Three Thrifty Travel Tips For Your Adventure to South America

Three Thrifty Travel Tips For Your Adventure to South America

If you can’t wait to explore South America—who wouldn’t want to, right?—but you don’t know if you can afford the trip, these tips will help you lower your travel expenses without putting a damper on the fun.

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Book Ahead

In the past, overseas travel meant visiting your local travel agent to book your flights and arrange your tours. These days, thanks to the Internet, you can find the right option for your vacations in South America from the comfort of your own home. Searching online for flights, accommodation and activities also means you could snap up a better deal than your local travel agent could offer. To ensure that you don’t miss deals on flights, it helps to set up fare alerts on your web browser, so you’ll be able to hop on to the airline’s website and book your travel. This option can save you lots of money on flights, as long as you are able to book well in advance of your proposed travel date.

Embrace Local Transport

If you’re a city dweller, you’re already aware of how much using public transport saves you, compared with taxi fares. Even if you and your friends intend to divide the cost of a hire car or taxi, your share alone will probably come to more than a train ticket or bus fare would cost.  Making use of local transport options in a foreign city can be really intimidating for travelers, especially with a language barrier.

When you feel nervous to try public transport, remind yourself that one of the best things about traveling the world is forcing yourself to break out your comfort zone. Go ahead and ask a friendly local to give you a hand—Google translate is a handy tool in this situation—and you never know, you might make a new friend. Once you’ve got your head around how to use the bus or train system, you’ll be able to reach all the extra exciting parts of town that tourist transport companies don’t go to!

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Eat Like a Local

One of the top reasons to visit South America is the incredible food. But if dining out at pricey restaurants is the only way you imagine sampling the region’s famous cuisine, your budget won’t stretch very far. Street food options are not only cheaper but as many travelers note, the quality is often better than the more expensive dishes served at hotels and “touristy” restaurants. Another amazing benefit of eating at food stalls is the opportunity to meet and get to know local people, providing priceless opportunities to learn about their culture. Not only does eating like a local offer a more authentic experience, but you’ll also be supporting local businesses. The fact that you’ll get more for less on your travels won’t hurt, either!

Whether you’re a veteran back-packer or a travel novice, the expense of overseas travel can get out of hand unless you travel smart. These tips will help you enjoy a trip to South America without breaking the bank.

DISCLAIMER: This post is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links.