With Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about holiday travel. It’s never too early to start planning for your next trip this holiday season as you can save quite a bit of money by preparing now instead of later. The following tips will allow you to save money and solidify those holiday travel plans.
- Ship Gifts Ahead Of Time To Avoid Baggage Fees
Know you are going to be going out of town and bringing gifts with you? Instead of checking them on the plane with your luggage, ship them! Shipping them usually is cheaper than trying to bring them on the plane with you and you won’t have to deal with lugging around bulky bags of presents.
- Book Flights At Least 2 Months In Advance For Holiday Travel
The best time to book a flight for December travel is in the next few weeks. When you make your travel plans at least two months in advance you can get a really good deal. If you want to watch flight prices for a bit before you commit to booking a trip, utilize apps like Hopper.com that will watch flight prices for you and let you know when to score the lowest fares. Also, the website JustFly.com will compare flight prices through many major airlines so that you can get the best fare.
- Clear You Cookies
Believe it or not, current pricing may not show when you are doing a new search. In order to get the most accurate pricing, clear your cookies every time you are looking at rates for airfare, rental cars or hotels.
- Consider Options Other Than Flying
If you don’t want to deal with a busy airport of just don’t like to fly, you do have a few options that won’t break the bank. Greyhound or Megabus can efficiently get you to your destination for a reasonable price. If you want to drive, but don’t want to take your car or don’t have the funds to pay for a rental car, consider carpooling with a friend or relative.
- Take Snacks
One of the biggest expenses you will find while traveling is food. To save money, take snacks with you that are easy to store and eat. Not only will it keep you from paying for overpriced fast food, but it’s also healthier in the long run.
- Utilize Kids Eat Free Restaurants
You can’t eat snacks at every meal so chances are you will have to stop at a restaurant. If you have kids, search for a Kids Eat Free restaurant. This can save you quite a bit, especially if you have a lot of little ones.
- Purchase Travel Insurance
Unfortunately, unexpected things happen, even when it comes to vacations. This is why it’s important to purchase travel insurance. It’s often not expensive and it will cover things like getting reimbursed for a cancelled flight or lost luggage. Just be sure to read the fine print before purchasing it so that you understand exactly what is covered.
Holiday travel savings require year-round strategic planning. Our advisors’ guide to saving money on travel covers the flight booking strategies that actually work during peak holiday periods.
