Many hotels provide breakfast for their guests; this benefit is included with the room rate or as a perk. For other establishments, a supplement may be charged for access to breakfast.
For our part, we always look at what the hotel is offering with extra charges. Often, a trip to the grocery store is necessary to save money during the trip.
Then, we’re used to spending our time in restaurants when we’re traveling. It’s a great way to treat ourselves. It helps us get away from our routine of shopping, cooking and washing up.
However, this expense can get out of hand quite quickly. So we often eat on the run at lunchtime and in restaurants in the evening. This way, we don’t waste too much time on table service. We want to visit the sights while the number of visitors is decreasing.
It’s a great way to save money on food when traveling. You can also treat yourself! A gyros in Greece costs €2.5. I’m still dreaming about it, because it was really delicious.
Finally, if your trip lasts several months, it’s more economical not to eat out every day. It’s also better for your health. Indeed, eating out every day on a 3-month trip is quite different from eating out every day on a 2-week trip!
You might as well earn 5 points per dollar with a card like the Scotiabank American Express® Card Gold and save on conversion fees!
Loyalty to a third-party reservation site (Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia.ca, etc.) can pay off in the long run. In fact, these platforms receive a commission from the hotel if you use their site to book your accommodation.
So they want to encourage you to stay loyal, since prices are generally similar from one third-party site to another when you don’t have an account.
After some time and a few reservations, we’ll realize that the rates start to vary slightly. You don’t have to do anything to sign up for loyalty programs. It happens automatically when you open an account.
For example, following multiple bookings on Booking.com, I reached level 3 of the Genius program. This means I can always save money when I travel. I receive discounts of 10% to 20% on most of my nights.
On Hotels.com, logged-in members save a minimum of 10% on over 100,000 hotels worldwide.
Finally, by going through Rakuten, you can go for additional cashback up to 10%. Rakuten is a shopping portal that gives cashback on your online purchases. Registration is free and you can even receive a welcome bonus by using our referral link!
And cashback is not the only reward you can receive through the portals! For example, consider Rocketmiles for Aeroplan points.
Discovering a place on foot or by bike is the best way to save on transport costs. Some cities are perfect for this. I think in particular of Istanbul and San Francisco, two cities I explored on foot.
Most large cities have a fairly well-developed public transportation system. A good way tosave money when traveling is to get around like the locals. If the locals take a tuk-tuk or walk, imitate them!
Another good way to be efficient and save money when traveling is to take overnight transportation. This can be by train, bus or plane. You’ll save time travelling while you sleep and have one less night of hotel expenses.
When you use your credit card for a purchase in a foreign currency, an exchange rate of 2.5% applies. On the other hand, some credit cards don’t charge a conversion fee. This allows you to save on every expense. These fees seem small and harmless but they add up quickly.
If you can pay in local currency or Canadian dollars, choose the local currency. It will cost you less.
Next, we recommend using credit cards with no conversion fees. This will enable you to accumulate points. However, it is not always possible to pay by credit card in some places or to avoid a merchant surcharge. So you’ll have to turn to ATMs or exchange offices. The fees to be paid are generally:
Choose your ATM carefully to save money when traveling, as bank charges can be high. Then, try to withdraw a larger amount compared to making several smaller withdrawals, since the fees are charged for each withdrawal.
However, agreements exist between many banks around the world where the bank teller and institution fees are waived. For example, Tangerine chequing account holders can make free withdrawals at these partner branches.
For other withdrawals, the fees charged to Tangerine customers are minimal when compared with other institutions. Tangerine promotions often recur for new checking or savings accounts. Welcome bonuses are around $150 – $200.
Did you know that you can help the Milesopedia site by using our links? Whether it’s credit cards or bank accounts, you’ll get the same or even an exclusive offer!
For Tangerine, use our orange key 39634222S to receive $50.
Finally, Wise, Wealthsimple Cash and the EQ Bank Card are excellent choices for saving on cash withdrawals when traveling. The Wise card allows you to make payments in different currencies with minimal fees, using the actual exchange rate. Wealthsimple Cash offers a debit card with no conversion fees for foreign transactions, simplifying spending without unpleasant surprises. For its part, the EQ Bank Card also offers an advantageous exchange rate and no annual fee, making it an ideal option for those who travel frequently. With these cards, you can save on fees and make the most of your stay without stressing about expenses that require cash.
In most major cities, there are free walking tours. These are tours guided by a local. You can choose to give money or not.
In my experience, they are excellent at pointing out the main points of interest. They also advise us on places where we can eat well for less. Very important tips for saving on travel costs!
It’s also a great way to meet new people and share costs for other activities. In fact, operators occasionally give discounts for groups compared to a single traveller.
Also, ask about free days! Admission fees for certain attractions are sometimes waived on specific dates.
Is it really necessary to have a guide to visit the Louvre with you? Fees for guided tours can go up very quickly.
