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Best tips to save money on your travels

Written on : 30 January 2020
By : Colombe Taddei
Best tips to save money on your travels

Travelling can sometimes be a little bit controversial as it is extremely beneficial for humans in terms of cultural knowledge but also for the mind: traveling helps to combat stress which we sometimes are not aware about until we have landed in a tropical destination and feel rejuvenated. However, travelling can also be rather expensive: from the flights to the villa rental, the activities, the restaurants. To save as much as possible, read our tips for inspiration, every little helps! 

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Check your dates

Check your dates

We have all been told that booking our flights a long time in advance guarantees cheaper flights.  At the risk of disappointing, this sadly is not always true depending on your destination. It is important to note that long-haul and short-haul flights have varying criteria when it comes to ticket buying and one always has to take into consideration national holidays such as Christmas or Easter which definitely guarantees more expensive flights except for Asian airlines which have different national holidays meaning flights at those times are cheaper. 

For long-haul flights, research has shown that booking your flight 11 months before the departure date is when it will cost the most. Furthermore, research has also shown that flights westwards from Europe to Australia or Japan are cheapest 8 months prior to departure whereas eastwards flights to the United States for example are more advantageous 6 months before departure.

Short-haul flights including all flights within Europe are at their cheapest 70 days before departure as airline companies such as Ryanair usually have large sales around that time and these can be very advantageous but make sure not to get trapped into buying too many extra options!

Finally, it has also been proven that the myth that buying flights on a tuesday is in fact not true. Experts have found that booking a flight on a Saturday or a Sunday purchased flights for 20% less than if they had booked them on other days, especially on Sundays.

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Go on flight price comparison websites

Go on flight price comparison websites

Some of you might remember the times when booking a flight online meant having to open a multitude of tabs on your screen to compare different airline prices, or even worse, when one had to call the airline to reserve a flight. Thanks to new technology, it is now possible to compare flights at any dates from airlines, to find out which is the cheapest. On Skyscanner, it is even possible to look at an entire month to find out if flights to your destination might be cheaper a few days before your chosen departure date or perhaps a week after. On Google Flights or Kayak, it is possible to set up price alerts for the destinations of your choice if you have not set a definite date for your departure.

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Shop at a farmer’s markets

Shop at a farmer’s markets

For those who rent a catered villa, the chef will know to shop at the farmer’s markets but for those who wish to cook for themselves, it is important to prioritize farmer’s markets over big branded supermarkets no matter if you are in Spain, the Caribbean or Sri Lanka. This is beneficial for travellers as well as for the farmers themselves as it promotes sustainable tourism which is becoming increasingly important with the environmental challenges we are faced with. It benefits travellers as farmers tend to lower their prices and it encourages travellers to taste the local cuisine without having to spend a fortune at a restaurant.

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Rent a villa with Villanovo

Rent a villa with Villanovo

It has often been proven before that renting a villa or an apartment will generally be cheaper than staying in a hotel, depending on the location and the standards of one’s criteria of course. Here at Villanovo we offer luxurious and comfortable accomodation in 34 destinations including Asia, Europe, America and Africa. To maximise our guests’s stays, our villas and apartments include luxurious facilities such as a private swimming pool, breathtaking sea views or direct access to a beach in some tropical destinations such as Mauritius or Bali or even in Europe such as in Ibiza or Greece. For those who wish to arrange extra services such as airport transfers, activities like a buggy ride in Marrakech or a chef in the villa, we have an excellent concierge team who will try their hardest to please all of your wishes.

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