Kiwis like to travel. According to Stats NZ over 3 million New Zealand residents arrived back from overseas travel in 2018.

This number has been gradually increasing over the past few years, with the number growing almost as fast as visitor arrivals.

With all this travel going on, and our genuine concern for our fellow traveller, we felt moved to share our top tips for making the trip stress free and helping that budget stretch further. We have based these tips on our recent trip to Australia, where we experienced the outcomes of a mixed bag of good, and not so good, decisions!

A great amount of pleasure can be obtained simply by people watching.

FLIGHTS

Booking a flight these days can almost feel like playing the pokeys. The price of flights fluctuates to such an extent it can be confusing knowing when to book and still get a fair deal.

Airlines use a pricing system that maximises their revenue. Prices will be adjusted as the number of seats allocated to a specific fare class sell. When a fare class has sold out, the sale price for the next lot of seats will jump up. This is called ‘Airline Revenue Management’.

We found ourselves ‘up the creek without a paddle’ at the very beginning of our journey, leaving Napier. Due to a mechanical fault, our flight with JetStar was delayed by four hours. The delay would have seen us miss all our connecting flights and the shuttle bus in Cairns. 

Chat to the locals. They are the best source of knowledge. This is Mitch from Manly.

We were forced, along with a few others, into the dire situation where fast thinking was required. We hastily booked a fare on the next Air New Zealand flight to Auckland. This is where we learnt about ‘Airline Revenue Management’ the hard way. If we had been first on the phone to Air NZ we would have paid $120 per ticket.

We were last in line (never a good place to be) and paid $363 per ticket. Be aware that last minute flights have the potential to severely dent your budget before leaving the ground.

You may be lucky and get a last-minute bargain, but travel experts recommend booking early.

An affordable option to explore the city is to use the ‘Hop on Hop off’ bus tour.

If you spin that wheel and opt for a bargain fare (like we did) - last minute or a special offer - read the small print! The price may not include a baggage allowance, in-flight entertainment and meals. These may need to be added on as ‘extras’. If partner airlines are used, check who the partners are. We did not realise we were traveling with JetStar until we arrived in Napier.

Again, if partner airlines are used you may well have to re-check your bags in at every airport en route. Not much fun when you are hauling an oversized bike bag around with you.

Avoid flying peak times and days - like the plague. You will be competing with business travellers. Mid-week and off-peak times is where the cheaper flights are found.  

Be aware of your allocated baggage allowance. Airlines differ!  For example, Air New Zealand is 23kg while Qantas is 30kg. Mixing up your airlines may lead to a re-packing on the airport floor.

Your bargain fare may mean you arrive at your destination at some unearthly hour. Check before you leave there is some way of getting to your accommodation. Taxis in the middle of the night may cost as much as a flight ticket!

ACCOMMODATION

Look for on-line deals. There are some good ones and we have used them. However, be aware if the word ‘budget’ is in the description it means just that. Read the small print and don’t set your expectations too high.

You will find affordable accommodation with shared amenities - this keeps the cost low. Don’t discount accommodation based on this alone. We have had some great times in such places. The kitchen is an awesome place to meet fellow travellers where you can exchange travel tips and information about the local area. It is wise to check before your stay that the kitchen is fully equipped. 

If the word ‘budget’ is in the description – expect just that.

Be aware that often cheaper accommodation may be further away from the locations centre. If you plan to hire a car this will be fine. But, if you were going to use leg power, be realistic! You will clock up a few K’s! 

Self-catering accommodation will save you a fortune on food and in some cases laundry. Having a washing machine in the apartment is a real bonus. You save time by not looking for a launderette and you will arrive home without a case of dirty clothes.

Self-catering does mean a trip to the local supermarket, this can be a fun experience! Spend a little time planning your meals so food and money is not wasted. If you do want to spoil yourself and have a meal out, look for local deals. Many restaurants run ‘lunch specials’ that cost a fraction of the evening price. Make lunch your main meal of the day and keep it simple in the evening.

If you have gone self-catering to save money, but want to spoil yourself, look out for great lunch time deals.

We split our stay between budget accommodation and a high-end self-catering beach apartment. This worked really well. We roughed it at the beginning as we needed to be close to Cairns for a sporting event, then we shifted away from the city to a coastal village, so we could enjoy a relaxing time and recharge.

CAR HIRE 

Our budget took a pounding on this one.

There are a few things to look out for when hiring a car. Remember, the sales staff are trained to get as much out of you as they can. Be prepared for the hard sell and don’t be afraid to say “no”.

This may seem like a ‘no-brainer’ but chose the car size to fit your needs. The small cars are used in their advertising to draw you in, as these are the ‘best deals’. But you can’t squeeze of family of five and your luggage in a mini.

Car hire can be expensive. Do your homework to save money.

People often feel ripped off by the extra car insurance. This can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. There is a standard insurance that is included in the initial car hire price. This often means you will pay the first $4000 - $5000 (excess) in any accident claim. Then comes their sales pitch, they will try to sell you a policy that brings this excess down to zero. If you don’t mind paying for it!  And, that you will certainly do!

Before relenting to the sales pitch, you may find you are already covered by your own car insurance and/or credit card. We can’t stress enough that you spend some time before you leave home researching this. Get the finer details from your insurers and financial provider. This could save you bucket loads of money.

Generally, the hire companies will point out any previous damage to the car. Pay attention and make sure you agree with this. Some people take photographs. Always take the car back with a fuel tank of gas. Any extras, such as baby car seats will cost you more.

Street food is another cost-effective option.

The cost of car drop-off and pick- ups will differ dramatically depending on the location. It may save you money waiting a day, using the shuttle service from the airport and if you can, walk the car hire outlet.

Due to the cost, we only hired a car for less than half our trip. Other options, apart from getting your step count up, are to use the likes of the Hop on Hop off bus tours. We found them really good value for money. Public transport in general is another cost-effective alternative and a great way of getting to know the location.

MONEY

In most cases you will be charged fees for every transaction. We got charged foreign currency conversion fees; international service fees and ATM withdrawal fees. We also encountered pre-authorisation payments.

There are pros and cons to all your options. Your choices are; Carry cash or travellers cheques; Using your bank debit/credit card (but watch the fees); Loaded travel money cards or finding a credit card that does not charge fees.

Don’t get caught out by fees or this will disappear in front of your eyes.

After our experience, we are going to investigate credit cards that tick the following: Allows you to load up a credit balance onto it; Charges little or no fees; Has insurance to cover travel, health and rental cars. Although this sounds impossible or unbelievable, these do exist!

Despite these pitfalls we still had a great time away. However, we hope this article will help you avoid these stresses - that we all need holidays away from.

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• Lifestyle