Lagos is the biggest city in Africa’s biggest economy (http://reports.weforum.org/travel-and-tourism-competitiveness-report-2015/economies/#economy=NGA) and that big status brings some pretty big prices for travellers in Lagos. Travelling to Lagos can costs a lot of money and sometimes it’s scary to think about how much money tourists in Lagos have to spend on hotels, transportation, security, food etc but there are plenty of simple ways to cut expenses. These are www.welcomecentrehotels.com top ten tips to save costs whilst travelling to Lagos

1. Compare the market – Plan your trip to Lagos well in advance and visit various travel and hotel discount websites to see the best possible deals available. Sites like www.expedia.com, www.travelocity.com; www.orbitz.com etc easily combine offer different airlines, hotels, care hire firm, travel insurance to easily to give you a great deal. If money is more important than time, then consider taking a flight with a stop-over as connecting flights may be loads cheaper than flying directly to Lagos and airlines operate tight efficient connecting flights with minimal layover times so don’t write off the idea of a connecting flights right away. Airline tickets prices like most products are based on supply and demand, so sometimes it’s much cheaper to avoid travel to Lagos during peak periods such as christmas, summer holidays, etc Look around the dates of your travel plans and see if spending an extra day is worth it. A minor tweak in your travel plans can save a bundle, especially if you’re buying tickets for a whole family. Avoiding the weekends can make a huge impact on the price of flights. Why not compare travel from a Wednesday to Wednesday rather than a Friday to Friday. Using Skyscanner’s handy search tool, you’ll be able to see a graph view of the cheapest days of the week to fly. Sign up for Skyscanner’s free Price Alerts emails (http://www.skyscanner.net/news/get-best-air-fares-skyscanner-price-alerts) to monitor the price of a flight you’re interested in. Even if you aren’t a frequent traveller, sign up for those air miles and reward programs as they are all free anyway and if you finally get enough miles/points, and book well in advance, you should be able to save some money on reward seats to Lagos. Finally we recommend using www.airfarewatchdog.com which sends out alerts when airlines have sales. You can also visit www.kayak.com/explore or www.google.com/flights which both allow you to browse the cheapest fares to anywhere in the world from your home airport.
2. Be safe but adventurous with hotels – Avoid expensive chain or foreign franchised hotels  in Lagos as they are among the most expensive in the world. Sounds obvious but, before you set off, plan your trip and avoid the most expensive places there are. Why spend $150 per night when $50 will do the job? Small family-run hotels and guesthouses are cheap and have much more personality to them than big franchise hotels. Some of the best hotels in Lagos are small independent Nigeria Hotels. Click out free hotel listing sites like (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g304026-Lagos_Lagos_State-Hotels.html) to see a range of great hotels you can stay in for less! Sometimes these smaller independent hotels such as (www.stopovermotels.com or www.catahotel.com) are willing to give you promos or discounts.   Even if you have your plans set, keep trying to look for deals. Reservations can often be cancelled with a full refund so if you find a last minute deal that fits into your plans, take advantage of it. Even if you already have a reservation booked elsewhere, call them up and tell them that you would consider changing if you can get an additional night free or any other possible financial benefit. If you are travelling with family, instead of having two rooms, consider the two-bedroom or family suites that some hotels provide. They will end up being cheaper and you get just as much privacy with your own room. 
3. Get a decent travel guide and pre-plan your trip – Know the price of things in the city! Educate yourself about Lagos on links such as http://wikitravel.org/en/Lagos or http://welcomecentrehotels.com/?p=60 or http://www.travelstart.com.ng/blog/15-fun-things-to-do-in-lagos-2000-naira . By getting savvy about the prices of various excursions, and getting around (especially by using buses!). Ask the hotel front desk or friends for additional tips. This will make it easier to budget your trip and less likely for you to get ripped-off! In the era of technology and gadgets, your smart phone can be a handy money-saving travel buddy. There are apps on the market for everything including: travel guides, maps, phrasebooks, and even torches!
4. Unlock your cell phone – Roaming cellphone voice or data costs are very high. If you’re planning to have your phone with you when travelling, get it unlocked and buy a new SIM card in the country you visit – it’ll cost you so much less than roaming. Most phones are designed to work with any service provider and all you need to do is swap your SIM card. If you forget to unlock your cell phone before you arrive in Lagos, head over to a trusted source like SLOT (http://www.slot.ng ). Only go to the famous Computer Village in Lagos if a trusted person or guide takes you to a good technician. Finally be a wifi whore, you can buy wifi dongles from any of the ISPs or better still utilise the fee wifi available at your hotel or cafes like Double 4 (https://www.here.com/nigeria/lagos/restaurant/double-four-restaurant–566s14kt-c69ee42e0e6e49f6ad816ca537015cad?map=6.44253,3.41525,16,normal or www.welcomecentrehotels.com)
5.  Buy Travel Insurance – Although it might seem like another drain on your money before you arrive to Lagos, travel insurance is key for saving money when you travel. Falling ill in Lagos as a tourist or expat can be extremely expensive as hospitals charge the full whack and being repatriated back home further medical help can be rather expensive, it could end up costing you thousands and thousands! Why not consider sites like http://www.protrip-world.com/ or http://www.aiicoplc.com/insurance/personal-insurance/travel-insurancee or http://www.tourtravelworld.com/travel-agents/nigeria/travel-insurance-agents.htm. Remember taking out an annual multi-trip travel insurance policy is cheaper than buying on the spot insurance for a single trip.
6. Eat Buka Food or Canteen food – Yes, we said it!! Street food in Lagos can be cheap, delicious and safe and often more so than the high brow restaurants you’ll find in the city. If you’re worried about where you should eat, why not ask ‘trusted’ locals for recommendations. They’re usually happy to help! Figure out where you will be and eat before you actually go out. This is not just good for your wallet, but your stomach too since you will probably find economical restaurants that tastes great. Also not many people appreciate that consumables are less expensive when it’s made in the country you are visiting therefore consider trying their local beer, tea, food etc You might be surprised at how great and cheap it really is so head over to the local supermarket. It’s worth it to take a trip there and get snacks, water, and everything you need for your trip since hotels overcharge.
   

