Travelling on a BudgetHow to Travel on a Budget

When you travel in the UK or abroad, you can save money simply by being a little organised. Buying train and coach tickets in advance can save you up to 40% of the price of the ticket (and even more on train travel if you are aged 25 or under or a full-time student, and therefore eligible for a Young Person's Railcard). If you buy flights in advance, you can also save considerably on the cost of the journey. However, if you are a spontaneous type and are looking for a last-minute deal on a holiday, use a service such as lastminute.com, expedia.co.uk or travelzoo.co.uk, as holiday operators sell cheap holidays through these sites so that they are at capacity each week. More info

When buying guide books, check online first to see if you can find free tour recommendations and other free resources. Unless you particularly want a shiny new copy of a guidebook (and remember, it won't look so good after a month in a suitcase), check Amazon.co.uk or even ebay.co.uk for second-hand travel guides. It is still worth looking for a recent edition, otherwise the restaurants and hotels in an area may have changed. Set yourself a weekly budget for your travels, although you should factor in an 'emergency fund' in case you become ill or have any other unexpected costs. Always take out travel insurance, and make sure that it is valid from the day you travel so that you can claim for any of your belongings that are lost or damaged in transit. There are some great travel insurance deals on the market, but it's essential to read the small print to make sure that you will be covered for every eventuality you're likely to encounter. Less