Cheap Tip Saturday 10/1

Cheap Tip: Frugal Travel Tips

Traveling can be an expensive endeavor. There are a number of factors that influence the cost. Presented below are a few tips and tricks that I have learned along the way.

Airplane Tickets

• Start looking early. This gives you a chance to see what the average price looks like over a period of time. When the price shifts, you will be more knowledgeable as to whether the shift is to your advantage or not. 
• Look at many different sources such as the airline ticket search engines, as well as the airlines themselves. I always thought the search engines would give me the best price but after doing some research, I have now purchased several plane tickets directly from the airline.
• Use airline miles to help pay for your ticket. There are many ways to accumulate and maximize the number, including credit card promotions.
• Do not check luggage. Of course this is not always possible nor do I suggest carrying more than necessary into the cabin of the plane. 

Hotel Room

• Some hotels have promotions that reward you with a free night after staying a certain number of nights. Others, such as Holiday Inn, gives you points that can be redeemed for a free or discounted room. 

Food

• Food expenses can change very drastically once you hit the road, especially if you are used to preparing most of your meals at home. If you are somewhere with the proper facilities, you can prepare some meals yourself. When I visit friends, one my favorite past-times is to prepare a meal for them in their own kitchen. One less restaurant bill to pay and I think it is a lot of fun. 
• Pack snacks. Enough said?

Transportation

• Use public transportation if possible. This is much easier and possible in a metropolis. I suggest doing some research into what forms of transportation are available, maps, and schedules beforehand. If staying somewhere for more than a day or two, a pass may be a great option. With a pass, you pay a set price to use the designated transportation as much as you like within a specific time frame. For example, while in San Francisco Z. and I both purchased a three-day Muni Passport for $21. This pass gave us unlimited rides on the Muni, the streetcars, and the cable car. Just the cable car cost $6 each way! The pass turned out to be a great deal for us.

City Pass

• A city pass allows you to pay one set price for admission into several attractions in a number of major cities. I highly recommend this if you are making your first visit to a city and would like to see its most famous landmarks. Here is a little more information about the City Pass.