6 Tips for Family Road Trips on a Budget

Going on a road trip with your family is more interesting than going by flight. The best budget-friendly road trips start with a car.

Road Trip

Ensure your vehicle is roadworthy and in good repair, so you will not be disappointed, put the tires in good condition for the best gas mileage. But not to worry, our six tips for family road trips is a standard packing list for your road trip on a budget.

If possible get a car: the first thing that can help you enjoy your family on a trip is a car. Put your vehicle in good condition before you embark on your journey so that your ride will not be a thing to worry about when you are supposed to be catching fun with your family.




Pick the right vehicle that is roadworthy if you have more than one in your family most especially the one that has a better gas mileage or has low operating and maintenance cost.

Rent a car: for long journeys that your ride may not be fit for, or you find stressful for your aging ride, you can choose to rent a car. Such ideas can eventually become a money-saving method in the long run; unexpectedly saving you some money.

Sometimes, situations may warrant you rent a ride when the number of family members that want to go on a trip is more than the size of the car. You don’t have any option in situations like this than to rent a car.

With this, you will over time realize that you have saved so much avoiding parking fees and other costs by all piling into a car instead of road tripping in two separate ones.

Stock your ride with plenty of foods: long drives automatically turn kids into bottomless food pits. Stock up enough snacks and drinks so that when kids need to fill up their stomach, you will not always have to stop to get them something to eat, it makes a journey boring.



Make a plan for a hotel stay along with your route: different families make different plans for their hotel stays when going on a journey.

Some map out their favorite hotel far in advance while some would have studied how long they could remain on wheels thereby crash at the first available option when they could not drive anymore.

Whatever decision you have chosen, it is essential you have a plan that will enable you to get a room at the right price. In case you are lost or stranded, you can make use of any available car camping tips.

You can use the red roof (red roof website), it has a feature tagged “Along-a-route” that allows traveler input their journey starting point and final destination and find the nearest hotels available along the way.

In this case, no matter the distance of where you choose to cover, this soft touch loving feature can give you a last minute place to stay while actually on the road or planning months in advance.

Fun and cheap roadside attractions: you cannot just be driving all along without stopping over some places to catch fun before you continue your journey. American high ways and byways have spots filled with exciting road attractions most of which are right for both kids and adults. Particularly for budget travelers, most of these fun-loving places are less expensive while some are free.

Say no to souvenirs: souvenirs are majorly for kids, too much of it cost a lot of money while on a trip not to talk of the ones in our house back home. As you genuinely try to avoid spending money unnecessarily while on a trip, the trip its self is a gift. But when you think of getting some for them, you set their budget, that way you will be able to stick to your budget while you should also try to teach them some financial lessons of how to spend money.

Going on a trip with a budget is necessary and exciting only if you have a fixed budget for the trip. Beware that despite your budget there are cases you may need to spend some unexpected expenses that are why while planning you need to inflate some of the figures of the amount required for the trip or you go with your credit card to avoid disappointments.

However, do not forget to make room for first aid. How do I mean by first aid, although it is not a normal thing for accidents to happen but it is one of those things you need to prepare for, that is why you need first aid preparation so that you can make for an unforeseen occurrence.

Among the first aid gadgets, you might need to take along is a first aid kit containing different kinds of first aid equipment. Also, take with you pain medicine for both kids and adults it helps a lot. You can also go with a disinfectant like iodine antiseptics for wound treatments.

Another useful thing you can take with you is mosquito repellent. Usually, travelers embark on their journey with a mosquito repellent just in case they get to a place they want to pass over the night; mosquito repellent bracelets seem to work so well in situations like this.



Do not forget that entertainment is essential; kids particularly would not love to go on a boring trip, what do I mean in essence is that you should be able to make music available a piece of popular music that will make everybody on-board happy.

Road tripping is one of the best way to enjoy a vacation on a budget. There’s definitely work to be done in the planning process and the planning process  itself is a part which makes the road tripping fun. Next time you hit the road, keep it safe and thrifty.

Read Is Hitchhiking Illegal?

6 Affordable South East Asian Cities

The backpackers love for Southeast Asia is evident, the states in the region not only provide great value but are also cheap. The costs of traveling and living in most cities are lower than your expectations. This has nothing to do with quality; in fact, the service quality can be higher than most places in the world of this caliber.

Don’t worry if you are on a tight budget, once you arrive in Southeast Asia, you are assured of great service and value for your money. You don’t have to break the bank to enjoy your vacation in Southeast Asia 8 Southeast Asia Safety Tips.

Nevertheless, not every place is cheap. You need to learn some tactics to get the same quality of service at a lower cost. Of course, as a tourist, you are likely to spend more because of unfamiliarity.




