The key to any trip is being smart with your money – and that starts even before you hit the road ! It’s important to know how to save and plan your trip so you don’t find yourself running out of money. Here are my best tips and tricks on how to save money for any trip -even if you don’t make a ton of money.

Cut down flight costs

One of the easiest ways to save money on travel is by choosing your flights wisely. There’s a whole range of different tips and tricks to grab the cheapest flights – which will all make that holiday budget stretch much further.

Make sure to be flexible in the times and dates of your flights. Monday and Friday’s are usually more expensive than Tuesday and Thursday. This means, if you can be flexible, you can grab yourself a significantly cheaper flight.

Also, if you really want to save money on travel itself, then make sure to also check the times of your flights. For instance, a 7 am flight is usually cheaper than a mid-morning flight. Obviously, this is due to the unsociable hours and less demand, so make sure to take advantage and look for these.

Finally, if you can, fly from secondary airports in and out of bigger cities. This works well for places like London, where you’ll usually find cheaper flights landing at Stansted Airport than at City Airport. Though, with secondary airports, always weigh up the transport costs to your accommodation, to.

Visit Regional Cities

If you really want to save money on travel then you might want to stay away from the more expensive cities. For instance, travelling to London or Paris can end up being more expensive than visiting Nice or York (for instance).

Typically, in more regional cities, accommodation and food prices are somewhat lower and more affordable. This all means you can stretch your budget that bit further and explore for longer.

Share Costs With Friends

This is a total no-brainer, especially as I’m all for trips with friends. Not only do you get to hang out with your nearest and dearest, but you’ll also be able to save money on travel.

You see, the more of you that share taxi costs, accommodation, food and pitchers, will bring your individual costs much lower.

Eat Like A Local

This can be a total winner if you’re looking to save money on travel and still want some great foodie treats. Heading to restaurants in the ‘touristy’ areas can actually end up costing you significantly more than a spot just 5-10-minutes away.

Take a little stroll away from the main streets and check out the more independent and less tourist-focused restaurants for a bite to eat. This way, you’ll be guaranteed a better quality of food and not be paying through the roof for a restaurant that’s increased its prices.

Spend On Cards

If you’re like me, I always tend to use cards over cash, which means you’re can sign up for lots of perks from your card issuer.

For instance, certain credit cards and an American Express will actually reward your spend with points that can subsequently be used on travel. Perks can include anything from cashback with certain companies, flight miles and even cash.

Find Free Things To Do

This is probably one of the easiest things to do to save money on travel, especially once you arrive at a new destination. Even in the most expensive cities, there are always free events, tours and specific ‘free entry’ dates for museums and galleries that you can easily take advantage of.

I always look to sign up for some free walking tours, head on over to the websites for the museums and galleries and plan ! Equally, cities like London have a treasure-trove of free museums and galleries that are free any time of the year.

Visit Places During ‘Off’ Season

Prices can change dramatically on the dates you decide to travel. This is exactly why it’s important to always keep a close eye on seasonal changes in pricing and plan your trip accordingly.

For instance, you can head across to the Greek islands in May or October and it’ll cost you a fraction of the cost of travelling in August. This is all to do with the summer holidays and, demand.