Budgeting for a vacation can be challenging. There’s the cost of the final itinerary. Then there are all extras that aren’t always accounted for. Today, we discuss how to truly understand the true cost of your vacations.
Understanding the True Cost of a Your Vacations
“Vacationers need to understand the importance of added costs to trips. Things like vacation protection, transportation, and excursions.”
– Rick
Tipping
- Very subjective and depends on policies at the resort
- $2-5 per bag
- Housekeeping ($5 a day or a total at the end)
- Concierge depends on what service they provide
- Room service is several dollars
- Tour provider 10-20%
- Driver on the app or 10-15%
Food & Drinks
- Very subjective (hard to nail down costs)
- Plan ahead for a special meal
- Find accommodations that include breakfast
- Food tour?
- It’s very easy to forget the “check out cost” when eating/drinking
Travel Protection
- We’ve said it enough…this is worth the cost
- 5-10% of trip costs (depending on variables)
Transfers/Transportation
- Depends on destination
- I would suggest not using public transportation between airport and hotel
- Private transportation for group/safety/peace of mind?
- Often private vs shared is not that much more
Plan ahead of time in order to budget (don’t wait until clearing baggage claim)
Excursions/Tours
- Time vs Money vs Stress
- Some destinations lend themselves to DIY and some don’t
- You don’t want to regret it in order to save some money
- Plan ahead of time in order to budget
- Choose those one or two “must dos”
Shopping
- Very subjective
- Again, plan out that “must have” item (destination-specific)
- Buy it when you find it
Contingency Funds
Have some backup funds available in the form of both cards and cash.
Do You Love to Travel?
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