Wolfgang Busch

Recent research from TripAdvisor showed that London is the seventh most expensive city in the world for tourists, but that doesn’t mean that visiting on a shoestring isn’t possible. By planning carefully in advance, travellers can ensure that their trip runs smoothly and stays on budget.

It can be easy to spend more than intended upon arrival if you are not well-prepared – it’s tempting to go into the nearest restaurant when your stomach is rumbling only to discover extremely expensive items on the menu, for example, while paying for theatre tickets at the last minute can be just as costly.

By creating a schedule beforehand and paying for your travel needs in advance, you can use your time more efficiently so that you get the most out of your holiday. This also limits the amount of cash you need while there, reducing the risk of overspending.

Eating out can take a big chunk out of your finances, so it’s a good idea to carefully plan where you want to go and determine what is affordable. It’s a good idea to check out early-bird, mid-week or set menus and time your visit accordingly in order to save cash.

If you require more flexibility, you should consider the Hospitality Line ‘dine as you please’ cheque scheme. This provides you with vouchers to redeem for meal and drink combinations at a variety of prestigious and well-located restaurants - they cover a range of cuisines to suit your mood.

Buy tickets for attractions in advance and you might be able to save money and miss the queues. Look on the associated websites or purchase easy-to-redeem vouchers from specialist providers like Hospitality Line – the London Eye, the Shard and Madam Tussauds are just some of the must-visits across the English capital.

The sights of London span a huge area, so you would probably find yourself shelling out for bus, Tube and black cab rides if you arrived unprepared. However, there are a number of different ways to cut the cost of travelling around the English capital.

Carefully plan your schedule so that you visit nearby attractions and restaurants on the same day and you should be able to get around London by foot. Mark everything on a map so you can create the most efficient routes while taking in everything you want to see.

You can also buy Travelcards, which allow you to take as many trips as you like on the Tube or bus systems. This is a great option if you’re looking to pack in a lot of attractions in a short space of time – make sure you only pay for the zone and timescale you require in order to save even more money.

Cruises might conjure ideas of tuxedos and ball gowns, lobster for dinner, and exotic, far-flung destinations, but this type of break has undergone a transformation, meaning that cruises are no longer restricted to the luxury market where you’re required to have a huge budget.

More travel specialists are now offering affordable cruising options, with Cruise Kings promoting some particularly eye-catching deals, meaning that this type of break might no longer be out of reach for those looking to tighten the purse strings. Make sure you don’t rule out this option when you are looking for a fantastic holiday for less.

The destinations that a cruise liner visits will have a significant impact on the price of a trip, so thinking carefully about where to go could help you to seriously cut the cost. As a general rule, just as with flights, the further the locations, the more expensive the vacation is likely to be.

Travellers on a budget might therefore consider taking a cruise around the British Isles. This puts a luxurious and exciting slant on the traditional staycation, allowing you to visit a range of interesting locations and top attractions without the need to tackle the traffic on congested roads.

Cruising around the British Isles is a fantastic option for local families with young children, eliminating much of the stress associated with air travel and preventing the restlessness that families can experience when staying in one place for too long.

Holidaymakers wishing to travel further afield should consider western Europe – this is usually cheaper than going to the likes of the Caribbean, yet still allows you to immerse yourself in a range of different cultures and new experiences. You can still enjoy great weather too.

An obvious way to cut the cost of a cruise is to make the trip shorter, and one of the best solutions is a mini cruise. Usually three or four days long, these holidays allow you to visit exciting destinations and give you a welcome respite from everyday life, much akin to a city break.

Mini cruises enable you to enjoy everything about a cruising experience – from looking out of your cabin porthole at the glistening sea to staying comfortable and relaxed while travelling to the next destination – at a much lower cost, and give a great taster of this kind of holiday to novices.

A great way to save money on a cruise is to book at the last minute – although this means you might not get the exact package you were wishing for, it does mean you can save huge sums on a trip that would have otherwise been out of your budget.

Of course, the opposite is also true – booking your holiday far in advance means you may be eligible for early bird discounts, so if you’re planning a trip in 2014, it’s a good idea to start searching now. Go outside of peak periods – such as school holidays – to secure the best prices.

Photo via Flickr Creative Commons