Planning a round the world adventure? Not so fast… because your flight ticket is not the only expense you’ll have to worry about. Jot down these essential items so you won’t get a financial shock of a lifetime that can ruin your holiday adventure for good.
Getting to and from the airport
Before you relish the thought of boarding the plane and going up, up and away from all the chaos, make sure you factored in your public transport fare going to and from the airport. If you have your own car with you, think of the car park charges as well. Train tickets bought on the day could also make your eyes roll. If you want to minimize your expense on this aspect, beg your friend to give you a lift or buy a train ticket at least three weeks ahead of your departure/arrival. Don’t forget: if you have an early morning flight, calculate the possible airport hotel costs you might also incur.
Ground transport
Now that you are in your much-awaited destination, what to do next? If it is a big city, it would be quite ridiculous and a total waste of time to go on foot, just so you can save some ground transport expense. Besides, attractions and tourist spots might have scheduled opening and closing hours so you have to maximize the time you’re going to stay there. So don’t forget to count in your expenses for taking the taxi, tram, bus, or private car. Do a pre-trip research so you can be aware of multi-day bus or train passes that you can avail.
Booze
Let’s get one thing straight. Your round the world holiday will usually involve a lot of booze and if you’re none the wiser, you could end up squandering your overall travel budget in just a single night’s worth of “a good time”. If you are the unsociable type, or a teetotaller, or have the strongest self-control, then good for you; otherwise, the barman would be more than happy to take a formidable percentage of your booze payment. Or, you can just opt for the local beer, which is always cheaper, if you cannot avoid partying the night away with total strangers and newfound friends.
Soft drinks
Budget busters are not limited to alcoholic beverages. Since you’re in a strange and exciting new city, you’re probably always on the move – making you all thirsty for some cool drinks that could be really really expensive if you’re not careful. It’s best to bring your own water bottle and refill it from a tap wherever possible. It would keep your costs into a minimum and make your environmental impact lower as well.
Questionable yet unavoidable taxes
The whole inclusive pricing concept is something that is not usually recognized and readily ignored by many countries especially those with a booming tourist industry. So, don’t just sit back and relax after you read the original price quotation because it can have a maximum of 15 per cent add-on. And it’s everywhere – sales, hotels, resorts, just name it and they have these ever-present taxes to rack up the price of your product/service.
Mobile phone
You’re in another country so don’t think for one second your mobile phone company back home would give you discounts for your texts and calls. Its carte blanche attitude would make you wince with agony so if you cannot bear not communicating with your loved ones, buy a pre-paid SIM card in the country you’re in and avail of any call promos they have. If you can survive through Skype and email, then that could mean enormous savings on your part, giving you the chance to actually enjoy your round the world trip adventure.
Internet
Bring your own laptop and use it in areas where there is free Wi-Fi connection. If you are a Web junkie, it beats the purpose of your round the world adventure, right? So, don’t just sit in front of your screen all day and it can actually mean avoiding disgustingly steep data download charges and giving you more unforgettable experiences of the people and surroundings.
Travel insurance
You’re a fool if you don’t have one. The cost of getting a policy is way cheaper than the potential cost of opting not to. Nobody wants to take an emergency flight back home because you came in contact with a local disease your immune system cannot fight but it would be worse if you skipped on your travel insurance.
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