Low budget road trip - A travel guide for vultures
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Once again you are shorter on
money than both Lehman Brothers together? But you still want to go out into the
world and discover foreign countries and cultures? Then you have plenty of company. But watch out! You dont
have to forego it due to that. Here you
can learn how to rattle cheaply along the roads of your dreams.
Do extensive research in advance
The most important step can
already be ticked off after reading this post. In order to keep the costs as
low as possible, it is essential to make a good plan before departure. Hardly
anything is more annoying than expensive surprises. Therefore dont let your
holiday get spoilt and create a checklist. For example, if you forget the sun
cream, you will pay through the nose and sometimes even spend €20.
What to take note of booking a rental car
That one should compare the
prices of different car rental companies to save costs, requires no further
explanation. Various comparison portals attract users with ridiculously low prices. Small cars are advertised especially by small providers for under €1 per day.
You don´t need to be Einstein to realise that it doesn´t work out. Often there
is an excess of €1.000 and that can put an abrupt end to your holiday in the
event of damage. After booking one of these teasers the employees frighten you
with extra costs making you cover an expensive additional insurance.
Furthermore, it is important to pay close attention to the maximum available
kilometers. Otherwise you will regret every additional metre. In addition to that, you
should book the rental car in advance in your homeland in order to avoid
communication problems. Otherwise they can easily pull you over the barrel. When picking up the car make
sure to check it for damage and take precautionary photographs. The message is clear: book at renowned companies, pay close attention
to the details of the agreement and in case of doubt rather spend a little bit
more money in order to avoid nasty suprises.
Petrol costs
Flooring
the accelerator has become relatively costly. The credo is
thus: smoothly accelerate and drive looking ahead. Not only your driving mode
should be fuel-efficient. When choosing your car pay attention to its fuel consumption. Furthermore diesel is usually cheaper. And the prices can vary
significantly from one country to another.
For example a litre of petrol currently costs around €1,34 in Spain,
while in the neighbouring country Portugal it´s €1,60. Therefore, research the
petrol prices right at the beginning of your planning process and choose a
favourable destination. Refuel in countries with affordable fuel, e.g. If you
drive to the Iberian Peninsula, refuel in Spain before crossing the border. Avoid refueling at motorway services, instead save money by refueling in the hinterland.
Avoid toll
The German motorway: World-famous and (still) free. Abroad,
however, high charges are incurred for the use of motorways. In Italy, for
example, the route from Brenner to Milan costs around € 30. On a road trip, it
should not be important to get as quickly as possible from A to B. Choose
toll-free roads instead. Drive along the coast from village to village and let
the beauty of nature guide you, not your navigation system.
Food
Of course, you cannot go on
vacation without trying the local specialties. But if you go out for a meal all
the time, you will quickly run short of money. If you are travelling with a
tight budget, you should stock up with food and water at home and provide
supplies at the supermarket.
Accomodation
Sleeping is expensive,
especially on vacation. To cut the costs, it is recommended to camp. If you
dont have the necessary camping equipment, friends or relatives can often help you out.
Often you can get a camping site for less than €15. The more people are
camping, the cheaper it gets. No hostel or Airbnb can keep up with that.
Awesome apps for your road trip
PackPoint
You want to write a checklist,
but have forgotten pen and paper? No problem. With PackPoint, you have a clever
tool for organizing your travel essentials. Just choose the planned activities
and the app will create a list of everything you need for your holiday
depending on the weather.
Sicher Reisen
This app of the German Foreign
Office offers useful tips, country information, travel warnings in crisis
situations and the addresses of German diplomatic missions.
Hostelworld
You are not a great fan of
sleeping bags and camping stoves? The least expensive alternative are hostels.
You can find them almost everywhere, even in small towns. With the Hostelworld
app 36,000 accommodations in 170 countries can be found and booked by credit
card.
Zoll und Reise
You want to take 20 kg of
Swiss cheese home, but you are not sure if you have to pay customs and how
much? That's why this German app was programmed for you, with accurate
information on all sorts of custom related issues.
Last Survivors
It easily happens that you get
lost and end up in the middle of nowhere, while searching for a camping site. But
with this app you wont starve. It provides you with information on how to make
a fire, find water, give first aid, survive in earthquakes and much more.
iOverlander
This app provides all
important information about camping. Not only regular camping sites, also Wild
Camp spots can be found here. Of course it will also tell you whether showers,
WiFi, electricity, etc. are available. Important: The app can also be used
offline.
TripAdvisor
Of course, the classic should
not be missing. You can easily search for restaurants, apartments and
activities near your location and even plan the travel itinerary.
Urgent.ly
If you have a break down, you
can quickly get help thanks to this app. No matter if you run out of petrol,
need jump-start, have a flat tire or lock yourself out of the car. For every
kind of problem with your car a solution is offered here.
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