Easy Tips to Save Money on Travel!
Are you a would-be traveler dreaming of all the places you’d love to see, but afraid to even consider them because you feel you can’t afford it? Don’t let the fear of the cost dampen your dreams! There are many ways to make your travel lust affordable. Here are some smart and simple ways for you to save money on travel!
Save Money On Travel – Airfare
Airline tickets take a little work. If you haven’t noticed, the prices can change by the minute. Some things to look out for;
- Sign up for sites like www.airfarewatchdog.com. If you know where you want to travel, enter your itinerary for daily email updates and be open as far as when. If you know when you’d like to go but haven’t decided on a destination, let upcoming great deals provide the inspiration.
- Check all airports within a few hours of your destination, especially the large ‘main hub’ airports. A bit of a drive can save you hundreds.
- In most cases round trip tickets are cheaper than one way, but stay open to looking at one way tickets from different airlines. Another possibility is booking a cheaper flight with a stopover in the city of your choice and not taking the last leg of the flight. seems crazy but it works!
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Take a stopover flight if it’s significantly cheaper. It’s not so bad… why not lunch in London or make it a longer stopover and spend a quick sightseeing day. You may even consider staying for a few days in the stopover location. Some airlines allow this without an extra charge. You can save money and enjoy two smaller vacations.
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When checking prices, don’t forget to clear your cookies, use a different device and/or try your search in another location which will change your IP address. Sad but true, sites track what you’re looking at and can use this info to raise the price on a flight/trip you’ve repeatedly searched. Technology, a friend and a foe.
- Most airlines are charging more for each bag. Learn how to pack exactly what you need. How many times do you go away and find you didn’t use half of what you brought? As a standard, I pack, then unpack some. This reality check has me remove about 30%.
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What about the seat charges?! The majority of time, the surcharge on airline seats will net you about ½ inch of space. Unworthy of your hard-earned cash, in my opinion.
Save Money On Travel – Accommodations
Consider a cruise.. While cruises can be pricey, if you’re willing to travel on the shoulder of peak season, you can get some amazing cruise deals! Cruises have all-inclusive food, and many are including perks such as drink packages. Some cruise lines will allow you to bring a bottle of wine per person, bring it. Pick your excursions wisely. Excursions are not always a necessity, as the port cities are often more than enough to fulfill your wanderlust.
An average night at a 4 Star Hotel will cost you about $220 per night. A 7 night stay, with hotel tax, state tax, parking fees, etc… and you’ll be close to $2,000 before you know it. You can book a two bedroom apartment for about $1200 plus tax, share it with a friend and you’ve cut your bill to about a third of what you would have paid. Try www.homeaway.com. Don’t forget to read the reviews! I once rented one that didn’t have reviews. OMG… everyone had obviously followed their momma’s orders and not said anything because they had nothing nice to say. Prefer a hotel? Look for hotels with suite type accommodations to share with a friend. Search through various search engines for the lowest price. Try www.expedia.com. (Don’t forget to clear your cookies!) Look for a room with a fridge or kitchenette, which leads me to…
Save Money On Travel – Food and Drink
Even if you skip a meal or two, it gets pretty costly to eat out for every meal. Add, stopping for a snack in the afternoon and going out for drinks and a little live music in the evening… That’s a whole lot of dough.
An apartment or hotel with a kitchen will help tremendously with the food budget! You would have been grocery shopping at home, do a little here too and stock up. Grab some bottled water, breakfast items, snacks, a few cold cuts and a couple of easy dinners. Don’t forget a bottle of wine or your drink of choice and you’ll cut your food budget down considerably. Even a hotel with just a fridge helps a lot. This setup makes it easy to bring back leftovers for snacking and a picnic lunch the following day.
Before you head out to eat, talk to people. Ask around. Let them help you find some great inexpensive restaurants that the ‘locals’ love. In addition to saving a ton of money, you’ll find the best authentic eats in the area!
Save Money On Travel – Car Rentals
- Try to always bring the rental car back to the location you picked it up from. The service charge for bringing it elsewhere is steep.
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Shop it. Try getting a weekly price instead of daily, this sometimes works out better even if you only need it for less than the full week.
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Check your credit cards for one that offers additional insurance coverage and use that card to book the rental. You won’t have to pay for extra insurance.
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Many car rental companies will allow you to reserve a car without a deposit. Check again right before you go, there is often a big discount for last minute. Ask for the lower price or cancel and renew your reservation.
All in All
Travel off-peak. Check out package deals. Use travel points. Use public transportation. See if there are any discounts you qualify for (it may even be worth joining AAA for a good discount). Keep an eye on prices even after you book, as most places have a best price guarantee. If there’s no fee you can always cancel and book again.
And finally, don’t buy anything online before you’ve looked for a coupon code or promo code for a discount! You can’t always get one but it’s worth the minute or two it takes to look! Going out? Home or away, check www.livingsocial.com for discounts. Any savings should go directly into your travel piggy bank so you can get to work on that ‘bucket list’!
Using a Travel Specialist is another way to save money on travel. With no extra cost to you, I’m able to find some great deals that you may not be aware of. It’s my thing. I do it every day so you don’t have to! So if you’re tired of searching and would like some help with all the above, I would be happy to help! Let me put together a great package for your next awesome trip and become my next Raving Fan!
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