But the people in most of these countries are honest and welcoming, you won’t be overcharged at any point. Whether you are alone or cost sharing, you need to be specific with your budget before identifying a country to visit in this region.

The easiest way to determine the costs of a country is through accommodation costs. Hotels tend to price their services based on economic factors. The cost of food, transport, and energy in a country influence accommodation hence a reliable indicator of price ranges.

Here are some of the gorgeous cities in Southeast Asia; with all the incredible views, the costs are unbelievably low. They fit in your tight budget.

  1. Chiang Mai, Thailand

Wat Phra
Wat Phra Temple

Courtesy: Mariamichelle

Northern Thailand is renowned for its scenic views. Chiang Mai attributes to the beauty of the country; it is a mountainous region with the serenity you desire, it might be the best place to visit if you are a lone adventurer, the tranquility here is incomparable.

Still, if you have company, the views here will naturally calm everyone down. Nature calls for personal attention to experience magic. Besides, this region is popular because of its delicious food and unique culinary skills. Everywhere you turn to has attractive food. Even with expertise, food prices are extremely low.  

  1. Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat

Courtesy: pen_ash

Are you traveling for adventure, culture, or relaxation? This is the place to go. Most people visit Cambodia and fail to notice this hidden treasure. Nothing is fabricated in this part of the world; the natural beauty makes it incomparable.

Whether you like sunset or sunrise, you can have both experiences. You might have to cancel your plane ticket to extend a few more days in this lush setting.

It is the most resourceful place in Cambodia yet the most affordable. No filters added to the incredible views.

  1. Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang

It doesn’t take a minute to understand why this place is a top tourist destination in the world. The infrastructure and architectural design all attribute to its link to UNESCO World Heritage.

In fact, the whole town is characterized by European colonial architecture. If you think modern building designs are beautiful, visit and see the beauty of traditional designs in this part of Southeast Asia.

The city can be described as exhaustively. Besides the buildings, its popularity is attributed because of rich and affordable food markets, waterfalls, and caves.

Diversity in religion is also a good thing; there are multiple temples and monasteries. If you are using Western currency, your expenditures will be more than comfortable.

  1. Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi
Hanoi

Vietnam is no doubt a top tourist destination. Hanoi as the capital is nothing less of class. The town is best described as buzzing. Everything runs here for 24/7. Classy does not mean you can’t afford it on a tight budget; all you need to learn is directions to keep off some high-class streets.

This is common in any city. There is no better place to spend your Vietnam vacation than in the capital. Be sure to get to Ha Long Bay. Pay for a private tour if you can, it is worth it. 

  1. Manila, Philippines

Manila
Manila

Courtesy: TheDigitalWay

The Philippines offers all the experiences you need on a vacation. Irrespective of your budget, there is a lot to view and experience in the country.



Manila is the most suitable place if you are on a tight budget. Nothing can be compared to the sunset views over Manila Bay. Even if it is only this you achieve and go back home, it is a lifetime experience.

If you have more money to spend, take a trip to Palawan to experience more of the natural beauty that includes pristine beaches.

  1. Bali, Indonesia

Bali
Bali

Typically, Bali is associated with class and high costs. One can easily brush it away when focusing on savings but you will be surprised at how you can live here for a week or two with half of the standard amount.




Instead of main tourist resorts and routes, rent a villa. Besides price, you will interact easily with locals, quality traditional food, and affordable spa.

bali

Courtesy: sasint

Although most South-East Asian travel destinations are affordable, there are some tips that will make your travel even cheaper. 

  1. travel in a group. traveling in a group will definitely make your travel more affordable

  2. find affordable accommodation

  3. choose the right location

  4. use public transportation instead of a car or taxis. good public transport like trains, bus, tuk-tuk is available in this region which you can use.

  5. travel during offseason

  6. learns how to drive a motorbike

  7. to buy reasonably priced travel tickets. ( starting from airplanes to other forms of transport, you can always get cheap tickets ) 

  8. go slowly

Traveling in Southeast Asia is only expensive if you make it so. Food, taxis, accommodation, and flights are necessities. If you want to party, souvenirs, or tour guides, you should be ready to spend more. But none of these should deter you from traveling. 

Read 15 Travel Safety Tips You Need To Know

Read Best Places To Spend New Year’s Eve In South East Asia

Travel Deal Types and Categories

Life faces several adventures, why not experience it through Traveling? The wanderlust for traveling is something different. The dream at first sight with memorable epoch and mania brings the mooch full of escapade and happenings. The journey that humans are encountering, all requires traveling.

