Below you’ll find a few useful tips, with love for you from the Altervan team, that will help you avoid spending too much money during your trip. Stay within budget so you can travel again and again
Food
Did you know that half your money goes on food? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffees and snacks may fill your stomach, but they make your wallet hurt and send your budget through the roof. Especially when you’re paying top prices in a touristy city. The solution for you is the supermarkets! You’ll find ready-made meals at ⅓ of the price they’d cost in a restaurant and they’re good quality. You can also grab bread or a croissant for your breakfast and biscuits for your snack. And of course, don’t be embarrassed to buy just one or two pieces of fruit, that is, as many as you’ll actually eat in a day. Finally, don’t forget the covered, open or outdoor markets, where you can always find cheap and tasty food. (If we assume you need at least €25-€30 a day for food and drinks, then for a week of travel you need €175-€210. Cut your food budget in half).
Water
Even if you’re travelling for the first time, you’ll have heard that water abroad is extremely expensive. Forget the €0.50 you pay for the little water bottles you buy without a second thought. At best you’ll find them for €1.50 and up to €3-4 depending on the country. So make sure you carry a water bottle or a flask with you and fill it up at home, at the hotel, at cafés or wherever you get the chance. Fortunately, in most countries the tap water is very good, like in Switzerland for example. And once again I’ll tell you: don’t be shy. Ask them to fill your empty bottle with water and do the environment, and your wallet, a favour. (If we assume water costs €2 on average and you need 2 to 3 bottles a day, that’s €4 to €6, so for a week of travel you need roughly €28-42. Bring your water budget down to zero).
Souvenirs
Your aunt Marigoula, whom you see once a year at Christmas, doesn’t need a souvenir from Spain. I know, you only go once and you want to treat everyone, but if you want to travel elsewhere too, limit the souvenirs you buy. If you consider it necessary, make sure you buy only for a few of your most beloved people, or alternatively get postcards, which are very economical, and write a little dedication. (If we assume you want to buy just one souvenir at an average price of €4 for 10 people, then you need €40. Cut your souvenir budget by more than half).
Accommodation
Luckily, we’ve taken care of this one for you. Staying in houses, besides being more fun and more sociable than staying in hotels, is also much lighter on your finances. When you share a house with 8 other people, it’s obviously more economical than sharing a double room. This, of course, doesn’t mean you miss out on comfort, rest or cleanliness, as all the houses are spacious, carefully selected and have nothing to envy of hotel rooms. In numbers, though, it translates into a difference of around €200 for a week of travel. Trust Altervan with your accommodation and cut your budget to 1/3.
Transport
One more thing we’ve arranged for you. Have you ever thought about how much money you’d need if you wanted to get all the way to Spain and along the way you chose to see Dubrovnik, Kotor, Mostar, the Plitvice Lakes, Ljubljana, Venice, Milan, Monaco, Cannes and Marseille that is, exactly what we do on the Largo Roadtriphopping between means of public transport? Buses, trains, trams, metro, time and waiting around, and roughly €500 flying out of your pocket and taking wing. Change the way you’ve been travelling until now and try roadtrips with Altervan, to see more and pay less.
Find here the most budget-friendly roadtrips.
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With love for travel, roadtrips and adventure.
The Altervan team.
