Last Minute Planning Can Be The Best Way To Travel Savings

Posted By Talon Windwalker in Guest Posts | 0 comments

—by Tracey Pedersen

When you are travelling long term you don’t always want to make long-term plans. There are so many places to go and things to see that if you start planning too far ahead and book a villa in Portugal you’ll come unstuck when you decide to visit Turkey instead! When a better offer comes along, it’s great to have an open plan so you don’t incur any costs by cancelling previous bookings.

Everyone says that airfares are cheaper the further out you book them. But that doesn’t allow for the sales that happen in between. It doesn’t allow for those last couple of seats that the airline decides to discount. And it certainly doesn’t allow you to change your plans and fly somewhere completely different on the spur of the moment.

Booking far in advance takes a lot of effort too. You need to work out exactly where you’ll be on which date, how you will transport yourself from place to place, time differences and all kinds of other tiny details. If you are able to wait until you are actually there to make forward bookings it’s a lot easier as after a few days you probably know where the bus station is, which airlines fly there regularly and any secrets about making the booking (important things like ‘this ferry has not been running for 2 months Sir – no matter what the internet tells you!’)

Which is why it can be exciting to discover a last minute section of websites like this one that offer self-catering villas in Portugal. Being able to book last minute and still get a good deal is great for when you suddenly decide to visit a particular country. Housesitting opportunities can fall through sometimes and if you’ve already booked flights you’ll need somewhere to sleep!

The Land of the Gentle often gets overshadowed by its neighbor Spain, but it’s a country that has a lot to offer. The culture is quite different from Spain as is the cuisine. Portugal has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and definitely in Europe. One of the most beautiful places to visit is the Algarve, and Lisbon should not be missed either. It’s a city that is full of surprises and may end up being one of your favorite European cities.

Booking villas in Portugal is just one example of course. There are loads of other reasons to not plan your travel so far ahead.

You’ll save on booking fees. Often you have to pay a booking fee if you book online or if you pay by credit card. If you can book in person using cash once you arrive, you can save those fees and spend them on useful things – like ice cream!

Weather disruptions can be problematic. If you are booking months out you’ll want to carry travel insurance. Earthquakes, hurricanes, volcano eruptions or even bushfire can cause complications at your planned travel destination. Having insurance is one way to combat long-term planning changes that are outside of your control.

And finally, you just might want to change your mind! Maybe today a villa in Portugal for summer seems like a great idea. But maybe next week you’ll find you’d rather spend your summer in Greece. Without long-term forward bookings you can change your mind and change your direction. Go to Greece for the summer, head back to Portugal when the temps have cooled down a bit. When you leave your options open and book last minute, the choice is yours!