10 Tips to Travel on a Budget

NY Times posted an article on 10 ways to be a practical traveler. Here are the tips:

1. Sign Up For A Twitter Account

Many travel companies are using Twitter to announce exclusive deals. Sign up for a free account and let the travel companies do the work for you!

2. Find The Cheapest Dates To Fly

Most airline websites have a flexible date range feature that helps you find the cheapest days to fly. Try using kayak.com that will find you the cheapest airfare across most travel sites.

3. Consider Nearby Airports

Flying to popular destinations can get pricey, but if you fly to a nearby airport you can save some dough and be as close as 30 minutes away.

4. Go Against The Grain

This is a no-brainer, but avoid popular travel dates and times because airlines will upcharge. Farecompare.com will show you a breakdown of fees, dates, airline and cost.

5. Track Price Even After Buying

Many airlines offer price adjustments to customers who ask. Using your confirmation number, Yapta.com will automatically track the price of your ticket, taking the airline’s fees into consideration, and send you, without charge, an e-mail message or Twitter alert notifying you of the lower price.

6. Take the Bus

Municipal systems are the cheap alternative to cabs and car rentals when you’re on a budget.

7. Roll the Dice

Try Priceline.com or Hotwire.com to find cheap deals on hotels, flights and car rentals. You may not know what you’re paying for, but you can be surprised with what you get.

8. Go Rental

Renting vacation homes or condos can sometimes be the same price as hotel rooms, but you’ll get a whole lotta bang for your buck. Extra perks would be a kitchen, washer and dryer, free wi-fi, etc. Check out VRBO.com for some vacation rentals.

9. Make Yourself At Home

If you’re on an even tighter budget, AirBnB.com will connect you with locals offering a room or beds for tourists. Think of this as couch-surfing.

10. Study the Fine Print

Pay close attention to which airline you are actually flying, particularly on international flights. With code sharing, you may book a flight to Paris on Delta, for instance, and end up traveling with Air France, a code share partner with Delta. But while the flight may be the same, the price often is not.

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