Even with a small budget, you can still travel, see the world and have fun at the same time. A small wallet doesn’t mean you should give up dreams of an awesome vacation. Your best bet is to prepare a trip in advance. Here are our Top Tips for keeping your Baltic trip in the budget:
6 Tips for Budget Travel in the Baltics
1. Buy your groceries from a local supermarket
Cook your meal in your hotel’s kitchen if they have one. Nine times out of ten, the cost of a meal prepared at home is cheaper than eating outside. If you love to cook, you can grab tasty food and drinks in the large supermarkets Maxima, Iki, Rimi or Lidl. If you want more variety and a traditional experience, head to the local market. The biggest markets are in Vilnius, be sure to check out Halės, Kalvarijų, or Šeškinės markets. In Kaunas you can visit the Stoties and Šilainių markets, and in Klaipeda, Naujasis, Senasis, and Tilžės markets.
2. Don’t forget the exchange rate!
You’ll always get the best rate at your destination from the ATM. Foreign exchange centers and airports usually have pretty bad exchange rates. The official currency of the Baltic States is the Euro. Find the nearest ATM using an online ATM locator.
3. Ask your Bank
Make sure you alert your bank and credit card companies before you travel abroad. Let them know when and where you’re headed to avoid a credit freeze for suspicious activity. Ask them about foreign transaction fees. Those percentages can rack up a lot of charges in fees. Look into getting a card with no foreign transaction fees before you go.
4. Don’t wait until the last minute to do your research.
Read up on fabulous restaurants and attractions before you go. Add them to your map and you’re ready to go. This can save valuable time on the ground!
5. Don’t have a roaming sim card?
If you don’t have a roaming sim card, don’t forget to download offline versions of your travel apps. It will save you a lot of money, as data roaming is very expensive.
6. Book your travel arrangements and tour guides online.
The Internet has made it much easier to plan your trips. You can buy airline, train or bus tickets, book lodging or rent a car. Most importantly, it’s easy to compare prices. In some countries, you can travel much more cheaply with a tour operator. This rule applies to the most popular destinations of Lithuania, as tour operators, ordering tourism services, have a strong bargaining power and receive significantly better prices.
That’s all we have for now! We’ve kept it pretty general – for more specific advice, shoot us an email to our travel specialists. We can plan your tour tailored to your preferences and budget.
