Making International Travel More Affordable

Tuesday, April 9, 2013 8:57

(Before It's News)

The cost of traveling internationally can seem prohibitive. My family was recently looking at flights to Europe, and the lowest prices that we could find during the month that we wanted were approximately $1,000 per person. That adds up very quickly, and only takes care of the flights! Many families find that traveling internationally is out of the realm of feasibility when it comes to finances. There are some ways that you can make international travel work on a smaller budget, however. Here are some tips:

• Fly into a city that’s not on your itinerary. We found that if we wanted to fly into Lisbon, instead of into Paris, we would save several hundred dollars. There are a few budget airlines in Europe, including Ryanair, that can take you from one city to another for under $50. Also look into this option if you are flying into Asian or South American countries; it’s possible that flying into a smaller airport can save you money.
  
  
• Once you are in your destination, do a lot of your visiting outside of typical tourist areas. Prices are high in the bigger cities that cater to international visitors, but will be lower in the smaller towns. If you go where the locals go, you’ll be able to save some cash. Take a trip around the area on your own, ask your travel agent for advice, or visit one of the many ex-pat websites available and ask those who have made your destination country their new home.
  
  
• Consider alternative accommodations. You don’t necessarily have to stay in a hotel, hostel or bed-and-breakfast. The World Wide Web is truly world-wide, and you can use a variety of websites to find house-swapping, house-sitting or couch-surfing opportunities. Use a site that is reputable and that has some type of feedback system for your protection.
  
  
• Think about voluntourism. This is a way to combine volunteering with travel, and while it’s not necessarily a “cheap” way to travel, you’ll likely save some money on accommodations. Be sure to use a reputable agency to book your travel, and make sure that you understand exactly what is — and is not — included in the cost of the tour.
  
  
• Choose a relatively inexpensive travel destination. By choosing an area that has a lower cost of living (and therefore, a lower cost of traveling), you can save a lot of money. Some destinations listed onMoneyCrashers’ Top 10 Cheap International Travel Destinations include Bangladesh, Thailand, Peru, Ecuador, Hungary, Jamaica and Argentina.
  
  

Traveling the world doesn’t necessarily mean hitting all of the big cities in Europe and Asia; remember that there are a lot of lovely places that are either off the beaten path or in less developed areas of the world. Have you traveled internationally for a low price? Tell our readers your best tips for travel destinations and for saving money abroad.