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How do you decide where to spend your money on travel? How do you decide how much money to spend on travel? Do you splurge on a luxury hotel or look for budget accommodations? Do you hire guides or scour Pinterest for money-saving tips and things to see and do.
In all honesty, we’ve done it all and it really depends on where we’re going and what we hope to see.
I break down where you can save on travel and where you should consider splurging on travel.
What to Save Money on Travel
Hotels
Generally, I like to save on hotel accommodations and spend on sightseeing travel. However, if we’re staying somewhere like the beach and not doing much else, then I’ll splurge to be more comfortable.
Related: How to Save Money on Hotels.
To begin a hotel search, I always use Priceline. I tend to find the lowest rates on Priceline.
Just like all the other sites, you put in your dates, your destination or hotel, and search. Then view the deal at the best price. You can still do the “name your own price” with Priceline as well.
Attractions
Then when it comes to booking attractions, I tend to do a lot of research. For instance, if you want to save money on attractions, take a look at one of my latest articles here.
And if you don’t want to do all the work, consider using a Travel Agent. It doesn’t cost you any extra, and they often have access to unpublished deals.
Food
It depends on what you look for in a vacation when spending money on food. Sometimes, you travel to enjoy foods you may not get anywhere else. Other times, you’re there for the attractions. Either way, you can follow these tips on how to save money on food when you travel.
What to Splurge Or Spend on Travel
There will be times you want to splurge and do something extra when you travel. Give yourself exceptions to the rule with what you might spend on travel with these splurges.
Once in a Lifetime Experiences
If you’re traveling to a destination that has something special, it’s worth setting aside money in your budget for these once in a lifetime experiences.
For example, you can visit the Empire State Building, or you can get the VIP experience with front of the line access.
Think:
- Balloon rides during the Albuquerque Balloon Festival
- Dine on Crepes at the Eiffel tower
- Behind the Scenes on Broadway
The possibilities really are endless. I recommend Viator for finding those once in a lifetime opportunities for the places you wish to visit.
Food
Yes, I said save on food, but there’s an exception to every rule, right? Sometimes you want to have an extraordinary dinner for two, or grab a bite of something you can only get in a certain location.
Do your research however, sometimes those iconic places charge you more because they can. Juniors is not the only place you can get that iconic New York Cheesecake.
Saving Time
It is worth it to spend more on travel things that help you save time.
For example, if you can stay closer to an attraction, but it’s a bit more expensive, you’ll save on the time it takes to get there.
Especially in places such as Walt Disney World, it may be worth spending more to stay closer, so that you can maximize your time at the parks. You are spending a lot on park admission as it is, you may as well make the most of it.
Additionally, if you have younger kids, the time you can save getting from place to place helps manage their levels of fatigue.
Time really is money, so consider that when you’re deciding on saving or spending money on travel.
Do you have tricks for how to decide what to spend on travel? Leave a comment below.
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