Look for Low-Season Specials
Depending on where you are looking to vacation, you can
almost always find deals for destinations that have very distinct “high” and
“low” seasons. For example, warmer or tropical climates are more expensive
during the winter months because people want to escape the bitter cold months
of home and relax at the beach. On the flip side, mountain resorts that are
popular with skiers and snow-junkies are also more expensive during the winter
months. As long as you aren’t an adventure traveler with a specific agenda for
your trip, summer can be great because usually people don't want to travel
places that are too hot when the climate is comfortable at home.
Check Travel Sites Often
There are countless travel sites online nowadays that
are constantly offering incredible deals on flights, hotels, rental cars, and
excursions. If you check frequently enough, and find a deal you like, consider
packaging everything you can together. This is essentially doubling down on
your savings because each site wants to entice you to only use them. Shop
around however, you never know which site will be running the best deals when
you need it most!
Buy Your Supplies Ahead of Time to Get Low Season Sales
A lot of travelers will wait until the last minute, start
trying to pack and then realize they need a few new pairs of shorts or some
completely new casual dinner attire. If you know you are going on a summer
vacation well ahead of time, try to buy those things on sale after the high
season. Retailers like L.L. Bean constantly need to
make room on their racks for the newest fashions so they’ll often drastically
discount last year's styles. Take advantage of this and restock your wardrobe.
Even if you won’t be needing it for a few months, you’re going to save a lot of
money!
Utilize Rewards and Loyalty Programs
Not everybody travels often, but if you are fortunate enough
to have that luxury, take full advantage of what you’ve been given. A lot of
companies that require their employees to travel for work will allow them to
keep their rewards miles and loyalty points to use as they wish. Look for credit cards with travel rewards, hotels with
customer loyalty incentive plans, and anything else that offers additional
bonuses. Over time these will really add up to something substantial.
Make a Pre-Vacation Budget
One of the most crucial and important parts of traveling is
knowing the rough costs of everything (food, entertainment, excursions, etc.)
before you arrive. Use some popular travel
message boards and online communities to ask questions, get general
prices for where you are going, and any other miscellaneous questions like
conversion rates, ATM fees, and anything else you may encounter on your trip.
Do a Last Minute Check
In order to maximize your relaxation and/or adventure time,
plan absolutely everything ahead of time and do a last minute check. Get at
least some currency converted before
leaving, download some travel apps, learn about the area, etc. so once you
arrive you have the entire time to enjoy yourself.