Settin Up a Travel Budget

2/20/200912:49:26 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

People ask me all the time, HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

Here are some steps for setting up a travel Budget.

1)Once you settle on a destination, ask yourself what you're really expecting to get out of your vacation. Do you want to lie on a beach all day or is this your first trip to Europe and you want to see 10 countries in nine days? These goals come with very different monetary implications.

2)Separate your budget into four categories; transportation, lodging, food and entertainment/activities.

3)When considering transportation, don't forget cost of buses, taxis, subways or train passes.

4)Experts generally say lodging accounts for one-third of total travel expenses. When planning your lodging budget, ask yourself what's best for your family - hotel versus condo, for instance. Don't forget to consider suites and connecting rooms.

5)When it comes to food choose to save money by shopping at local markets so you can make your own breakfast and lunches. It's cheaper and also more fun to see how the locals do it.

6)Separate activities into "must-do", "would like to do" and "only if I find a bag of cash". Go online and research the costs of must-dos and budget the money before you go research free activities as well and bring a list of those with you.

7)Be flexible. Stuff happens, and ultimately you can't leta few bumps in the road ruin quality time spent with loved ones.

A poll was done on this:

50% say they always set up a budget when planning a family vacation

28% say they never use a travel budget

21% say that they sometimes set up a budget when planning a family vacation.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER TO USE AN EXPERIENCED TRAVEL AGENT!