How to Afford to Travel - Part Three: Saving Money on Food, Attractions, and Accommodations

We were right in the middle of a series about how I make travel more affordable when the Covid-19 pandemic hit America. I’ve hesitated to post this because travel is obviously not possible for many reasons right now. However, countries are slowly starting to open back up for restricted tourism and I think many of those places are going to need the tourism dollars to recover from this pandemic. This is true even for places local to you, so consider spending your dollars close to home. Check out some of these tips as you decide to start traveling again.

If you missed my first two posts about how I add money to our budget for travel and how I find affordable flights, you can check them out here and here.

In this third and final post, I’m going to give you some tips on how to save money on attractions and food once you arrive at your destination.

Plan Ahead

One of the best ways to save money on attractions is to plan ahead. Decide what you want to see and start researching entry prices. I don’t like strict itineraries but I’ve found that if I pre-plan a few things, I can save quite a bit of money. Often, I will plan one or two activities per day hours apart. For example, I might plan to visit the Louvre Museum at 10 a.m. and the Eiffel Tower at 7:00 p.m. This gives me plenty of time to enjoy both places without having to rush from thing to thing. If I finish at the Louvre early, I’m left with plenty of time to roam around Paris and explore the city. I rarely book attraction tickets back to back because I really like having time to explore a city. However, if I have a rough itinerary in my head, I’m able to book tickets before traveling and this will save you money.

Often, attractions reward you with a discounted price for booking early online. For example, if you were visiting the Tower of London, you could buy tickets at the door for £27.50 (approximately $35.75) or you could purchase your tickets ahead of time for £24.70 (approximately $32.11). It’s not a huge savings but if you did this for most of the attractions you would like to see, it would certainly add up. When booking attractions online, make sure that you read the instructions. Some attractions use mobile ticketing and others require you to print your tickets at home.

Another way to save money on attractions is to visit during odd hours. Some attractions offer discounts if you visit at certain times or on certain days. The Louvre in Paris offers free admission if you visit on the first Saturday of the month or if you visit on Bastille Day (July 14). If you are under the age of 26, you can visit the Louvre for free on Friday nights from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. If you visit the Space Needle in Seattle before 11 a.m. or after 5 p.m. you can score discounted ticket prices online. You can’t always plan your visits around these odd times but if you can, it is definitely a money saver. Make sure to check out the ticket prices and times online before you finalize your travel itineraries.

Look For Free Things

There are some wonderful things to see in most big cities that are free. I love free things so I’m always willing to hit up free attractions. Sometimes they are even better than the stuff that requires admission. Don’t overlook the free stuff.

One of my favorite free things in Paris is the Galeries Lafayette in Paris. The Galeries Lafayette is an upscale department store with a beautiful stained glass domed ceiling. My favorite part is that you can take the stairs or escalator up to the rooftop and get a great view of the city. This is my preferred view of Paris because you get the Eiffel Tower in the city line which you aren’t able to see when you are viewing the city from inside the Eiffel Tower. The best part is that this view costs you nothing.

The Galeries Lafayette and its lovely view of Paris from the roof.

Visit markets! I love visiting Borough Market in London which is free unless you choose to buy something. Parks in cities are some of the most beautiful and free places you can find in a city. Often you can find free art museums such as the National Gallery in London.

Borough Market in London. One of my favorite markets to grab a bite to eat. I’m especially fond of pie and mash from Pieminister.

Eat Cheap

One of my biggest tips for saving money is to not eat full meals. I like to grab food at local markets because it is usually cheaper and it is a nice way to get a taste of the local flavors. Food trucks are also great options. I tend to eat small snacks throughout the day rather than three full meals at a restaurant. I’m much more likely to grab a pastry and a cup of tea for lunch than to stop and eat a full meal.

Lunch was a scone with clotted cream and jam and chai tea outside of Notre Dame in Paris.

Another great option is to visit a gas station or grocery store to grab fresh fruit or granola bars for a quick breakfast as you leave your hotel room each morning. Bring a water bottle with you. Most large cities have places to refill your water bottle in many different locations. This keeps you from buying drinks often. Stick with water as well. In many places, sodas cost quite a bit. You would be surprised at how fast your food money will disappear if you are buying sodas often. Water is usually cheap or even free.

A fruit stand in Paris is good place to stock up on food.

Another great option is to share meals if you are traveling with others. This gives you a chance to try local restaurants and it cuts the cost of a meal. Most of the time, meals a much larger than I could eat on my own anyway so it’s nice to save some money and share.

Saving Money on Accommodations

Like flights and attractions, booking your accommodations early will save you money. The earlier you book your hotels, the cheaper they will be. One of my favorite websites to book hotels is Hotels.com. I like Hotels.com for a couple of reasons. If I book through the app you will often get cheaper “secret” prices that you won’t find on their website. The prices on the website and app are usually significantly cheaper than what is listed on each hotel’s website. If you use Hotels.com you can earn “nights” each time you book. Once you earn ten “nights” you can earn a free night. Whoo!

Vrbo.com, Airbnb.com, and Homeaway.com are super popular options if you do your research and pay attention to reviews. I’ve found though that the fees these websites charge are often pricey. Often, you can contact the owner of a property you like directly and book through the owner without incurring these high fees.

I also recommend splitting the costs of a room with another person when you can. Any time I travel with a friend we book one room with two beds and split the cost which can save a significant amount of money.

Hostels are also a great option if you are okay with sharing rooms with people that you may not necessarily know. Do your research and read reviews carefully before picking a hostel. Hostels are a great way to meet people on your travels and you can find some for as cheap as $15 a night. Hostels tend to be popular with younger travelers so be aware of that if you are looking for a quiet and relaxing place to stay. That’s not always what you get when you stay in a hostel.

Travel is Affordable

I hear people constantly tell me that they don’t understand how we can afford to travel. It really is affordable to travel if you shop around carefully and take the time to plan ahead. Find a side hustle to add some money to your budget and then do your best to stretch those dollars. I hope this series has provided some insight and inspiration to help you fund your own travel bug. Now, get out there and see the world!