The birds migrate for the change of seasons and the people even travel for the change of the moods. Tourists travel up the enigma from the history and discovery of the past and present.

The travel agent provides the benefits and the procedure for traveling. Dawdle up the trek and trudge with test and trust. This could be related to myths and history. Before the Renaissance, around the 16th century, Ferdinand Magellan voyage across the oceans to oceans and discovered that the earth is round.

The earth rotates and revolves around the sun is another sort of traveling in the solar system. These real-world examples prove, traveling a beneficial process. 



Catch the Reality and Throw up the Pragmatic Traveling Approaches

TRAVEL DEALS ANALYSIS

People in a more specific term, Tourists think that travel costs waste of money and huge expensive dealings. It is not so. The actual reality commits with incredible and cost-effective travel deals.

They offer specific rates which are affordable even for the normal middle-class families. These deals acquire several advantages which enshrine real traveling. There is no pragmatic approach in case of cost and offers here. The travel agents even provide certain packages with the discount dealings.

These last for a few times. The tourists need to book the proper schedule for traveling. The deals last for time being that proper planning can be done for the future roaming around the planet.

The concept of Travel deals focuses basically on the resources and aspects of traveling. If travel was a temple then travel agents, consultants, and specialists are the God.



We wonder and they publish our wonders. As the writer writes the books and without the publisher, you cannot publish your writings.

TYPES OF TRAVEL DEALS

Travel deals are intrinsically ingrained on the online and offline basis. This could be one by the physical agents or by the online sites and web pages. Some elementary types are as follows:

  • Business Deals
    Tourism in the case of the business is done on the cooperation of the various projects overseas. The deals made by the businessmen on the land and property ownership.

  • They travel for the site visiting. The business deals require travel into the other country for the importing and exporting of the products. This maintains the relationship between the large organizations over the countries.

  • Family Oriented Deals
    The vacations are mostly meant for traveling around. Enduring the beauty along with the family is the best memory. These memories and dreams are made successful by the means of such travel physical agents or online traveling sites.

  • Individual Traveling Deals
    These deals are done for traveling on an individual basis. This type of traveling is done by tourists who discover science and history. These deals can be brought up some trust or campaigns.

  • Miscellaneous Deals
    The mid-term vacations and other offices leave changes to miscellaneous traveling. Along with friends or unknown people, these trips are planned by some trek or travel leader who grooms up the students and tourists.

Best Categorization of the Travel Deals:

  • Accommodation tour Deals
    These are the dwelling digs or places allotted for a living during the time of travel. These include the following parts.

Hotel Deals:  In the new place it is difficult to find the hotels. The bookings are mainly occupied and spaces remain limited. For such expensive dealings, many people search for the cheapest billet to live in.

This could be made possible by the online bookings which are cheaper and apply many discounts. Some of the online websites are hotel.com, booking.com, Agoda.com, goibibo and Oyo rooms. This provides a comfortable and leisure environment at cheaper rates. ( Read 27 Websites For Booking Hotels And Alternate Accommodations)

Campaign Deals: This is basically for the army traveling people from one country to another. It includes the free rates provided by the governments.



Student Deals: The student requires the hostel and rooms for their living. The hostel world and other such websites and physical travel agents provide cheaper rates rooms.

  • Transportation Tour Deals
    The efficient, cheap and fastest way of the transportation deals are provided by the following ways.

Airways Deals: The one which is flexible and comfortable is always chosen first. Some of the best online and offline services are as follows:

Secret flying (This is for the Europe travelers)

The Flight Deal (The major resource which offers cheap flights)

Scott’s Cheap Flights

Holiday Pirates (The most cost-effective dealing traveling site for the best flights)

The best online websites which provide the budget effective and comfortable traveling are Momondo, Skyscanner, Kiwi, Airtreks, Skift, and Mommy Points.

Cruise and Airways Deals: CruiseSheet is an effective and consistent low rating websites. This provides a beautiful environment and interfaces for traveling. Vacationstogo.com is another example of such Seaways tour deals.



Railways Tour Deals:  The fastest and speed effective rail line tours are most efficient.

These include the RailEurope, RailIndia and other cheaper websites.

a budget friendly Flixbus and Megabus provide the best routes and destinations.

  • Other online ways

MakeMyTrip.com, Yatra.com, and many other sites provide the cost and budget effective deals. Many sites now offer low-cost visa processing deals. 



  • Other offline Ways

These include the newspaper and magazine physical agent that offers travel deals. Consult your travel agent and supervisor for the better and best voyage. Travel, Taste, Test and embellish the traveling deals.

