By Jeff Lakie
If you are in the middle of planning your next vacation, likely you are giving some thought to ways you can curtail your costs. Vacations should be an enjoyable and relaxing time but not at the cost of straining your budget. Fortunately, there are ways you can hold costs down without losing the enjoyment and the rest you crave. Please keep reading and we'll look at ways you can save money on your next excursion.
Cheap airline fares – If your vacation involves a trip to some faraway destination necessitating you traveling by airplane, then visiting an online discount site such as Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia or Priceline is in order. However, sometimes the best deals are listed right on the airline's website. Shop around and you may find your best deal right online.
Discount hotel stays – If you frequent one particular hotel chain, make certain that you belong to their rewards network. This means that if you enroll in their plan – which usually is free – you can get free nights or a room upgrade depending on the frequency of your visits. Moreover, some hotel chains have tie ins with credit card providers to give to you one more way you can accumulate points toward a free night's stay.
Package deals – If you know that your trip will involve airfare, hotel, and car rental you can bundle these three together to achieve the best savings. Sometimes a package is offered through the airline, while other times it could be offered through a travel agent or online broker. Savings of 10-30% off of the total bill is possible when you package everything together.
Off and pre-season – While it can be difficult to arrange a vacation during the school year if you have school age children, for everyone else the months of May and September can be a delightful time to travel especially if you enjoy the beach. On the Atlantic, points from about Wilmington, NC on south are very comfortable from about midMay onward. During September, mostly every east coast destination is worth a visit although air temperatures above Virginia can make staying on the beach long a bit of a chore. Expect savings of 30 to 70 percent off of lodging during those months. One drawback: many of the shops are closed for the season.
Yes, saving money on your next vacation is possible without going too crazy. Shop around and you could trim hundreds of dollars off of your vacation expense.
