Low cost travel is possible if you know some "tricks" to avoid some common pitfalls. Every region in fact has a dual nature, the one reserved for the tourist and the one for the residents. It is common, in fact, that the so-called "tourist" area has costs slightly above the area where the local inhabitants live and work and learning to identify and use this area obviously helps. In addition, try to avoid any urgent situations. When you find yourself in an urgent situation you are forced to pay the price that is being proposed. When your need is not urgent you can procrastinate and look for a better solution.
Finally, it is always good to remember that often low cost and quality do not go hand in hand, and those who spend more obviously benefit from more services and facilities.
1) Choose the cheapest period.
Those who can, might try going on holiday in the middle and the low season. First, because prices fall significantly. Secondly because, during the high season, the resort is literally besieged by floods of people which makes and small action almost impossible and stressful, from buying a bottle of water to taking a ferry. In the end you wind up paying more to have a bad holiday. Even the use of natural resources is much less intensive in low and mid season thus rendering them more beautiful and picturesque. In my opinion, the best time to visit the province of Trapani is June and September when tourism is low and you are able to enjoy the experience stress free.
2) The low-cost flight.
Today there are several low cost airlines which fly to the Italian airports. We will focus on Ryanair flying to Trapani and to palermo but the same goes with all airlines. Avoid booking the last minute! This is the main rule. Another trick that in the past has saved me hundreds of Euros in tickets is to constantly monitor the website and make predictions for multiple airports on different days. After dozens of controls, in dozens of different days, the magic phrase "3 seats available at this rate," appears and you book.
In the case of San Vito lo Capo, for example, it does not matter that much if you take direct flights to Trapani or Palermo because the distance is more or less the same. And also if you want to go to Favignana or Trapani, the difference is about 80 kilometres, if you manage to save even a hundred Euros, it is still worth it.
Luckily for me, given the work I do, I can afford to keep an eye on the weekend deals of 14 and 19 euros, even outside the standard holiday periods and this has allowed me to travel very often giving me several weekends away spending less than 50 EUR per person on the flight.
3) Renting a car. Yes or no?
It depends if you need to move around a lot or not. If you need to rent a car, there are online services that allow you to compare all the prices and choose the cheapest. One of these, for example, is Rentalcars that allows, precisely to be able to view the rates for all types of car. Always check the reviews to avoid disappointment and penalties added without your knowledge. Normally, an untrustworthy car rental company is the untrustworthy with many customers and reading the reviews will help you save money. If you do not wish to rent a car but prefer to rely on public transport, you can do a quick calculation of how many times you will use the form of transport and, if it becomes cost-effective, you might like to evaluate the possibility of a subscription by checking on the website of the operator if it is possible.
4) Save money on accommodation.
Booking now has become the primary means for online bookings. Not everyone knows, however, that it requires a booking fee that ranges between 15% and 20%, which of course is included in the advertised price. In this case, the advice is to check on booking and then contact the hotel directly stating the price that you have found on booking and asking for a possible discount on that price. The manager will be happy to earn more and in this way you will save money. Local portals, such as hotel-trapani.com, which do not apply commissions, are a good vehicle for booking as they do not affect the final price. Also in this case, always read the reviews. If 20 people say that the bathroom is flooded, rest assured that your bathroom will flood, creating more hardships which will not be worth the Euros that you have saved.
Again, monitoring the websites of accommodation facilities for some time can be a source of savings. Many sites, in fact, have a special offers and last minute section which often varies. Putting 5 or 6 local accommodation facilities among your favourites and monitoring their offers section regularly can allow you to save money if you book at the right moment.
5) Save money on food.
Almost all the accommodation facilities now offer breakfast included in the price. One way to save is to eat a hearty breakfast so as to be able to eat a light lunch such as a sandwich and then eat a good dinner later in the evening. Check the reviews to see if the breakfasts are plentiful, even better if they offer continental breakfast (eggs, bacon, cheese, sausage, etc.). If you want to use this "trick", avoid accommodation facilities that serve only packaged briosce.
Another way to save may be to rent an apartment with a kitchen and provide for yourself at your own expense. Again, avoid the small shops and use the supermarkets that cannot differentiate their prices between tourists and non-tourists. If you stay several days in one place, check several supermarkets to see which is cheaper and better stocked.
If you prefer to go to some bars or restaurants, first take a look at 4-5 establishments, examining the menu displayed outside. Never accept the "unseen" recommendation of the waiter but always choose from the menu, checking the price first. A few days ago, some foreigners in Rome who paid 43 euro for 3 ice creams hit the news. Check the price, even if you buy an ice cream, even if you buy a bottle of water and if the price does not convince you, say goodbye politely and leave. Consider ordering a tourist menu instead of the ā la carte menu. This will save you a lot whilst enjoying a plentiful meal. Consider that the restaurant does not care if you how much food remains on your plate once you have paid for it. The tourist menu is designed to sell you a fair amount of food at an affordable price for both. The ā la carte instead aims to sell abundant food portions and therefore is more expensive. It is not unusual in fact be in the situation where a starter + one course costs more than a tourist menu which has definitely smaller portions but with more courses.
6) Trust your host.
This is the main rule. The owner of the accommodation facility is, in 90% of cases, from the area and knows it well. In addition, he doesnīt want to lose face or receive negative reviews and comments which is what he knows will happen if he sends you to be ripped off in one of his friendīs establishments. So trust him. Rest assured that if sends you to eat at a friendīs establishment, this will be good thing because the friend will treat him and by extension you well. In addition, the manager of the facility has listened to the complaints of dozens of tourists who, before you, have suffered "rip-offs" and therefore he knows all the places to avoid in the area and has no interest in sending you into the lionīs den. Look for confirmation of his advice with the locals, with the bartender where you are having coffee, with the guide of the museum you are visiting. If they confirm the his suggestions, trust him and you will enjoy a nice holiday. If you are disappointed you can always give him a bad review on social networking and accommodation review sites :)
7) Never choose the first offer.
This is a basic rule for any investor. Never accept the first quote that you are offered. It will take you 10 minutes to check out other offers from other companies and if you think a price is inflated ... it probably is. Do not be afraid to say "Perfect! Weīll think about it and then come back" and leave the establishment. Check another store or establishment to see if the price is similar. When you establish that that particular service in the city you are staying in costs more or less the price quoted, then buy it.
8) The islands are expensive
They are beautiful and fascinating, but once there, you have to comply with their prices. Take what you can from the mainland to the islands because normally the prices are higher and, entering the "field of urgency", you will have to pay full price or do without. Drinks, sunscreen, hats. Possibly even sandwiches for lunch. Another problem is that there is little choice on the islands. There are not many shops and so this further influences the prices.
9) The farther away from the "top" towns you go the more the prices fall.
This means that, sleeping in Trapani costs about half as much sleeping in San Vito lo Capo or Favignana. Sleeping in Marsala costs even less. Obviously this implies the need to move. So you need to calculate the transfer costs and add them together to the cost of your stay. If the result is convenient, it may be an idea to not stay right in front of the beach, but in an accommodation facility more inland/within the city and spend that money, for example, on a day-trip or a nice dinner in a restaurant.
Happy holidays and as we say in our country ...īSSABBINIRICA!
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