Is Travelling Really That Expensive? The Truth Revealed!

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You read all about how we think Australia is expensive in relation to the rest of the world. But here are some great tips on how you can make travel even cheaper within business or leisure, then just being Australian. :)

You may remember that last year us Aussies were named as some of the most indulgent travellers when it came to travel spending.  According to Lonely Planet Aussies spent more than $51 billion on domestic travel alone.

This proves that even holidaying in our native country still costs money, which brings to mind the general question: does travelling really have to be so expensive? Here we look at the truth behind travel money and consider what you can do to cut the costs.

Business Travel

For those travelling on business, most firms will pay for your business travel upfront or at least reimburse any charges you place on the company plastic. To make the most of this, you should research different business credit cards.

Options such as an Amex business card can offer great rewards for each spend you make and you can even redeem your points for travel at Webjet, Travelscene, American Express and Harvey World Travel. You also have the option to redeem points as foreign currency for extra spending power.

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Ask if your loved one can come to further save money on a family holiday. While you may be out on business during the day there is plenty of time in the evenings to enjoy time away with those you care about. 

Leisure Travel

For those at the other end of the scale, leisure travel can be kept within a reasonable budget using a variety of tactics. Where you choose to go is highly important but so is how you choose to get there, what sort of accommodation you stay in and what you do while you’re there.

The following tips are directly aimed at those travelling for leisure, but can be applied to those organising business travel trips in some instances:

Know what you can afford to spend: this may seem an obvious point, but it is easy to get away when shopping in a foreign destination – especially when they use a different currency!

Always convert the cost of items into Australian dollars to make sure you’re getting good value for money and only buy items you really need or want. According to VisitBritain, we Aussies spent $1.5 billion in Britain in 2011 and most of this went on clothes!

Budget beforehand: with 60% of us naming holidays and travel as key motivators for saving, it’s important that we budget for all trips beforehand.

Set up a separate savings account to keep your money out of temptations way and set up a regular transfer to ensure a regular stream of money filters through to your savings. Be sure to set this at a manageable level though!

Choose your destination wisely: rather than break the bank to travel half-way across the world, why not make your dollars stretch further by sticking closer to home?

When Colin Bowman, executive general manager of marketing at FlightCentre, read the report on holiday spends in 2013 he explained that Aussies seek value when travelling. If the dollar drops then this doesn’t affect the number of people holidaying – merely where we choose to go!

Try Bali or any of the Pacific Islands for a near-by holiday destination or switch from 5-star luxury accommodation to comfortable 3- and 4-star options to save yourself a few bucks without compromising on the travel experience.

That way you get all the thrill of travelling without the high costs.

Pippa is an Aussie surfer. Her vacations take her where the waves are. She is a professional travel writer who enjoys surfing on business trips and leisure trips. She also enjoys a ice cold beer on the beach, a pool bar would be the next best thing.

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