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Transportation costs don’t stop just because you’ve arrived at your destination. There are always additional expenses as you rent cars, hire taxis, or take the bus, and much of the time these expenses are costs which travelers overlook when planning your budget.

Though like with any other part of your vacation, you can save a little money in these areas too, if you know the right questions to ask and the right plans to make.

Stay in One Place

A tip so simple it’s brilliant. Plan your trip so that you don’t necessarily have to make further trips each day. Choose a central location for your hotel and arrange your itinerary around that point. It will save you a lot of money compared to hopping from place to place throughout your trip.

Is that attraction 50 miles away all that better than a similar spot that is right around the corner? You don’t want to take this to such an extreme that you miss out on all the things you want to do while traveling.

Just keep the idea in mind when making your plans, and keep your transportation to a minimum wherever possible during your holiday.

Traveler City Girl

Use Public Transit

By this, we mean typically mean public buses or the subway in urban areas. It’s more convenient to hail a taxi but you will pay quite a bit more.

You should know the language of your destination well enough that you can understand the routes and how to ask about stops and schedules though. Walking is still a simpler option if you can manage it.

Use Your Feet

Walking is free, and many city destinations will be easy enough to navigate on foot. Have an up-to-date map on hand, get to know the language enough that you can understand street signs or possibly ask for directions if you have to.

Not only is it cheaper than the constant taxi rides, you get to see a side of your destination you would miss.

An extension of this tip is to make use of pedal-power to get around. Many cities offer bike rentals, with pick-up and drop-off locations, quicker than walking and still much less expensive than other forms of inner city transport.

Traveler City Girl

Research Taxi Rates

Buses and trains are usually constant with their ticket prices, but taxi fares are a little less steady. Some countries don’t use meters, and you simply have to pay what the driver declares.

Find out beforehand how much a typical taxi ride should cost to and from some common points in the city, and use that as your guide. If someone offers you a ride for a lot more, don’t hesitate to either haggle him down or just find another taxi.

And the only way to take this approach is to establish a price before you leave. Tell your driver where you want to go, and get an estimate from him up front. That way you can make your decision before you’re committed.

New York City Cab

Travel Overnight

You can often save on a train or bus ticket if you chose an over-night route, since they are a less popular option.

The bonus is that you might be able to save a day’s accommodation this way, along with the initial savings on the ticket.

Granted, it may not be the most comfortable sleep of your life (catching the overnight bus made it onto our list of the worst travel tips of 2016 for this reason), but it can work if don’t mind a little challenge (and the route is long enough).

We highly recommend Will Hatton’s “How to Travel the World on $10 a Day” – he arms you with the tips and tricks you need to travel the world with confidence, on the most basic of budgets. 

Click to Learn Will’s Secrets

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Megan is an Australian Journalist and award-winning travel writer who has been blogging since 2007. Her husband Mike is the American naturalist and wildlife photographer behind Waking Up Wild; a website dedicated to opening your eyes to the wild & natural world.

Committed to bringing you the best in adventure travel from all around the globe, there is no mountain too high, and no fete too extreme! They haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on their list.

Follow their journey on Facebook, TwitterYouTube, Pinterest and Instagram.

Photo credits: New York City Cabs by Richard BurgerPinterest image train ticket by Christopher Ruud

    28 Comments

  1. I love this! Thanks for sharing. One of the tips I’ve found recently that you might find interesting is using your travel points from Alaska Airlines to get a free ‘stop over’. Alaska and United let you do this.

    You can buy a one way ticket for 20K points with a ‘3 week stopover’ at home.

    Example:
    Current Location: New York City
    Home: Seattle, WA
    Next Trip: Hawaii

    You can book a one way ticket from NYC to Hawaii with a ‘stop over’ for as long as you want in Seattle (or any other destination) as long as their is a direct flight to your final location and yes – it’s only 20,000 points!

    https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mileage-plan/use-miles/award-charts.aspx

    • Thanks Andrew! Love the idea of travel hacking, we’re big advocates of that too, though didn’t realize that Alaska and United let you incorporate a longer stopover into your one way ticket. Fantastic advice, thankyou!

  2. Great suggestions Stay in one place made me laugh, but I love your the idea of using your feet. We are turning into lazy fat nations by forgetting about this one!

    • Thanks Katie! Yes, walking is such a great way to explore a new city, and staying active everyday is so important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, whether you travel a lot or you’re taking your first trip.

      We evolved to learn how to walk, and now that processed has reversed because we forget! :D

  3. Good suggestions. Generally I do not have patience and just hop in a taxi no matter where I am but I am learning new tricks and trying to do better. Also trying out new forms of transportation such as buses and train travel.

    • Thanks Melody :) Taxi’s are definitely convenient, especially if we’re running late! But the little bit of extra effort into finding schedules for buses and trains does mean you save :)

      Happy travels!

  4. We seem to miss the other travelling expenses and think only of the flights, don’t we? My favourite solution is to walk whenever possible because in this case I manage to see more of the place. Also, book an accommodation in the center because in this way I can walk most of the time. Great tip of the taxis though I usually try to stay away from them as much as I can.

