Save money on vacation - 10 tips for avoiding cost traps

Travel is becoming more and more expensive: this year, 20 to 30 percent more money needs to be budgeted for summer vacations than a year ago. Greece and Spain in particular have become especially expensive. We give you tips on how to save money on vacation and tell you more about the cost traps on vacation.

1. BOOK THE AIRPORT TRANSFER IN ADVANCE

Airports are often located outside the tourist areas and are therefore not so easy to reach. If the hotel is further away, a spontaneous transfer to your accommodation by cab can be quite expensive. We therefore recommend that you

• When booking your trip, find out whether the airport transfer is included.

• If you have to arrange your own transportation to the hotel, book in advance and not on site, as this is usually cheaper.

• If you want to remain flexible during your stay, you can often find cheaper car rental offers in combination with your flight. This also makes it easier for you to provide yourself with things that you might otherwise have to buy expensively at the hotel.

2. TRAVEL WITH LIGHT LUGGAGE

Airlines sometimes charge high fees if the baggage exceeds the weight limits. Check the baggage regulations of your airline before departure to avoid additional costs.

Good to know: On Urlaubsguru.at you can find an overview of the baggage regulations of many airlines.

3. FIND OUT ABOUT HAND LUGGAGE REGULATIONS

Saving on baggage costs and only taking hand luggage on the plane is no longer an insider tip. However, many people underestimate what you are not allowed to carry in your hand luggage, for example:

• Liquids over 100ml (this also means sun cream or perfumes),

• Nail scissors

• Lighters and much more.

Insider tip: Did you know that certain sun creams are banned at some vacation destinations due to environmental regulations? On reisereporter.de you will find an overview of bans on certain ingredients at popular vacation destinations.

4. AVOID CREDIT CARD FEES IF POSSIBLE

If you pay or withdraw money abroad with your credit card, you may incur fees for foreign transactions and currency exchange. These fees can quickly add up. It is best to always carry a small amount of cash with you to be on the safe side.

Our tip: Look out for ATMs with the Maestro/Mastercard or V-Pay/VISA logo.

5. COOK FOR YOURSELF

On vacation, you like to treat yourself to something - that's perfectly okay, of course! However, restaurant costs are often significantly higher than at home. Our recommendation is therefore to cook for yourself if you have cooking facilities available. Due to the variety of food on offer in vacation destinations, you can still conjure up dishes that you might not be able to get so quickly at home. A visit to a restaurant can also be the crowning glory of a relaxing trip.

Here you will find examples of typical quick recipes with inexpensive ingredients:

Our savings tip: You can often find offers where breakfast is included in the price. So you can treat yourself in the morning and cook well in the evening.

6. CHECK THE WIFI IN ADVANCE

Even if your accommodation offers free Wi-Fi, it often works poorly or is very slow. Mobile phone providers often charge dearly to book faster Wi-Fi.

We recommend that you always check whether the capacity is sufficient for your needs before you travel. If you don't have unlimited data volume, you can pack a travel router.

7. ASK YOURSELF WHAT ALL INCLUSIVE IS

What exactly does all-inclusive mean on your vacation? Alcoholic drinks, for example, are often limited or not included at all. This can lead to unpleasant surprises and tear a hole in your budget. There can always be unexpected charges.

Our tip is therefore: it pays out to read the small print.

8. DON'T FORGET YOUR STUDENT ID CARD

If you are still a student, you can often save a lot of money on entrance fees for sights, museums, theme parks or guided tours with your student ID. If you have to pay the full cost everywhere, this can quickly tear a hole in your vacation budget.

Our tip: Find out about offers for students at home. That way you'll know how much money you need to budget for various sights.

9. TRAVEL CANCELLATION INSURANCE: READ THE SMALL PRINT

What many people don't know: Travel cancellation insurance only works in precisely defined cases, for example if you fall seriously ill. Otherwise, you have to pay the normal cancellation fee. You should therefore be aware that you cannot cancel your vacation at will free of charge with travel cancellation insurance.

Our recommendation here is the same: Don't just read the small print of the insurance offered. If you have paid for more than half of your vacation with a credit card, in many cases cancellation insurance for unforeseen events is already covered.

10. MAKE A PACKING LIST

It's best to make a checklist of things you absolutely need before your vacation. If you forget something and have to buy it again when you get there, it can be expensive. A replacement toothbrush, an emergency bikini or a new pair of sunglasses can tear a hole in your budget.

WHAT IF THE EXPENDITURE STILL EXCEEDED THE BUDGET?

If you come back from vacation and have overspent, there are other solutions:

Ask friends or family for help: This option is of course the closest, but involves a lot of effort. The advantage is that you can usually borrow the money interest-free and without a fixed repayment date.

Pawn loan: With CASHY, you can get a pawn loan quickly and easily as a bridging loan. You can pawn more than 60,000 items of collateral quickly and without haggling over several weeks. Your money is paid out immediately in cash or by bank transfer, and your financial situation remains completely anonymous.

Our tip: Use pawn loans for short-term bridging.

Personal loan: If you need longer-term financing after your vacation, you can also take out an unrestricted personal loan from the bank. If your credit rating is not good enough, you also have the option of taking out a personal loan.