Melissa O’Malley, Director of Global Merchant and Cross Border Trade Initiatives, PayPal

Whether you’re traveling to Barcelona, Paris or Rome, spring is a time to unwind and take a break from life. The last thing people want to think about before a vacation is money, but as many seasoned travelers know, it’s important to think about Spring Break spending strategies in advance so it doesn’t cross your mind later, when you should be relaxing and taking in the sights.

Security

Many services, vacation rentals and tour companies require visitors to book in advance and put a deposit down before arriving. When completing a foreign transaction with an unfamiliar merchant, use a payment system like PayPal to help keep your money secure. PayPal’s Purchase Protection covers all eligible online purchases, whether it’s a wine country tour in Tuscany or a train ticket from Berlin to Munich. All transactions are monitored around the clock and protected by next-level encryption to ensure your money gets to the right place. Paying with your mobile wallet also means you can avoid carrying big bills, theft, losing money in bags or leaving it back at the hotel. PayPal also converts currencies for purchases and accepts 26 different currencies around the world. Making it easy to shop overseas.

Spending & Saving

According to Airlines Reporting Corporation, the best day to purchase airfare is Sunday, when prices are lowered to fill seats for the upcoming week [1]. It’s also important to take advantage of early travel deals and book vacations well in advance to access more affordable rates. Package deals and all-inclusive trips have pre-negotiated prices and discounts, which allows vacationers to get more bang for their buck. Also, consider whom you’re traveling with - if there are kids or seniors in the group, take advantage of discounts at theme parks, movie theaters or restaurants.

If money is tight, rethink the 5-star hotel or 4-course meals. Remind yourself that it’s all about the memories, not the accommodations. Consider staying at a more moderately priced hotel, renting from Airbnb or doing a house swap. To avoid spending a fortune on food, consider keeping breakfast foods, snacks and picnic supplies at your hotel or house, then also make sure to ask a local about their favorite dive spot. Spottedbylocals or PayPal Deals can also help you find the best grub nearby.

Sharing

There’s nothing worse than attempting to split a hotel or restaurant bill ten different ways. Whether traveling with college friends or family members, anyone can take advantage of mobile payments for seamless spending and sharing. Apps like Venmo and PayPal make personal transfers easy and painless through a simple swipe on your smartphone. There are even options to bill friends directly or remind them to pay you back, so you can avoid awkward conversations or keeping track of I.O.Us.

[1] "The Best Day to Buy Airline Tickets" – Wall Street Journal (2014, October 22)