by Chua Wei Ling
With the school holidays creeping out, we are sure you’ll be bitten by the travel bug as well. Be it a short road trip up to neighbouring countries or a flight out to somewhere further, here are some tips for you that will be bound to save you some cash even while you are out enjoying yourself!
- Pre-departure: Transport options
For the cash strapped, a short road trip to a neighbouring country is just as good, given how low the exchange rate had over the past few months, and if you intend to travel to other states other than the one just across the causeway, you could save even more if you were to get your transport from the country itself – be it flights, trains or even coach services!
Subscribing to the newsletters of airline companies work too, be it budget airlines or the bigger names. Just when you least expect it, great deals of up to 50% may just happen and for the period you would like to travel too!
- Hotels bookings
While booking sites are fuss-free and easy to use, they may not offer the best rates possible. Always check with the main website of the hotel that you are booking, and if you can, in the national language of the country that you are visiting. Chances are, you may get cheaper rates as these are the rates given to locals!
- Getting around
Taxis are a given to be a luxury – or is it? In certain countries, taxi fares are much cheaper than you think, and would save
you much more in the long run if you are travelling long distances. In countries that transport fares are known to be expensive, such as in Japan, look out for special passes that you can only get at the airport which will save you quite a bit if you are there for a couple of days! - Staying connected
With pocket WiFis getting more and more popular and a must-have for avid travellers, the fact is that you may not really need them at all. For instance, Taipei has offered free WiFi to all at their subway stations and bus stops, and the number of hotspots are looking to increase. Similarly, in Japan’s Tokyo and Osaka, free WiFi spots can also be found across the country. Coupled with the fact that most hotels have free WiFi, this is certainly an amount you can save a fair bit on!
- Breakfast? Go local!
Most hotels these days come without the option for breakfast – which is great because you get to save (in case you have yet to notice, breakfast go at a rate of SGD$15 per meal at least!). Instead, check out what the locals have for breakfast, or even the local convenience stores – chances are, the breakfast options are much more filling and most more economical than you think!
