Traveling can take up a lot of time and money if you are not careful. Here at Elona the Explorer we have looked at 3 effective ways to save money while traveling. There is no denying that if you want to be a global traveler you are going to have to get used to spending a lot of time in airports. In this post we look at 3 tips to help you save time at airports.

Pre-Flight Planning

A lot of time can be saved by carefully planning your journey in advance. For example, Julie Loffredi writing for Inc. recommends booking an early flight between 6 am and 10 am. She says that these flights are less likely to be delayed than departures later in the day. If you book your flight at this time you are also likely to miss the worst of rush hour traffic.

Check-in online and print your boarding pass before you leave your home. These may seem like small measures, but trust us they can save you a lot of time at departures. Bag drop queues are always much faster than check-in lines.

Airport Hotels

This one may sound like a strange choice for saving time. After all if you are checking into a hotel for a night then you will be adding extra time on your trip. Yet if your flight is early in the morning or late at night booking an airport hotel can save you time and stress.

Staying in an airport hotel guarantees that you will not miss your flight due to unexpected circumstances. There is no greater waste of time than having to rebook your travel plans due to a missed flight. Instead of worrying whether you are going to miss your flight due to bad traffic, you can be relaxing in a hotel.

Airport hotels can also provide services to make your departure less stressful. For instance, if you read this blog and are in the UK, departing from London’s main hub, Heathrow, then you might be unaware that Heathrow’s hotels offer airport parking deals. Parking4Less who provide parking services at Heathrow have complied a list of Heathrow hotels that offer airport parking deals. Like most major airports the list includes on-airport and off-airport hotels to suit every budget. If you are the type of person who feels that they are always fighting against time on departure day, you could end up saving a lot of time (and stress!) by paying a little extra.

Security Time Saving

Passing through security can be a time saving nightmare. There is nothing you can do about your fellow travelers, but you can shave minutes off your own time by being prepared.

Most passengers don’t consider security until they reach it. Only then do they wonder if the bottle of liquid in their bag will pass through. A simple check before security will save you having to explain a bottle of water to the guards. It is also a good idea to dress right. This means wearing limited or no metal jewelry or accessories, especially if they have fiddly clasps. Taking the loose change out of your pocket and putting it in your carry-on will ensure you’re not constantly sent back.

We hope these tips have been useful. Remember the excuse ‘there’s not enough time’ shouldn’t stop you from traveling.