TRAVEL FOR LESS

I've always loved travelling but for the past few years, its actually become a big part of my life. Financially I'm able to (I spend money on experiences rather than things), and being self employed, I can usually (not always) jet off whenever I feel like. Escapism and wanderlust are two feelings that most definitely need taking care of.

Whether its a Europe city break (which I need to do more of) a flight to pure sunshine or a last minute trip to NYC, I'm unable to sit still for too long. 

Im visiting a different country every month until September, and although a few of those are press trips, the majority are not. Im obviously not made of money and I have bills to pay like everyone else, so I thought I'd share with you, my secrets of how I am able to travel so much.

Look For Deals

If I get the travel bug or I become obsessed with visiting a certain place, I look everywhere for a deal.  Whether that be Wowcher, Groupon, Booking or Skyscanner, If I can get a bargain I will. Wowcher is great for flights and hotels all over the world. Thailand, Las Vegas & Amsterdam are just a select number of places I have seen on there recently. Obviously some terms apply, such as flying on specific dates, but theres no harm in looking! Skyscanner is the site I use to book flights to NYC. You've all probably heard of it, but it searches for the lowest fares available, instead of you doing it yourself on lots of different websites. I fly to New York in two weeks and I paid £350!

Book During Sales

Travel companies have sales just like ASOS & Boohoo babes. Easyjet, BA, Virgin, Ryanair.. they all do them. Whether its the January Sales, Black Friday or some Easter Deals etc, its always worth having a gander. During the pre Christmas sales I booked return flights to Paris for two, for £90! 

Accommodation Apps

There are so many travel apps out there, its hard to keep track. One of my favourite apps EVER is 'Hotel Tonight'. You can book beautiful hotels all over the world at discounted rates, including London, NYC & Berlin. Its super easy to use but is only really for last minute bookings, you can book up to a week in advance (discount code below). Another app which is great for affordable accommodation is AirBnb. Hotels are usually super pricy so renting someones apartment is often much cheaper - especially if you're planning to go away with a group of friends. 

Stick To Europe

I know Europe can be a little pricey at times but its usually only the price of living (food & drink mainly), flights and hotels can actually be quite affordable. Budgeting and being strict with unnecessary spending can enable a pretty cheap break. Being in the UK allows us to travel throughout Europe fuss free - its basically like an extended back garden. You can get return flights to Malta for £30 & last minute package deals to Spain for a week can be around £300.

Ditch The Package (sometimes)

I think it all depends on the time of year, the destination and simply your requirements, but sometimes ditching package holidays can save you some pennies. Lowcostholidays, OnTheBeach & TravelSupermarket are some of the top 3 websites for amazing deals. Obviously Thomson & Thomas Cook are wonderful, but they can sometimes be quite expensive as the flights and hotels are booked as a package, through the same travel agents. I've used Lowcostholidays for holidays to Turkey and Tenerife and loved them both.

All Inclusive

For those sunshine beach holidays, I always go all inclusive, which means that when you book your holiday, food and drink is included. So once you've paid off your holiday, you don't really have to worry about anything else. Obviously a bit of spending money is required, but you don't need a lot. Spending 10 days in Mexico and having to pay for food would become very pricy. Book all inclusive, pay off everything over however many months and once you finally get to pure sunshine - you won't have any nasty surprises ;)

Get £15 off bookings through the app Hotel Tonight using code 'GVICTORY'.