Our tips for a budget-friendly holiday

A tight budget? No need to give up on your next trip! With a bit of flexibility, patience and curiosity, you can enjoy unforgettable holidays without breaking the bank!

The holiday destination

Saint Tropez, Palm Beach or Saint-Barthélemy, renowned beaches and enchanting scenery, these highly sought-after but expensive places make them inaccessible to most. Consider other cheaper yet equally charming destinations such as Croatia or Bulgaria. These countries offer beautiful beaches and stunning scenery. Some countries, to attract tourists, offer enticing rates; this is notably the case for Morocco, Turkey or Greece.

Not fixating on a specific destination, beyond the financial aspect, allows for greater freedom, particularly with flash sales or private sales (voyage privé or Idiliz). Some destinations offer tickets at unbeatable prices. However, you must pay close attention to the terms of sale, which can sometimes hold nasty surprises.

The right time to travel

Planning to travel? You have two choices: last-minute travel (the preferred choice of internet users) or booking far in advance. Both options will give you the best rates. A study shows that flights are 9% cheaper when booked 30 weeks in advance! To save money, be more flexible with dates: avoid weekends, Mondays and Fridays where possible, and favour early morning or late evening flights. Another tip to pay even less: book online between 4am and 6am, avoid weekends and favour Tuesdays! Finally, if possible, avoid travelling during school holidays.

To find the best possible deals, you therefore need to put in the hours! The price of tickets or hotels is a tedious task that certain useful comparison sites spare us, such as Skycanner.

Affordable accommodation

There are many options for holiday accommodation. You have a whole range of solutions to avoid the traditional hotel night: renting a flat from a private individual, a technique widely popularised through AirBnB. House exchange is another simple principle: you go and live in a family’s house who will live in yours for the duration of your holidays. A cheap solution, but one that nevertheless requires mutual trust. Whether you own or rent, it is possible to exchange your house. Another free method, very popular with young people, is “couchsurfing”. This hospitality-based method allows you to spend a night or a few days with a welcoming host. For the more adventurous, it is also possible to work in exchange for accommodation. “Hard” holidays that nevertheless attract a large number of people each year.

Low-cost activities

Once there, there are many tips to avoid blowing your holiday budget. Starting with food: favour local cuisine over the good old burger and chips! Cheaper and inevitably better, your taste buds deserve to travel too! Similarly, opt for picnics where possible!global greeter network

Discovering a country can turn out to be much cheaper than it appears. Check the tourist offices which sometimes offer interesting reductions, likewise, many countries open their national museums and monuments to tourists for free. Need a guide? Opt for a “greeter”! Some locals love to share their culture, and this, in a completely disinterested way; this is what the Global Greeter Network offers. A good way to discover the country without breaking the bank!

All that remains now is for you to have a lovely holiday!