Save Money on Travelby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 20 Apr 2009 04:27 PM Even in a budget-conscious economy, you can still travel and enjoy a family vacation. While "staycations" are a big trend right now (staying home for vacation instead of traveling), they may not be your thing. And in fact, with some proper planning, you may be able to save more than the people who load their staycation with expensive activities. Here are some tips on how you can save money on travel. Off Season Travel to your destination in the off season. This is the number one way to save some serious money on your travel. Off season travel can cut your overall expenses by as much as 70 percent! Travel to Disney during January or November, for example, and save big. Visit a summer location, such as Paris or Canada in the spring, fall or even winter. from flight to food to accommodations, the price will be reduced all around. Flexible Flights If you have some flexibility with your travel itinerary, use the flexible flights or date range option to book a flight. This option will allow whichever travel service or website you use to search for the cheapest flight over a specific date range and will often yield the best results for the lowest costing flight. Ask for a Deal Many hotels, especially if they are independent (such as an inn or bed and breakfast) or part of a local regional chain and not a national chain, respond well when you simply ask for a deal. If they have extra empty rooms that they want booked, they may be willing to work with you. Ask for extras, such a third night free, a free room upgrade or even a discount. Last Minute Bundling Because airlines don't want you to know how low they will reduce their prices for unsold seats, they often bundle them into last minute packages through a service such as lastminute.com. You can find great deals this way. The discounts really are very good. I recently spotted a 50 percent off deal. Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right. Favorite Deal Websites: Related Articles: How to Get Your Finances in Control Simple Attempts at Money Stewardship Money Saving Steps to Take When You Are Laid Off Crisis Frugality: 3 Things to Do to Make It to the Next Paycheck Surviving the Economy: Expect the Unexpected Dealing with Unexpected Expenses 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 StBridgit (322) 20 Apr 2009 08:53 PMOne strategy that works really well is to travel when traveling is down, in general. Now many airlines are hurting for business, and fares have come down large amounts in proportion to their desire for business. For example, our family traveled to Europe last year to visit family, and it cost us $3700 including fuel surcharges. Now the same fares can be had for $2000. If you are able to be opportunistic in your vacation timing, and just sit tight on some designated vacation funds, you can often get some really good deals every 3-4 years as travel naturally cycles to the downward part of the curve. StBridgit (322) 21 Apr 2009 10:47 PMOh yep, definitely. The lowest fares I've seen lately are $300 round trip to London from New York. The travel dates even included the summer, which is traditionally the most expensive time to fly to Europe. There are bargains to be had if you have some vacation funds to use! Community Tags frugal living, save money, travel deals Discuss this article
|
Frugal categories |
