Traveling is incredibly exciting and also incredibly expensive. While you try to cut unnecessary expenses to save money, there are major travel expenses, like the ones below that you may forget to take into account.
Currency Exchange Fees
If your upcoming travel plans are domestic and keep you in your home country, currency exchange fees won’t be an issue. However, if your travel plans take you to more international and exotic locations, you should expect to pay a currency exchange fee every time you pay for something. Trading your American cash for foreign currency will cost a fee. Using your credit or debit card to purchase something will charge a currency exchange fee. Even withdrawing cash from an ATM using your bank card will charge a currency exchange fee plus additional service fees.
Meals
This is one expense that many travelers take for granted. It’s easy to forget just how much money you will spend on food and drinks during your travels. Eating out for three meals a day plus snacks and beverages for each meal and between each meal can add up to a relatively large chunk of your travel expenses. There are clever tips you can utilize to try to cut back on your eating expenses.
Transportation
Regardless of how you plan on traveling through your destination, it’s going to cost you quite a bit of money. Renting a vehicle can be rather expensive. There are a lot of hidden fees attached to car rentals that can increase the cost by hundreds of dollars. Using public transportation is a cheaper option, but will also add up to a large travel expense as you pay for one-way and all-day passes. For extended trips or for long-distance road trips, your car might not be up to the task. An old car may not be reliable enough to go very far. Your car may also have you spending a fortune on gas due to poor fuel efficiency. If you plan on using your own vehicle for travel, you might want to take a look at new or pre-owned car sales as far in advance as possible.
Unplanned Adventures
When you plan your trip, you have a list of places you want to visit. You checked the admission cost. You budgeted these costs carefully. But, too often, you get to your destination and find five other adventures that you want to experience. Each of these adventures comes with its own admission fee and taxes. The cost of these unplanned adventures can add up to a hefty sum by the end of your trip.
Creating a travel budget is a great way to stay within your financial resources, but if you’re unfamiliar with creating a budget, there are guides you can find online to teach you.