guide of how to plan a budget friendly trip. If you want to fly, head over to Google flights. Put in the airport you will be flying out of and then under where to select anywhere. Click explore. It will pull up a world map with flights that are available. The map is interactive so you can zoom in on different countries and see what is available. Or, just zoom in on the US if you want to stay in the US. You can also zoom in on different regions in the US to see even more available flights.

When you see one you like, click on it. Upon clicking on it, it will tell you when that specific flight is available, which airline it’s with, and more. Take note of your choice but don’t book anything yet! Leave the tab open because we will come back to this in a minute.

It’s important for me to point out that it’s better to do this on a computer than your phone. The map won’t pull up if you do this on your phone, it will only show you a list of results. Also, Southwest airlines will not come up during this Google search. You will have to go to their website separately to check their prices.

Driving

When you first learn how to plan a budget friendly trip you think of driving to your destination. If you want to drive, decide how many hours one way you want to drive. Next, start researching destinations within that distance. Within Hours is a great tool to help with this. You put in your location and the hours or miles you’re willing to drive and it gives you suggestions.

The only drawback with the site is it only names places that are the exact distance you put in. For example, if you put in 8 hours from you it won’t give you places that are 6 hours from you. It will only name places that are literally 8 hours from the location you put in. 

Budget Friendly Trip: When Should I Go?

Destination ✔

Now that we have our destination we need to decide the cheapest time of year to go. Our next step in how to plan a budget friendly trip is to start researching the cheapest time of year to visit your destination. Make sure to research why it is the cheapest time to go. Remember, just because it is the cheapest doesn’t mean it is the best time to go.

Typically, a good rule of thumb is to go when kids are in school. Try to avoid spring and fall break times and June and July because those are the typical summer break months. Usually, September is a good month to look at because it’s when kids are just going back to school and prices may dip a little.

With all that being said though, do your research. Don’t forget the why is very important. Why is it the cheapest time to go? Are you going somewhere tropical and the cheapest time to go is during the rainy season? Then, you probably want to choose a different month to go even if it’s not the cheapest.

Flying or Driving? Part 2

Destination ✔

Now we’re back to are you flying or driving? If you’re driving you can jump to the next section titled Budget Friendly Trip: Where Should I Stay? If you’re flying, you still have a little bit of digging to do.

Remember those flights you took note of? Go back to that tab and compare them to when you want to go. Do the dates of the flights match up to when you want to go? If yes, then you’re done with this part.

If they don’t, click on view flights. It will open a new tab with a list of flights from your airport to your destination. From there you can click on the dates and a calendar will pop up. The cheapest prices are in green on the calendar. You can also click on date grid for a different way to view the flight prices. Again, the cheapest prices are in green.

Woohoo! You chose your flight. Still don’t book it yet though.

Now is it time to put in the PTO request? No! Not yet…..

Budget Friendly Trip: Where Should I Stay?

Destination ✔

Dates ✔

Now that we know our destination and the dates we are going it’s time to look at lodging. Do you want to stay in a hotel or a house/apartment?

House / Apartment

If you want to stay in a house or apartment it’s time to go to Airbnb and VRBO. Personally, I’ve used both of them and enjoyed all of my stays from both sites. VRBO has better customer service if things go wrong. But, sometimes Airbnb is cheaper. And when I say cheaper I mean slightly cheaper. Usually both sites have the same places on them but sometimes you can find places on Airbnb that aren’t on VRBO, especially if your destination is a little more remote.

When using either site be sure you’re comparing properties using the total price and not the nightly price. Sometimes hosts use a low nightly rate to try and deceive you. The nightly rate may look great but then they make up for that with high fees.  I’ve found that, often, properties with higher nightly rates actually end up being cheaper than properties with lower nightly rates.

I’ve heard many horror stories from people who have stayed in Airbnb’s, as I’m sure you have too. Don’t let those scare you away from using it. I’ve been using them pretty regularly for seven years and haven’t had any big issues yet.

As with anything, you just have to be smart about using it (and this goes for both VRBO and Airbnb). Here are some rules I have for myself when booking a stay on both sites:

• Are there any reviews?

This is a big one! If no, don’t book. If yes, read all if not most. What is the general consensus? Does anyone say anything that sticks out and makes you uncomfortable?

• How long has the host been hosting on the platform? Are they a premier or superhost?

If yes, it’s safe to book. If no, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t book it. I’ve booked many stays with hosts that aren’t super hosts or premier hosts. Take another look at their reviews.

• Read everything. Read the house rules, cancellation policy, the full description, the typical response time of the host, etc. Does anything stick out to you that you don’t like?

If you have a question about anything you can message the host and get clarification before you book.

