How to Travel Very Cheap on Budget Airlines

To book a flight for the cheapest possible money you need -

a debit card acceptable to the airline

In April 2010 Mastercard debit for Ryanair and Visa Electron for Easyjet and others. The debit card does away with the booking fee The rules around these cards vary - some have an annual fee, some make you load a minimum amount of cash, somke charge per transaction. Shop around for the one that suits your circumstances. I have one that friends and family use to book their flights.

hand luggage that fits the strict size guidelines

budget airlines do not just accept any hand luggage - it must fit the exact size they stipulate and be under the weight stated. In March 2010 for Ryanair it should weigh no more than 10kg and not exceed the maximum dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm. Most hand luggage is bigger than this and you must search for suitable luggage. Tesco have bags that meet the Ryanair standard. Weigh you luggage before you go. Put heavy items into your coat pocket. Always check the current regulations. I have found that coming back bags are weighed more strictly than going out from the UK.

toiletries that meet regulations

You can not take sharp objects or liquids onto the plane. You can either take small toiletries (max 100ml) which cost about the same as the normal size or buy some over there to share if travelling in a group. Disposable razors appear to be okay. These toiletries should be carried in a clear zipable bag. Again check the current regulations.

clothes that are easy to pack

Wear layers to board the plane. I normally take a lightweight fleese, fleese jacket, waterprooof on top of a shirt. You can then mix and match these layers while away. If going somewhere cold take body armour and a skull cap (the kind that you wear under a cycle helmet). If going somewhere hot take football shirts or wicka type shirts are good. Wear bulky trousers like jeans and take lightweight trousers in the hand luggage. If going away for long then you can wash through clothes.

power for phones, ipods, electricals

I take the Powermonkey charger with me as I can charge everything from that. Saves weight and space. It comes with a travel adapter as well. Note you can charge two devices at once with this device - one from the mains and one from the charger.

phones and Internet abroad

Calls abroad are expensive. You can buy a cheap phone abroad with local calls for around €15 but you have to be comfrotable with the language to register the phone. You are best to use payphones. Some mobile phone providers offer you the opportunity to buy a top up for a month (O2) and others such as Vodafone offer free calls in the summer from abroad. My provider includes text messages abroad in my call plan but some charge. Check before you go.

I use a phone with wifi and then find free access points to browse the internet and find information. Google maps now has bus times and transport options and this is really useful on your phone if travelling around.

health

You need a European Health Insurance Card to get medical treatment abroad and you must show it to get treatment. You are also advised to take out travel insurance to cover repatriation to the UK.

other tips

print out the boarding cards but make sure they are not double sided

keep a PDF copy of your boarding card online in your Yahoo/Google/Hotmail email box or storage area. This means you have a backup that can be printed for 10 pence in a cafe as opposed to £30 at the airport.

wear a coat with lots of pockets and put heavy stuff in the pockets. The coats are not weighed. I filled my pockets to go through security and weighing and then put the articles back in the case.

go to the centre of the plane as there are usually lots of seats there as people want to sit closest to the exit. Quite a few flights mean a bus from the plane to the terminal so you will be last on the bus and first into the terminal.

take copies of passports, credit cards etc in case they are stolen. Store the copies separately. You can apply to the local British Consulate for a new passport.

Ensure you have the telephone number of the local British consulate. They will help you in an emergency.