If you are like most people, you want to save money when you travel. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to do this that don’t require a lot of effort on your part. These travel hacks can help you save money on cruises, flights and hotels.
For flights:
-Did you know that some sites actually raise their prices on flights once they have a history of the ones that you are looking at? One way to keep this from happening is to compare flights in a private browser or incognito mode.
-You may be able to get a cheaper flight if the airline thinks you are searching from another country. You can “trick” them into believing this by using a Virtual Private Network.
-Try to have a flexible schedule when you are traveling. You can sometimes save quite a bit of money by changing your departure or arrival by just a day or two.
-Prices change frequently for flights. You can try to get the best deal by setting pricing alerts with sites like Skyscanner, Hopper, Airfarewatchdog or Next Vacay.
-You can even find some flight deals on Twitter. All you need to do is follow someone like @SecretFlying that updates their feed each day.
-Fly on the right day. According to FareCompare.com, the best time to purchase airline tickets is Wednesday at 3pm. Historically we have found Tuesday afternoons to be a good time as well.
For Hotels:
-Even if you are traveling at the last minute you can still get a good hotel deal. You can find some of these deals by using an app like Hotel Tonight.
-A great way to save some money on a hotel room is by purchasing a discounted gift card. You can find Hotels.com gift cards by searching on Amazon, cardcash.com and giftcardgranny.com.
-For those that are just looking for a place to rest their head and are strapped for cash, a hostel or room on Airbnb can save some serious cash.
-Consider booking club level or asking about upgrade at check in. While it may cost a little bit more, you have to consider the fact that they serve free food and beverages. This can save you a ton of money as you won’t have to go out to eat.
For Cruises:
-You can find a great deal on a cruise by setting price alerts. We have one that you can use at no charge by visiting here: http://blog.atlastravelweb.com/cruises/cruise-price-tracker-monitor-cruise-prices-free/.
-If you are 100% certain that your travel plans won’t change, book non-refundable deals. While you won’t be able to make changes, you can save some money.
-Go on a cruise the week after Thanksgiving or the week after New Years. Historically this is when you can find some of the best cruise prices each year.
-If you want to save some money and don’t mind starting your cruise at one destination and then ending it at another, book a repositioning cruise. While you may need to purchase a plane ticket or book a rental car to get home, it may be worth it with the amount of money that you save.
For all types of travel:
-Find a good credit card where you can earn points that you can redeem towards future travel. Just make sure that you pay off your card every month so that you don’t have to pay interest charges on purchases.
-Travel during the off season. For Europe, this is during the winter months. Cruises and theme parks tend to be cheaper during this time and there are less crowds. If you aren’t sure when the off season is at a particular destination, ask an agent about peak travel times for your destination of interest.
-Use a travel agent so that they can take the time to research the best deals for you. They will know about unadvertised specials that you aren’t aware of.
-Buy travel insurance. If you get sick or can’t make your trip you will be glad that you purchased this insurance.
-Bring a water bottle or an insulated cup that keeps water cold for travel within the US and on cruises. Water bottles can run $5 to $10 depending on where you are traveling in the U.S. For others countries, such as Mexico, Cuba and India, you would want to make sure that you have a quality water filter, otherwise bottled water is the safest way to go.
