5 Ways to Save on Summer Travel Accommodationsby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 26 Jul 2007 07:22 AM Travel Accommodations, or staying over, can be one of the biggest budget breakers when taking a vacation. Fortunately, summer is full of possibilities for frugal travel accommodations. Here are five ways you can save. Before booking your hotel, do your homework. The Internet makes it pretty easy to comparison shop, but don't be afraid to call the hotels directly and ask for their very best competitive pricing. Book through a warehouse club, such as BJs. They offer discounted hotel rates that are part of your existing membership. Take advantage of online discount travel brokers, such as priceline.com. Many of these websites are in desperate competition right now and are willing to lose money on their deals just to get your business and your loyalty. Take advantage of that, but be sure to do your research first, so you know what a good deal really is. Use travel discounts and coupons. AAA is famous for offering discounts, but it isn't the only place. Grocery stores, car dealerships and car service centers, AARP, and many other organizations and retail stores offer discounts and coupons. Instead of paying for a hotel, you can rent or borrow a pop up camper. Pop up campers are a fun home away from home and much less expensive if you are staying somewhere for a week or longer. Campsites are a great option for inexpensive travel accommodations. You don't even need to make camping a big part of your vacation. Most campsites offer bathrooms, showers and even wi-fi Internet availability. Some campsites even offer overnight specials where for a reduced rate, you just set up on a piece of lawn instead of a scenic campsite. I've taken advantage of this on several occasions, and it made a lot of sense, since we were spending all of our time seeing the sites and having adventures. Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Computing Blog here at Families.com where she shares everything from the latest news on technology to cool downloads and fun websites. Related Articles: 4 Ways A "Museum" Membership Can Be Frugal Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags frugal, hotel rates, summer, Travel, thrifty Discuss this article
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