People who love to travel always wish they could indulge their hobby more often. Unfortunately, with flight, hotels, dining and attractions, vacations tend to be expensive. The great news for those who love travel is that it’s possible to find vacations at discount prices. It may require research and time, but with savings this great, the effort is worthwhile.
Sometimes, booking at the last minute is the best way to secure discount travel deals. Hotels don’t like empty rooms. Airlines hate flying with empty seats, and no cruise line wants their ships to leave port with available cabins. As dates draw near, travel companies drop their prices, sometimes drastically, in an effort to fill unsold rooms, cabins and seats. Travelers who can be flexible, scheduling their vacations sometimes just a week in advance, will find that they often receive the best possible pricing.
Last minute travel is not for everyone. Many people love to plan well in advance of their travel dates, but this doesn’t mean that they have to miss out on discounts. Instead, they may decide to travel in the off season to take advantage of significant savings. At any time of year, there are vacation destinations that are experiencing what they term the off season. This could mean colder, wetter weather or brutally hot temperatures. It may mean that some attractions are closed or are otherwise unavailable. However, the upsides to traveling off season are many. Fewer crowds mean shorter lines and less competition for amenity usage. It also translates to cheaper rates on everything from airline tickets to hotel rooms and rental cars. Many popular vacation destinations are desperate to bring in business during the slow period, and their prices will definitely reflect this.
Once the trip is booked, there are still other ways to save money. Most important among these money saving measures is the necessity of packing light. Take only necessities, and this will likely save quite a bit in baggage fees. Also, plan to do laundry on the road. It may not be a favorite vacation occupation, but it certainly is a money saver. Many hotels have onsite laundry facilities or a Laundromat may be located nearby. If possible, pack along a travel size bottle of laundry detergent. The cheapest, easiest way to do this is to pour some detergent into a travel size bottle before leaving home. The detergent sold at hotels and Laundromats is much more expensive than this thrifty alternative.
While sightseeing, be on the lookout for free and cheap attractions. Most destinations offer a wealth of affordable attractions and a few that don’t charge any fees at all. The local tourism office should be able to provide plenty of useful information. Though it may be slightly less convenient, it may also make economical sense to use mass transit instead of renting a car to save even more money.
Discount travel deals are a fun way to indulge a hunger for the road without breaking the piggy bank.
Korey Rey is a local travel agent who loves to help families get away for less. For this purpose he recommends Budget Travel Warehouse Inc 360 Springbank Drive, London, ON N6J 1G5, Canada +1 519-473-6261