Money Saving Travel Tips

Make Your Vacation Dollar Go Further

By: Celine Todd
Published August 31, 2010

No matter the size of our travel budget, we all want to feel as though we’re getting the best bang for our vacation buck. Follow these tips and tricks from top travel experts to make the most of your vacation budget.

Last-Minute Bargains
Depending on the timing of your travel, you can save a bundle by booking your hotel at the last minute. Hotels would far rather book a room for 20 to 30% off than have it sit empty for the night. So, call the hotel directly and ask them what kinds of deals are available. You can cancel most hotel reservations with 24 to 48 hours notice without a fee, so if you’ve already booked a room and find similar accommodations for less, you can either cancel your prior reservation, or call the hotel that you’re booked at to see if they can give you a comparable deal.

The last-minute bargain rule applies to cruises, too. If you’re willing to be spontaneous for your next vacation, deciding on a last-minute cruise can make your vacation dollar go much further. When people who booked their cabin early cancel at the last minute, bargain-priced lodging becomes available. You can find often find these incredible deals on sites such as SkyAuction.com or Moments-Notice.com.

Book Smart for Group Travel
Whether you’re taking the grandkids on a trip to Disney or planning a family reunion in the Rocky Mountains, it pays to find the best deal for group lodging. Booking a suite for your family, for example, is nearly always a better deal than booking two separate standard rooms at a hotel. Many suite-hotel chains with kitchen facilities have special suite deals on the weekends and holidays, when business travel slows down.

You can also get the best lodging deal for a crowd by renting a furnished house instead of booking several rooms at a hotel. Websites like Homeaway.com make it simple to find the perfect home-away-from-home at your destination. Not only are the nightly rates more budget-friendly, you’ll also save a bundle with the option of cooking most of your meals in the kitchen instead of dining out. To give an example of the potential vacation savings, a three-bedroom home in Phoenix with a hot tub, heated pool, and Wi-Fi connection can cost $800 for seven nights, while three rooms’ worth of accommodations at a nearby hotel with comparable amenities costs $2,150 for the week.

Time Your Travel Carefully
Though it may be more convenient to travel on a Saturday or Sunday, your wallet will thank you for opting for a Tuesday or Wednesday flight. These are typically the least in-demand travel days among air travelers, and are therefore the least expensive. A Tuesday or Wednesday flight often costs 20% less than a weekend flight, which can really add up in a round-trip scenario.

It’s not only key to consider the timing of your flight, but also the timing of your purchase. Most airlines release their friendliest fares between Monday (after 3:00pm, ET) and Wednesday night, so this is the window in which you’ll want to surf the web for travel bargains. Airlines typically raise their fares between Thursday and Sunday, so while you may have the most downtime to book your travel on the weekends, you’re likely to find the fewest low fares on Saturday and Sunday. You can stay on top of fluctuating fares by signing up with AirfareWatchdog.com. This site will let you in on the little known “promo code fares” that are offered by individual airlines for certain dates and routes.


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