You've got to eat while traveling and most tourists will tell you that the best part of the whole trip is experiencing the food while in foreign places. If you are a fussy eater or have special dietary needs, you can still be accommodated while traveling, just plan ahead.
What better way to immerse yourself in the local culture than by visiting the local markets. Not only will you get to see and try the local cuisine, but you'll probably save a lot of money. Eating in restaurants, especially those geared towards the tourist trade, can get very expensive. Try buying your food fresh from the markets and preparing it yourself. Or buy already prepared food from the market vendor.
In Bangkok you can visit the floating markets and buy anything from fresh fruit and vegetables, to ready prepared noodle soup. In Jerusalem the outdoor market or 'shuk' not only sells fruits and vegetables, but meat, poultry, fish, bread, nuts, cheese, spices and so on. As in most markets, you have to bargain at a shuk to get a good deal as prices vary markedly. African markets sell souvenirs as well as food.
Bargaining is welcomed at most markets, especially for keepsakes. Knowing how to bargain will save any traveler money. Here are a few points to follow when attempting to bargain for an item:
1. Always be polite and enjoy the experience
2. Ask for the price and then halve it. Start your bargaining at that number.
3. If the price is too high, walk away. You'll be surprised how quickly the price comes down when you are disinterested!
4. Work out how much you are paying for in your own currency. Don't haggle over a couple of cents. Remember this is how the market vendors make a living.
5. Don't pay more than your think the item is worth.
6. You can also barter in some places. Brand name items (jeans, hats, shoes) are sought after items in some countries so barter with what you can afford to part with.
Other tips for saving money on a daily basis include:
* Avoid tourist-type restaurants. Find out where the locals eat and you'll usually find authentic (better) cuisine at a lower price.
* Take note of what the farmers in the area eat. It'll be cheap and healthy.
* Always pack snacks and fruit when going on a day trip. You'll save money when you don't have to buy from the tourist stops and street vendors along the way.
* Pack a picnic and go exploring. Use produce from the local market. You'll save a bundle and eat well.
* Shop where the locals shop, not where the tourists go.
* Book into hotels that have breakfast as part of the package.
* Avoid airport food as it is usually expensive and not particularly healthy.
* Always ask if there are any discount offers available. If you don't ask you won't know and you won't save.
* Walk when you can. It's cheaper and a good healthy alternative, as well as giving you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture of the country you are in.
* Avoid Laundromats. Wash your own clothes in the bathroom sink if you are able.
* Look for free entertainment.
So you've been to the market, bought some wonderful exotic food. Now you've packed yourself a picnic and you're off to explore the culture. Stop and look at the sights and catch some street entertainment. What a day! You've had plenty of experiences and not much damage has been done to your traveling budget.
There are literally hundreds of guides on budget travel to be found on the Internet and in bookstores. Some are useful, some are not. It really depends on what you want and where you are going. Many web sites offer email subscriptions and regular updates on where the best deals are. So how do you decide which ones are the most useful? A lot of the sites are confusing, so how do you find the ones that are going to give you the information you need?
The best guides seem to be the ones that give you specific information on either your choice of destination or the type of holiday you will be taking (family vacation, backpacking, students, seniors, etc). There are the well known guide books/web sites like The Lonely Planet that will give you information on just about every destination you can think of. Or you can contact the embassy of the place you want to visit or go to the library to find out more about your choice of destination. Most web sites will also have links to travel deals that are from the site sponsors. Some of the deals look great but research them. Compare to other sites to get the best deal for you.
Online bookstores have sections on travel guides. Try Amazon or specialty travel book stores like the Globe Corner Bookstores. They have an amazing array of guide books for the traveler on a budget. The most important thing to keep in mind about published guidebooks is that once the information is printed, it is probably out of date. Although most of them are updated annually, you cannot take what is written as set in stone. Internet guides are preferable in this area because their information is updated sometimes on a daily basis so all the deals on offer are available when you see them.
Some guides worth having a look at for the budget traveler are:
* 'The World's Cheapest Destinations' by Tim Leffel
* 'Europe on $70 a Day' by Arthur Frommer
* Any guidebook from the Lonely Planet 'Shoestring' series
* Any guidebook from the 'Cheap Eats and Sleeps' series
If you are backpacking, getting a guide on hostels in the area you are traveling to is a good idea. There are many sites dedicated to finding hostels. You will be able to get prices and make bookings in advance.
