Category: Miscellaneous

If you love to travel but labor under the misconception that all travel is expensive, you are with the majority of would be travelers. Luxury vacations are rather expensive but for the average traveler there are a number of opportunities to explore the world without breaking the budget. What it does take however is some advanced planning and a strategy to explore many different avenues in order to find the best deal.

Interestingly, finding that great deal can be part of the fun. With the evolution of travel booking which has moved almost completely to self-booking online through websites, the power to find a great deal fully rests in the hands of the tourist. The power to comparison shop using popular search engines allows even someone with minimal travel experience to find options and price shop different destinations, tour providers and amenities.

There are a few tips to help you save when you travel, and the majority of them cost only time and a little preplanning to shave much of the expense out of your vacation. We’ve put together some tips to help get you started.

Travel In Off-Season to Save

To start with, it is never a good idea to book a vacation in the middle of the hurricane or rainy season. We are not suggesting that you compromise on good weather or your safety in order to save money on your next trip. What we are highlighting is that there are peaks and troughs in the popular seasons where most people prefer to travel.

Expect to pay the highest prices for travel during:

• The holiday season

• North American summer holiday’s (when families choose to travel)

• Spring break

• During major events such as Olympics

To travel in the offseason means to avoid booking your vacation for any of the mentioned times where you will be paying a premium for traveling. Instead choose to schedule your vacation for less popular times of the year. For instance, if you are not travelling with children one of the best times to go abroad is in fact September. Why? Because anyone who is a parent will not be travelling at the beginning of the school year. Demand is low which creates excellent incentives to fill seats and rooms at popular destinations. Monitoring the peaks and troughs of demand for your favorite destination over a period of time will help you pinpoint the ideal time to plan your vacation and save.

Where to Stay and Play

Do you need to always stay in a four or five star hotel to have a satisfactory experience on your trip? The answer is no, but it also depends on where you are travelling to. For instance, many industrialized countries have excellent accommodations that start at the three-star rating and which cost a mere fraction of the fees charged at most high end hotels. And if your vacation is planned around several tours and day trips and you will not be spending a great deal of time at the hotel, you can save by lowering your standards somewhat for a clean, safe and pleasant accommodation that fits your budget instead.

Other ways to save on your travel accommodations include:

• Choosing a double queen or two beds instead of a King or a suite. The standard rooms are always more affordable.

• If you can live without the ocean view from your hotel window, you will save approximately 10% or more on the daily cost of your accommodation. If you plan to be busy you won’t be staring out the window anyhow and it’s a great way to shave some of the cost off your room rate.

• Investigate online coupon websites and check out CouponsHQ for local discounts and incentives to make your stay even more affordable. You can also find great deals on local restaurants too, and merchandise from local retailers to make shopping and dining out more affordable.

• Try to book in advance to get the best rates. Never go based on the published rates but ask about further discounts for early reservations. Hotels are often appreciative of early bookings and may extend an additional discount upon request.

Finding a Deal on Airfare

Invest some time preplanning your vacation and make notes on the most and least expensive times to fly to your chosen destination. Finding a cheap flight is more difficult with rising fuel costs and trimmed down service routes as Airlines struggle to remain profitable, however there are a number of methods that can help you get the best deal on your itinerary.

• Fly economy and choose a chartered airline wherever possible.

• Explore using air miles or other reward program miles to buy a ticket or significantly discount your itinerary. Partial points can be applied in most cases to make the flight more affordable.

• Pack light! The rising cost of checked baggage fees can quickly increase the cost of your ticket by 10-15% more for packing overstuffed and heavy suitcases, or excessive baggage. Leave it at home and travel light to save.

• Avoid travelling with pets wherever possible. While bringing the family dog on vacation or to visit family may seem like a great idea, it is rather stressful for your pet and it can add about 20% or more to the cost of your airfare round trip.

One of the biggest mistakes that travelers make when booking their own vacation is the assumption that the first deals or packages that they see will be the best price available. The opposite is actually true and the more expensive itineraries are the ones that are promoted more aggressively. It makes sense. So plan to do a little digging to find the best price and accommodation for your budget instead and pay less for your next vacation.