When people plan an overseas trip, it’s often in groups – from family holidays to romantic honeymoon escapes, travel often seems to come in packages of two or more.
However, many people agree that travelling solo can be a truly rewarding experience with its own perks. Solo travellers enjoy the freedom of being able to choose to do whatever they want at their own leisure.
Without a person to share the budget, solo travel can quickly become a costly exercise. Try these tips to keep costs down:
Prioritise
Unless you’re prepared to end up with an exorbitant amount spent at the end of your travels, decide what’s most important to you when travelling. Is it comfortable accommodation? Dining in luxury? Visiting expensive theme parks? Whatever you most want to do, spend your cash on it – but make cuts on other elements of your trip. If you love luxury hotels, invest in one, and be prepared to spend your time visiting less expensive attractions, such as iconic landmarks or botanical gardens.
Eat in
Dining out is the easy option when it comes to travelling, particularly alone – summoning the energy to cook after a long day can be difficult. However, costs of dinner every night can add up very quickly, and is unrealistic when looking at a holiday much longer than a week.
Try to find self-contained accommodation and hunt down bargains at the local food store or markets, then cook up a storm at home.
Make compromises
Often, accommodation is the largest culprit of travel expenses. Do your research and take advantage of hotel deals or last minute deals to save money.
If you’re prepared to search, finding accommodation at bed and breakfasts or hostels can be less expensive than more traditional options.
