Travel

See the World on a Dime
By Melanie Chambers • Bankrate.com

After vacationing for two weeks in one of the most expensive countries in the world, I'm eating toast for supper now that I'm back home. OK, so it isn't quite that bad, but money doesn't last long in Switzerland .

In Geneva , for example, $160 buys you one night in hotel room where the walls have not been washed this century. And forget about cheap snacks -- a single banana costs a whopping 75 cents.

According to Statistics Canada, Canadians spent an average of $4,252 on a single overseas trip in 1999. So, it's no surprise the same statistics suggest that only about one in 10 Canadians vacations overseas. But if the thought of a hefty price tag is holding you back from an exotic vacation, get ready to pack your bags.

I used to think I'd never be able to afford a European vacation. But I've since learned the tricks to traveling on the cheap, and I've enlisted the help of experts to reveal some tried and true ways to stretch your cash into as long a trip as possible.

Flying high
The biggest travel expense by far is your airline ticket. If you want to get the best deal, book your trip a minimum of two weeks in advance, says Jill Bentley, a spokesperson for WestJet Airlines in Calgary .

"We [only] have so many [seats] at a certain price. When those sell out, we offer the next-highest range. The earlier you book, the more likely you'll get the lowest regular fare."

Last-minute travelers should keep in mind that the highest rate for a flight is charged the day before, so it pays to plan ahead. If you're looking for the very best deal, travel in the off-season, when low rates are standard not only for flights, but hotels and tourist spots as well.

Goodbye, standby
A lot has changed in the airline industry in the past couple of years. According to Air Canada and WestJet, neither airline offers standby flights anymore, which is a shame. A few years ago, when standby tickets were still available, my patience was rewarded in spades -- after waiting more than 24 hours at the Edmonton airport, I snagged a $100 ticket home to Ontario .

every consumer her own travel agent. But there is a time and place for travel agents.

Some have built up specialty services, such as aggregating the lowest possible fares across the board for certain dates, says Suzanne Malloy, a manager at Merit Travel Group in London , Ont. They can do so because they have access to more information about flights and bookings than ordinary customers do.

Agents can also help you find charter flights, such as those that make frequent trips to hot spots such as Las Vegas , which are often not advertised online.

Agents can also save you time if you travel a lot for business and don't have time to make arrangements yourself. If you only have a week to travel, for example, you don't want to track down hotels and restaurants while you're there. So, in this case, it would be better to let an agent do the legwork for you. Most travel agents charge a flat fee between $25 and $60 for their services.

Denise Duffy, an executive assistant for Autodata Solutions Company in London , Ont., says she's saved thousands of dollars since she started booking tickets for her staff online.

"The problem was that many of our guys had to change flights all the time, and if you do it through a travel agent, you get charged a ticketing fee on top of an airline fee to change," she explains.

One last word on flights: Round-The-World flights stop in about a dozen cities and are an inexpensive way to see a variety of places. Flights start at about $1,800.

Guidebooks are essential
Lonely Planet, Let's Go, Frommer's and The Rough Guide are a few reputable guidebooks that are widely available in libraries and bookstores. Not only do they give you key details about the country you intend to visit -- such as the currency rate, helpful phrases in the native tongue and detailed maps -- but they provide the names of cheap, but good, rooms and restaurants.

When my boyfriend and I first landed in Geneva , we found a run-down hotel for $160 a night on our own. On the way home, we referred to a guidebook and for the same price found a room with a balcony view of the city minus the smell of mold and marijuana.

If you don't have any travel literature, visit a tourism office in the town or city you're visiting. In Evian , France , we assumed hotels would be très expensive, but it turns out the tourist office found us a gem of a double room for only $58. And on-site meals were a mere $25 for both of us -- Evian water included.

feeling. Hostelling International has more than 4,000 hostels worldwide and is a safe and clean way to travel cheaply. Breakfast is usually included in the price.

Paul-Henri Cretegny, owner of The Hiking Sheep Auberge in Leysin, Switzerland, a few hours from Geneva, says hostels offer perks many hotels don't and at a fraction of the price.

For example, in many hostels, you can prepare your own food. "Try to find other guests with the same interest in order to get discounts for groups," he suggests. "It's a good way to enter into contact with other travelers and also get useful information."

If you don't mind something a little more rustic, but possibly more authentic, try a campground, says world traveler Sheila Santos, 31, of Montreal .

"In the United States , municipal, state and national parks usually have great, cheap camping," she says. "I went to Hawaii with (my sister) on the cheap, and we were able to camp on the beach for $5 a day with clean bathrooms and showers. We bought groceries and ate peanut butter and jam sandwiches. The most expensive thing was the rental car and flight."

Deal on wheels
Most countries have package deals on train or bus travel. Eurorail, for example, offers a pass for one month of unlimited travel in Europe . Keep in mind that it's cheaper to buy it in Canada before you head overseas.

My favourite mode of transportation, which is not only inexpensive, but allows me to experience a country fully, is cycling. Some may balk at the idea of physical exertion on a trip, but not only does it allow you to eat your way through countries guilt-free, but many people invite you into their homes to wine and dine. You can't get much cheaper than that.

Melanie Chambers is a writer in London , Ont.

-- Posted: Nov. 4, 2004