Tips on travel budgetting

Budget is the most crucial element of planning a travel.

Always keep a few destinations to compare before you finalize your holiday.

This helps us not only in having a better idea of planning an itinerary but also doesn't bring disappointment when a plan fails.

Now don’t be lazy here!

3 itineraries means 3 complete ready to travel plans.

Step one - Air/train/bus tickets

Find out best possible rates for if you have to travel next month, the month after that or three months later.

You can also check for the same in three different websites (minimum!) to get a basic idea of the rates.

Different airlines will give you different rates and you can also check one stop or no stops according to the number of days you have in hand.

Tip: You can always choose midnight layovers and transit in one stop airports to create a drag in timings to match your hotel check in times and reduce accommodation costs. Airports are always a shopper's paradise plus you get to relax at the lounge with a beer to cool you off.

Step Two: Hotels

Never deprive yourself of the luxury of a fancy hotel stay. But yes a week to ten day stay at a fancy location might burn a hole in your pocket. You can always choose to stay in a 3 star hotel for a week and treat yourself to a 4 star/ 5 star accommodation for the last two days. Swim in the pool; get yourself a spa treatment, dinner at the restaurant, enjoy the view from your room, music and alcohol.

Tip: try and get hotel reservations done early or wait till last minute for the rates to drop. The 3 star hotels should never be a compromise. Keep your day fully packed that only few hours are spent at the hotel.

Step three: Local travel

When you allot travel budgets the most important and most forgotten area is local travel. This turns out to be very expensive when the hotel is organizing a pick and drop service. Go for a local travel agent to help you in local travel.

Step four: Food

When you are in India and especially if you are taking an Indian tour operator for your foreign tour I have observed that they always prefer Indian food in the other country as well as in flight meals.

I strongly recommend staple food of that country to get the absolute feel of being abroad. You will soon get an acquired taste for a foreign cuisine and will even start missing it when you come back. Eating at the hotel will turn out to be pretty much like any Indian hotel with a travel group in mind. Always research the restaurant menus in hand so you have a rough estimate of the budget to allocate for food.

Also look for restaurants near the hotel you stay and must try is the local beer and street food wherever you go.

Tip: Just to be on the safer side health wise, go in for mineral water and please allot a separate budget for the same. Also supplement your new tastes with fresh fruits to regularize the new spices and flavors you have tried. Do not try medicines abroad and please carry and first aid kit for travel.

Step five:-

Local entry to parks, museums, shows, activities!

Entry for foreign nationals are different that any country's locals. Keep this in mind in budgeting.

Step Six:-

VISA on arrival, Airport tax, Tipping, porter, Cloak rooms

Please read up well in advance for tipping rules of every country. You should never give less or more.

Phone calling cards are never a must have to do. Keep away from work calls (strictly). For any emergencies you can share the hotel phone number with your dear ones. And you can always make calls from phone call centers.

Step Seven - Shopping/ Spa treatments and other services

Allotting a budget well in advance gives you a clear idea on how much you have in hand before your last day of travel. Never shop at airport and fill up your luggage before you reach your destination.

You can always keep airport shopping when you come back to the airport on return journey.

Step eight:-

Currency should never be carried in one place. You can keep it in three different currency's in three different baggage including cabin, check in and hand bags.

A certain amount should be taken in local currency, balance in dollar and Indian Rupee.

Hope this was helpful and moreover hope you all travel the world and merge all the cultures that one day our world becomes blemish free!