Travel doesn’t have to be crazy expensive to be memorable. With a few smart choices, you can cut hundreds or even thousands from your trip cost without feeling like you’re penny-pinching the whole time.
In this guide, you’ll find simple, practical travel money-saving tips you can actually use: from booking flights and hotels smarter to avoiding sneaky fees and overspending on food and activities.
Once you’ve gone through the tips, you can plug your own numbers into our Trip Cost Calculator to see what your next trip might really cost.
Save money before you even book
A lot of your savings happen before you ever hit “Book now.” These tips help you keep costs down right from the planning stage.
- Be flexible with your dates. Flying midweek or a day earlier/later can sometimes shave hundreds off your flight price, especially on popular routes.
- Avoid peak holidays when you can. School holidays, major events and long weekends usually mean higher prices on flights and hotels. If your schedule is flexible, shift your dates slightly.
- Compare a few nearby airports. Sometimes flying into or out of a secondary airport is cheaper, even after you add the cost of local transport.
Save money on flights and routes
Flights are often one of the biggest trip expenses, but there are a few simple ways to avoid overpaying without spending hours hunting for deals.
- Set a realistic price range, not a “perfect deal.” Decide what a good price looks like for your route and dates, then book when you see something in that range instead of chasing the absolute lowest fare.
- Check a couple of different booking sites. Prices can vary slightly between airlines and comparison sites, so checking 2–3 options can help you avoid an overpriced ticket.
- Watch out for extra fees. Cheap base fares can add up fast with baggage, seat selection and change fees. Compare the all-in price, not just the headline number.
Save money on hotels and places to stay
Accommodation adds up quickly on longer trips, but you don’t have to book the absolute cheapest place to save money. A few smart choices can lower your nightly cost without wrecking your experience.
- Compare a few different neighborhoods. Staying just outside the busiest tourist area can drop your nightly rate while still keeping you close to the places you want to see.
- Watch for freebies that save you money. Free breakfast, Wi-Fi, parking or laundry can be worth paying a little more per night if they replace other daily costs.
- Mix cheaper nights with “treat” nights. If you want a special hotel for part of the trip, balance it with a few simpler nights so your overall average nightly cost stays reasonable.
Save money on food and drinks
Food is one of the best parts of travel, but eating every meal like a special occasion gets expensive fast. A few small habits can cut your food budget without making the trip feel “cheap.”
- Avoid eating every meal in the most touristy spots. Walk a few blocks away from the main sights and you’ll often find better prices and more local places.
- Make some meals simple on purpose. Grabbing a bakery breakfast, supermarket snacks or a picnic lunch can free up money for a nicer dinner.
- Set a rough daily food budget. Decide how much you’re comfortable spending per day on food and drinks, then check in with yourself every couple of days so little splurges don’t silently pile up.
Save money on activities and extras
Activities and experiences are usually what you remember most about a trip, but you don’t have to book something expensive every day to have a great time.
- Pick a few “must-do” paid activities. Decide which tours or tickets matter most and budget for those first, instead of saying yes to every paid experience you see.
- Mix free or low-cost days into your plan. Walking tours, parks, markets and self-guided sightseeing can be just as fun as paid attractions and give your budget a break.
- Watch out for small extras that add up. Souvenirs, impulse buys and “it’s only a few dollars” moments can quietly eat a big chunk of your budget if you’re not paying attention.
Watch out for hidden travel costs
Even if you plan carefully, hidden or “forgotten” travel costs can push your trip over budget. The goal isn’t to eliminate them completely, but to expect them and set money aside.
Think about things like airport transfers, resort fees, local taxes, tips, baggage fees, roaming charges and last-minute Uber rides back to your hotel. They all seem small until you add them up.
If you want a quick checklist to make sure you’re not missing anything, read our guide to 13 hidden travel costs most people forget to budget for before you finalize your trip budget.
Pull your trip budget together
Saving money on your trip isn’t about cutting every cost—it’s about choosing where you want to spend more and where you’re happy to spend less. A clear, realistic budget makes those trade-offs much easier.
Once you’ve gone through these tips, take a few minutes to plug your own numbers into the Trip Cost Calculator so you can see your total trip cost, cost per person and cost per day.
If you want help splitting your budget by category, use our Simple Trip Budget Breakdown: Flights, Hotels, Food & Activities as a simple template, then adjust the numbers to match your own trip.
See real trip cost examples
Want to see how these money-saving ideas play out in real trips? These example budgets show how total cost, cost per person and cost per day can change with different trip lengths.