Traveling in Times of Crisis

Travel Guides (Photo credit: Vanessa (EY))

During the period of financial crisis traveling is not easy and that is not good for many countries in which the tourism sector, is one of the most important. People still want to travel but are more reluctant to do so because of the current crisis hitting Europe in general and more particularly countries like Portugal, Italy and of course Spain. Of course this crisis causes problems to all over the world or it will in the near future.

Due to the current situation there have been many questions tourists have made, such as whether to save rather than traveling or is it better not to travel at all as this usually involves excessive spending on many occasions.

There are many deals on offer in travel agencies and wrapped packages made to consume, but this is not to everyone's liking, since more and more tourists like to choose what type of accommodation, flights, dates or days will travel. So there have been many alternatives to travel in order to save more. One could point out a way to move between neighboring countries or within the same country, for those who like to travel by car but not wishing to have the option to share car. This medium is unknown for many but very effective and very safe also, you pay a price per trip, depending on the length of it and there is no concern.

For trips where the destination is not so close, we all know the famous company Ryanair which is cheap and with a multitude of destinations. Make you sure you have an international travel insurance that covers all your needs and pocket. What is left to do is choosing accommodation and for that there are many deals if you are looking for an alternative to standard hotels and usually the price does not reference quality. To find a property to the desired extent you can do your research online where you can find different types of accommodation such as a room in a shared flat, an apartment or an entire house, as well as Bed and Breakfast, hotel-like accommodation with basic facilities for sleeping and breakfast.

With all the alternative media that exist today is hard to resist making a vacation or a trip without having to spend a large portion of the payroll. Thanks to these new ideas materialized in companies, we can save enjoying the pleasure of traveling.

Four Ways to Save Your Business Money on Travel Costs

Looking for ways to save your business money on travel? If you’re self-employed or a small business owner, then paying attention to your operational costs can make all the difference. Travel really is an area where gains can rapidly be made and money saved, so follow our advice for simple ways to shave the pounds off your expenses.

Buy train tickets in advance

If you regularly travel by train, then it makes sense to get to grips with one of the various price comparison and advance booking websites. Buy on the day and you will pay through the nose, particularly if you are traveling during rush hour and on busy routes. However, if you can book your ticket even just a few days in advance, you will save a great deal of money. Look out for extra ways to shave the cost of your train ticket, for example by purchasing two singles where these are cheaper than buying a return – most ticket websites will highlight when this is the case. Try to travel away from commuting hours and be flexible about your route. Consider too buying a travel card for repeat journeys, to save you further money.

Manage your team’s fuel consumption

If you have a team who work on the road, then fuel cards are well worth the investment. These handy cards allow you to save money on your fleet costs and stay in control of what is being spent on petrol and diesel by your traveling staff. You can manage your account online at any time of day and keep a tight control of your costs – something that will appeal to every business manager!

Promote fuel efficient driving

If you drive regularly to meetings, then driving in a calm and efficient way can help you to save money. This is because erratic driving burns through gas and will cost you more money. Turning off the air conditioning will also help save the pennies, as will braking gently and starting smoothly – as well as providing a more comfortable journey!

Teleconferencing

Some meetings are simply better done in person and remote meetings will never replace the value of a face to face conversation and handshake for important business meetings and for new client relationship building. But some meetings can adequately be carried out remotely and may even be desirable to do so if it means saving costs, time and carbon on avoided travel.

An example of a meeting that could be done remotely would be a weekly operational catch-up or sales call where staff are basically just ‘checking’ in or doing a project update. It may be worth investing in some basic call technology such as Skype, teleconferencing or videoconferencing facilities to make the most of technology and cut down on non-essential travel.

Hopefully these ideas will provide you with some practical inspiration for keeping those costs as low as possible – and running your business as efficiently as you can!



Alisa Martin writes regularly for a range of business publications and start-up websites. A keen user of fuel cards, she knows how vital cost control is for small business start-ups.