    • They always seem to sneak up on us! Walking is a great way to go – we really love exploring this way too :) Fab tip on booking central accommodation – I’ve fallen into that trap a couple of times, booked accommodation which was cheapest but in the end it was so far out that we spent probably more money on getting into the city than it would have cost if we’d booked a more expensive hotel lol!

  5. I never really use a taxi unless I travel for my office job. I find it a luxury when I can do so but when traveling privately I always take a bus or another means of public transportation, it’s such an easy way to save money indeed!

    • We’re the same – we’ll take a taxi as a luxury, but usually aim for buses and trains – otherwise the taxi bills can really pile up!

  6. These are really great tips. Instead of paying for the bus or using the metro, I tend to walk everywhere when traveling internationally. Not only does it save money but I get some fitness in. I couldn’t figure out why I was so tired when I was in Melbourne until I saw that I was walking 14 miles a day. Go figure. :)

    I’ll have to give some thought into the staying put idea. But you’re right, there could be plenty to see and do closer and would be cheaper to get to.

    I don’t use taxis, unless there isn’t Uber.

    • It’s funny because a lot of people say they gain weight when they travel because they indulge in food, we find the opposite because we’re walking for 8 hours a day! The great thing though is that you totally don’t realize it when you’re traveling because the environment is so new and exciting it distracts you from the exercise lol

      Uber is a great alternative to a taxi otherwise :)

  7. I loved your post! I’m a super budget traveler so I always try to save money on transport. Why didn’t you include hitchhiking ;) ? I always try to travel on foot as much as I can. Last month, while traveling in Lebanon, I went from the airport of Beirut to the city center by foot. 12 kilometers! It’s the best way to save money and also do exercise! Cheers!

    • Thanks Joan! Hitchiking is a great option too, as well as ride sharing – 12 km by foot from Beirut airport to the city center is impressive! Mad respect for that!

      Definitely a great way to combine exercise with savings :) Happy travels!

  8. Very helpful tips. Nowadays the transport cost once you arrive at your destination are too high. I always try to stay central, walk a lot, use public transport and in case I need a taxi I prefer uber which is cheaper.

    • Awesome Chrysoula! Sounds like you’ve got a great handle on the transport side of things … uber is a great alternative to taxis which we like using too :)

  9. We walk A LOT when we travel – it saves money and also allows us to see different things on the way. I’ve had my share of overnight buses in Vietnam and India and though they sometimes suck they’re also a great way to save money on accommodation.

    • Totally agree! I love walking for getting lost and exploring different parts of the city that you miss when you jump in a taxi or bus and go from point A to point B. Sometimes the exciting part is the inbetween :)

      I did overnight buses throughout Europe a fair bit, we weren’t too keen after a couple of them lol pretty uncomfortable … but they are a great way to save!

  10. I can relate to most of this . In New York, i walk for 40 minutes or more. I try not to take a cab and instead use the public transport. I also prefer booking hotels in a central location, sometimes its a little pricier but you save in transport plus you get a good atmosphere

    • Sounds like you’re all over it Karla! And walking is always such a great way to enjoy and experience the place you’re in too :)

      Agree on choosing a central hotel … I’ve fallen into that trap a couple of times, booked accommodation which was cheapest but in the end it was so far out that we spent probably more money on getting into the city than it would have cost if we’d booked a more expensive hotel lol!

  11. Very helpful post, I myself have just started blogging so this helped give me some structure on new ideas. Thanks for the post!

    • You’re welcome Dion, I’m glad it was helpful for you :)

  12. Yes they are the most needed tips for the travelers around the world, as transport is one of the main factor where you need to spend a lot of money during traveling.

    • Glad the tips here were helpful Berry :) Happy travels!

  13. I’m a solo traveler and I love to walk from one place to another if it can do by walking aside from the scenery that you can see, the breeze that touches your face, and also you will observe different things on the surroundings. In addition, you will be able to save a penny.

    • Fabulous to hear! Yes, walking really does have a huge range of benefits beyond just the savings – you really do get to see the city from a different perspective and really immerse yourself in the street life to catch parts of the city you would have otherwise missed zipping past on a bus or taxi :)

  14. Hey, Meg Jerrard
    Yes! This list is perfect! Not only are these great ways to save money for travel, but they are great ways of cutting back on spending for things we truly don’t need! I actually followed/follow a lot of these methods to pay off my debt and become a stay at home mom. Now I intend to keep with it to save for traveling more. My favorite is the expense tracker and budget planning. Once you get into a routine of it, it’s really easy!

    Thanks for sharing your tips!
    Rita Kumar

    • Hi Rita

      So glad to hear you enjoyed the post, and already use many of these strategies for saving. Congratulations on having paid off your debt – that’s fantastic!

      Using an expense tracker for budget planning is a great idea, and it would really shed a light on how much the cost of transport can add up if you’re not conscious of it.

      Thanks for reading :)

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