The increase in the number of travel deals has led to increase in the number of travelers. For example, the number of outbound tourist to Thailand from India was not much a few years ago. Today, this number has increased to 1 million+ every year. Similarly, a number of people traveling to other travel hot spots like South-East Asia &  Europe are on the rise.

Travel deal types and categories

How to avoid bank fees while travelling

bank

Did you ever know that you have the ability to stop spending such a big amount of money as bank fees? 

Below mentioned are some of the effective tips which people should keep in mind to stop spending so much money as bank fees while you travel.



  1. Try to avoid the credit card fees

Usually, most of the credit cards tend to apply a surcharge of around 3% to 5% on all the purchases that you make out of your country. This will add up to a significant amount at the end of your journey. Hence, you should learn how to avoid these unnecessary credit card fees. For example, if you spend around $6000, you would be spending at least $200 on the credit card fees.

However, all credit cards are not charging this fee. Therefore, you have to do your own research and figure out the credit cards that don’t charge this fee. When you select the right credit card, you will be able to use it without keeping any doubt in mind. That’s because you know that you are not spending your money unnecessarily on the credit card fees.

  1. Don’t just use the random ATM machines that you come across

When you want to withdraw cash while traveling, you will think about using a random ATM machine. But if you are concerned about saving money, you shouldn’t do it.

Instead, you will need to look for the ATM’s that can help you to withdraw money with the lowest fees. Sometimes, you will be tempted to go and withdraw money from the ATM located in the corner store and at your hotel. However, these ATM’s would cost a lot of money and you will end up paying tremendous amounts as fees. Therefore, you must look around for the ATM’s with minimum fees.

  1. Never exchange money from the vendors that you find on the street

While you are roaming around in a foreign country, you will get the need to exchange money. In such instances, you shouldn’t walk to the vendors that you can find on the street. If you do, you will be spending your money unnecessarily. By appearance, they will promise to provide a better rate for your currency than the banks. However, most of these are just scammers. You will only realize that you have got a bad exchange rate, after becoming a victim of a scam.

There are instances where people totally get ripped off by these scammers. Therefore, you should be careful not to fall into the trap of these scammers when exchanging your money.




  1. Stay away from the currency exchange booths

You should also learn to stay away from the currency exchange booths that you come across while traveling as much as possible. It is true that the currency exchange booths don’t offer a scam service like the random guys that you come across on the street.

However, they will not provide the best rate for you. Hence, it would be a good idea to stay away from the currency exchange booths. You are always encouraged to go to the banks. Even if you have to spend a few additional bucks for the transaction fees, you are guaranteed to receive the best rate.

  1. Try to exchange money along with other travelers

If possible, you must always try to exchange money along with the other travelers. This can be considered as one of the most convenient methods available for you to minimize the fee that you spend on bank services. If you come across an individual, who is in need of USD for the local currency, you can give it to him.

If you want to get the real-time currency exchange rate to proceed with this transaction, you can simply take a look at the XE app. The XE app is the most reputed app that you can try to figure out the exchange rates. This will help you to maintain transparency throughout your transaction as well. When you are exchanging money, you can stay away from the conversion fees associated with currency conversion.

  1. Stick to the local currencies when withdrawing from ATM machines

When you are trying to withdraw cash in a foreign country through an ATM machine, you will be provided with two options to consider. You will either be asked to select your local currency or another currency. You shouldn’t use the home currency when you are initiating this transaction.

If you do, you will end up with the worse possible conversion rate. Therefore, you need to make it a habit to stick to the local currency as much as possible. Then you can make sure that you are not spending money unnecessarily as well.

  1. Take a look at Global ATM Alliance

Global ATM Alliance is a great option available for the travelers to minimize bank fees while traveling. In fact, Global ATM Alliance can be considered as a group made out of several international banks. The primary objective of Global ATM Alliance is to have a worldwide network of ATM machines.

This helps people  to withdraw money without a bank fee. However, you just need to be a customer of one of the banks that are associated to the network. 

Hence, you need to learn more about Global ATM Alliance and become a customer of one of the associated banks to minimize bank fees. 

Overall you need to do some hard work if you want to get the best rate or if you want to save.  Putting little effort will go a long away in saving lots of money. Hence, put some effort and you are good to go. 

Read 10 Easy Ways To Free Hotel Night

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bank fees

5 Destinations Under $25 a day

Eасh timе уоu асtuаllу want tо find оut the world аnd viѕit new рlасеѕ, you can. If уоu’rе рrераrеd tо make сhоiсеѕ which are definitely less “рrасtiсаl” ( but еnаblе уоu tо trаvеl аt lоw prices), it’ѕ роѕѕiblе for уоu tо viѕit an lоt of соuntriеѕ fоr undеr $25 a dау.

