Tips & Tricks for High Travel at Low Cost
- Well in advance of your trip, subscribe to fare alerts from the website Airfarewatchdog. The site searches airfares across the Web for prices that have suddenly dropped or are historically lower than average. Many of the deals are unadvertised to the public. Even during the high season, you may be able to snatch up a bargain if you act quickly. Sign up for alerts by submitting your email address, departure city and email preferences for receiving airfare specials on the destinations of your choice. If you would rather not receive emails, you can visit Airfarewatchdog's "Top 50 Fares" section at any time and browse deals.
- Travel guru Rick Steves recommends seeking out places with no promotional budgets. Going where the crowd goes --- think London, Venice and Aspen --- is the fastest way to max out your budget, particularly in the peak season. If you do your research and plan ahead, you will find lesser-known places that are just as worthy as tourist destinations as their heavily promoted counterparts. For example, Steves points out that Greece's Peloponnesian Peninsula has the same weather and water as the more famous Santorini and Ios. But the Peloponnesian beaches are not as accessible and less promoted, and are therefore much cheaper.
- Look closely at the days of the week when booking your travel. Leaving on a Friday afternoon is usually more expensive than a Sunday morning, for example. Traveling midweek is more affordable than over a long weekend.
When searching for bargains for the Thanksgiving holiday, keep in mind that Wednesday is the heaviest travel day. Reserve your flight at least four months in advance and leave on Monday or Tuesday instead of Wednesday.
For other holidays, peak travel changes depending on the day of the week the holiday falls. According to the Independent Traveler, if New Year's Day falls on a Friday, for example, peak travel might not happen until Sunday or Monday. Or, if New Year's Day falls on a Monday, avoid flying when most people are heading back to work, on Tuesday. - If you cannot get a bargain on airfare, compensate for the splurge by saving when you arrive at your destination. Plan ahead and make a detailed budget of daily expenses. Don't take taxis --- get a bus and subway map, study it and use the local transportation. Go exploring the side streets for hole-in-the-wall eateries populated by locals instead of frequenting restaurants on main tourist thoroughfares. Find out when the free days for museums are. Talk to people on the streets and in cafes, and ask them where to go. Getting to know the locals makes your experience more enjoyable --- and can also help you save money.