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1. Find Cheap Flights
Your flight can be the most expensive part of your trip, if you spend some time planning and scouring the internet you can find the tickets you need at a significant discount. If you have the ability to purchase your airfare 6 weeks in advance you will see the prices drop below the average fare. The fare is also below average outside of the peak traveling seasons. If you travel during the off seasons you can save money on more than just the flights.
Check multiple websites. Many of the discount sites are owned by airlines, so their prices may be biased. Check a few discount sites, but also check the airlines website, sometimes they post discounts on their website only. Airlines are also using social media to send out limited time deals. Make sure to follow the airlines Facebook and Twitter to get these immediately because they can fill up fast.
2. Travel As Light As Possible
Airlines are starting to charge if you have more than one bag or an oversized bag. Before you pack an item, decide whether you will use it enough to justify the space it will take up. Coordinating items with whomever you are traveling with can help save space and weight. Two hair dryers or sets of toiletries are probably unnecessary. Some places even provide toiletries eliminating the need to bring any at all. If it is at all possible do not use an oversized bag. Airlines are increasing prices for weight as well.
3. Utilize Vacation Rentals
Instead of staying in a hotel you can rent a house or an apartment, which is perfect for families or if you are traveling in a group. Many hotels limit you to four guests per hotel room. You can find vacation rentals of different sizes that can fit all sizes of groups. They will also have a kitchen, so you dont have to go out to eat for every meal, which can be a tremendous saving. Also, going to the grocery to buy snacks and drinks for the day will be much cheaper than buying snacks and drinks at your activity. There are vacation rentals all over the world that have apartments and houses for rent for every experience from a beach vacation to a ski vacation and everything in between.
4. Research Public Transportation
Using public transportation to get to your activities will be considerably cheaper than renting a car or using taxis. Each city posts routes and times on their website, check if public transportation is an option at your destination. Public transportation isnt only in large cities anymore. Public transportation can now be an option in smaller cities too.
But if public transportation isnt an option and you have to rent a car here are a few tips to help you save money. If it is possible use a non-airport facility. Some airport rentals can be twice the price of an agency a few miles away. Also, picking up and dropping off your car at the same facility is much more affordable than dropping your rental off at another location. Finally, compare the weekly rate with the daily rate. Often times the weekly rate will be lower than the daily rate.
Hopefully these tips will help you to save some money and hopefully you can use that money you saved to take another trip! But there are many more methods to save money on vacation than what I listed here, so always be on the lookout for better deals and get creative to find more ways to save yourself money.
