FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Low budget travel tips
View Single Post
Old Mar 17, 2016, 6:16 pm
  #11  
The_Bouncer
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bregenz, Austria
Programs: AA, BAEC, Alaska, Flying Blue, United, IHG, Hilton
Posts: 2,950
My tips:

1. Stay out of town and commute into city on public transit. In many cities, you will get a far better room for a quarter of the price. New York is a good example. Last time I was there, I stayed in Secaucus, NJ and got a king room with a view of the Manhattan skyline for about $70 a night and a $3 bus ride.

2. Avoid tourist trap restaurants. In non-English speaking countries, avoid places with prominently displayed menus in English. Look which restaurants are full of locals. Also, eat from street stalls. The stuff is usually safe to eat, as there is usually a fast turnover.

3. Don't buy anything at the airport. Airport shops are, by definition, tourist traps. Local markets will nearly always be cheaper. About the only exception is duty-free cigarettes.

4. If you are physically fit, do a lot of walking. It costs nothing and is a great way of finding your bearings and exploring a city. You will see and experience so much more than you would from a subway car or tour bus.

5. Avoid overpriced tours, such as the ubiquitous hop-on-hop-off buses. If you don't feel like walking, there will nearly always be public buses doing the same routes at a tenth of the price.
The_Bouncer is offline