So although there are a number of demerits of budget travelling, ample of advantages are also present that cover all these disadvantages and prove that Budget Travelling is really very much essential to balance with your funds.....
Hence everyone must be travelling in a budget to get stable and enjoyable experiance...
This disadvantage is stating the obvious, but money tends to be an issue for almost all travelers. Travelling to far away destinations and going for some time without an income can get expensive. And, though travel on a budget is always possible, the pressure that travel puts on your pockets is undeniable. When travel becomes a priority, it requires sacrifice in other areas of life and forces you to live differently. Again though, there’s a silver lining to this. After all, that very same sacrifice will lend an ever greater poignancy to your trip: whenever you put effort into something you tend to value it more.
Everything keeps moving at home while you’re away having the time of your life. Life moves on, people get married, move home, get promotions, have babies…You get back from travelling and suddenly those awesome experiences get pushed into memory; you’re confronted with a reality where your peers are a year (or more) ahead of you in their careers, earning more money, in higher positions; maybe they’re already reaching the goals you once had for yourself. For the competitive go getter, this can be a tough pill to swallow. Of course, there’s no replacement for life experience and you’ll have that in abundance. What you do when you travel is life changing and progressive in all manner of ways. But when you’re slap bang back home, confronted with reality, with your adventures (until the next one, at least) behind you, it can be hard to see people who have moved on ahead.
You’re at home, you have a set routine and structure to your day. You know what to expect and enjoy the regularity of things. If nothing else, travel is a brilliant way of upsetting this. And maybe that’s a good thing- we could all do with mixing things up every now and again, right? But what if you’re into your gym and used to going 5 times a week? Or have specific dietary requirements? Or sporting or academic goals? Or you need a particular amount of sleep to properly function? The list goes on…
There’s a wide range of guides and tour directors in the travel industry, from garden-variety escorts who manage trip logistics to highly educated and specialized local experts. On budget tours, expect to work with the former. These tour directors, though competent and well trained, are likely to be contractors who take groups out to a variety of destinations. They probably aren’t full-time employees of the tour companies, and they may not have deep knowledge on the places you’re visiting.
Since value tour companies specialize in selling popular travel packages over and over, you can probably count on their trips running smoothly. What you may not be able to count on, though, is the ability to customize your trip or make significant changes to a prepackaged itinerary. Some low-cost operators offer only scheduled departures and don’t customize at all. Those that do have the ability to customize group itineraries may include extra charges for the service.
Since low-cost tourism is a volume business, companies that operate in this space count on every tour going out at or near full capacity. This can limit the amount of exclusivity they can offer your group. If you have only 20 travelers on a trip, for example, the tour operator might combine your group with another group — or even a handful of individual travelers — to fill the trip. Private trips for smaller groups may be more expensive or simply not available.
Many times, it’s the little extras that can make an experience memorable: a welcome reception, a VIP tour or a special meet-and-greet. Value tour operators don’t avoid these extras altogether — any tour should have one or two special surprises — but they’re likely to be modest. If you choose to take your travelers on a budget trip, you should prepare to arrange your own special touches for the group and perhaps set aside a small budget to pay for them.
Depending on how you structure your travel program, you may count on complimentary trips for yourself as a group leader, or perhaps you receive commissions from tour companies in order to raise money for your organization. When working with budget travel brands, you’ll probably have access to comps and commissions, but the terms are likely to be less generous than those offered by higher-end companies. Value companies are likely to give only a single comp for the entire group instead of the one-for-10 or one-for-12 comp programs others employ.
Over the next three issues of Select Traveler, we’re going to explore trip pricing by analyzing what travel planners can expect to get at three different points on this spectrum. In this issue, we begin with value tours, which offer attractive low pricing that makes them accessible to a wide variety of travelers.
There’s nothing wrong with these budget-friendly trips; they might be just the right fit for your group. Here’s an overview of the value tour experience in 10 essential aspects of group trips.
The most important thing to know about budget tour companies is that they are built on a low-margin, high-volume business model. As such, they focus most of their efforts on destinations that are proven sellers. So if you want to take your group on an inexpensive trip to a popular destination such as New York; Branson, Missouri; Ireland; or Italy, you’re likely to find a budget-brand tour company that offers aggressively priced packages there. These companies are much less likely to sell trips to small, off-the-beaten-path cities or exotic destinations.
