Frugal Travel Tips
My friend Kathy just called and asked if she should book a last minute ticket (as in tomorrow) out West to visit several friends. I said of course, provided the people she wants to see are around. Kath’s ability to travel with almost no notice means that she is able to snag great airplane deals. Last year, she flew coast-to-coast for under $200 once. Although I don’t consider myself as flexible as Kathy, I do look to maximize our travel and vacation dollars. Here’s some things that I do:
–Look for all-inclusive deals – many hotels and airlines will offer a package deal at a substantial discount to buying each part separately. The same is true for package deals involving rental cars and hotels or nights plus breakfast. Especially if you are traveling outside the US, look for hotel deals that include some meals as it is more customary to have breakfast included or a nice restaurant in the hotel.
–Sign up for frequent customer options — and manage and maintain your status. I try to consolidate my airline miles on one program, attempting to fly affiliate airlines where I will accrue miles if possible. Although it is increasingly difficult to redeem the miles for a free ticket, I’ve redeemed them recently for a series of gifts including restaurant gift cards, a camera, and kitchen appliances. Also, many frequent stay programs will email select guests of special offers. These offers are generally not publicized since the discount prices might harm their regular business traffic.
–Look for local discounts — a number of theme parks, hotels, and restaurants offer a discount for locals as a way to keep more seats and rooms occupied. Some places offer discounts for locals as they are supported by the community. Planning a long weekend that feels like a getaway but doesn’t involve an airplane sounds good to me.
–Find a guide aimed at college students for a town — these will often have cheap (and tasty) restaurants, bookstores, free cultural events, and other activities for the budget challenged.
–Check out the reputation of a place online — before going to a place, I now read reviews online. I’ve found the reviews to help in setting expectations and possibly in switching reservations (especially for restaurants).
shared at Frugal Friday
