Tips for Budget Travel

Here are some of the best tips on how to travel on a budget or frugally:

• Check the travel sites for discounted plane tickets, cruises, car rentals, hotel prices, all inclusive deals and travel information on Travelocity, Orbitz, Travel Zoo, Smarter Travel, Hot Wire, Priceline, Kayak and Side Step.
• Book plane tickets during down times mid-week, like on a Wednesday, either in the early morning or late at night.
• Travel on a slow day; avoid traveling on the weekend if you can. Travel on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Be spontaneous; you can get great deals if you wait to book last minute sometimes, especially on certain things, like cruises. On the flip side, sometimes if you book way in advance you can possibly get a better deal because you have the price locked in.
• Skip renting a car if you can take public transportation at the place where you are traveling to. For example, Bermuda has a great public transportation system where you can take the bus or ferry to anywhere on the entire island very cheaply if you buy a day pass. Some places have great public transportation that is very affordable, while in other places you may travel, you will definitely need a car. Do some research in advance on the location you’re going to be traveling to and see if renting a car is necessary or not.
• If you like to travel a lot, a timeshare could potentially be a good fit for you. Especially some of the new timeshares where you don’t have to keep going to the same place year after year. Instead you can purchase points that you can use to go just about anywhere all over the world.
• If you do a lot of traveling it may benefit you to sign up for frequent flier miles or get a rewards credit card that gives you credit back towards free travel.
• If you have friends or family that you don’t mind traveling with, you could split the cost of travel with them and that way everyone saves money on vacationing together. This is perfect for two families or two couples who want to go on vacation but may not be able to afford to pay for everything themselves.
• Once you are at your destination, check your hotel or other areas for coupon books or special discounts that may be offered at your hotel. You could potentially save money on dinner, local attractions and many other things. You could also check on the internet for coupons, special discounts or savings before you leave on your trip; that way you have a heads up on where to eat inexpensively and which attractions you may want to visit. There are many web sites available where people talk about their experiences traveling to different places, give ratings on various places to go to, and you can get an idea of where is expensive and where is more moderately-priced beforehand. Frommer’s Guides are a great resource for this, along with My Travel Guide. Many locations around the world have their own travel site, just do a search on wherever you are planning on going to read up about the location and all they have to offer. Planning ahead can save you a lot of money once you get there.
• If you have a kitchen in your hotel room or suite or wherever you may be staying, you could purchase food to make a couple of the nights you are there, instead of eating out every night. If you’re traveling with friends or family, you could cook one night and the other couple or family members could cook another night.
• Remember to pack things you need so that you have those items when you get to your destination. That way you don’t have to purchase them–at a higher price, most likely–at your travel location. Remember to take sun block, sandals and a bathing suit if you’re going somewhere by the ocean or tropical. Remember to bring health items like toothpaste, shampoo, soap, shaving items and lotion. Pack clothing according to what the weather will be like in the area you’re traveling. You may want to always bring a sweater or light coat in case it’s cold or rainy. Remember to take walking shoes too, if you will potentially be doing a lot of walking; that way you don’t get blisters.
• If you want to bring a laptop and connect to the internet, find out ahead of time if where you’re staying has free wi-fi. You could also do a search on the internet to see where free wi-fi locations are before traveling to your destination.
• If you’re going to be on a flight where you don’t get snacks or meals for free, you could pack your own snacks/food in a carry-on bag so that you don’t have to buy the lunch or snacks offered on the plane.
• Travel as light as you can. Many airlines are now charging fees for extra bags or for bags over a certain weight limit. Travel as light as you possibly can and if you plan on bringing back souvenirs remember to leave some space for them in your bag or remember to pack an extra bag to bring souvenirs back in.
• Look for cheap options when eating out during traveling to other places. Look for foods like pasta, pizza, sandwiches and burgers. Make one night a special night to splurge on a more expensive restaurant if you can afford it.