Friday, June 4, 2010

10 Ways to Save Money Getting to Your Vacation Destination

Save Money on Airfare

1. Get Cheap Airfare by Timing Your Purchase

If you're a "plan-in-advance" type person, once you've chosen your destination, start looking for the best deals on airfare. The sooner you book your flight, the cheaper your airline tickets will be. If you're a more spontaneous traveler, you can get a great deal on last-minute airfare by booking a flight a few hours before you depart. Airlines like to fill seats in advance, so they offer deals to planners. They also hate to have seats empty right before a flight, so they'll also offer deals to travelers who will fill those seats.

2. Save Money on Airline Tickets by Traveling Light

Airline charge for everything, it seems, and baggage transport is no exception. If you have two bags or more, if you carry oversized luggage, or if you have heavy bags, you will pay extra for baggage transport. Don't use oversized bags and try to limit yourself to one standard sized suitcase per person.

3. Save on Airfare With Connecting Flights

Consider connecting flights. You might not like connecting flights, and you're not the only one. Because so many travelers avoid connecting flights as much as possible, you can save big by being open to connecting flights.

4. Save by Buying Round Trip Tickets Even if You're Going One Way

Buy round trip tickets, even if you only want a one-way ticket. One way tickets should be at least 50% cheaper than round trip, right? Not so. One way tickets are frequently more expensive than round trip tickets! Always check the price of round trip tickets and compare to one-way tickets. If you can get a round trip ticket cheaper than a one-way ticket, buy it and just don't use the trip back.

Save Money on Car Rentals

5. Make a U-Turn

One way care rentals (pick up at one location and drop off at a different locations) can cost twice the amount of a standard rental agreement. Compare the cost of one-way versus renting and returning to the same location and consider changing your plans so you can go back to the initial rental location t drop off the car. It may take you some extra time, but it can save you hundreds of dollars.

6. Don't Buy Extra Insurance

Your regular automobile insurance company probably covers you when you're in a rental car, and many credit cards will insure you in a rental car if you pay the rental fee with your credit card. Don't pay extra for car rental insurance.

7. Get a Smaller Car

An economy car will save on rental costs and on gasoline, but there's another bonus: since economy cars are so popular, sometimes rental agencies will run out of economy cars and will upgrade you to a mid-sized car (or better) for free.

8. Use a Coupon

Search the web for car rental coupons or special promotional codes. Check for discounts from membership clubs (your automobile club, a wholesale buying club, a retirement benefits club, etc.) and from online travel clubs and insider newsletters.

Save Money on Ground Travel

9. Take the Night Train

If you're traveling a long distance, consider taking an overnight train ride and sleep on the way to your destination. Because overnight trips are less favorable to many people who don't like to sleep on public transportation, you can find discounted rates on overnight trips.

10. Skip the Taxi

Public transportation is fast, efficient and economical in most cities. Buses are good, but subways don't have to deal with street traffic and are often faster.

Plan your vacation transportation in advance to avoid wasting precious vacation time trying to decide where to go and how to get there. You can easily get bus schedules, train itineraries, and even subway maps online before you head of for your vacation spot. with a little planning and these 10 easy tips, you can save a bundle on your next vacation.

fortlauderdale-florida travel

1 comments:

Popular Posts