Luckily, new options usually open up to facilitate budget travel as older options become more expensive. The current trend of short term apartment rental is a great example of this. We can logically see how a short term rental can reduce the overall cost of a vacation, you will have access to a fully equipped kitchen so you will be able to save some money by eating at home when you feel like it. Simple things that can really add up such as making a cup of coffee instead of purchasing it from a hotel cafe, can represent a major saving and leave you more spending money to enjoy your holiday. There are some other great benefits of taking up a short term apartment rental for use as holiday accommodation, not just cost benefits, but comfort and convenience benefits as well.

Consider the fact that you will have a home away from home, somewhere that is comfortable, secure and private. You are free to relax in the knowledge that you are completely in control of your accommodation. No cleaning maids will be knocking on the door, you won’t have to share access through a communal lobby, you won’t need to hang up a do not disturb sign if you want to sleep in.

Also consider the fact that many available apartments are situated in central areas, whilst budget hotels tend to be built on the edges of major holiday areas, you will save on transport costs and save time by being right in the centre of the action.

It is possible to find short term budget rentals in almost every major city around the globe. Next time you are planning  budget travel tip, why not spend some time investigating this option?

Currently I am residing in Thailand, and I am really spoiled for choice here, so much so that it is quite difficult to highlight a single food to think of as the local fast food. If I had to choose, I think it would have to be Kwai Tiew (noodle soup), which is available everywhere from street stalls and small Thai kitchens. It comes in a variety types, and can contain chicken, pork or simply vegetables. The dish is served straight from a cooking vat and you then add chili, sugar and vinegar to your own taste. The greatest challenge is eating the soup with chopsticks in your right hand and a spoon in your left, quite difficult until you get used to it, It is a cheap and tasty dish, excellent for breakfast or lunch.

I am going to be tracking down local dishes such as Falafel and Kwai Tiew for as many countries I can over the next few weeks, and I will present my findings here. If you have travelled to a country, and have already identified the local style of fast food, please leave a comment below, and I will research the food you recommend and post a blog article about it.

As a place to stay for the budget traveller, the price is surely pleasing. A basic fan room costs only 350 Baht per person per night, an air conditioned room is only 100 Baht more, at 450 Baht per person per night. This is an excellent price for Bangkok.

The facilities here are first rate, a small swimming pool takes up part of the restaurant area, open from early morning until late at night. The restaurant serves a mixture of western dishes and tasty Thai food. Prices for food and drink here are also quite reasonable, especially if you stick to the Thai food.

There are laundry machines that can be used for free, just bring your own detergent, and the TV room has a large selection of DVDs which are also free to watch. There is even a free gym, outfitted with a variety of equipment. Access to such a large selection of free amenities make this place incredibly good value.

The rooms are clean, although all have a shared bathroom, they could do with a coat of paint but that’s not to say they are dirty, just a little run down. The bathrooms are cleaned several times a day and are kept spotless. Every room has a balcony of it’s own, very useful for smokers as there is a no smoking policy in place within the rooms. Security is good, as each door is fitted with brackets for visitors to use their own padlock, along with the standard room lock.

What really makes the Asha Guesthouse a special place to stay when visiting Bangkok, especially for budget travellers and backpackers, is the huge amount of advice the staff and owners hold in their heads about Bangkok and Thailand in general. You can throw your guidebook away when you stay here, you wont need it.

So, to sum up, the Asha Guesthouse is a great budget travel choice if you are visiting Bangkok. It is in the neighbourhood of Saphon Kwai, and is only a few minutes walk from the closes Skytrain station, making access to all of the attractions of Bangkok quick, cheap and easy.

A great example would be visiting Paris from London, this is a very short and cheap flight, which means that time in the destination city is maximised and cost is kept to a minimum. If you have never visited Paris before, there will be plenty to see and do, certainly enough to keep you entertained for three or four days.

Most people will be booking their city break on-line, and booking fairly late, this is one of the best things about this kind of trip, you can decide to take off on short notice, it will require far less planning than a traditional vacation. Before booking, do some investigation, although there are many tour companies who are more than happy to book your trip for you, it can often be cheaper to match up a budget airline, with cut price accommodation found on-line.