For out-of-town escapades, consider doing it yourself instead of booking an organized tour. For example, most of the 7 Wonders of the World are accessible by public transportation. So instead of booking an excursion to see the Great Wall of China, you can easily get there on your own!
For all the activities where you have to pay, the strategy is the same as finding low-cost accommodations. You must see what travel rewards points apply to which expenses.
Some activities and excursions can be booked on the GetYourGuide platform.
Finally, as these costs will be in foreign currency, you can save a further 2.5%. Use a credit card with no conversion fees.
Whatever the type of accommodation you stay at, a trip to a youth hostel can be worthwhile. Excursions are sometimes cheaper and you can easily meet people to split costs with!
Savings on all categories are reflected in the budget when travelling in the off-season. Although the weather is not always on our side, the low tourist traffic is to your advantage. What’s more, the chances of being alone are much greater!
During the off-season, airfare and hotel rooms are usually cheaper.
A compromise would be to travel during the transitional or shoulder seasons. Indeed, during this period, the majority of the experience will be almost identical to the peak of the high season. We actually always prefer to travel in this time window because it is less expensive and the weather is more pleasant.
By travelling in the off-season, you have a better chance of finding less crowded flights. So you won’t need a seat in business class if you can sit on several benches in economy class!
We usually start by choosing our destination before looking at how to make the trip more economical. On the other hand, if you do the opposite, you immediately remove the biggest cost. That’s often the price of a plane ticket for a vacation. Let airfare dictate your destination. In fact, the ways to save on accommodation costs are less limited than those for flights.
First of all, the Google Flights tool shows all airfares from our airport. Use the filters to adjust the results to your needs! This tool is ideal if you want to pay as little as possible. You can also use your travel rewards points to buy the ticket.
Secondly, Air Canada also has an interactive map to determine the cost in Aeroplan points for multiple destinations at the same time.
No luggage, no fees!
When you travel with only a carry-on, you save the baggage fees for each flight. So, if you have fewer clothes, you can avoid checked luggage. When traveling, there are plenty of laundromats and laundry services available!
Checked baggage fees can easily be bypassed with certain credit cards, such as an Aeroplan credit card if the flight is operated by Air Canada. Alternatively, other travel cards offer credits to reimburse your baggage costs.
When travelling in a group, you can reduce your luggage costs by reducing the amount of luggage. Just use the maximum weight allowed between each member of the group! So you’ll have just one or two pieces of luggage to check in and lug around!
When booking a trip, you should always get travel insurance. However, we are often already insured for the unexpected by having paid for our trip with our credit card.
Many credit cards offer good travel insurance. This is true if the trip is paid for in full or in part with the card. If something goes wrong and you can’t start or continue your trip, your travel insurance can cover the costs.
We often buy travel insurance from a private company. This may be Blue Cross, Manulife, or others. However, our credit card may already offer good coverage. Take the National Bank World Elite Mastercard, the best credit card for travel insurance.
To avoid paying twice and being over-insured, check what you already have. Look at what your credit card offers. Also consider your work or school insurance.
This is a tip that I find very important for travel savings. When you are travelling on a tight budget, feelings of regret or unfinished business shouldn’t happen. You are where you are because you wanted to be. There were things you wanted to see, do and experience.
Never leave a place with an unfinished business just because of the price. If it’s really unfinished business, you’ll want to go back. You’ll have to pay again for airfare, lodging, and more.
I don’t encourage travelling on credit, but rather prioritize what you really want. I didn’t do the Franz Josef glacier hikes in New Zealand. It was too expensive for my student budget. So off course, I went back to Franz Josef later, but I paid the price! In retrospect, I should have cut back on more restaurant meals then, instead of cutting back on my excursion.
Even now, my goal is to have a trip that is rich in experience, but low in cost. However, I have adjusted my strategy of continuing to travel cheaply, but “turning left”.
What about you, do you have any tips for saving money while travelling? Come and share them with us in the Milesopedia Facebook community!
To save on plane tickets, compare prices with online tools such as Google Flights and Skyscanner, book at off-peak times and search from several airports if possible. What’s more, using a points-based credit card can help you reduce ticket costs even further.
To find cheaper accommodation, explore options such as Airbnb, hostels and off-season university accommodation. Using comparison sites and booking in advance can also bring prices down.
Loyalty programs allow you to accumulate points or miles that can be exchanged for airline tickets, upgrades or free hotel nights. Choosing a program that suits your travel habits maximizes your savings potential.
To save money on car rental, book in advance, compare offers on different sites and consider joining a car rental loyalty program. Using a credit card that offers car rental insurance can also reduce your expenses.
Reduce food costs by eating locally, cooking your meals in equipped accommodation or taking advantage of local markets. Using a guide like Yelp or TripAdvisor can help you find affordable, top-rated options.
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