The Travellers Warehouse

Sometimes, people skip taking a much needed vacation out of fear for how much it will cost. However, a vacation doesn’t need to be pricey. By following some simple guidelines, you can save money with a little planning ahead.

This doesn’t mean you need to go camping (unless you want to) or stay at a hostel. You can save money even if you want to stay at 4 star hotels or play at a fancy gold resort.

A common tip is, if possible, schedule your vacation at least 2 weeks in advance, preferably a month as generally prices will be lower. Though this isn’t always true, it is true more often than not. Additionally, if you can leave and/or return on a Tuesday or Wednesday, travel costs are often priced less.

Saving Money on Lodging Tips

Simple planning can make a huge difference on how much you pay for your lodging. The first step in saving money on lodging is to compare hotel rates. Is there a hotel down the street that has better room rates for the same features that you want? Comparison shopping over several sites can help. One of my favorites is Hotels.com as it compares many hotels at once. I’ve gotten great deals there.

Once you choose your hotel, you will want to compare rates within that hotel. Are you really going to looking at the beach from your room — or are you going to be spending time on the beach instead? Pay premiums only for features you will actually use. If you aren’t going to look at the beach from your room, you could use that money for something else.

Saving Money on Dining Tips

Eating out for every meal and every snack can be very expensive. You can lessen this expense with planning:

(1) Research Restaurants before you leave on your trip. By knowing price ranges you can budget or plan appropriately. If you know certain restaurants are out of your price range, skip going to them — or see if you can get a coupon before hand. Most cities will mail you a free visitors guide that contains useful information on what to see and do. Often these also contain money saving coupons. As the restaurants are putting them in the magazine to encourage you to visit them, it is recommended to use these free gifts if you would go to the restaurant anyways. It will give you money for other things.

(2) Save Money on Snacks and Drinks: At the beginning of your stay, see if you can stop by a grocery or convenience store for snacks, drinks, and things you have forgotten. If you go to one outside your hotel it is usually much less expensive. Having some nuts and drinks on hand, often is both more convenient and less expensive.

(3) Usually Avoid Room Service. Room service tends to often have a large added fee. If you really want to eat in the room, often you can order from local restaurants with free delivery for much less. Of course, you’ll want to compare prices, but I have found this to be much more affordable.

(4) Make your Own Breakfast? If you aren’t a big breakfast eater, you may want to buy fruit and cereal and eat them in your room. Consider bringing a hot pot if your room doesn’t come with a coffee pot, so you can make coffee, tea, and possibly hot cereal.

(5) Eat Before The Airport. If your schedule allows it, often you will get higher quality food for less, if you eat before going to the airport.

Saving Money On Rental Car

First, decide if you need a rental car. If you are only going to and from the airport, paying for parking is not as economical as taking a taxi. On the other hand, a rental car is often key to seeing everything. If you really want a rental car, compare rates. Often rates vary widely. Occasionally they are even higher rates with a coupon! Consider rental cars that are not on the airport property as they often are much less a day. If you are staying a week or longer, this can save you lots of money. Fox Rent A Car car is one such company.

Possible Package Deals

When traveling, especially last minute, using a package deal can be cheaper. But again, you have to compare prices of the options individually AND if you will use all options. If the package includes a rental car and you won’t use one, it may actually be more expensive. One place to price is www.lastminute.com They usually have extremely competitive prices. Save money on travel while going where you love!

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