• Where is the location of the property?

For safety reasons, it won’t give you the exact address of the property until you book. If it’s an apartment or condo it may tell you the name of the complex it’s in and you can Google the complex to get an address. Otherwise, look on the map to see where it is. VRBO is a little more specific with the exact location than Airbnb. But, with both, you can get a really good idea of the area you’ll be in.

Now, make sure it is in a safe area. Typically, cheaper properties are in less desirable areas. That can be because it’s in a more remote area or because of crime rate. Google the neighborhood your property is located in and research it.

If you’re staying in a city, Google where the Louis Vuitton store is and compare that to where the property is. If it’s a smaller city Google where the Macy’s or Dillard’s is and compare that to where the property is. Typically, the closer to a high end store the property is the safer the area is.

Hotel

Booking.com and Expedia are two of the most popular hotel booking sites. But, I suggest heading over to Google Hotels. Put in your dates, your destination, and search. When you find one you like click on it. It will tell you multiple prices based on different websites. It will tell you the price on Expedia, Booking.com, booking directly with the hotel, and more.

Above the prices will be pictures of the hotel, above the pictures click on reviews. Click where it says most helpful and go to most recent. Now, read through the recent reviews to make sure nothing bad stands out to you.

Once you have read the reviews compare the pricing if you book directly with the hotel or on Expedia or Booking.com. If the price difference is not a lot, I suggest booking directly with the hotel. If you use one of the other sites it’s not a bad thing, it’s just that your “contract” is with the website you use and not the hotel itself. Sometimes you get perks like free upgrades or drinks if you book directly. And, if you need to cancel or change rooms the hotel will be more accommodating if you book directly.

Remember, if you tend to stay within a specific hotel chain you should join their rewards program where you can earn points towards free stays.

Budget Friendly Trip: What Should I Do?

Destination ✔

Dates ✔

Lodging ✔

It’s timeeeee! Now that you have your destination, your dates, and your hotel picked out you can send in that PTO request. This is also the time to book your lodging and flights (if you’re flying).

The hard part is over and now it is time to start filling in the details! No matter where you are going, I suggest looking at Viator. They are part of TripAdvisor and they offer all kinds of tours all over the world. While some of them are expensive, some of their tours are $20 or less. Below you will see some examples of tours they offer. When you go to their site just put in where you’re going and when you’re going. Then, it will pull up all the tours available to you.

I suggest doing at least one tour on your first day or two of your trip. It’s a great way to learn an overview of where you are and about the history of the place.

After you book a tour on Viator start looking for free stuff to do at your destination. Google free museums and attractions. You may be surprised at what comes up. Churches and Cathedrals are another great option. They’re usually free or cost very little to go inside and tour.

Depending on where you are going, look up riverfront or waterfront parks. They’re usually nice to walk around and are usually free. Also look up neighborhoods to visit. A lot of places have old mansions as landmarks that are nice to walk by and admire.

If you’re the hiking type look up if there are any popular hikes near you. State and National parks typically charge for you to enter, but some trails are free to access.

When you are finished with that start Googling low cost and cheap things to do at your destination. You may be able to find some locals who have posted about it.

Budget Friendly Trip: Where Should I Eat?

Destination ✔

Dates ✔

Lodging ✔

What to Do ✔

You made it…. the final countdown! The last thing to do is discuss where and how you’re going to eat. A good rule of thumb to remember is that lunch is always cheaper than dinner. Try to eat your biggest meal during lunch so you can do tapas or appetizers for dinner. Or, better yet, maybe have leftovers from lunch for dinner.

If you enjoy cooking and you’re not staying in a hotel, cook some meals during your trip. Try to eat out only one meal a day (lunch) and eat breakfast and dinner in. Or, if you’re staying in a hotel, try to book one that has breakfast included. Then, you can eat lunch out and have leftovers or tapas for dinner.

I like to choose restaurants by reading blog posts. Start Googling where to eat at your destination and see what blog posts come up. After that Google “eat like a local” at your destination. That search usually gets a lot of good hits and you’ll finds posts from locals. A lot of the time the restaurants the locals suggest aren’t as pricy as the touristy ones.

And That’s a Wrap!

Destination ✔

Dates ✔

Lodging ✔

What to Do ✔

Where to Eat ✔

Whew…. that was a lot. I’m exhausted, haha! But, there you have it. You learned how to plan a budget friendly trip. Your trip is planned and you are ready to experience life as seen by the naked eye!

If you read through this and thought: No. That is a lot of work, just no, you’re not alone. I offer custom itineraries to destinations I frequent and know very well. Look through them and see if your destination matches up with one of mine. I would be more than happy to take you on as my newest client!