Plan a vacation Without breaking the your budget

Photo by Kenzoka
Plan a vacation without breaking the your budget
Taking a vacation at any time of year can be a fantastic way to spend time with your family.
Unfortunately, vacations can drain a family's savings and create more stress than it's worth.
The good news is that vacations don't have to be expensive to be worthwhile. Here are some tips to help you save money on your next vacation.
Rule 1 - Compare prices from different travel sites.
Great travel deals can be had online, but keep in mind that comparing prices is the only way to really save. Your search results will turn up a wide spectrum of choices for the same services.
As of today's article here are some of the leading websites to start your comparisons at:
Orbitz
Kayak
TravelZoo
Priceline
Hotels.com
Expedia
Direct any questions that you might have regarding local hotels to Tripdavisor, TripAdvisor is a great website to glean real-world reviews from.

Renting a car for your trip - If you have an older high-mileage vehicle then your best, and safest bet is to rent a vehicle, especially if you plan on traveling many miles from home. You will also discover that renting a car (time permitting) is much cheaper than flying. Use Priceline's bidding service to get the best deal on car rentals.
We saved on a standard sized vehicle for seven days at fifteen dollars a day (plus fees).
As a comparison guide, we discovered that the best price offered from the rental agency site was $225.00.

Another frugal tip - when renting is to use a credit card that offers car rental protection insurance, but also check your own Automobile policy as they may offer extended coverage to your rental.

Finding a good hotel deal online - Once again use priceline to bid on a 4 star hotel (price-to quality ratio) Doing this I have saved as much as $60.00 /night. (less taxes and fees)

Saving money dining out - Try to find hotels that include breakfast in the price. That way you can eat out at dinnertime, and and save your leftovers for lunchtime. This also works wonderfully if your hotel room comes with a kitchenette, so plan accordingly.

A surefire way to find local restaurants with good food at reasonable prices is to read online reviews. Once again Tripadvisor comes to the rescue here. Simply look up your hotel, and read all of the reviews that you can get your hands on. You will find that many vacationers leave feedback on their experiences in the area.
You can check restaurant menus online at MenuPages, and even make your own restaurant
reservations with OpenTable.

Other money saving tips include forgoing the appetizers - order a salad with your entree — and skipping the desert altogether. (or splitting it)

Gifts for family and friends - The key is to avoid overpriced souvenir shops. Instead, pick up a gift that represents the local culture. Remember… The whole point of going on vacation is to relax, and enjoy yourselves. Planning ahead allows you to save on everything, and relieves the stress tied with going on a vacation.

Final Tip: Explore the local activities and events, as well as the “bigger” attractions.
Viator is your one-stop when it comes to planning a great vacation.
Where are you going this year?

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