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There are so many ways to help travel go easier and smoother as well as saving you money. Here are a few of my top tips for doing this below:
If there is anything else you do to help you save money then please do get in touch.
Bank accounts to help you save!
Bank accounts to help you save!
Deciding how you go about spending money abroad can make a big difference in how much you actually spend. Gone are the days when you had to order all your currency in the post office before you go and risk having too little or coming back with random notes you then have to change back.
There are a few bank options that you need to look into (these are for UK residents). Each has their pros and cons but this is a good starting point. If you are going to a country that mainly deals in cash then I would suggest getting 2 or even 3 of the following:
Revolut
Monzo
Starling
Wise
Revolut
Revolut
Now the main advantage of Revolut over the others is that you can exchange money on the app. You can basically have pots within your Revolut for different currencies and can even set up an auto exchanger for when the exchange rate is at it's best!
For example if the USD hits £1 = $1.5 at 2am in the morning when you're fast asleep then however many pounds you set up to be transferred with automatically exchange!
There is a limit per month on exchanging between currenies.
To get a physical card you need to pay.
Monzo
Monzo
Unlimited cash withdrawals in the EEA but this is capped to £200 every 30 days outside of the EEA.
When exchanging money, the Mastercard exchange rate is used in real time, this means that you can't guarantee an exchange rate. For example to you have pounds in your account only so when you tap your card, the current exchange rate will be used and pounds deducted based on that rate.
1st physical card on signing up is free.
You get money, I get money, we all go on more trips!!
Wise
Wise
Usually has the best exchange rate and can make transferring money abroad easy.
The real advantage comes with transferring to a friend or company in a different company. It allows local bank details for over 9 countries so you can transfer money like a local and avoid those dreaded hidden international transfer fees, charges are very clear and usually the lowest.
Again to get a physical card you need to pay.
You get a FREE physcial card, which we all know is pretty essential for travelling and I get a few £s.
Make sure to always do your own research when selecting which bank account to get and make sure it is the right one for you. Always check the fine print for fees. I would highly advise looking at the perks for upgrading on these cards as the upgrades can provide you with travel insurance, airport lounge access etc (check terms and conditions) but can be very worth it for the frequent traveller.
Here's my referral codes for Britsih Airways credit cards, both the free and the paid for versions.
You get points, I get points, everybody wins.
Using point based credit cards
Using point based credit cards
This is a great way to save on trips. Pay for things you would be paying for anyway on a credit card and get points for it. This is very specific for the type of credit card you chose, spending habits and travel priorities. Sometimes getting a cashback credit card is better for people rather than a points based one.
For example if you like to fly British Airways, spend over £15,000 a year on a credit card and travel at least once a year then a British Airways amex card is a great option. With a greater than £15,000 spend per year you get a companion voucher, this means that you can bring a friend for the same number of avios points as you going solo, you just pay the taxes. For example we've got return tickets to Bangkok from London booked and paid £200 each in taxes and amex points.
Consider a credit card you pay for too - for example we have the British Airways premium card which costs us each year but also means if we spend the £15,000 on it a year we can get Business class seats with the companion voucher. We flew return to Cape Town from London premium econ there and then business back for £400 each.
Remeber these are credit cards and please make sure you only put purchases on that you can pay off or you'll be whacked with a load of interest and that kindof defites the point of saving the money on flights.
Avios points!
Avios points!
You don't need a credit card to earn Avios points. So here is a few tips on how to earn with or without a credit card. You can use these on a number of different airlines, check out the list on the right.
Download the Avios app
Create an account
Link your bank cards - this can be the British Airway cards above or just any old debit card
Have a look through the collect section of the app
This gives you points for in store and online purcheses. For the in-store purchases you just need to use one of your cards that you have linked above to get the points. For the online purchases you need to go through the link in the in the app to the store.
I've collected thousands of points this way which has paid for a LOT of flights. There are so many companies that you buy from anyway on the app so why not just take that extra 2 seconds to get a load of avios points.
Another way to get Avios points is but converting your Nectar points. This is easily done in the Nectar app but be warned it's not a simple 1:1 points transaction and changes from time to time. Keep an eye out those as they often run promotions of converting Nectar points to Avios and giving you a % bonus, so I tend to only convert when I see these offers.
Also RevPoints (from Revolut cards) can also be transferred to Avios!
Airlines that you can use Avios points on:
British Airways - primary airline that uses Avios therefore the easiest to redeem points
Qatar Airways
Iberia
Finnair
Vueling
Aer Lingus
Loganair
Apart from British airways the other airlines need you to transfer points, this is easy enough to do, just be warned can take a few days.
Book your holiday through a travel agent! (Hear me out)
Book your holiday through a travel agent! (Hear me out)
Travel agents can often get you better delas on accommodation and activities, but often this price isn't relayed to you, so using the right travel agent is essential for this one.
As an Independent Travel Agent, I have access to deals you can't get from looking online. 99.9% of the prices that you can find at home come with a percentage commission built in, this either goes to the company you are booking through or if booking through a travel agent, it will go to them. So why not get the personal service and have me do the booking etc for you. I can usually get a better price than my clients or at least can price match things that they might have found.
WARNING: This is highly dependant on your travel agent and how much effort they put into finding you the best deals, also how much money they want to get paid for the booking!
Let's book the adventure of your dreams!
Just sent me an email at alice.adventureplanner@gmail.com
Or fill in my booking form ...
More coming soon ...
More coming soon ...
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