By Abbey Canning
In the first installment of this series, I focused primarily on how you can save money on food while traveling abroad. On that same note, I wanted to also focus on how you can save money on travel! A semester spent studying abroad (for me at least!) is all about exploring not only the country you’re staying in but also ones surrounding it! One of the advantages of studying in Europe was that I was lucky enough to travel all throughout the continent. While that was fabulous and an excellent opportunity, the prices of airfare and train tickets and bus tickets really added up. On that note, there are ways to save money on travel while you are overseas and I believe these are some helpful tips and tricks to help you keep some money in your pockets!
Saving Money on Travel…
Research the airline’s website...
Oftentimes, there are baggage or other fees written in the small print, specifically designed for you to miss them, so make sure to really dig around in order to take control of your spending. For example, EasyJet only allowed one carry-on item, which meant no extra personal items such as a tote or a purse. If you showed up to the gate with an extra item, there was a 50-euro fee ($65.00!). So, pack light and save room for your purse or personal item in your carry-on, allowing you to save more money on your travel.
Weigh your luggage beforehand...
A lot of the airlines had a weight limit for a carry-on item. It was usually 12 kilograms (around 26 pounds). This may seem like a lot of weight to work with, but a normal suitcase already weighs three to five pounds and depending on the season, shoes, sweaters and toiletry items can add up! So, be sure to weigh your bag beforehand to avoid being charged extra at the check-in counter!
Try to search for the best deal and find new ways to save money...
This may sounds obvious, but I struggled with this a lot. Florence was hard to travel out of because not many flights flew from Florence because the airport was so small. Usually, I would have to pay for a train ride to a bigger city such as Milan or Rome on top of the price of my flight. A typical train ride to Milan from Florence was 63-euro ($81.90!) and a typical flight one-way was around 120-euro ($156.00). Needless to say, money added up. Save money by looking for base fares on the train websites, where you can save as much as 30-euro.
Study your map and take public transportation...
As annoying and difficult as it is to learn a new public transportation system in every city you travel to, it’s crucial in terms of money saving travel. You can get a workout, see the sights and save money by walking the city. Not to mention, cabs are a complete money suck. The fares vary in every city but overall they are expensive and can be avoided when you really know how to navigate the city using public transportation or by foot!
Book flights in advance...
Naturally, flight prices go up as time inches towards your departure date, so be sure to plan efficiently in order to ensure that you both get to where you want to go and save money while doing so!