To keep overall prices low, budget tour operators rely on getting the best rates possible from their suppliers. This often means avoiding crowds, which drive up prices with higher demand, and offering trips during off-peak periods. In some popular weekend destinations, these operators will sell Monday-through-Friday trips. In places that are most popular in summer or winter, a budget operator is likely to offer trips in the fall or spring. This isn’t a universal rule, though; it’s possible to take a budget tour during peak periods, but the prices will be higher than off-season departures.
Hotel accommodations account for a large portion of tour expenses, so this is an area where budget travel brands are likely to look for savings. When traveling on a low-price tour, you can expect to stay in limited-service chain hotels or similar local properties that are clean and comfortable but lack some amenities. And these properties will likely be far outside the downtown area or tourist district, maybe even in a nearby town or suburb where hotels are substantially cheaper.
The quality and quantity of food and beverage can have a big impact on the cost of a tour. Budget tour companies keep their prices low by limiting the number of meals included in their packages. While free continental breakfast will usually be offered at hotels, travelers can expect to pay for their own lunches most days. There may be a handful of included group dinners, but these probably won’t be at high-end restaurants and won’t include drinks.
Though they aren’t as expensive as hotels or meals, the cost of museum admissions, concert tickets and other attraction and activity fees over the course of a tour can add up. To keep prices low, budget operators pack their itineraries with as many free or low-cost activities as possible and rely heavily on driving or walking tours. They also include more free time, during which travelers can visit attractions at their own expense, and may offer certain activities or experiences as optional excursions at additional cost.
Sign-up for airlines and travel agencies’ mailing lists, and you’ll be one of the firsts to know about their latest promos and deals.
Most credit cards offer miles or rewards point system when you charge your plane fares to your card. These rewards can be used to avail of discounts or even free flights once you accumulated the required point. You can also shop where your card is affiliated to get discounts and save money.
Accommodation is probably the biggest expense when you travel. It has been a common practice to book and stay in a fancy hotel when you travel, because it somehow completes the feeling of being on vacation. However, people are becoming more practical by choosing other options with cheaper prices.
Applications like Airbnb are changing the travel game by offering tourists better and cheaper accommodation options while providing income and exposure to local home/apartment owners by listing their properties for lease on their site.
Another benefit of staying with the locals is that they know the perfect places to get what you are looking for. You’ll get tips on how you can maximize your stay.
Travel agencies can make it possible to get large groups discounts on travel. You can travel with friends or join other groups. Not only will you get to see the city in a more affordable price, you also get to enjoy it with friends or other people on tour.
Walking is a great way to discover a place or city you are visiting for the first time. You’ll get to see the sights and observe the people for free. Hitchhiking is also a good idea.
They say the best way to explore a city is to get lost in it. Well, you can get lost on purpose, but you must also exercise caution and always have a back up plan just to be on a safer side.
That ever-growing travel wish list might be putting some pressure on your pocket but there are plenty of destinations where you'll get more bang for your buck. From Greece to Guatemala, here are some of the cheapest places to travel. You might also want to discover how to explore the world's most expensive city without breaking the bank. So some of these places are as follows:
The less money you spend, the longer you can travel for. It's that simple. Having to budget and make your money stretch usually means you can keep going! It also means you travel slower, as you spend more time in one city and use buses and trains: so you get to see more of one country as you travel through it.
There is nothing quite like travelling. It’s relaxing and it’s fun! But it can also be rather costly if you’re not careful. Booking flights, packing those suitcases and enjoying your time at your destination can add up – suddenly the relaxing holiday is just a nightmare to your budget. The good news is that there are ways to save money with your lust for travel. Here are some tricks and tips that’ll actually help you travel with a budget.
The less money you spend, the longer you can travel for. It's that simple. Having to budget and make your money stretch usually means you can keep going! It also means you travel slower, as you spend more time in one city and use buses and trains: so you get to see more of one country as you travel through it.
Budget travel is travel that is cost-conscious and price-aware. A budget traveler is someone who travels usually finding cheap flight tickets, low-cost accommodations, wallet-friendly food, and free or cheap tourist attractions to visit while there.
