Hello friends! Here I am back at it again with a click-baity title, but hey-ho mama’s gotta get you in somehow. Today we’re talking about money saving travel advice to avoid - or at the very least take with a pinch of salt.. and in some cases a whole handful of it. While I was planning my summer trip, I wanted to make sure that I was really prepared to book it all alone without the help of my mama.
So I took to Pinterest and Google and researched a whole bunch on the best and cheapest ways to travel, the best value for money accommodations to book, the best food to eat… you get the idea. After four weeks on the road, I realised that regardless of how many bloggers recommend doing something, it doesn’t always mean it’s still a viable (or smart) option. So here’s a list of money saving travel advice you’ll probably stumble upon that is arguably a little dated.
Me following advice that didn't quite work...
...me when I realise how much extra money I've spent!
1. Interrailing is cheap.
This isn’t wrong but it also isn’t wholly true. I think back in the day, interrailing was a great way to get around because flying was hella expensive and budget airlines like EasyJet didn’t exist. These days we’re blessed with a range of budget airlines to choose from, which in some cases can be way cheaper than booking 3 different trains. There are also a huge range of coaches that can take you cross-country for half the price of a train ticket. The cost of inter-railing can definitely stack up if you want to travel comfortably, as with any mode of transport. However, it’s definitely no longer the cheapest way to get around. In all these cases, it really comes down to you get what you pay for.
2. AirBnB’s over Hostels
AirBnB, as I have talked about before, is very much get what you pay for service. So if you’re trying to keep it cheap, you’re putting yourself at risk for staying in some very dodgy places. Now to some, the great part about AirBnB is all about the chance to “live like a local”, which I think if you’re a tourist in any country, is always quite hard to do. My experience in AirBnB’s wasn’t so much as "living like a local" as it was "harder to be a tourist" because of how out of the way things were for us to get to. We spent so much time trying to figure out how to do things, sometimes it meant we missed out on seeing some sights. Hostels tend to be more central to the sights you want to see and you normally get breakfast, wifi, and laundry services - luxuries that not all AirBnB’s offer.
3. Buy Travel Day Metro Tickets
Where this can be true for many cities, do your research. There were a number of times while we were travelling where we bought 2-day metro tickets and ended up not needing them because it was faster to take the bus or easier to walk. We would have saved way more money in the long run if we had say, taken a few cabs to and from our accommodation, and then walked everywhere from there.
These were definitely points where I could have saved myself a pretty penny. I’m sure there are tons of people out there who play devil’s advocate and agree with what I’ve said but definitely a lot of the more popular articles discussing interrailing and backpacking suggest the above. Where it’ll work for some cities, it won’t work for others and it’s up to you to do your research. I hope that was helpful and you don't make the same mistakes we did!
Until next time friends,
Soph x
