We all dream of a luxurious travel experience; a faraway destination where we will be treated like Kings and Queens, the weather is perfect, there are lots to do and the memories of which will last a lifetime. And if you’re made of money, inherited big, or are simply blessed with hundreds of thousands of extra dollars flying around, that luxurious vacation is well within your means. If however, you are like most of us struggling through today’s economy, the vacation we dream of and the amount of money in our bank account seldom match. That’s when it comes in handy to know how to frugally enjoy a getaway on a tight budget. Take your dreams down a notch for starters; and then we’ll work from there.
Pick an inexpensive destination – Nothing says frugal travel quite like countries with reputedly low costs of living. Ideally, these should be the destinations of choice. Places that don’t ordinarily come up in a conversation about travel are often the perfect unknown vacation destination. You probably won’t brag about your adventures at the next party but there is certainly no reason you can’t enjoy yourself and spend less doing it. The beaches in Africa, and Asia, Latin America and Europe are all nice but their cost of living? Eeek! The economically frugal minded traveler knows that the seldom heard of vacation destinations are far more economic when it comes to beverages, food, transportation and hotels.
Don’t get the five star hotel – And where will the frugal traveler be staying on this excursion? Five stars are nice but is it necessary? From five stars down to three stars is a jump. But from five stars down to four stars can seem a lot more manageable. An important thing to remember when you’re traveling on a tight budget is that you must not pay for items that you simply will not use or need. A four star hotel will more likely than not cost far less, sometimes as big of a difference as half the cost, than a five star hotel. And really, what are you getting at the five star hotels that you can’t live without? The four star place probably has much the same to offer but for less. And if all you’re going to be doing at that hotel is sleeping, there’s really no reason you can’t drop to a three star. Take into consideration how much time you’re going to be spending at your temporary place of lodging. If you’re vacationing at a beach, do you really need a hotel with a pool? Is it essential that there be a coffee shop, bar and restaurant downstairs? If you’re going to be paying to eat out anyway, why pay extra just to be able to do it at the hotel?
Make friends with the locals for the best tips – Everyone can afford to spare a smile. Making friends with the locals can not only lesson the price of certain items but come in handy when it comes to things like tips on local travel and destinations of interest. Hotel rates, a good meal for less money, souvenir shops to avoid, discount shopping- all these can be derived from a friendly conversation with the locals. Try throwing an extra buck or two at the taxi driver next time you ask him for the cheapest hotel. He may actually tell you the truth. Of course cheap doesn’t always mean good. If you have to spend a little more to temporarily reside in a safer area, it’s well worth it. Safety above all else. This by the way, is another thing you can probably find out during that friendly conversation you’re going to have with one of the local characters.
Use a travel agent in the destination you are going to – Booking through a travel agent is sometimes the best way to go. Booking through a travel agent who resides and works in the destination of your choosing is even better. Because they are local, they will be able to turn you on to better deals. Their local contacts can mean added savings with cheaper travel packages. And of course you’ll want to surf the web for discount travel packages. Orbitz, expedia, hotwire are great places to start. Sites like orbitz have promo codes that you can apply to get reduced costs for airfare and hotel.
Book packages of hotel and airfare for cheaper rates - Hotel and airline combination packages are still offered by some airlines or discount travel sites such as orbitz and travelocity. If you fly with their airline, you can get a free stay at the airport hotel. One thing to remember when taking advantage of this offer is how far the distance is from the airport to the town where you’ll be spending most of your time. If you have to pay for taxis at the beginning and end of each day, you may end up spending more than you would have at an inexpensive hotel closer to town. You have to weigh your options. And though we’ve mentioned it a couple of times, whenever possible avoid taxi rides. They’re expensive. A bicycle, a bus, or good old fashioned hoofing it around town is the most frugal way to get around.
Travel in the offseason – After holidays and during times that the children have to go to school are the best times to travel for the best rates. If you are single or married without children you are in luck. Take a vacation in September when school starts, and you will find some of the best prices available on the web. This is because everybody is back to work or back to school. If you are a family and you don’t mind your children skipping one week of school, you can save some big bucks vacationing when school starts. I am sure your children will thank you too. Also, remember when you book flights start checking airfare rates 4 months before you plan to fly.
For some great websites to get discounts on airfare, check the video below.
Everybody thinks that vacations have to be expensive. If you are smart, it doesn’t have to be. Hope these travel tips have saved you a pretty penny. Enjoy your vacation.
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Last year, my wife and I traveled to the Dominican Republic. Knowing people there before we went saved us a bundle.