travel & tours

By Trust Travel

How to Create a Travel Budget

International Travel is a great way to clear your mind and find memorable experiences. However, travel & tours can be expensive and may require you to save up and budget your costs ahead of time. By taking time to consider your costs thoroughly, both for necessities and for leisure, you will have a working budget ready for your trip.

 Creating an Initial Budget

1.Determine what you can afford

Assess how much money you have available for the vacation. Keep in mind your ongoing expenses that you’ll need to take care of when you return like rent, utilities, and food costs. You don’t want to stress yourself out during your vacation by having no money for when you return.

2.Get advice from friends and family

Ask around if anyone you know has visited your destination. While websites and web reviews are helpful, you don’t know if they’ve been influenced by local sponsors or the like. Friends and family will give you more personal and trustworthy advice.

3.Use online budgeting tools

There are numerous websites designed to help your budget specifically for travel. They will help you determine the local costs of goods and what expenses you’ll need to consider.

Budgeting for the Basics

1.Determine your method of transportation

Travel to the location of your choosing may be expensive. Determine the costs of taking a plane, train, coach bus, rental car, or cruise ship to your selected location. Air travel is the quickest option but may be costlier than train, bus, or car rental if the distance isn’t too great. A cruise ship affords the greatest luxury and will often include a number of stops but is also the costliest option.

2.Consider local transportation

Once you reach your destination, you’ll need further transportation to get around locally. Many people take taxi cabs, ride-sharing cars, local transit buses, or the subway to get around locally. If you have some extra money, you can travel more easily by renting a car at your location.

3.Consider lodging expenses

One of the more significant items you’ll need to budget for is your lodging cost. Lodgings vary greatly in cost and quality so be sure to consider your exact needs and what’s available at your destination. If your destination hosts many tourists, there will likely be a wide variety of hotels, motels, resorts, and bed-and-breakfasts.
  • Pick a hotel that is located near the attractions you’re seeking. This will prove convenient and save you in local travel costs.
  • Consider amenities like televisions in the rooms, internet access, and access to a swimming pool. You should also consider the quality and size of available beds and bathrooms, the availability of air conditioning, and whether or not they serve a complimentary breakfast. If you have any questions that aren’t answered by their website, call the front desk.
  • Check customer reviews on Google and Yelp. Keep in mind that nearly every hotel has some excellent reviews and some that are terrible. Read as many as possible to get a comprehensive idea of the quality.
  • Some locales will have hostels where you can stay at little or no charge in exchange for doing some chores.
  • You can compare hotel prices and features on Expedia and Kayak as well. You can also use Hotwire, Hotels.com, Priceline, Travelocity, and Agoda. Always research price comparisons before making your reservation because different sites may have different prices at the same hotel

4.Determine sight-seeing costs

Sight-seeing is a common practice for travelers. Think about the transportation, admittance and other costs related specifically to these trips. Most monuments, parks, and museums are free of charge but some may cost a small amount money. Research these sights beforehand so you can factor them into your budget.

5.Determine your entertainment costs

If you’re planning on attending amusement parks, enjoying the local nightlife, or taking in a show, factor these costs into your budget. You may want to create a rough schedule of your daily entertainment plans so you can research them ahead of time

6. Save up some money

Travel can be expensive so developing a comprehensive budget is a great idea.

  • You may also need to set aside money from your typical day-to-day expenses so you’ll have enough. Work out a regular amount of money to set aside for your travel expenses and begin saving as soon as possible.
  • If you need some extra money to make your travel budget, consider a part-time or temporary job like driving for a ride-sharing program or writing for an online publication. Search for temporary jobs on websites like Craigslist, Indeed.com, or FlexJobs.com.
  • If you’re a frequent traveler or have travel benefits from your credit card company, you may be able to defray the costs of airfare or travel.

7. Convert your currency

If you are leaving the country, you may need to exchange your money for the local currency. Use your preferred search engine to find the name of the country you’re visiting to determine what type of currency they use. However, many foreign countries that use different currencies also widely accept U.S. Dollars, so you may want to search whether or not this is applicable in your destination.

8.Include food costs

 Of course, you’ll need to eat during your trip so you need to budget for meals. Keep in mind that you’ll likely be eating out and that food costs can vary greatly between different places.Use your preferred search engine to determine local food costs.

Source: wikihow

By Trust Travel

How to travel in India

India is one of the world’s largest, most populated, and most culturally diverse countries, and one that attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. Preparing for a trip to India involves carefully planning your itinerary, making sure you have the necessary travel documents, and obtaining vital immunizations in order to protect your health during your India trip. In addition, you’ll need to know what to pack, what form of currency to bring, and what precautions you can take in order to travel safely. Read the following steps to find out how to prepare for a trip to India.

1.Plan your itinerary, but be flexible

India is a large country, and most people spend a few weeks traveling in order to enjoy its beauty and varied cultures. However, its infrastructure isn’t of the best quality in all regions, so you should always plan your itinerary before you leave.

  • If you’re traveling with an organized group, you can skip this step as the travel organization will take care of everything.
  • For all others, make sure you have a good and current map of the country and reserve any flights, boat trips, train rides, and rental cars ahead of time.
  • Also, make your hotel or hostel reservations before you embark on your India trip, or at the very least have a list of addresses where you can stay.

2.Apply for your travel documents

You’ll need a valid passport to travel, as well as a 6-month tourist visa for India.

  • You can apply for a passport at your local post office.
  • You can contact the Indian embassy in your country to apply for a tourist visa. You will be asked to supply a list of regions you’ll be visiting, as well as addresses where you’ll be staying.

3.Visit your doctor for immunizations and other travel-related medical treatments

The vaccination requirements for the different regions of India may vary from time to time, so you should always discuss which immunizations you need before you travel, though usually tetanus, typhoid, and cholera are advised. You should allow up to 6 weeks for any vaccinations to take effect. Other medical issues to be prepared for are malaria and diarrhea.

4.Make a packing list

 Though what you need to bring with you will vary greatly depending on the types of activities you plan to do and the areas you plan to visit, you should always bring enough clothes, sunscreen, insect repellent, a sunhat, a first aid kit, and a money belt.

Related post: How To Buy Travel Insurance Online

5.Prepare your finances

Though India is very affordable by Western standards, you should also realize that you’ll need lots of cash, as many places don’t accept credit cards or checks. Bring travelers’ checks, which you can cash in at many stops along the way, and make a note to get rupees as soon as you land in India.

6.Educate yourself about food and drinking safety

 The rule of thumb in India is to only drink bottled water, never eat uncooked foods, and never drink beverages with ice in them. If you live by this rule during your travels, you stand a better chance of not getting sick.

7.Go to the Incredible India website

 This has a number of useful resources under the “Trip Planner” drop-down menu that will help you plan your trip, including an extensive calendar of festivals so you can either find out what’s going on while you’re in India or plan your trip around a certain festival. There are also more helpful tools under the tab “Traveler Tools” on the

 

 

8.Understand how to communicate with the locals

As always when traveling, safety should be your primary concern. Most rickshaw drivers and vendors expect you to haggle over prices, but you should also remember to tip. In addition, never go anywhere with somebody you don’t trust or allow anybody to take care of your personal belongings.

Source: WihiHow

How to Create a Travel Budget
How to travel in India