5 ways to save on travel costs

You don’t have to sacrifice experience to save money on travel. Making cost-conscious decisions about travel can help you have a great time without breaking the bank. Consider these five tips to help you save on travel costs for your next getaway.

1. Find cheap flights

Finding cheap flights doesn’t have to be rocket science, but with a bit of extra effort you can find a good deal.

Using Google Flights is a great hack to help you find the lowest fare for your destination and travel dates. It’s especially useful if you can be flexible with your timing.

To find a cheap flight on Google flights, simply do the following:

1. Input your departure city (i.e. Toronto, Vancouver, Hamilton, etc.)
   2. If you do not have an idea of your destination yet, click the “Explore” button.

3. If you’ve decided where you want to go, you can input your destination (either the country or city, but keeping things broad can help you find cheaper prices) and then click the “Explore” button.
4. You can specify a date within the next six months, which can really help you open up your options in terms of price, or you can choose a specific month in which you’d like to travel. You can also select a one week or two week trip length.

5. Zoom out on the map using the toggle bar in the bottom right corner of your screen. If you have some flexibility with your destination, you can identify a cheaper flight within a specific time frame.

6. Click on the destination you wish to travel to. Book your flight ticket directly through the carrier’s website to ensure you lock in the best deal. 

To get a cheap flight price, consider the following aspects of your flight, too:

• Direct flights. How much travel time are you willing to add to save money? Adding a stop can save you 25% or more, but it can also add hours to your travel time. Think about how much time you would be willing to add to your journey based on the length of your trip and your itinerary.
• Flight extras. Getting the lowest airfare usually means giving up your right to select your seat, check a bag, and make changes to your itinerary. Ask yourself whether it’s worth the $20 to sit a bit closer to the front.

2. Explore cheap hotels and other ways to stay

To get cheap hotels without sacrificing comfort, try comparing hotels on multiple travel aggregator websites including Booking.com, Expedia and Priceline. Just booking directly through the hotel company’s website may be more expensive (unless there’s a promotion running.) Keep in mind that some websites, like Priceline, may require you to secure a hotel booking rate over the phone, while other websites may charge a premium for phone bookings. Just do as much comparison as possible to try and save yourself a few hundred dollars or more.

Staying off the beaten path – or even right next to it – can be a great way to save and get better value for your money. Let’s take a look at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida as an example. The cheapest room at a Disney Resort Hotel costs about $1,800 for seven nights. That includes two queen beds, a free shuttle to the parks, and not much else. A family suite with beds for six and a kitchenette costs closer to $5,000 – a steep price for a microwave and minifridge.

A quick search on Airbnb for the same dates shows hundreds of listings in the area with a kitchen, as well as multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, with prices starting from under $900 including taxes and fees. You can rent a car for the week for another $800, giving you the freedom to explore everything Orlando has to offer for less than the lowest price at a Disney Resort Hotel. Many of these nearby Airbnb stays have pools, hot tubs, and other resort-like amenities that are probably a lot less crowded than you’ll find inside the resort.

You can also explore alternative accommodations like B&Bs and hostels. At B&Bs, you stay in a host’s property and they often provide a similar experience to hotels, but with often with a lower price and a more personal touch. Fresh linens, towels and breakfast are provided (either for free or for a low cost.)

You may be familiar with hostels for their communal, shared area-type of stay, but many hostels also offer private rooms and ensuite bathrooms, with a lower nightly price relative to hotels and even Airbnbs. You can compare hostels and B&Bs on sites like Expedia and Booking.com. Hostelworld is an app specifically designed for booking hostel stays.

3. Rethink your itinerary with your budget in mind

Planning a vacation can be almost as much fun as going on a vacation. Having a detailed plan can also help you spot opportunities to save on travel costs.

A great way to save money on travel costs is to just slow down a little. It’s natural to want to see everything all at once, but you might have a better experience by planning to do less. Planning one excursion per day instead of two gives you more time to enjoy the experiences you’re paying for and frees up time for unstructured exploration. 

If you can’t stand having open time in your schedule, look for things to do that are free or cheap. Visit parks, go hiking, visit festivals, wander the local streets or find a picnic spot for an experience that won’t add to your credit card bill.

4. Travel during the off-season

You can save money and get a unique experience by travelling during the off-season. You’ll find different weather, fewer crowds, and better deals on flights, hotels, and experiences.

The off-season for Europe travel tends to be between November and March. On the other hand, when tourists flock to Europe in the summer and early fall, you can find great deals on all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. A seven-day all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic costs as little as $825 per person in September, but the best price jumps to $1,055 in November and over $1,100 in January.

When everyone is heading south for an all-inclusive break from the winter weather, you’ll find deals on vacations in Europe. A week in France starts at around $1,800 per person in August, but you can go for closer to $1,400 per person if you’re willing to go in late November.

5. Use your credit card rewards

Your credit card may hold the key to better deals on travel. With the right travel credit card, you can get discounts on hotels and car rentals, perks like free checked bags and airport lounge access, and travel insurance coverage included.

For example, you can get a free night each year with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. You also get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status, five times the points on Marriott purchases, and excellent travel insurance coverage.

Or with the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card, you can get six complimentary airport lounge passes, a complimentary Avis Preferred Plus membership for discounts on rental cars, great travel insurance coverage, and no foreign transaction fee when you use your card outside of Canada. Plus, Scene points are super flexible and you can apply points for the partial cost of your booking or cover the whole thing. You aren’t limited to booking through one portal, either, so you can find the best deals.

And with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card, you can get free checked bags for yourself and your travelling companions on Air Canada flights, a $100 rebate on your bi-annual NEXUS application, full travel insurance coverage, and a healthy welcome bonus - earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 Aeroplan points when you make your first purchase with your new card; earn 15,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $7,500 within 180 days of account opening. Conditions apply. Account must be approved by September 3, 2024. The welcome bonus alone could be enough to book a flight within North America.

All of these cards also let you earn points you can use to get free travel rewards. Depending on which card you choose, you can use points to book travel directly, use them to get a credit on your bill, or both.

More travel hacks to save money on your next trip

When it comes to travel, everyone’s ready to make your experience just a little bit better for just a little more money. A quicker ride, a comfier seat, a prettier view, and a glass of champagne are just a checkbox away.

All these little extras can add up fast, however. And whether they actually enhance your experience enough to justify the expense is a personal choice. By being deliberate about what you will – and won’t – spend money on while traveling, you can keep the right balance between comfort and saving. Consider making compromises on things like:

• Transportation: You can usually save money by taking public transportation rather than paying for taxis or Ubers. Some cities offer day or weekend passes which provide better value for public transportation tickets and even free admission to attractions. 
• Hotel upgrades: Sometimes the hotel can make or break a vacation, like if you’re hoping for a rejuvenating spa or resort getaway, but sometimes it’s just a place to sleep. Think about whether you really need a jacuzzi and ocean view or if you can have just as good of a time going without.
• Restaurant meals: Trying the local cuisine is always a travel highlight, and it can get expensive if you’re eating every meal at a restaurant. You can save money on food and drink by visiting the local supermarket and making at least a few meals for yourself. You never know what kind of local produce, meats, and cheeses you’ll find for a fraction of what you’d pay at a restaurant. And there’s bound to be something there to try you’ve never seen before.

The bottom line

Saving money on travel is about making smart choices that don’t take away from your experience. Get a better deal on your next trip by being realistic about what you do and don’t need, being practical about flights, accommodations, and food, and choosing the right rewards credit card for your needs.

Also read:

• • The best travel credit cards in Canada
  • The best credit cards for travel insurance
  • How to earn cash back for your summer travel plans