Monday, May 25, 2009

Affordable Travel - 5 Ways To Save On Your Next Vacation


Who isn't trying to save money these days?. But it's time for summer vacation! Time to immerse yourself in the local life of a new place or just take a break at the beach. It may be just what you need to reduce stress.

Fortunately, if you want to save money, this summer is a much better time to travel than last summer. Gas prices are lower, the dollar is stronger in some countries, airfares are down, and there is no time like the present.

These five tips will help you wring more value out of your summer holiday.

1. Take advantage of the strong dollar in Western Europe. Prices have fallen in the UK, Turkey and Iceland.

2. Stay in a private home. More space, save on meals, sleep on the sofa, or rent a joint big enough for a family reunion--each way can bring big savings. Self-catering rentals, holiday homes, vacation rentals, or just a room or sofa in someone else's home is less expensive than B&Bs and hotels. My neighbors just rented their beautiful condo out while they went to visit family for the Memorial Day weekend. All they did was respond to an ad a young couple from Vegas ran on Craigslist. asking for a place to stay for the weekend for less than $300. And they got it! A comparable suite in a hotel would have cost $900 plus tax.

3. Learn about deals before it's too late. Instead of spending all day browsing the Internet, have the deals come to you. Sign up for all the RSS feeds like this one and newsletters from airlines and travel blog magazines. Deals like our free week to people who quit smoking, or JetBlue's $14 San Francisco-New York airfares sell out fast. If you get an email about it, you can get to it first.

4. Don't go to Sedona or St. Augustine during wedding season. May and June fills UP both towns with brides, grooms and their loved ones. Year-after-year the couples come back to celebrate their anniversary. Find out when it's shoulder season in your chosen destination and make sure the weather is still good. The rates on lodging and dining go down when high season ends. Plus there will be fewer people on the hiking trails.

5. Call home for free.
Bring your laptop or iPhone and download Skype. When your friends and family do the same it is free as long as you call Skype to Skype. Skype to land line or cell phone call. Once the software is loaded and you plug in a headset or USB phone and connect to the Internet, you can talk to friends all over the globe no charge. Don't want to bring a laptop or download software? Book a vacation rental home like ours, we include unlimited US long distance calls in the fee.

1 comment:

MLCVB said...

If you are a tourist visiting NYC and would like to visit some place else, come to the Meadowlands! There are many restaurants (Chili's, Outback Steak House, Red Lobster, etc.), entertainment (Medieval Times Dinner Tournament, Giant Stadium, Izod Center, Chuck E. Cheese, etc.) shopping areas (The Plaza at Harmon Meadow, Harmon Cove Outlet Center, etc.) and much more.