   Lagos Bukkas are a great way to get the buzz of the city

7. Barter Hard – Sometimes, the cost of things for travellers is massively more than the cost of things for locals. In Lagos you definitely need to learn how to bargain your way to a better price and have fun doing it! Remember it’s not about what you can afford or even what you want to pay, it’s about what you can get the seller to accept! Know you product by getting quotes from different sellers, always enquire if you can get a discount for increasing the quantity you want to buy and finally be ready to walk away if the seller is not budging. If you don’t get the rock bottom price you wanted the extra few dollars you’ll spend will likely be worth more to the seller than to you.
8. Use the bus – Minimise your use of car hires and taxis and welcome public transportation – Tourist usually take taxis since it’s the laziest way to get from point A to B. Consider using Lagos BRT buses to get around although always go with your guide or colleague to stay safe. Just make sure you have enough change in N50, N100 and N200 notes.
   

   Lagos BRT Buses are a safe modern way to travel the city of Lagos

9. Use the ATM – Getting your currency before you arrive at the airport is also a way of securing the best rate you can and works out a lot cheaper but unfortunately it is not possible to get Naira (Nigeria’s currency) outside Nigeria so you are forced to organise your foreign exchange when you arrive in Lagos. Many exchange centres and hotels have exchange rates skewed in their favour. Search the internet (http://www.visa.com/atmlocator or Ask the locals for the closest most convenient ATM site. Although using a debit card can be cheaper than a credit card, be aware that most banks will charge for each cash withdrawal on top of a commission fee. So it’s best to take out larger sums so you’re charged less frequently. Use ATMS during the day in safe areas. Avoid using your credit card for every transaction, we understand you are probably forgoing less frequent flyer miles, cash back or points but not only is it safer in terms of protecting your financial identity, it is always cheaper as you avoid paying fx fees on every transaction and holding cash helps you stick to your budget.
10. Tourist Spots May Not be That Hot – Many countries have tourist spots that aren’t really the most interesting places to go to, not to mention that everything is more expensive around that area. If you’ve been to that place already, there’s no point seeing it again and again. Instead, go to local areas and observe life. It might just spice up your vacation.

We hope the advice was useful and will save your money. Thanks for reading Welcome Centre Hotels ‘Travel Round Lagos for Less’. Our tips, your adventure. We wish you fun and adventure in Lagos. Do share additional tips or money saving vendors below

You are guaranteed great food, great music and warm water at any Lagos beach