Over the years, travellers have become more creative and resourceful in forming their travel plans. Proper planning and digital technologies can help make travelling cheaper when done correctly. Most recently, destination dupes have become a travel trend originating from social media platforms like TikTok, where travellers opt to buy tickets to lesser-known getaways or “dupes” of popular destinations to save their wallets.
Rather than spending money on trips to hot tourist hubs, the boost in the “dupe” travel trend to alternative cities or islands is a great option for explorers wanting to avoid big crowds and costly airfares to in-demand tourist destinations. For example, Liverpool is taking precedence over London, while Palermo has become a new stand-in for Lisbon.
Of course, destination dupes are only a piece of the cheaper travel puzzle. Outside of travel trends, many travellers are using the technologies at their disposal to help cut travel costs without compromising as much as possible. Below, we’ll be sharing four tips for leveraging technology to travel more affordably:
Use low-cost airfare finders
One reason travelling can become so costly is that many tend to book tickets and other travel-related elements at the last minute. Last-minute flights, for example, are notoriously expensive, hence the public aversion to cancellations. To mitigate this, you can rely on real-time information from the Internet, online airline websites, and apps to find the most affordable flights available for your preferred destination and travel schedule.
Low-cost airline easyJet has a built-in low-fare finder on the company’s website, where passengers can score cheap flights depending on their destination and preferred flight dates. You can also use the online information to compare flights with each other, as there are many low-fare airlines available on the market today. Whether you’re eyeing flights to Bulgaria or Montenegro, using low-fare finders can help you find bargain flights or valuable deals to save you money.
Consider currency converters
Another way digital technology can help cheapen travel expenses is by helping you keep track of them. In a previous post, we highlighted several examples of tourism math, such as determining currency values in a new country to see if the product or service you want is a bargain or a bank breaker. Being unaware of currency conversions between your home and destination countries can cost you more than you think in the long run.
Thankfully, there are many currency converter apps available today, all of which are easily accessible on your mobile phone, granted you have access to the Internet. You can try apps like Xe Currency Converter — a favourite for many travellers thanks to its intuitive interface and the ability to get mid-market rates for more than 130 countries. Having a currency-converting app handy lets you remain informed about spontaneous spending and purchases when travelling.
For travellers on a budget, commuting to their destination cities and locations is a surefire way to cut costs rather than paying much more for tourist taxis and guided tours. Of course, trying out local commutes in a new place can be overwhelming, if not downright confusing. This is where technology comes in, as there are many specialised mobile apps available today offering real-time and updated commute information for their locales.
Aside from commuter apps, good old navigation apps like Google Maps or Waze can often provide much-needed insight into your travel routes. Aside from providing GPS-accurate navigation in new cities and towns, navigation apps have also significantly improved in providing ETAs for arrival and transportation time, which varies depending on whether you’re on foot in a walkable foreign city or trying out trains in Japan.
Research local activities
Finally, in line with our advice above about using local means of transportation, you’re also likely to benefit from researching local events and activities at your destinations. These are always a great way to experience a new country and immerse yourself in new cultures. Instead of opting for pricey guided tours at hot tourist spots, why not go for an authentic and organic walk around the new city?
Most cities also have free walking or bike tours, a great way to go sightseeing and interact with locals. You may even find affordable and interesting local food hubs instead of waking up hours early to catch a table at a well-reviewed or Internet-viral restaurant or cafe. A great way to find the local information you need, of course, is the all-knowing Internet, where you can find travel vlogs and blog posts for underrated local recommendations.