Travelling away from home can be an expensive endeavour - even if you're not travelling far.
Here are some of the best tips for saving money when you travel.
1. Plan Ahead
- Whether you're planning a family trip or heading down south with friends it pays to plan in advance.
- Many believe that last minute deals are the way to go but experts advise that booking your trips in advance actually saves you more money.
- The best rates are often offered way in advance of a specific travel date in order to encourage people to book in advance - take advantage of these deals!
2. Shop Around
3. Choose the Timing of Your Trip Wisely
- Plan the timing of your stay according to the type of place you visit.
- If you're travelling to a big city such as New York, room rates will be cheaper on the weekends when business travellers aren't there.
- If you're travelling to a resort destination, theme park or other areas popular with leisure travellers, rooms are often cheaper during the week.
- If you can, avoid travelling during March Break/Spring Break or other popular school holidays. Prices are often doubled during these popular weeks.
4. Check Out Apartment/House Rentals Instead of Hotels
- Booking multiple rooms to accomodate the whole family can get really pricey.
- Sites such as www.holidayhomes.ca and www.holiday-apartments-rentals.com offer great options often at a fraction of the cost of a hotel.
- The added bonus is you will have a kitchen you can use to cut down on the costs of eating out.
5. Car Rentals
- It can be very tempting to book through the hotel or airport car rental companies but you will always pay more for this convenience. Travelling a little bit further for your rental will save you money in the long run and often these companies will provide you with free shuttle service.
- Visit sites such as www.carrentals.com to find discount rates.
- Book in advance! Walking in and renting off the street will cost you a fortune. Most rental agencies will honour a current discount to those who may have booked in advance.
- Check your credit card offers before you book! Many times your credit card will come with standard rental car insurance if you book the rental with that card. There's no sense in paying for the "optional" coverage when you already have it through your credit card. *Note: most credit cards do not offer third party liability.
6. Travel Insurance
- Get it! Pay the small fee for the coverage because if you don't and you need medical coverage or the airline loses your luggage you will wish you had!
- Again, check your credit card to see if travel insurance is provided. RBC Avion and TD Infinite are just two examples of credit cards that provide travel insurance at no additional cost.
- Shop around! Visit sites such as www.insuremytrip.com and www.kanetix.ca. Both sites will give you comparison charts based on destination and number of travelers.
7. Carry Your Discount Cards
- Lots of places offer discounts to CAA members, Costco members, student card holders, government employees, senior citizens and military for example.
- Check out what cards you have that may give you discounts at museums, restaurants, hotels and retail stores.
8. Don't Pay for Wi-Fi
- If your hotel doesn't provide free WiFi, go somewhere that does.
- McDonalds and Starbucks offer free WiFi in many countries.
- Local libraries typically offer it too.
- Before you go, do a quick search on www.hotspot-locations.com or www.wififreespot.com to see where it's offered.
9. Find Out About Your Cell Phone
- Don't use your phone unless you've done some research first.
- Contact your service provider and find out what packages they offer to lower your roaming charges and your long distance costs. Most offer a flat fee for a certain amount of minutes/MB
- If a plan is still going to be too expensive, look into buying a pay-as-you-go phone in the country you're visiting.
10. Check Out the Local Toursit Office
- In addition to free information and maps, most tourists offices have stacks of free and discount coupons for local venues, attractions and restaurants.
Happy travelling!!
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For information on Ajax real estate, Whitby real estate, Oshawa real estate, Courtice real estate, Bowmanville real estate or other areas in the Durham and Clarington Regions please call Lindsay Hawkins at (905) 619-9500 or send an e-mail to LindsayH@sutton.com.
