I’d like to take a minute to welcome this guest post from Celina Bledowska with some of her tips on travel prep. If you too would like to contribute a guest post, get in touch through the contact link above! Enjoy!
When planning your journey you will need to work out the general cost of the trip to make sure
there are no sudden surprises. It is a myth that the cheapest option will be value for money and
in fact, life may end up costing more in the long term.
Making the Right Decision
Whether you are travelling abroad and plan to use a car, there are various problems hiding around the corner if you do
not plan ahead. One way of spreading the cost of your travels is to find a friend or companion to
enjoy the days ahead even if you are going separate ways at the end of the trip you can always
meet up again, also this is a good way of sharing petrol and other costs.
Accommodation
First of all, read any user reviews before booking your hostel. Obviously the accommodation’s
own website will sing loud praises about the quality of their beds, the superb washing facilities
and also how cheap everything will be. What often happens, on arrival, is that the mattress is
lumpy, the cockroaches may well be sharing your room with you and the bowl in the corner
doesn’t really match the expectations of a ‘comfortable bathroom.’ When travelling, sometimes
it’s best not to go for the budget option, especially in south east Asia, why not spend a little bit
more time asking other travellers where is the best place to stay in exchange for a good night’s
sleep and a good wash. Travelling can be a grubby business.
London
Even those travelling in the ‘West’ will discover that the wonderful bargain hotel
that you read about back home really wasn’t a bargain at all once all the extras were added to
the bill. Try not to go to the main tourist centres when you’re thinking of going out for a meal or
drink. In London for example, Camden Town may be cool but a short trip up the road to Kentish Town will be just as
much fun and you may well have some change at the end of the evening. The same applies to
Covent Garden, it looks wonderful but the area, so close to London’s West End, may well break
your personal bank. Should you try and do any clothes shopping, a more viable option is to
head east to Hoxton and Shoreditch. A lot of new and unusual clothes shops are opening in this
part of London and remember you can always haggle if you don’t like the advertised price.
South East Asia
The golden rule in this part of the world is to never take the first option in terms of tuk-tuks or
other methods of transport, cheap might mean bad brakes and your fare is going to provide
those essential items, sometime in the future! Also, ask to see a hostel room before booking.
In search of value for money talk to you fellow travellers and compare notes, they have little to
gain by promoting accommodation that’s cheap and thoroughly nasty.
And those are just a few tips for getting the most out of your travel fund.
How do you make your money go further and keep value?