How Facebook can make your trip better and cut costs

Love it or hate it, Facebook has changed the world.

Whether the cons more than the pros is a matter of debate but I can assure you it is a great resource to cut down on your travel costs.

In this post, I will explain four ways by which you can use Facebook to make your trip better and cheaper.

Finding travel buddies to share costs

Going to Australia and looking for trip buddies to share the car hire costs? Check out the many car sharing groups on the social media platform, several of them destination-specific.

Write a post in the group describing your trip and your dates and you’re likely to get replies.

I did it before going to Australia in 2015. I got as many as six or seven replies and finally ended up with one person even though I was looking for two people. But we both wanted compatible company and not just more people to cut costs because with more people involved, the chances of the trip going wrong are more statistically.

Once we decided we were doing it, we set up a video call just to see if we could have a conversation. When that worked fine, we went ahead and the trip went very well.

Finding stays that give you better value for money

A lot of new homestays and guesthouses try getting the word out on Facebook before listing the properties on hotel booking websites. And some just prefer word of mouth and don’t do it on purpose. Most, however, have a Facebook presence.

On two occasions, I found two amazing places to stay in Koh Phangan, Thailand, on a Facebook group. The first one was very cheap and we were one of the first customers there. The second one was a bungalow on stilts with a balcony located 30 metres from the sea and offered awesome value.

All I did was mention my dates and where I was looking to stay and the owners themselves replied to my post with pictures and videos of the property. That worked perfectly and helped me choose.

Tips on local transport

People on trips often tend to just take a taxi. But for the traveller on a shoestring, Facebook groups on specific places can offer a bag of important practical knowledge.

What’s the cheapest way to get to the city from the airport? While going from point A to B, should I use a motorcycle taxi or a bus. Does a train run on this route? These are things that can bring your trip costs down by a considerable sum.

Ask the right questions on the right group!

Local tours at the best price

There are many travel groups on Facebook with an irritatingly large number of tour operators on them who spam every post.

However, you can use the situation to your advantage when several are vying for your attention by negotiating the tour cost saying you are getting lower rates elsewhere.