Frugal Trips for Holiday Travel

by Andrea Hermitt | More from this Blogger

04 Nov 2009 12:33 AM

If you are planning to travel over Thanksgiving or the winter holidays, there are some things that you should know.

The Today show recently did a story called What the Travel Agents Do Not Want You to Know. They discussed some very important expenditures that could run your budget over during while traveling.

Car rental: While airlines and hotel deals are very reasonable this winter, car rental companies have doubled their prices. Instead of renting from car rental companies, go to car dealers instead. Many of them are glad to rent cars that are sitting on their lots costing them money. They will rent for far less than the car rental company.

Luggage fees: In addition to charging costs per bag, airlines also weigh bags and charge exorbitant fees if you go over the limit. Fees can range from $50.00 to hundreds if you are traveling overseas. Check with the airline to see how much your bags should weigh. It would be cheaper to carry more bags at $15.00 to $25 per bag than to overload on bag. To avoid carrying an overloaded bag, weight your luggage and pack at least 5 pounds light to make sure you don't go over.

Buying plan tickets online: Online websites can track your internet cookies so they will know if you are checking back for lower prices. Instead of getting lower prices, you will actually get higher prices on the flight. You need to either search for your flight from different locations, or delete your cookies after each search to get the best price.

Credit Cards: Don't use credit cards when traveling overseas. They will take on extra usage and currency conversion fees as well. It is best to use cash or travelers checks when traveling. The Today Show correspondent also recommended a Capital One credit card that does not charge fees for traveling overseas.

Also read: Living Without Credit Cards

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Protecting Yourself from Dirty Hotel Rooms

Money Saving Travel Tips for Cash Strapped Flyers

Learn more about Andrea Hermitt

Andrea Hermitt is a native New Yorker currently residing in GA. She has been married for over 16 years and has two teenage children.

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