Planning a long road trip and unsure of how you can minimise the costs of your trip? It can be hard to plan a road trip, because costs such as petrol and accommodation can be harder to predict over a longer period of time. One of the best aspects about traveling longer is smaller changes to your every day spending can result in huge savings over the course of your trip. Another advantage is that you can travel slower, spending less money on petrol on average. I have a few more tips that will help you cut the costs of a long term road trip, read on:
1) Long Term Van Hire
If you’re traveling with a few friends, or with a few colleagues on business, hiring a van and splitting the costs between more people works out to be very economical. Long term van hire can be quite affordable, especially if you’re splitting it between 5 or more people. Another advantage is that you have a larger pool of people to share the responsibility of driving, reducing driver’s fatigue and ensuring your safe arrival. Vans are a really fun way to travel, as you have a lot more space than cars, and decent storage for all your luggage.
2) Stay in Apartments
If you’re traveling in a larger group, staying in apartments can save money for a bunch of reasons. One of the biggest advantages as that almost every place on Airbnb comes with its own apartment, meaning that you can cook for yourself instead of spending a bunch of money on eating out. Of course, you can eat out as you wish, but having the option to cook is a really great way to cut costs. As well, if you get a house with a few bedrooms it will work out much cheaper usually than a few rooms in a hotel. You’ll also all be closer together and likely have your own living room to spend time together.
3) Make a Kitty
It’s too hard to try to split bills as you go, so my suggestion is to all add in a certain amount of money for shared expenses, such as gas and accommodation, and take from that during the trip. If you have anything left over, split it evenly and there we go. It saves the awkwardness of trying to split things as you go and stops one person for winding up overpaying.
4) Use Coupon Websites
Depending on where you’re headed, check out the local coupon websites to see if you can save any money. Often local coupon websites have savings for attractions, restaurants and even massages, if you need a way to unwind after a long day on the road. The savings can be considerable, and all it takes is a few minutes browsing online.
Going on a road trip is a lot of fun – but there are ways to do it smartly so you can save some money and travel even longer. Use these tips, and you’ll be on your way for one of the greatest adventures of your life, without breaking the bank.