If you want to get the best from your short trip, pack light. If you are only going to be away from home a  few days, there is no need for a whole suitcase full of clothing and accessories. Try and find a bag that is large enough to carry all of the basic requirements, yet small enough to be taken on-board a plane as carry-on luggage. If you have never travelled this way before, you will be enlightened by how much easier it is to travel when you do not have to worry about your luggage. Remember that some airlines now have strict limitations upon quantities and types of liquid and cosmetics that can be taken on-board as hand luggage. Where possible, try to take small travel sized products and be prepared to have the confiscated.

A city break is a great way to taste the culture of surrounding areas, without the cost of a full vacation, if you don’t like travelling abroad, why not try visiting one of the cities in your own nation? This can be just as much fun, and comes without the possible problems associated with overseas travel.

Top of the list of free things to do and see in London, must be the British Museum which has been entertaining  crowds for decades, completely free of charge. It certainly houses some amazing exhibits, such as the Magna Carta and the Rosetta Stone. It also carries specialist displays and organises themed exhibitions throughout the year, check the website for more information of what is currently going on within this incredible establishment.Over the years it has housed some of the most successful exhibitions ever seen in a museum anywhere, such as the famous Egyptian event during the 1980s, of which the crowning highlight was the sarcophagus of Tutankhamen, I had the pleasure of visiting this exhibition myself and I was completely dumbfounded by what I saw. I have visited the British Museum many times since then, and find new things to excite me each time.

Following close on the heels of the British Museum in the amazing place that you can visit for free category, just has to be the Tate Modern Gallery which is international renowned as a major contemporary art gallery. It displays a wide selection of modern art and photography exhibits, with many exhibitions each year, highlighting specific artists and genres. This is one of those places you just have to see when visiting London, it really is astounding that an establishment of this quality is willing to open it’s doors for free. Maybe not the perfect venue for families, the Tate Modern is far less interactive than the British Museum, but for those who have even a passing interest in art and photography, the Tate Modern is an excellent way to spend and afternoon or evening in London. Make sure to check their website before you visit, to find out what special events are running.

There are many more free or inexpensive attractions to be found in London, but we feel the two mentioned above were worthy of special attention, due to the high level of quality they offer. If you are visiting London, England, on a budget, then these two places should be top of your list of venues you are going to take in whilst there.

Below are five tips, designed to help you keep the cost down when visiting Thailand, these are far from the entire story when considering Thailand as a budget travel destination, but they are a good starting point.

1. Stay away from the tourist areas, these areas include Koh Samui, Phuket, Pattaya, Krabi, Hua Hin and  Bangkok. Don’t be afraid to find somewhere off the beaten track for your visit, the Thai people are friendly and they find the language barrier fun. Why not try somewhere like Prachuap Khiri Khan? Which is a Thai holiday town, complete with stunning beaches, all at a fraction of the cost of westerner holiday areas.

2. Eat where the Thai’s eat. So many westerners visit Thailand and eat only western food, this is expensive and it also means you are missing out on one of the highlights of any visit to Thailand, namely the food. Night markets and street stalls offer incredibly good value and tasty food. Restaurants that sell a mixture of traditional western dishes and Thai food will seldom excel at either, and will usually be more expensive. For good Thai food, follow your nose, most of it is cooked in the open air and served on plastic tables.

3. Sleep where the Thai’s sleep. Avoid obviously western biased hotels and resorts. There are many old Chinese hotels in Thailand, these offer incredible value, with TV, fridge, air conditioning and hot water for as little as $10 per night.

4. Fly everywhere that you can, budget air fares are incredibly low in Thailand, why use the bus or train when you can take a plane flight for less and save your valuable time? Often domestic air fares are significantly lower than both bus and train tickets. For those who would rather travel by land, consider the overnight sleeper trains, excellent value as they save the cost of a night in a hotel or hostel.

5. Arrange travel insurance before you arrive. Just in case things go bad, travel insurance will make sure any medical or hospital bills are paid for, remember health care is not free in Thailand, even for the Thai’s.

So there we have it, five ways to keep the cost of your visit to Thailand down to a minimum. Thailand is an amazing place to visit, and it is still very possible to see much of it on a thin budget.

Just where is Prachuap Khiri Khan anyway?

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