Smart Foreign Travel Hacks: You will not lose your pocket while traveling abroad! Dream of traveling abroad will be fulfilled in the budget; Save 30 to 40% money with these 5 smart tips

Everyone dreams of traveling abroad, but people often postpone their plans due to visa fees, international air ticket prices, currency conversion and expensive hotel expenses. Many times, due to lack of information, passengers spend thousands of extra rupees on things which could have been managed at very low cost.

According to travel industry experts, 30 to 40 percent of the total budget of any international trip can be saved only by using the right strategies and digital tools. If you too are preparing for a foreign trip, then these 5 smart and tried travel hacks will lighten the heavy burden on your pocket to a great extent.

To keep your budget in check without compromising on fun abroad, keep these five basics in mind:

• 1. Use ‘Zero Forex Markup Card’: Banks charge a forex markup fee of 3.5% to 5% and 18% GST on swiping a normal Indian debit or credit card abroad. Instead, check with any fintech or bank before travelling. Zero Forex Markup Credit/Forex Card (like Niyo, Scapia, Fi etc.) With this, you get the direct interbank exchange rate by swiping and you get direct savings of thousands of rupees. Also, never change cash at the currency exchange counter at the airport, you get the worst exchange rates there.

• 2. ‘Incognito Mode’ and flight booking 6 to 8 weeks in advance: Airlines’ algorithms keep increasing ticket prices based on search history and cookies. always in the browser Incognito (Private) Window Search for tickets in. Set up ‘Cheapest Month’ and ‘Price Alert’ on Google Flights or AliExpress. Tickets for flights on Tuesday or Wednesday are 15 to 20 percent cheaper than those on weekends (Friday-Sunday).

• 3. Travel in shoulder season: During peak tourist seasons (such as Christmas, New Year or summer holidays) hotels and flights are 2 to 3 times more expensive. Conversely, the time just before or just after the peak season ‘Shoulder Season’ (e.g. April–May or September–October for Europe). During this time, the weather is pleasant, there is less crowd and hotels are available at huge discounts of up to 40%.

• 4. ‘Local Public Transport and City Pass’ instead of expensive private cabs: Taking a taxi from the airport as soon as you land in any foreign city is the most expensive decision you can make. Use the metro, subway or local bus network instead. Most European and Asian cities (e.g. London, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo) 1-Day, 3-Day or Weekly Tourist Transit Pass Offers that allow unlimited travel at very low prices. Additionally, many ‘City Sightseeing Passes’ include free or deeply discounted entry tickets to major museums and tourist sites.

• 5. Hostels or holiday apartments (Airbnb) instead of luxury hotels: After roaming around the city the whole day, the hotel room is used only for sleeping at night. Located near central location to avoid huge bills of expensive 4-star or 5-star hotels Hostels (Private Rooms), Airbnb or Serviced Apartments Select. Kitchen facilities are also available in these, so that you can prepare breakfast or light meal yourself and reduce the cost of eating at expensive restaurants outside.

Often people buy expensive international roaming packs or local tourist SIMs as soon as they land at the airport.

• instead of just before the trip e-SIM (like Airalo, Nomad or Maya Mobile) Buy online and activate it on your phone.

• It is cheaper than a local SIM and your internet starts working as soon as you land, so that you do not have to wander for a cab or navigation.