計劃獨自旅行？5種方式教你省錢！

Whether backpacking through Asia or hiking the Adirondacks, solo travel offers the freedom to explore at your own pace and make new friends along the way. I have fond memories of a solo trip to Glasgow, Scotland during spring break of my senior year of college, where I attended a local comedy show, explored the city, and bonded with the other travelers from my hostel. And I’m not the only traveler who’s enjoyed a solo sojourn.
不論在亞洲還是在阿迪朗達克山脈徒步旅行，獨自旅行者總是可以信馬由繮，依自己的節奏安排行程，沿途結交新朋友。大四春假時，我獨自去了蘇格蘭的格拉斯哥，在那裏，我在一場當地喜劇秀上小試身手，遊覽了這座城市，還與同旅社的其他遊客成了朋友，這些美好的記憶至今在我腦中閃現。

The New York Times reports that Google searches for “solo travel ideas” are up by more than 50 percent and searches for “solo travel destinations” are up by more than 60 percent year over year as of last November.
《紐約時報》曾經報導說，截止到去年11月，“獨自旅行創意”的谷歌搜索率年度增長超過50%，“獨自旅行目的地”的谷歌搜索率年度增長超過60%。

Alas, traveling on your own often means paying a premium in the form of single supplements for cruise ships or hotel rooms. “A solo traveler needs to pay more than group travelers simply because there’s no one who will share all the expenses you incur as a traveler: hotel room, taxi, meals, shopping, even customized day tours,” says Prime Sarmiento, a journalist in Southeast Asia who runs the Gypsygals solo female travel blog.
唉！獨自旅行還常常意味着，乘坐遊艇或住旅館時，支付單客補償附加費用。“獨自旅行者需要承擔高出團體旅行者費用，只是因爲沒人與你分擔各種旅行費用：旅館房間、打車、吃飯、購物以及定製包日遊，”一位來自東南亞的名爲普瑞姆·薩米恩託的記者說。她經營着“吉普賽女孩”女性獨自旅行者博客。

Here’s a look at strategies for saving on solo travel. (And many of them could help you save as a family or couple too!)
讓我們來瞧瞧這些獨自旅行的省錢策略吧。（其中許多同樣適用於家庭或夫妻旅行！）

1. Set your priorities.
設定優先次序

One benefit of solo travel is that there’s no one else to pressure you into a pricy balloon ride or a fancy dinner you can’t afford. Think about your top priorities and nix the non-essentials. “I save money by just focusing on things that I love and cutting costs on unimportant stuff,” says Sarmiento.
獨自旅行有一大好處，沒人強迫你乘坐價格昂貴的熱氣球，也沒有強迫你享用財力不及的大餐。考慮最重要的項目，摒棄不必要的項目。“我只考慮喜歡的事情，在不重要事情上節約開支，這樣就可以少花錢，” 薩米恩託說。

“I’m very stingy with my plane fare, so I often get cheap red-eye flights, and only take cabs if I have no other choice.” Minimizing transportation costs and rarely buying souvenirs enables Sarmiento to splurge in other areas such as a yoga session or a customized day tour of a new city.
“買機票時，我很吝嗇，常常乘坐便宜的晚班航班，在別無他法的情況下才打車。”薩米恩託最大限度地節省交通費用，也難得買紀念品，可是，投資瑜伽課或新城市定製包天遊等，她卻捨得出手。

2. Always negotiate.
討價還價

Prices are often negotiable, especially when you’re staying at a small boutique hotel or touring with a local guide. “I believe that no price is the final price. If there’s a way for me to bargain and bring down the price, I do it by negotiating with the operator, the hotel owner, or the souvenir seller,” Sarmiento says. For instance, if you’re staying for multiple nights or planning to buy several pieces of pottery, ask if you can get a better price.
價格常常可以商量，尤其當你住在多功能旅館或僱用導遊時。“我相信，沒有價格是最終價格。如果存在討價還價的機會，我會與經營者、旅館老闆或紀念品賣家商量，”薩米恩託說。例如，你計劃住多個晚上或想買好幾件陶器，詢問一下，看是否能享受折扣價。3. Travel during the off-season.
淡季旅遊

Tours and hotels are likely to be booked to capacity during peak tourism season, so there’s not as much room for negotiation. Businesses may be more inclined to cut you a deal during shoulder season (that transition time between off-season and peak season) or off-season when there are fewer visitors and they know you have plenty of options. This is why Sarmiento works during holidays and travels during off-season or shoulder season.
旺季時，旅行線路和旅館可能人滿爲患，所以沒有多大降價空間。平季（介於淡季與旺季之間）或淡季時，遊客減少，你有多種選擇機會，他們可能更願意給你特價。這就是薩米恩託選擇假期工作而淡季或平季旅行的原因。

4. Do your homework.
做功課

Avoid the single supplement by researching other options. “If the hotel doesn’t offer a single occupancy rate or cruise ship charges too much for a single supplement, then drop it and look for cheaper alternatives,” Sarmiento says. “Always, always compare rates.” She also signs up to receive discount offers via email and trolls the blogosphere for other discounts.
多方調查，避開單客補償費用。“如果旅館不提供單人住宿價格，或者遊艇收取過高的單客補償費，那就再見，看看有沒有更便宜的，”薩米恩託說。“一定要比較價格。”她還通過電子郵件註冊接受折扣信息，在博客圈裏搜索以期獲得其它折扣。

5. Don’t sacrifice safety.
不以安全爲代價

Websites like EasyNest allow you to forgo the single supplement by splitting your hotel room with a fellow solo traveler. But whatever you do to cut costs—whether you’re staying in a hostel on a city’s outskirts or splitting a room with a stranger—stay safe.
有些類似易瑞斯的網站不收取單客補償費用，條件是與另一位獨自旅行者共用房間。但是，不論以什麼方式節約開支——不論你住在市郊旅館還是與陌生人拼房間——保證安全。

“I read travel alerts and travel warnings and use my common sense,” Sarmiento says. “I avoid walking alone at night in a deserted street, I avoid talking with people I barely know, I don’t flash my jewelry or gadgets, I only drink alcohol with trusted friends.” Saving a few bucks isn’t worth it if it potentially puts you in harm’s way.
“我閱讀旅行提醒、旅行警告，利用常識判斷，”薩米恩託說。“我不在冷清的街道上單獨走夜路，不與不熟悉的人交談，不賣弄珠寶或小玩意兒，我只與信任的朋友喝酒。”如果有可能置你於危險境地，省幾個錢就不值得了。