A carefully planned vacation completed with the purchase of cheap travel products, such as cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, cheap auto rentals, and cheap vacation packages can end up costing far more if the traveler is not careful.
The following are Travel Budget suggestions on how to avoid unpleasant surprises:
Pass up the temptation to make overpriced purchases at the airport while waiting for your flight to depart. Instead plan in advance and pack snacks, an empty water bottle that can be filled once through security, and your own reading/entertainment material.
Research hidden car rental fees prior to departing so that you are not surprised by charges for things such as returning your car early or not having a receipt for your last gas fill up.
Make certain that you are aware of your potential airline fees and luggage charges prior to purchasing a ticket. Most airlines charge to check a bag, some charge to print a boarding pass at the airport, and a few airlines even charge for carry-ons.
Before departing for an overseas destination find out what your credit card company will charge for you using your card abroad. Also find out from your bank what its fees are for using overseas ATMs. Given time you can find credit card companies that do not charge foreign transaction fees and a few that will even refund any surcharges that a foreign ATM may charge.
Beware of overpacking and having to pay for overweight luggage or packing too lightly so that you end up overpaying for what you need at the airport or at your destination.
Avoid eating or souvenir shopping where you sightsee. By leaving the major tourists districts of a city you can find local places off the beaten path that offer better meal and shopping values.
Be careful when purchasing bargain airfare and hotel rooms. Out of the way airports (sometimes hours travel time outside a major city) and hotels can result in much higher transportation costs. Always research before you book.
Buying bottled water on vacation can become quite costly. If you are in a country were tap water is safe, bring a reusable bottle to refill as needed. If the tap water is not drinkable, water purification devices such as the SteriPen can save a lot of money over the course of a trip.
If traveling abroad, turn off your phones data and location services, or you will be hit with expensive roaming charges. If you are staying at a hotel, ask the front desk if they charge for incoming calls.
Instead of paying for three restaurant meals per day consider visiting a local grocery store or market for breakfast or book at a hotel where breakfast is included. Consider eating enough at breakfast so that you can skip lunch or prepare sandwiches to eat at lunchtime.
Another restaurant savings approach is to eat at famous and/or fancy restaurants for lunch when it is usually much cheaper and then pick up a light, inexpensive meal to go for dinner.
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