Ten Tips For Cheaper Vacations

I was recently on a United Airlines flight to Las Vegas and read an article in their magazine on how to save money on travel.  The article, as you might expect, was full of suggestions on why you should choose United for all your flight and travel needs.  It was a mediocre article at best and certain didn’t give any awesome tips.  So, I decided I would try to come up with my own list of money saving travel tips.  These 10 tips for cheaper vacations are coming from a frequent traveler who loves travel bargains, not an airline that is trying to sell you flights, hotels, and vacation packages.

Best Tips for Cheaper Vacations

1. FLEXIBILITY:  This is probably the best way to save money on travel.  If you are flexible on where you want to go, when, and where you want to stay, you can almost always get a really amazing deal.  This past spring, for example, I went on a family vacation.  We didn’t have a destination in mind and simply looked for cheap flights during the window of travel dates we had.  We ended up getting flights as low as $18 on JetBlue from Las Vegas to Long Beach, CA.
2. SEARCH NEARBY AIRPORTS:  I mentioned above that I snagged an $18 flight from LAS to LGB.  This was not for a trip to Long Beach but a stay at Disneyland.  By searching nearby airports we were able to find this $18 flight.
3. PRICELINE:  When booking hotels, it pays to use opaque travel sites such as Priceline and Hotwire for hotel reservations.  For really cheap hotels, it pays to learn how to rebid on Priceline, then bid low and work your way up through a series of rebids.  You can also see what others are paying on the Priceline forum.
4. LUGGAGE:  If you can avoid checked bags, do so.  This could save you up to $25 per bag per flight.  I managed an 8-day business trip to Germany and Netherlands with nothing more than a single checked back and my computer case.
5. HOTEL FREEBIES:  Don’t always go for the cheapest hotel.  Many hotels have a low price but then charge you for extras like wifi internet access, parking, etc.  Look for hotels that include these amenities.  Many will also include breakfast… load up!  Here’s a great tip for better bidding:  Instead of Priceline, use Hotwire or Priceline Express Deals.  These booking engines show you the amenities such as: free wifi, breakfast, and parking.  You can also reveal your hotel before bidding by comparing the info on the Hotwire and Priceline hotel lists to the info shown when booking.
6. GETTING TO AIRPORT:  There are many different choices to get to and from the airport.  Public transit almost always the cheapest, and in many cities it is also the quickest.  For example, the Canada Line in Vancouver will have you from the airport to downtown in about 20 minutes for around $5.  Compare that with a taxi at a cost of around $35.
7. PUBLIC TRANSIT:  Again, this is almost always the cheapest and quickest, especially in cities that have subway systems or equivalent.  Figuring out your route may be a challenge, but some advanced preparation before you go on your trip will have make this easier.
8. FREE ATTRACTIONS:  Before you start your trip, search Google for “free things to do” in your destination city or check out event websites such ChatterBlock.  Not only are there many free things to do (such as visiting Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco), but there are often free festivals and concerts that many cities put on.  Here is a list of 10 free things to do in Las Vegas.
9. IN-ROOM FRIDGE:  Try to book a hotel that has an in-room fridge, and then do some grocery shopping.  Lunch and dinner can be expensive when you’re traveling.  Why not stock up on food and have a meal in your room instead?  If your hotel doesn’t have a fridge, you  can buy a disposable cooler for around $5.
10. FARE WATCHER:  Many travel sites have fare watcher or fare alert systems.  For example, I am looking to travel from Canada to San Francisco and I am looking for a deal.  I used Orbitz to alert me when a direct flight from YYJ to SFO drops below a certain threshold.  In my case, I want to fly for less than $400.

I hope you find some of these tips for cheaper vacations helpful.  HotelDealsRevealed.com helps travelers save money on hotels by providing information and tips for better bidding for travel on Hotwire and Priceline. The hotel lists can help travelers reveal their hotels before booking and the traveler’s forum is great for seeing actual winning bids for hotels.