We like to think we’re savvy travellers. And by savvy, we mean we’ll jump through just about any hoop to get £20 off a hotel. Even if we spend that saving five minutes later on a spicy margarita at a rooftop bar. (Look, the girl math, maths. Let us live.) But in all seriousness, we’re really good at saving waaaaay more than £20 when booking our trips.
Whether you’re budget-conscious or just want more wiggle room to splurge on the fun stuff, here are the top ways we save money while travelling …and how you can too!
Hotel Booking Website Accounts
Hotels.com
Hotels.com is our absolute go-to. Depending on where you are in the world, you can either collect stamps or actual cashback-style rewards for every stay you book.
Book 10 nights = get 1 free. Easy as that. And once? We stayed in a 5-star hotel in Melbourne for a weekend for £5. No joke. This is the kind of chaos we’re here for.
Bonus: Hotels.com is part of the Expedia Group, so any car hire, packages, or other bookings through them can sometimes contribute to rewards too.
Booking.com & Others
We always shop around. ALWAYS. It’s genuinely wild how much prices can vary between platforms like Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, and the direct hotel website.
Top Tip: If the price difference is small, the rewards from Hotels.com might be worth more in the long run. But if Booking.com has a better deal and you’re a Genius member? You’ll likely get perks like free breakfast or room upgrades.
Moral of the story: always compare, always log in, and always check the direct price too.
$24, paid for by TopCashback xx
Cashback Websites
TopCashback
TopCashback is like free money. Honestly. We know, it sounds like a scam, but it’s not. We swear.
If you’re booking anything online — hotels, flights, car hire, travel insurance, the lot — do it through TopCashback. Just search for the website you’re using, click through their link, and book like normal. Done. We use it every time we buy anything.
And if you use our referral link, you’ll even get a little welcome bonus to start you off. You’re literally being paid to book your trip. Win-win.
Credit Card Points
Okay, here’s where we say: this is not financial advice. Seriously. Credit cards are useful only if you’re sensible. Don’t spend what you can’t afford, that’s not cool, guys. Promise? Good.
That said, if you already have a credit card, it’s worth checking if it offers travel points, miles, or cashback. Some cards let you collect airline points or hotel loyalty points every time you spend — and they can add up quicker than you’d think. We’ve used points to upgrade flights before and it felt very fancy.
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to be mega-rich to travel well — you just have to be clever about it. And if being clever means signing up for a few loyalty schemes and clicking a different link before you book? We’re in.
Got your own money-saving travel hacks? Share them with us — we’re always down to learn something new (especially if it means more cocktails for less cash. Cheers.).
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