Janine Jellars, once named one of the 200 Young People to take to lunch by Mail & Guardian, took to Instagram to share some of her travel tips for her followers.
The writer and content creator, who once interviewed Michelle Obama and Rihanna, told her fans that her travel to do list includes art, old buildings, food, adding that she does not travel to 5-star places.
“Have you seen the Rand? Travel is not cheap, and it isn’t everyone's priority,” she posted on Tuesday.
“I’m privileged to go to so many cool places, but even then, I’m shook by the cost.” (sic).
Here are some of her tips:
Plan, plan, plan:
Jellars said she usually maps everything- from cafes that are walking distances to the cost of coffee.
“If we’re travelling between cities, we’ll book intercity trains in advance. Understanding cost on a micro-level helps you see where to save. Imagine waking up, discovering you are 5km’s away from a cup of coffee that’s going to cost R70…” she said.
Public transport:
She only uses uber for airport trips in Western Europe and the US. “The Metro card is your friend! In Berlin, I bought an unlimited weekly card for EUR30 (+- R460) which I used on subways, buses, trams. One night I used uber and it cost EUR23 (+- R350). Google how to use the Metro in different cities if you aren’t confident,” he posted.
Airbnb vs hotels:
She found Airbnb more cost effective than a hotel.
“I know people have had bad experiences and I’m thankful it hasn’t happened to me. I’ve just booked an Airbnb in the 10th city…” she said.
She advised people to do their research, book with super hosts, send emails, ask as many questions as possible, and read every review.
She posted: “A lot of info you won’t find in the apartment listing. I book the entire apartment wherever I stay. Rand for rand, it is always cheaper than a hotel.”
Coffee dilemmas:
Jellars advised her followers to “accept you can’t live your ‘normal’ life when you’re travelling on a budget.” She spoke about one of her experiences in London: “Popping into a cafe to grab a coffee? Think twice. Once, in London, I went to get a coffee, greeted the cashier and she was so blown away by the manners that she gave me the coffee for free. The Rand had just hit R23 to the pound and that coffee would’ve cost me almost R60. I cried, guys…”