Frugal Travel TipsTravel can be as expensive or as cheap as you make it. Follow these frugal travel tips and have a great trip for less! Pitch a tent. Camping is a really affordable and fun way to vacation. Nothing says "frugal travel" like a tent! You can step up the luxury with a camper or even an RV, but tent camping is the most inexpensive way to go. If you're new to camping, Road & Travel magazine has a great article on camping for beginners. The article mentions checking out national parks and local campgrounds, but also check with your state's parks department for a list of state parks. And be sure to look into the amenities for the park you're interested to see what kind of activities you'll be able to enjoy while you're there - they can vary widely. Travel off-season. Just about all popular travel destinations have off-seasons, and the prices to visit those destinations are substantially lower if you go during off-peak times. Travel to Europe, for instance, is cheaper in the winter than in summer. And Las Vegas is usually cheaper during the week than on weekends. Be sure that you can still do your desired activities in the off-season (it might be cheap to visit Aspen in July, but you won't get to ski), but be open to alternative dates to get the best prices.
Go all-inclusive. All-inclusive is a great frugal travel style. It helps you control costs because you know up-front what you'll be spending and can budget in advance for that amount. The downside is that most all-inclusive packages are for beach locations. So, if you're looking for a mountain vacation, you'll have trouble finding something all-inclusive. If you're up for some sun and sand, though, a number of Web sites act as clearing houses for all-inclusive resorts, such as www.all-inclusivegetaways.com. Not all resorts are created equal, so compare different resorts and be sure to get the details about what activities and amenities are included in each resort's price.Plan ahead. Frugal travel often is all about planning. The further in advance that you can book travel arrangements, the more likely you will be to get good prices. Airline tickets, in particular, are more affordable if you buy early - at least 2 weeks in advance. And some hotels will give you a discount for booking early and for paying in advance. On a 2009 trip to Hawaii, I got a 20 percent discount at our hotel for paying up-front 60 days in advance! Planning early also gives you time to research locations and vendors and compare prices. Consider a condo. If you'll be staying somewhere for more than just a night or two, consider staying in a rental condo instead of a hotel. Most condos have a minimum number of nights that renters must stay, but some offer discounts for longer stays, and condos have full kitchens that allow you to prepare your own food instead of having to eat in restaurants for every meal. If the condo rental price is higher than a hotel, the food savings can more than balance out the lodging expense. And many condo properties have pools and other amenities offered by hotels. Bring what you need. It's always more expensive to buy toiletries, clothes, etc. in a tourist area. So, be sure you pack everything you think you'll need. "We can just pick one up when we get there," adds up. Souvenirs are an exception, but be smart about buying those as well. See my frugal souvenirs page for tips on buying souvenirs the frugal travel way. Don't leave discounts on the table. You may already have access to discounts that you're not using. If you're a member of AAA, for instance, you can get discounts on a wide variety of travel-related expenses, including hotels, restaurants, rental cars, etc. But you to have to remember to ask for the discount and show your card. And don't forget about coupons! Coupons aren't just for groceries. Groupon Getaways Take a staycation. You don't necessarily have to leave home to get away. One of the most frugal travel options out there is the "staycation" - a vacation where you stay home and enjoy all the fun stuff there is to do right in your own backyard. With a staycation, you explore your city like a tourist, but you don't have to pack, ride for hours in the car, go through airport security or pay for a hotel. You can even spend it just lying in a lounge chair in your backyard, like you're at a resort, if you choose, though you'll have to arrange for your own cabana boy.
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