Discount Travel - The Idea of Staying Put
Due to the high costs involved, most people don't travel nearly
as much as they would like too. Unless you are well off, chances
are that traveling is something you only do a handful of times
in your life, and there is therefore a tendency to try and get
as much out of the experience as possible. There is, of course,
nothing wrong with this idea, but a slight shift in your
priorities can save you a lot of money, and once you learn some
discount travel techniques you will be able to travel not only
more often but in more interesting ways.
Because most people travel rarely, they naturally want to see as
much as they possibly can in a foreign country. When happens
when you do this though, is that you end up traveling quite a
lot when you are in the country - traveling when you are
traveling, as it were - which makes your trip much more
expensive. No matter where you are, bus tickets, train fares and
car rentals are always going to be relatively expensive. One of
the best things you can do to lower your trips cost's is to stay
put for awhile, and explore areas around your location more
closely.
If you're willing to stay put, many discount travel
opportunities will become available. For one, you can rent an
apartment in a city for a short term, which will cost less than
even the cheapest of hotels. Also, by getting to know a place
you'll learn where the bargains can be found: where the cheap
places to eat are, where the cheap entertainment is. Not only
that, but you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself more
deeply in the culture - you'll be able to get a sense of what it
is like to live in this place.
Although it's natural to want to see lots of things, many people
come up with traveling itineraries that put them constantly on
buses and trains and never staying in the same place for more
than a few days. They get off a bus, spend a long, tiring day
doing touristy things, and then sleep in a cheap hotel only to
get on another train the next morning. While you'll no doubt get
to see lots of things if you choose to travel like this, it
certainly won't be cheap.
When planning your itinerary think of the difference between
seeing things and experiencing things. You will no doubt see
lots of sights if you choose to constantly tour around, but are
you going to really get a sense of the country? If you choose
instead to rent an apartment and stay put for awhile, you'll
find out what many discount travelers already know: that
immersing yourself in a culture can not only be a more valuable
experience, but it will end up costing you much less. You'll get
to explore areas around your base more closely, and let your
curiosity guide you: a local may turn you onto an interesting
spot you never would have considered when planning your
itinerary back home.
In this way staying put is not only a great way to make your
trip more enjoyable, but one of the best discount travel
strategies there is.