City breaks are a great way to get away for a short period of time, soak up some new culture, and snap some local sights for your socials. Generally cheaper than a beach holiday halfway around the world, they’re the kind of breaks many of us take throughout the year. But just because they’re cheaper doesn’t necessarily make them cheap.
With even the shortest breaks to some cities, costs can add up. However, with these 5 digital hacks, you’ll learn how to best save money on your next city break. Your bank balance will be most grateful, at least until you spend money on a bunch of things you don’t need.
Go off-peak
Time isn’t always on your side, but if you plan ahead, it can be. A great way to avoid racking up a ridiculous bill is to take a city break during the off-season. Not only will you save money, but you’ll likely save yourself from long queues, busier attractions, and the ire of locals sick of the exponential tourist footfall. If you hit up many European cities around Spring or Autumn, you’ll likely get cheaper flights, cheaper accommodation, and cheaper…queues. You get it.
If you’re unsure when off-peak is per city, check sites like Skyscanner to see how prices have trended over the past 12 months. Look hard enough, and you may even find a place’s ‘cheapest month’ so you can book with certainty. As a rule, big cities tend to be busier on weekends, school holidays, and over major events like NYE. Instead, try to book midweek to avoid any price gouging.
Book in advance
As with many things in life, the early bird often catches the worm. This is also true of city breaks, so while spontaneity can be exciting, your wallet will be much less excited. Booking your travel, accommodation, and even your attractions in advance can massively lower your overall spendage, meaning you can make the most of your trip without giving your balance an anxiety attack.
Sites like Omio make it easy to compare prices of various travel options all at once, letting you quickly see the price difference between buying today and buying in advance. This is also true of both accommodation and attractions, which both offer savings if planned ahead. Airbnb’s are often significantly cheaper if booked months in advance, and many hotels offer buy now – pay on arrival deals, so you needn’t break the bank all in one go.
Buy an attraction pass
Let’s be honest: if you’re heading out on a city break, chances are you want to see the local landmarks up close and personal. But booking each local attraction at a time can add up. Thankfully, city passes exist, cramming all of a city’s best bits into one digital place, for one low price. Sites like Go City offer a couple of different passes to suit specific travelers and cover many of the planet’s biggest cities, all through your phone.
So, if you’ve never been to the Big Apple and want to see Lady Liberty up close, grab a New York city pass and tick off some of your bucket list attractions. Or, if you’ve never been to England’s capital, grab a London attraction pass and save while you sightsee!
Transport cards
Transport cards can be a godsend when booking a city break, ensuring you don’t rack up a gobsmacking bill while you sightsee. Many cities offer top-up travel cards, such as London’s Oyster card, so your spending stays in check. Other cities offer unlimited travel cards for specific periods, be it 24 or 48 hours, which is certainly handy when you’re only spending a weekend exploring.
You can also use apps like Citymapper to plan your trip ahead of time, and many offer offline solutions, so you needn’t worry about racking up roaming charges while you find your quarry.
Buy a bundle
And finally, you could combine all of the above tips in one place thanks to bundled bookings. Many sites like Kayak specialize in package deals, so you can book everything in one go and grab some great savings.
If you’re a fastidious planner and want everything mapped out months ahead, one of these bundles is a godsend.
And those were 5 digital hacks to save money on your next city break!