Cheapflights.com's Essential Advice for the Frugal Traveler

Save Big by Learning the Top Budget Busting Travel Mistakes

Cheapflights.com, the online leader in publishing travel deals, is all about helping travelers discover the world on the cheap. While last-minute flights and getaways are certainly a way to save, it’s also important nowadays to plan ahead in order to avoid or minimize the extra travel costs which tend to creep up on you. Oftentimes, in the hurry of booking, packing and flying, travelers forget the pillars of travel savings – and the money pocketed on cheap airfare gets unfortunately spent on avoidable costs. So, drawing from their own experience, Cheapflights’ travel experts are here to highlight the Top Budget Busting Travel Mistakes that travelers can quite easily avoid.

Here are five of Cheapflights.com’s budget-busting travel mistakes and ways you can get around them.

• Currency gotchas - Exchange rates matter, so be sure to research the currency value of whatever country you’re traveling to before making pricey flight decisions. Destinations in Canada, Australia and pretty much anywhere in Western Europe currently boast strong currencies, so instead of Paris, try Budapest; instead of London, try Prague; and instead of Vancouver, try Hanoi. Obviously swapping Canada out for Vietnam is a bit extreme, but it pays – literally – to know that the Vietnamese Dong offers American travelers great bang for their US buck. And for pity’s sake, be smart about where you change your currency (not at the airport).
• Weather whoops - An amazing number of people don’t check the forecast before taking off on a trip. The result: they end up the lucky owners of overpriced sweatshirts, flip flops and umbrellas. While an I Heart Wichita hoodie and Minnie Mouse umbrella may serve as lasting souvenirs, they can also burn up your pocket before you even leave the hotel lobby.
• Forgotten tech toys - Tech-savvy travelers should write a checklist – whether on an iPad or pad of paper – of travel essentials. Free Wi-Fi at your local airport is useless if you’ve left your computer’s adapter plugged in at home or the office. Catalog the items you use and their accessories to guarantee chargers, batteries, earbuds and other often-forgotten gadgets make it out the front door. Otherwise, you may find yourself taking a big bite out of your budget by paying airport prices for duplicate tech toys.
• Over tipping - Compared to other countries, the United States is a tip-centric place. Do your research and learn the customary tipping habits of whatever country you’re visiting. Mexican servers expect a 10-15 percent tip for sit-down service, while in Fiji, tipping is discouraged.
• Skipping insurance - A travel emergency, whether as simple as a canceled flight or as scary as a hurricane or heart attack, can simultaneously take the fun out of a trip and leave you with a massive bill. Protect yourself against unexpected hotel and transportation costs – or uncovered doctors or hospital charges – by investing in insurance.

The next five wallet busters to avoid include over packing; phone charges; following the crowd; overlooking ground transportation and ignoring miles and points.