Why Should You Stay Put In Your Local Areas?

Copyright 2006 John Navata

Due to the high costs involved, most people don't travel nearly as much as they would like to. Unless you are well off, chances are that traveling is something you only do a handful of times in your life, and there is therefore a tendency to try and get as much out of the experience as possible. There is, of course, nothing wrong with this idea, but a slight shift in your priorities can save you a lot of money, and once you learn some discount travel techniques you will be able to travel not only more often but in more interesting ways.

Because most people travel rarely, they naturally want to see as much as they possibly can in a foreign country. What happens when you do this though, is that you end up traveling quite a lot when you are in the country - traveling when you are traveling, as it were - which makes your trip much more expensive. No matter where you are, bus tickets, train fares and car rentals are always going to be relatively expensive. One of the best things you can do to lower your trips cost's is to stay put for awhile, and explore areas around your location more closely.

If you're willing to stay put, many discount travel opportunities will become available. For one, you can rent an apartment in a city for a short term, which will cost less than even the cheapest of hotels. Also, by getting to know a place you'll learn where the bargains can be found: where the cheap places to eat are, where the cheap entertainment is. Not only that, but you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself more deeply in the culture - you'll be able to get a sense of what it is like to live in this place.

Although it's natural to want to see lots of things, many people come up with traveling itineraries that put them constantly on buses and trains and never staying in the same place for more than a few days. They get off a bus, spend a long, tiring day doing touristy things, and then sleep in a cheap hotel only to get on another train the next morning. While you'll no doubt get to see lots of things if you choose to travel like this, it certainly won't be cheap.

When planning your itinerary think of the difference between seeing things and experiencing things. You will no doubt see lots of sights if you choose to constantly tour around, but are you going to really get a sense of the country? If you choose instead to rent an apartment and stay put for awhile, you'll find out what many discount travelers already know: that immersing yourself in a culture can not only be a more valuable experience, but it will end up costing you much less. You'll get to explore areas around your base more closely, and let your curiosity guide you: a local may turn you onto an interesting spot you never would have considered when planning your itinerary back home.

In this way staying put is not only a great way to make your trip more enjoyable, but one of the best discount travel strategies there is.