The first tip to save money, when booking a vacation, is to plan a budget. Before leaving for your trip, plan each segment of the vacations expenditures, broken into segments that are easy for you to track. In that light do not create a plethora of categories and sub categories. The old adage KISS, short for keep it simple stupid, definitely applies here. Something like the areas of transportation, food, fun, and room cost should be adequate. The truly important part here is that after making the budget every attempt should be made to stick to it. A good idea to make this easier is to over-estimate the costs beforehand.
The next tip presented will be to be as flexible as possible. This means that, if your schedule for vacationing permits, you should try to go in the off season for the area. Such as the summer for a cabin resort or a mid-august visit to Vegas. Odds are good that the cabin will have air conditioning, and any room available in Vegas will definitely. Aside from the off season rates also usually go down in the middle of the week as compared to the weekend. Aiming for both conditions will minimalize the costs and the size of the crowd you’ll have to contend with.
Next up will be choosing your location carefully. Staying in areas located centrally to the attractions will likely cost more than accommodations a few blocks away. Savings will increase the further from the action you get. Of course if you get too far from the attractions you intend to see your costs for transportation are going to increase. Do some research on things like public transit first to make sure you can affordably reach the attractions, or stay only a few blocks from the attractions so that you can save a little on the room, but still walk to the entertainment.
Websites like Expedia can save you money by offering bundles on things like car rental, hotel, and airfare. Going in for a bundle can shave a little off of each category and ultimately save you hundreds overall. These savings can extend even further by signing up for a rewards or loyalty program on the site you used to bundle. All of the major sites will offer them, and even if you don’t travel often the rewards or loyalty points will build over time. These programs are often free to join and so will pay for themselves immediately.
While on the topic of rewards and loyalty programs, most hotels also have these free programs available. Building points for either each visit, each dollar spent inside of preferred stores or something of the sort. Check with hotels in the area and join a rewards program today to start saving in the long run. Often these points can be traded in for free nights at the hotel or a discount on the nightly rate, either way as before these programs are free to join so the first reward has paid for the effort.
The next tip is to discover what your hotel has already built into the cost of your room. A free breakfast buffet, even just a continental breakfast can really save money on the food budget by cutting out the first meal and coffee. If there is a pool, billiards room or gym at the hotel then your room’s rate has already purchased you hours of free entertainment. You should also check to see if the hotel has a convenient stop on the local transit system potentially saving you money on gas and or bus fare.
Just as, if not more, important is to find out what in your room is a potential hidden cost. The mini-bar, if included, is no secret and many travelers avoid indulging in a ten dollar half shot of vodka. Some hidden fees are less obvious though. Some hotels will charge you for the parking spot outside, for instance. Or things like a bottle of water on top of the room’s microwave, storing an item inside the rooms safe, long distance call, or internet time. The thing to remember here is that calling the front desk to double check will at worst annoy the employee working that night, but it could keep your room from quickly jumping up in cost.
Try to keep on the lookout for deals or coupons in your destination area. Booking on a site like hotels.com is not the end of shaving costs. Do a general web search for coupons in the city you are about to visit. Print anything you see that could potentially interest you. It is better to have a money saving strategy and not need it, than to need it and not have it. If you just enjoy coupons in general, you may also consider joining groups like groupon.
This one may sound obvious, but you would be amazed how many people fail to capitalize on these potential savings. Use the discounts you already qualify for. Current college students, military personnel, senior citizens, alumni from certain colleges, emergency workers, AAA members, and government personnel can all qualify for a discount at many establishments. Such establishments include things like going to the movies, visiting a museum, dining, and yes hotels. When making reservations be sure to ask what membership and organization discounts they offer. If you belong to any of them be sure to bring whatever card or credentials are necessary to verify your membership for them.
Lastly, never accept your first search at face value. If you looked around for the lowest possible price online, then you should call the hotel and see if they have anything cheaper. The opposite also applies if you called first check online. You should have time to do this research without risking losing the room if you are booking far enough in advance. You should also do your price checking if you have considered any entertainment package. In some cases they can cost more than buying the room and entertainment separately!