Marwan Farouk Shares His Travel On A Budget Tips

Welcome to the Marwan Farouk blog. Okay, I know. Travelling ‘on a budget’ might not sound like a particularly glamorous proposition. But one person’s idea of ‘budget travel’ and another’s can be quite different. This guide isn’t about complicated ‘travel hacking’ methods or extreme penny-pinching; but budget travel tips for the ‘average’ traveller. So if you’re looking for easy ways to travel more and spend less in style, I'm going to share what I’ve picked up along the way. 

General Budget Travel Tips

• Avoid peak travel season. Obvious is obvious, but if you can avoid travelling in school holidays or over Christmas, avoid it, because everything’s usually more expensive!
• Check your insurance. Travel insurance never seems useful or important til you actually need it; then it becomes vital. Shop around, and take it out as soon as you’ve booked a trip as it could cover you for some unforeseen circumstances that might result in you having to cancel before you travel. Travel lots? Definitely worth looking at an annual policy.

Saving Money on Flights, Buses & Trains

• Be flexible. Travelling mid-week is often cheaper than at weekends –  something you can do with just a Monday/Friday off work. If you’re flexible, you can compare dates across a whole month using Skyscanner for the cheapest fares.
• Search in incognito mode. I always forget to do this, and actually haven’t noticed a huge difference…but it’s pretty common advice to search in an incognito browser to find cheap flights. Or clear your cookies before searching the same destinations/routes.
• Look at indirect flights. If you’ve got time, but not money, going via somewhere else might bring your flight cost down by more than you’d think.
• Check for hidden extras. Luggage is the main one – most budget short-haul flights include only hand luggage, some don’t even include hand luggage as standard at all
• Book your trains early. Travelling by train? Advance fares are released around 12 weeks in advance, which is when they’ll be cheapest.

Luggage & Packing Tips

• Travel light. If your flight’s hand luggage only, you might have to streamline your packing to avoid extra case charges. It’s actually really easy to do on a weekend city break.
• Save on miniature toiletries. Instead of buying mini versions of stuff you have already, grab some travel bottles* and decant the products you have at home. It’s cheaper in the long run AND better for the environment.
• Check your weight. Carry on with that doughnut, cause I’m talking about your luggage here. Grab an affordable luggage to avoid the paranoia that your case will be 3lbs overweight and you’ll spend all your taco money before you’ve even passed through security.
• Buy before you travel. Not applicable in all cases, as some countries sell things you’ll need cheaper than in the UK. But do your research.

Finding Cheap Accommodation

• Secure a great hotel deal early. I always like to book somewhere as soon as I’ve ordered flights, finding a budget hotel or great deal on booking.com with free cancellation. That way, I can still consider other options but have a fallback option still – just make sure you note down the last date to cancel.
• Check out AirBnB. 

Eating & Drinking on a Budget While Travelling

The most important tip? Weigh up what’s important to you…

Often, when travelling on a budget, you need to compromise a little. Working out what your travel priorities for a destination are before you go will make sure you can travel on a budget.

Marwan Farouk is a retired surgeon and a traveler. Everyday, Marwan wake up with one goal in mind- to help other people travel better and realize YOUR travel dreams. Discover more about Marwan Farouk  here. You can find travel photos & videos Marwan Farouk traveled on the Marwan Farouk Facebook page. You can also check Marwan Farouk's  travel expert advice and unbiased reviews here.