How To Budget Travel During A Peak Travel Season

Travelling during the peak season? Read these budget travel tips and save $$$

Last month while returning from my solo bike journey to Spiti Valley, I decided to spend a few nights in the town of Vashisht, near Manali, in Himachal Pradesh. Looking for a guest house, I went to my usual place, where I had stayed for at least a dozen times before. I liked its peaceful ambience and the location which allowed me to sit at the top of the village, overlooking the mountains down below. But as I enquired about the price for a room, out of courtesy, despite being very much familiar to it, I went a little flabbergasted.
“No, just one bedroom” I repeated with all innocence, before the caretaker repeated, twice, the exact same figure.
“It’s 1,200 Rupees a night, sir”.
The same room which I had earlier – about 3 months ago I think – rented for about 400 Rupees a night, was now available for a whopping 1,200 Rupees.
Then I saw a group of teenagers, seemingly from New Delhi, and I realised that this is the time of the year when Vashisth gets its maximum number of tourists.
The month of June. The Peak tourist season. Prices had to go up!

We often fell prey to Peak Travel Season Rates – a golden period when tourist businesses make most of the profit. And innocent tourists/travellers bleed money because there is no choice.

So let’s discuss today how to budget travel during peak travel season and save ourselves some $$$.

Budget Travelling During Peak Season

I generally tend to travel places during off-seasons. This is when things are cheaper, and availability is not a question. Still, if I somehow end up at a place which is entertaining a lot of tourists, I use the following tricks to keep my costs low:

Find A Travel Buddy

Travelling with someone is a great way to keep travel costs low. Having a partner means you will be sharing the cost of accommodation, as well as of private taxis. Except for food, everything becomes at least half the original price. Every time I travel somewhere, which I think can be expensive, I try to travel with someone and not alone.

Look For A Hostel/Dormitory

Accommodation consumes most of our travel budget. And in peak tourist season, private rooms become simply unaffordable. During such times, look for a hostel, or a dormitory. They are popular among budget travellers. You can find a bed in a hostel pretty much anywhere in Asia, for under 500 Rupees a night. In Europe, they cost slightly more but consider paying around 1000 Rupees in countries like France. An average hostel room accommodates between 4 to10 individuals.

In addition to being cheap, hostels provide a highly social atmosphere. If you ever wondered how solo travellers keep travelling for months, and not get bored – this is how. We stay in hostels and meet new and interesting people every day.

Staying in a hostel is the best way to budget travel during the peak travel season.

Try Volunteering

Where people often consider volunteering as something that teaches them a new skill, it can be well used to make your travels cheaper, and not be affected by a peak tourist season. Volunteering often includes tasks like teaching English or working on farms and gives you free food and a free stay in return.

There is a completely well-identified trail of travellers who travel around the world volunteering. Connect with other people to find a suitable work/travel location for you. Use the website called Workaway and you can find free travel almost in any part of the world.

Read about my volunteer experience in Australia

Make Friends With Local People

Local people are an excellent source of information on the best places to go, to avoid a potential on-season loot. Every time I land in an alien town (inside India or abroad) I try to get suggestions from the local restaurant staff or a cab driver. They are the living encyclopedia of their town and are always full of options for a confused backpacker.

Taking the time to make friends with locals, in a bar, or a café to get travel suggestions never goes in vain. It will certainly give you ideas on how to budget travel during the peak travel season.

Stay In A Homestay

The very idea of running a homestay is building trust between the host and the party. Unlike guest houses, a homestay is very less likely to take advantage of high tourist seasons. So look for a homestay around you and rest assured, you won’t get ripped off. Though homestays ideally charge a little extra than a Guest House, they cover most of your meals. They are also a great way to meet local people and gain insight into their lives.

Further Reading: Dealing With The Dilemma of Money And Travel

If you have more tips on How To Budget Travel During A Peak Travel Season, please share them in the comments below.