6 Ways to Save on Travel in 2026

Perhaps it’s a café in Rio, the morning light slanting through the windows as you sip a coffee that cost a little less than a dollar and tastes a lot better than the $10 ventis you buy at home. Perhaps it’s the look on your children's faces when they see the ocean for the first time or the mountains or a city they only knew from picture books. 
 
 These moments are already vivid in your imagination; they came easy, probably while you were daydreaming at work. But turning that vision into reality requires planning, flexibility, and most importantly, a budget.

This blog can help you with the last part, so you spend more on the experiences that matter and less on the inconveniences that get in the way. 

1. Accommodations: Your Biggest Opportunity to Save

Of all the expenses that stand between you and your dream vacation, none looms larger than the question of where you’ll lay your head at night. 

The hotel bill usually eats at least half of a well-planned travel budget. But we have three ways to save on where you’ll stay.

Join hotel rewards programs to unlock member-only rates, room upgrades, and perks like free breakfasts and late checkouts. Most programs cost nothing to join, and even a single trip can earn enough points for a free night on your next vacation. Some chains like Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and IHG Rewards offer benefits just for signing up.

Traveling with a group? Split the cost of an Airbnb or Vrbo rental. A three-bedroom condo that costs $300 per night becomes $100 per room when you share. As an added bonus, you (usually) get a kitchen, a laundry room, and other benefits that can compound your savings.

Traveling abroad? Research the hostels in your destination city. Yes, you’ll be staying with young people, but the vast majority of modern hostels offer clean, safe accommodations at a fraction of what it costs to stay at a hotel. In 2026, visitors in European hostels can expect to pay $20-$40 per night instead of $150-$200. 

Some offer private rooms for those traveling with family or looking for privacy while still saving money. 

A great place to start is Hostelling International which operates quality hostels in over 60 countries including Canada and the U.S.

2. Transportation: Flexibility Saves

On a big trip, your plane ticket is usually the second largest expense, but it’s also a budget item where planning and flexibility pay off. Here are four ways to save big on transportation.

Take a multi-leg flight: Yes, adding a layover or two extends your travel time, but it can significantly slash the price you pay. A direct flight from Houston to Barcelona might cost $1,100, while the same trip with a connection in New York or Miami could take the cost down to $700.

Use comparison tools like Google Flights, Kayak, or Skyscanner to automatically compare direct and connecting options. These services show you the difference in prices side-by-side, making it easy to calculate whether or not a layover is worth the savings. Google Flights also lets you sort results by "cheapest," showing you multi-leg options you might not have considered.

Stay flexible with your travel dates. The platforms mentioned above also show price calendars that reveal the cheapest days to fly. You will quickly find, as you experiment with departure days, that Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are consistently cheaper than weekend flights. Also, try to book your flight 76 days in advance. According to most travel experts, that's the sweet spot for early-bird rates and last-minute pricing

Depart from alternate airports near your home city. If you—like most of our members—live in Houston, TX, comparing flights from Bush Intercontinental, Hobby, or even Austin could reveal significant price differences. A one-hour drive to Austin might save you hundreds on a flight.

Consider trains and buses for shorter distances. Amtrak offers affordable routes across the U.S., while FlixBus and Megabus provide budget-friendly travel between major cities. In Europe, trains through Eurail or individual country rail systems can be significantly cheaper than flying, especially when you factor in baggage fees and airport transfers.

3. Food: Eat Well Without Eating Your Budget

Most of the restaurant bills you pick up on vacation will seem reasonable: $10 for breakfast, $15 for lunch, $20 for dinner. But if you eat out three times a day, seven days a week, those reasonable bills will compound into something unreasonable. 

Here are three ways to bring your food budget down to earth.

Pack snacks and simple meals like sandwiches, energy bars, trail mix, even protein powder to stay fueled on the road. A $20 grocery run at the start of your trip can save you $100+ in airport and convenience store purchases.

Shop at local grocers instead of hotel gift shops or gas stations. This applies to everything: snacks, breakfast items, even wine for your hotel room.

"But how do I find out where the locals shop?" A classic piece of advice is to learn the names of the local grocery chains before you get there. In Mexico, look for Soriana, Chedraui, or Bodega Aurrera. In France, keep an eye out for Monoprix or Carrefour. In Indonesia, make a mental note of every Alfamart or Indomaret you see.

Embrace local markets and street food for authentic experiences at a fraction of restaurant prices. Some of the best meals you will ever eat come from food stalls, local bakeries, and family-run spots tourists rarely venture. Use apps like Yelp or Google Maps to find highly-rated, budget-friendly options.

Now, while we don’t want to scare you away from authentic local cuisine, this may be a good time to bring up traveler’s health insurance.

4. Travel Insurance: Protection You Hope to Never Use

Travel insurance feels like an unnecessary expense. . . until you need it. Trip cancellations, medical emergencies, lost luggage, and unexpected delays could cost you thousands, but the right insurance can downgrade those disasters to mere inconveniences.

Compare policies carefully. Basic trip cancellation coverage might cost 4-10% of your trip’s total budget, but it reimburses nonrefundable expenses if you have to cancel for covered reasons like illness, injury, or severe weather.

PRO TIP: Medical coverage is critical for international travel, as your domestic health insurance may not work abroad.

Read the fine print on what's covered and what's excluded. Pre-existing conditions, extreme sports, and certain destinations might require additional riders. 

Sites like InsureMyTrip and Squaremouth let you compare multiple policies side by side.

5. ATM Fees: Small Charges That Add Up Fast

Cash is absolutely essential when traveling abroad: tipping hotel staff, buying from those street vendors we mentioned, shopping at local markets, paying for taxis, etc. There are security risks when you carry large quantities of cash which means that—for a lot of travelers—the robber who fleeces them most is actually the ATM. 
 
 Transaction fees at free range ATMs can take $3-$5 out of your account per withdrawal. Hit the ATM four times during a week-long trip, and you paid $20 in fees just to access your own money. Here’s what you do instead.

Search for surcharge-free ATMs before you travel. Many credit unions, including First Service, participate in nationwide ATM networks like CO-OP with over 80,000 surcharge-free locations across the United States. It’s also a good idea to scout out ATMs near your destination on Google Maps sometime before you arrive.

Remember, you can download area maps in Google Maps. Watch this video to learn how.

Use your First Service Daily Cash Back Debit Card wherever you can, and earn money back on your vacation spending. As the world rapidly modernizes, more merchants are accepting debit/credit cards. 

6. Power Up with First Service

If you’re already a First Service Power Up subscriber, you have access to travel and leisure discounts on hotels, restaurants, rental cars, museums, sporting events, and more. In fact, many Power Up members find these travel discounts cover their monthly membership fee several times over on a single trip.

The Roadside Assistance feature is of particular interest to members planning road trips. Power Up includes 24/7 roadside assistance—vehicle towing, fuel delivery, battery jump-starts, lockout service, and tire changes—up to $100 per occurrence, with a maximum of two occurrences per twelve-month period. Learn more about Power Up benefits and activate your travel discounts before you book.

You've no doubt heard that famous saying of Lao Tzu’s: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Here at First Service, we believe that the first step is realistic budgeting. Not sure where to start? We have plenty of budgeting articles like this in our blog that will help you chart a path to where you want to be.