It might not be a very modest thing to say, but I am a bit of a low budget travels expert. Or at least that’s what my friends made me believe, as on a regular basis I get approached by them (or their friends) asking me to find them a cheap ticket to XYZ. They all seem to be in awe of my ‘skills’ and convinced that I know some extraordinary secrets that allow me to travel abroad for next to nothing, when in fact all I do is…use the internet. In the past you had to go to a travel agent, who charged a middle-man’s %. Now, all you need is a computer with the net.

That’s right, a weekend in London or Paris (assuming you live in the EU) for a total of €10 is possible. How? Take a look at a few main rules.

1. Travel with cheap airlines. Even though it’s nice to get a snack or newspaper in Lufthansa, do you really need these things on a 2h flight? So forget about a complimentary glass of wine, cause that’s what makes your ticket a few times more expensive. Regular  airlines sometimes have great deals, but it’s never for literally €1. So check your city airport’s site for a list of cheap airlines. The most popular ones are Ryanair, EasyJet, Wizzair, Air Berlin, bmibaby, German Wings – flying with them usually costs around €30-50, but every now and then you can get a ticket for…50 Euro CENT.
2. Be flexible. If you take a look at any flight schedule, you’ll see that a day’s difference can mean saving hundreds of euros. So when planning holidays, allow a few extra days before and after in case the deal is for one day only.
3. Watch out for hidden costs. It may sound cliché, but read carefully everything you agree to. Cheap airlines make their business by charging extra costs for the insurance, check-in at the airport, your luggage or priority boarding.
4. Pack smartly (something my grandma would always say!). If you’re going away for 2 months then you won’t avoid taking a big suitcase with you. But for a weekend, or even a week-trip? You can easily pack all the essentials into your hand luggage only and save a lot on the aforementioned baggage charge.
5. Keep an eye out for deals. I’ve had plenty of spontaneous holidays in places I probably wouldn’t have gone to, just because a ticket there cost €1. Such tickets are often a limited one-day offer, so to make sure you’re the first to know about them, sign up to all possible airline newsletters and communities (I highly recommend worldwide www.flyertalk.com, Polish www.loter.pl and German www.exbir.de www.travel-dealz.de). Consider also joining a frequent flyer program – the €30 I spent to be a WizzAir Xclusive Club member paid for itself already after the first flight.
6. Be careful with payments. Different airlines charge differently for different cards (now that’s a lot of ‘differents’!). Not so long ago (before Iceland’s impossible-to-pronounce-volcano paralyzed Europe), Ryanair charged nothing for paying with Visa Electron. Now, it’s about €10. At the same time, Wizzair allows bank transfers, which are cheaper than paying with any credit card. With EasyJet, you pay less for using debit cards. Therefore, before finalizing your transaction, check which payment method is the cheapest. If you are a frequent flyer with a specific airline, I’d suggest getting a dedicated credit card – not only is buying tickets free of charge, but you also collect free miles points.
7. Do your research. Many of the cheap airline airports are located further from the city and to get to the centre you need to take a coach or a train. Google your options and don’t choose the most advertised ones. Need examples? Green Line and Terravision, which cost around £15, are probably the most popular coaches to/from London airports, but you can get even a £2 ticket with EasyBus. To get to Rome from Fiumicino airport  most people take a €15 Leonardo train, but if you’re not in a hurry, take a slower regional train which will cost you only €6.
8. Last but not least, use the internet to its fullest. And by that I mean you can save money not only on the flight, but also on your accommodation. Finding a cheap hotel in Paris or Rome is virtually impossible, but that’s where CouchSurfing comes in. Staying with one of its members is not only free (ok, a bottle of wine is a nice touch), but it also gives you a great opportunity to meet a local who can share with you interesting stories about the city or direct you to places other tourists would never discover.

So here, I’ve revealed all my ‘secrets’ about budget travelling. You might not find anything that would interest you now, but don’t get discouraged and keep on looking. Who knows? Maybe this time next month you’ll be sunbathing in Barcelona?

photo source: SXC.hu

Mr Banks

Mr. Banks is actually a fictional character, but does some real work. This makes him PayLane's fictional employee of the year :)