Cheap Vacations - Helpful Hints for Finding the Lowest Prices

Whenever possible, book hotels and plane tickets online. The general rule is that talk isn’t cheap. Employee time costs a lot, and companies save money when you place an order over their website instead of talking to a person. They usually pass these savings to you when you order online. (When comparing prices always check to see if tax and other fees are included in the total.)

Hotels. You can easily save 20-30% booking your hotel online. Try websites like www.hotwire.com, www.expedia.com or even www.priceline.com. If you’re willing to be flexible, you can save a great deal of money.
Flights. You can usually get a better price if you take the time to book your flight using Internet sites like www.expedia.com and www.travelocity.com. Travelocity offers a FareWatcher service that will email you when prices for your route change. If you’ll agree to be a little flexible as to which flight you’ll take, you can save quite a bit of cash. You should also research flights using your favorite airline’s website. If you can be flexible you may like www.priceline.com which allows you to name your own price (bid) on many roundtrip flights. The more willing you are to make connections, the more flexible your arrival and departure dates, the better chance you have to secure a whopper of a bargain.
Car rental. If you need to rent a car for your vacation, see what offers are available online before you go to any car rental shops. Usually online deals are cheaper.
Air miles. Use your credit card when you can to pay for your vacations. That way you can pay off the balance afterwards but gain air miles that will help in saving money for your next vacation.
Can you drive to your destination? If you decide to drive, consider taking the most fuel-efficient car you own. This usually means taking your smallest car, so try to pack light.
Can you drive to your destination? If you decide to drive, consider taking the most fuel-efficient car you own. This usually means taking your smallest car, so try to pack light.
Discount theme park tickets. While discounts are not always easy to find here are some tips:
- Save your soda cans. Many soda companies, especially Coca-Cola will offer discounts to popular theme parks. Usually the specials are for parks with several sites nationally, so that the company can print the same cans and still offer the special all over the country. By collecting your soda cans, you can generally save $5 to $10 per entry ticket to the park.
- Theme park websites. Some parks will offer online-only specials. You can find out about these by checking the website regularly or signing up on the park's email list.
- eBay. Many theme park tickets can be found online through eBay (Craigslist is also becoming a popular forum). You may be able to find discount vouchers online as well.
- Grocery stores. Local grocery stores offer deals every summer on nearby theme park tickets. Be sure to read the weekly sales circler or check the store’s bulletin board to find out about new promotions.
- Airlines. Many airlines will also offer discount tickets to major national theme parks. Simply check airline and theme park websites to look for deals. Sometimes these will also be used as frequent flyer mile rewards.
- Discount ticket website. There are several websites like www.AmusementPark.com that specialize in selling discounted theme park tickets. Although AmusementPark.com is the most prominent, there are a few others that can be found using a simple search.
Consider eating out at lunch instead of dinner. While you may be tempted to have dinner out every night of your trip, this may not be the most economical choice. Identify restaurants that interest you, and then check to see if they offer cheaper prices at lunch. You’ll be surprised how much you can save by taking advantage of special lunch pricing.
Dine-In. Eating out three meals a day can be the quickest way to destroy a vacation budget. To avoid this common vacation pitfall, plan to eat some meals in your room. When you call to make your reservations, ask for a room that is equipped with a mini-fridge or microwave. Then once you arrive at your destination, you can stop at a grocery store for something quick and easy to prepare.