Once you know where you are traveling you'll be able to find a guide on just about anything. How to get there, where to sleep, where to eat, what to visit and how to travel around are all going to be available in a travel guide. And once you get to your destination go to the local tourist information stand and look at what other helpful guides are available.
If a person is looking for a way to get to the destination of their choice, but they need to do it on a budget there are ways that they can do this. People don’t not always have to pay the high priced airfare that is out there, either through a travel agent or through a particular airline they choose to fly. There are ways that they can find airfare made cheap no matter what their final destination happens to be.
There are some little things that a person can do to find airfare made cheap when booking any flight.Be flexible when traveling. It is often cheaper to take a red eye flight than a mid day flight. Also, be flexible on the day you plan to travel. A person can often find deals through online agencies that offer cheaper flights when they choose to be flexible on your flight day and time.Try not to travel on busy holidays.
The day before a major holiday is a lot more expensive than traveling on the holiday itself, or traveling 2-3 days prior. The same is true when departing. Try to avoid Sundays after holidays. These tend to be more expensive and the Friday or Saturday flight will still give a person time to visit, but will save them money .
Book in advance. 2 weeks is the minimum, but to save more you should try to book at least 3 weeks out. The more time a person has to book their flight, the more money they will most likely save.When looking for airfare made cheap, try to fly mid-week. Most people fly on the weekends. That is when prices will be more expensive because the airlines know that people will pay the money for it.When looking to book a flight it is important to research ways to find airfare made cheap. By doing this, a person can often find the flight they want at a fraction of the cost. Following simple little tips can save a person often times hundreds of dollars.
Don’t let the airlines take advantage by charging a high fee. Find airfare made cheap! Get to the destination you want and save money at the same time. You will not be sorry for looking for ways to find airfare made cheap. You will be happy with all the money that you will save.
Are you planning for you next trip on airplane? If so then the most important thing that you can do is make a travel checklist. By making this checklist you know that you will not forget anything when you are packing.
There are some things that you should put into your carry-on bag when you are preparing to travel. However that are certain items that you will not be allowed to bring on the plane with you. When you are making your travel checklist, make sure that the following are on the list:A clean change of clothing.
This is important if your luggage for some reason happens to get lost.Toiletries (face soap. shampoo, conditioner, contact solution, deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste) in no more than 3 oz. containers, put into a 1 quart size see through bag.
By making sure this is one your travel checklist, you will be able to refresh yourself when you get off the flight, whether it be on a lay over or at your final destination.ID.
If you do not have any form of picture identification, with the name matching the ticket (this can be tricky, if you have just gotten married and have not changed your license yet–in this case bring your marriage certificate also) you will not be able to get into the gates and you will not be able to catch your flight.
Money. You will need to take into account that since May 2009 (or on some airlines earlier) you will have to pay $15-$25 (each way) to check you luggage that you cannot bring on the plane. When budgeting for your trip make sure that this extra amount will be into your travel checklist. This way you will have all the money you need for the trip that you have planned.
When you are making your travel checklist make sure that when you are following it, you put any items that you will need immediately(prescription medicines, money, etc) into your carry-on luggage. This way you make sure that you are feeling safe and have the items that will keep you safe on the plane.
When you think of traveling on a plane, you think of long uncomfortable flights in a seat with no leg room and one that does not recline very far. The days of flying like this are now over. There are ways that a person can look into when trying to find out how to fly comfortably.
The best seats to get are either the window or aisle seats. In either of these seats, you are not so compacted as if you were to take a middle of the row seat. Another row of seats that are comfortable are either to book seats either in the front row of the economy section or to get a seat in the exit rows. These seats often have more leg room so that you can stretch out and enjoy your flight a little bit more.
There are also some tips that you can follow that will guide you on how to fly comfortably:Join an airline frequent flier mile program–By doing this often times airlines give discounted seats in first class or even let you upgrade to first class for free, which will always have more comfortable seats.Look for airlines that offer seats with extra leg room–Certain airlines will give you a chance to buy a seat in an exit aisle, for only $10-$20 extra each way.
This will help you travel a little more comfortably.Another thing that you can do is select your seat when you fly–Some airlines allow you to pick what seat you want on the plane when you make your reservation. If you are flying on one of these airlines, then book early and get a seat that will give you the most room possible.
When looking for ways on how to fly comfortably, having the correct seat is the best bet you can get. If you are able to get an aisle or window seat or a seat at the front of the plane or in an exit row, you will enjoy your flight better than if you are stuck in a middle seat in a row at the back of the plane.