Everybody wаntѕ tо tаkе that vасаtiоn, саrееr brеаk, оr gар уеаr triр, but with thе way thе есоnоmу is right nоw, a lot оf реорlе аrе wоrriеd аbоut being finаnсiаllу ѕtаblе. Tо ѕоmе, trаvеl iѕ nоt a сhоiсе; it iѕ a luxurу.

Hоwеvеr, the fact thаt trаvеl iѕ аlwауѕ еxреnѕivе iѕ juѕt nоt true. Thеrе аrе lоtѕ of grеаt travel dеѕtinаtiоnѕ in the wоrld thаt wоn’t break уоur bаnk оnсе you’re there. Here are the five destinations you can travel under $25 a day.

Thailand

Thailand
Thailand

Dеѕрitе bеing a grеаtlу рорulаr tourist dеѕtinаtiоn, Thаilаnd altogether hаѕ rеmаinеd rеlаtivеlу affordable. Outѕidе of an fеw оf thе рорulаr tоuriѕt islands, it’ѕ соnvеniеnt to livе on lеѕѕ thаn $20 USD (800 baht) реr dау.

Budgеt rооmѕ соѕt $6-10 USD a реr night, it iѕ роѕѕiblе tо eat оn lеѕѕ thаn $5 USD реr day, beverages аrе аbоut $2 USD, аnd ѕightѕееing activities соѕt around $10 USD. Tо livе оn $25 USD a dау, ѕtау in guеѕthоuѕеѕ, еаt thе tаѕtу lосаl fооd, ѕtау аwау frоm lots оf expensive beverages, and tаkе lосаl trаnѕроrt.

But even whеn I ѕрlurgе, I still bаrеlу break $25 USD реr dау. Many timеѕ I ѕреnd around $20 USD реr day. Thiѕ is a соuntrу where beverages соѕt more than fооd, so аѕ lоng аѕ you gо light оn beverages, уоu’ll find Thаilаnd quite inеxреnѕivе.



Bаli

Aсtuаllу less еxреnѕivе thаn Thаilаnd, Bali iѕ a great dеѕtinаtiоn for аnуоnе lооking tо аvоid ѕреnding an lоt. In thе ѕоuth, еѕресiаllу аrоund Kutа, уоu’ll diѕсоvеr mоrе rооmѕ fоr $ 1,000 USD реr night thаn аnу рlасе in thе world.

Nеvеrthеlеѕѕ, right next tо thеm аrе hоtеl rооmѕ fоr lеѕѕ than $10 USD a night. Thоugh flights are lоng аnd еxреnѕivе, the island itself iѕ absolutely affordable. Mоѕt lосаl meals соѕt $2 USD whilе “Western” dishes аrе аbоut $4 USD.

Aсtivitiеѕ ѕuсh аѕ snorkeling tеnd tо соѕt nо mоrе thаn $10 USD. Mоrеоvеr, as soon as уоu lеаvе thе tоuriѕtу ѕоuthеrn раrt оf thе island and gо inlаnd, еvеrуthing gеtѕ even сhеареr.

Greece

Greece

courtesy manfredrichter

Bеfоrе Greece almost wеnt bаnkruрt, the country was a bаrgаin. A соѕtlу night in Grеесе is around $55 USD аnd that included food and beverages.

In metropolitan areas likе Pаriѕ оr Amѕtеrdаm, a dorm rооm iѕ аt least $20 USD. Yоu wouldn’t think a Eurоzоnе соuntrу wоuld be so affordable, but thаt’ѕ аll thе more reason to viѕit. If уоu wish to enjoy Eurоре on a budget, visit Grеесе.

Cеntrаl Amеriса

Costa Rica
Costa Rica



Thе mаjоritу of Central Amеriса iѕ pretty affordably, and уоu саn trаvеl оn lеѕѕ than $25 a day. Of course, уоu’ll need tо еxсludе Bеlizе, Cоѕtа Rica, аnd Pаnаmа, as they are mоrе еxреnѕivе ( about $30-40 USD реr dау).

But thrоughоut thе оthеr countries in Cеntrаl America ( El Salvador, Hоndurаѕ, Nicaragua, and Guаtеmаlа), уоu will diѕсоvеr mоѕt budget hоtеlѕ fоr around $10 USD per night, meals fоr $3 USD, mоѕt bus jоurnеуѕ for thе ѕаmе рriсе, аnd bееr less than a dоllаr.

In thе central раrt оf Cеntrаl Amеriса, if you аrе ѕреnding mоrе than $25 USD реr dау, уоu’rе living lаrgе.

Read 5 benefits of using a travel agent