I recently made a trip from Buffalo to Toronto to attend a convention. I made it a goal to spend as little as possible on this trip. However, I still wanted to have a great time. There are several ways to cut travel costs. Some main costs that need to be cut are lodging, car rental and transportation, food and beverage, currency exchange, entertainment, and cigarettes and alcohol.

I wanted to stay close to the convention center as possible. The hotels in that area run between $150-300 per night. I could not justify spending that much since I did not plan on being there that much with the exception to sleep. Also, when you stay at a hotel you have costs such as tips to bell boys, cleaning staff etc. I stayed at a hostel close to the convention center for around $29. A hostel is a dormitory. Everyone was friendly at the hostel. Also, I had an opportunity to meet new people. The bathroom was a shared bathroom but very clean. It was a good experience and saved me some travel expenses.

I could have driven to Toronto from Buffalo. However, there would be gas expenses, tolls, and parking fees. Parking is expensive in Toronto. Also, the streets in Toronto are congested with pedestrians, cars, bikes, and street cars.. I decided to take the Greyhound to Toronto for $32. Since I was close to the center of downtown, I was able to walk. Also, I saved money by not taking a taxi from the bus station. However, if you are going to walk from the bus station to the hostel you should bring luggage with a should strap and wheels. I could have taken the street car or subway around Toronto during my stay. However, I need the exercise and walked everywhere. You should make sure you have comfortable shoes if you plan on walking. The sidewalks and streets are suitable for walking,

Food costs can be expensive when you are traveling. It can be costly to go to restaurants. I ate at the convention one day. I brought power bars with me for snacks. I took advantage of the free pancake breakfast in the morning at the hostel. I could have purchased food at the grocery store across the street. The hostel had a kitchen that I could have used.. I ate mostly from the street vendors. There food was cheap, good and it was convenient.. If you wanted dessert for a low cost, there were Mr. Softy ice cream trucks all over the place. In order to save on beverages, I carried a collapsible bottle. I simply filled this up with tap water when I was thirsty.

When you travel to a foreign country, there is always a foreign currency issue. There is always a foreign currency conversion cost. I wanted to minimize this cost. I lost a penny by going to the hostel I stayed at for the currency in conversion instead of the bank but it was more convenient.. I did not convert that much there . I used a credit card to make my purchases whenever I had the opportunity. I called the credit card companies before I left to ask them about their currency conversion policies. The best one I could find was a currency with a 2% conversion cost. However, this was much more affordable then going to the Toronto and Buffalo banks for the exchange.

For entertainment I went to Eaton Centre, the Hockey Hall of Fame and China town. It does not cost anything to walk around Eaton Centre or China town. Also, you can eat at a discount in China town. The Hockey Hall of fame was relatively inexpensive. I spent about 6 hours there and I had my picture taken with The Stanley Cup.

You do not want to smoke or drink alcohol when you go to Toronto. It was $5.50 for a draft pint of beer at the hostel bar. I was told that is the normal bar price by a Toronto resident. I heard that cigarettes go for around $12 per pack. I do not know what the duty is on tobacco and alcohol. But you may want to consider bringing them with you on your trip to Canada.

I spent 3 days in Toronto. I had a great time and did not go broke doing so. Just because you travel on a budget does not mean that you can not have fun! I look forward to going back to Toronto for the film festival.