Travel Expenses You May Not Have Thought About
Plane tickets and hotel rooms booked. Itinerary completed. Maybe if you’re on top of it, even a few phrases in the native language memorized. Now all that’s left is to pack your bags and set off! You’re ready to embark on a journey to a new country and city. One thing to remember to do before you leave for your trip is to budget for a few of the little expenses that often go neglected, you may encounter abroad. We compiled a list of travel expenses you may not have initially thought about, but should definitely consider pre-board:
Transportation Fees
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Depending on the area you travel to you could be walking, biking, ubering, grabbing a taxi, or even utilizing the city’s public transportation. Taking a stroll from one destination to the next may sound appealing, but after a long day of exploring sometimes a mile and half walk to the restaurant for dinner is not the most ideal option; not to mention, the more time you spend getting from point A to point B, is time detracted from places on your itinerary. Before your trip, make sure to research the most common and practical forms of transportation and their costs in the place you’re traveling to. To gain the most authentic experience in the locale, get around like a local. For example, in Amsterdam people typically bike around the city so you may want to look into renting a bike for the time you’re there, or when in Venice, do take gondolas.
Food
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I think we can all agree that one of the best parts about traveling to another country is trying different types of new foods foreign to our taste buds. We can’t exactly pack much if any at all in our suitcase, so oftentimes when we travel, we’re eating out a good portion of the time. No complaints about that, except for the fact that going to new restaurants and cafes on the daily starts to add up in our bank accounts quicker than anyone realizes. To save some money while abroad, take a quick trip to a local grocery store or market to last you a while and limit the number of outings for meals. Looking up recipes for meals representative of the region is a good alternative to breaking the bank, while still getting to experience the local cuisine. If you would rather experience the local cuisine restaurant-style, make sure to plan ahead before your trip and set aside money specifically for food. Do light research on average prices and have a running Notes list of places that spark your taste buds to ensure money’s not going wasted on unsatisfying meals.
Cellular Fees
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Perhaps the sneakiest culprit of expenses abroad is loads of cellular fees stacking up if you don’t use your data wisely. Depending on the amount of time you plan to spend abroad you may want to look into a specific cellular plan before your trip for your time there. In some situations, going through the effort of switching your SIM card with a local carrier is the most efficient. Of course, there’s also the pay-as-you-go method, a more-or-less modern version of a burner phone. Rather than throwing the phone away, data is paid for and reloaded at your ease and convenience. If traveling for a shorter time period, let’s say a week, you want to make sure to shut down all insignificant apps you don’t use daily. Take this as a sign to disconnect and focus on embracing the immediate culture and atmosphere. If this sounds too uncomfortable or causes added stress and anxiety, focus on limiting data usage. If no wi-fi is available and you’re out and about on the town, remember Airplane mode will stop any apps from running in the background and data slip-ups are virtually nonexistent. To prevent further fees, you can even download apps like WhatsApp for texts and calls while in wi-fi.
Emergency Expenses
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Just like you carry that emergency $10 bill in the back of your phone, you definitely want to set aside money in your vacation budget. The amount– that’s up to you– but accidents happen all the time. Some more minor, like a quick coffee pick-me-up emergency, or something much more severe such as a broken bone. Having a set amount of money aside strictly for emergencies is crucial when budgeting. While this may seem more obscure because potential said-cost is unspecified, it cannot be overlooked. Chances are you won’t need to dip into the emergency savings, however on the off chance that it’s needed, it’s best to be prepared.
Forgotten Items
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Sometimes we get so used to having certain items with us every day, that we don’t give a second thought to them while packing for vacation. The most common forgotten items to pack include phone chargers, toothpaste (yes, you’d be surprised by often we remember a toothbrush but not toothpaste to accompany it), an umbrella, and sunscreen. Making a checklist a few days before to run through the morning of, is beneficial to all our procrastinators and forgetful folk out there. Don’t fret if your foundation gets taken at TSA or your phone charger gets overlooked at the hotel while transferring to the next leg of the trip because you’ve allotted some extra mula for this exact scenario.
Make sure to tag @theedgemag in your next vacation post!