Arrangementsmay be more challenging, especially when looking for the right accommodation,but with careful preparation budget holidays can be very enjoyable.
Travellingon a budget does not mean that your holiday has to be cheap and nasty.With research and planning, it's possible to findcost effective destinations, keeping in mind exchange rates, time of year, anda cheaper cost of living.It's alsopossible to find good accommodation at a reasonable price.If you're willing to stay in a camp site orcaravan park for example, you could find yourself staying right on the beachwith the most glorious views.
Thereare many ways of travelling on a tight budget, and you might just find that youprefer it to a typical ?high end? holiday.
A good time to travel
Thetime of year that you choose to travel plays a big part in the overallcost.School holidays, Christmas andEaster are all very popular times to travel, which means that travel costs arealways higher during these periods. Well known and popular internationalevents, such as the running of the bulls in Pamplona,will also increase the cost of travelling to the country concerned, in thiscase Spain,during the event.
Totravel on a budget, check out an international events guide so as to avoidtravelling during a major event.Have alook at to findout when not to travel or view destination guides at for moreadvice.For budget options whentravelling with children, have a look at .
Budget destinations
Thereare great destinations that have a lower cost of living than the UK, usually countries in the developingeconomies of Asia, Africa, and South America.Some Eastern European countries are also competing for a piece of the tourismpie, so prices are kept lower than the more popular and traditional tourism destinations.
TheLonely Planet Shoestring Guides is full of good advice for navigating destinationsthat may be off the beaten track, and guides include such titles as SoutheastAsia on a Shoestring, South America on a Shoestring, Central America on aShoestring and Europe on a Shoestring: BigTrips on Small Budgets. If you're lucky, the exchange rate will also be in yourfavour, giving you more for your pound.
Budget accommodation
Chooseaccommodation carefully as this can make or break a holiday and can be on ofthe biggest cost factors.Research theoptions well when planning a trip.Compare hostel rates for a double room in
Western Europe, for example, for a dorm room in India ? ₤50 vs ₤2.A good website to start your research is , which offersinformation on 15,000 hostels in more than 168 countries.
Somepeople may choose to go camping, a great way to travel on the cheap especiallyif you own a tent and are travelling with your family.For further information on camping look at and .
Forgood advice on InterRailing and last minute weekend breaks on the continent, tryCheap Sleeps Europe, available at most book shops.
Forpeople who insist on staying in a hotel, avoid the larger, more establishedhotel chains in favour of the small and quirky boutique hotels. You'll findmany listed on the website .
Somepackage deals include accommodation in the price, but find out as much as youcan before making a choice. For budget beach and resort holidays, check outwebsites and .
Anincreasingly popular way of travelling on the cheap is the concept of houseswaps.By making contact with otherhomeowners online it's possible to arrange to stay in their homes while theystay in yours.Good websites to look at forhouse swaps are or .And some people are saving money by boardingwith families.Make similar arrangementsthrough websites and .
Budget travel
Catchinga train can often be cheaper than flying and is an adventure in itself.Go to the Eurostar website for travellingtimes and costs, , todestinations such as Paris, Brusselsand Lille.An InterRailGlobalPass, , is aneffective way to travel cheaply in up to 30 participating countries.And you can travel as far as Chinaon the TransSiberian Express ().
It?salso possible to travel in the comfort of your own car to many destinations.Have a look at the timetables and costs oftaking your car over to Europe by ferry onwebsites and .The larger carriers such as P&O andSeaFrance offer access to destinations in France,Spain, Ireland, Holland,Germany and Scandinavia.
Earning your keep
Aworking holiday has become a popular way for young people to see theworld.In many cases all you have to payfor is the cost of travel, with accommodation and some living expenses beingtaken care of by the employer.A goodguide is which listsorganisations that offer paid and voluntary work
If you do decide to workabroad, it's a good idea to take out adequate travel insurance.There are different policies for the various workopportunities so it's necessary to do a bit of research, but it's important toremember that although the holiday is on a shoestring, the shouldn't be.In fact, it can cost more not to have theright travel insurance.