Traveling is one of the most rewarding experiences but it’s also one of the most expensive. Don’t get discouraged, seeing the world on a tight budget is very possible. In fact, you’re bound to have some great stories when you venture off the beaten path and undergo vacationing unlike anyone else. These are seven tips from experts revealing the best ways to save on travel.
1. Open A Vacation Savings Account
The editor-in-chief at Budget Travel, Robert Firpo-Cappiello, suggests opening a savings account specifically for vacations. “Avid travelers should open an old-fashioned passbook savings account at a bank that is not convenient to get to. Put a portion of each paycheck away, and watch it grow until you’re ready to travel - $100 per month for a year can pay for airfare almost anywhere.”
2. Use Air Miles
Savvy Navigator’s Jeffrey Ward recommends utilizing air mile rewards. “Remember that seats open 330 days (11 months) ahead of time. Book one-way awards exactly on the date that your seats open up for your outbound flight, and then another one-way award for your return trip home, however many days or weeks later from the outbound.
3. Be Flexible
Travel blogger Johnny Jet is a firm advocate for booking your vacation around the best deals. Look for the cheapest times and layovers offered by airlines. “My best tip is to be flexible. Not only with dates - fly Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday - but times and airports. This is the best way to save on travel.”
4. Mistaken Fares
TV Host and travel blogger La Carmina’s advice is to take advantage of the little mistakes often made by airlines. “Look out for mistake fares, which is when airlines accidentally list their ticket prices for far lower than normal. These can result in amazing deals, but you have to act fast. I booked my dad a round-trip Vancouver-to-Hong Kong flight for $640.”
5. Go After Peak Season
Co-CEO of smarTOURS, Greg Geronemus, says you should book your trip shortly after peak travel season. “It’s amazing what a difference it can make to go a few weeks after peak season - you can get essentially the same weather and spend a lot less, while dealing with fewer tourists at the main attractions.”
6. Rent A Car
You can save money on transportation by renting a vehicle, especially for a longer rental period. As Coupons.com’s consumer savings expert Jeanette Pavini states; “Most rental companies start offering weekly discount rates when you rent for a minimum of five days. It might be worth it to rent the car for longer than you need just to qualify for this discount. I have done this myself and received a better rate for the week rental.”
7. Stay In Your Connecting City
Personal finance writer and author of Get Money, Kristin Wong, proposes staying in your connecting city. “Sometimes it’s cheaper to book a flight where your destination city is actually the flight’s connecting city. So, if you’re flying to Phoenix from New York, you might actually find a cheaper flight from New York to LA with a stop in Phoenix.”
Source: Go Banking Rates
Summary:
We interviewed 7 travel experts, and these are there best tips for ways to save on travel. If you follow their advice, you'll save a ton on travel.
