Gone are the days when people visited their local travel agency to stock up on brochures to outline their dream destination. Travel plans (like everything else) are done online and who would blame us. Why visit a travel agent when your itinerary is at your fingertips. Jenny Realo navigates the Web and offers these digital tools that save you money, while still allowing you to have a great vacation.
Getting the Best Prices
Planning in advance is important to any trip. Knowing where to get the price is part of it. Start by checking out kayak.com to compare rates on all the major travel reservation Web sites. If you find a few Web sites that often give best rates on your favorite destinations, sign up for their e-mail alerts so you can be sent the best deals as they become available.
Home Sweet Home… Almost
We generally sleep better in our own beds, so why not get the comfort of home on your next trip? Consider renting a vacation home rather than spending hundreds a night on a hotel room. Check out Web sites, such as vrbo.com and homeaway.com for great vacation destinations that feel almost like home. These homes come fully equipped with a full-range kitchen, complete washer and dryer units, and other amenities you oftentimes won’t find in a hotel. Save more and go with a group of friends or another family.
Or go the bed and breakfast route with sites like bbbonline.org and BedandBreakfast.com. You’ll likely get a very affordable rate and benefit from insight offered by the owners on where to go and what to do. Not to mention, your cost includes breakfast.
Shop the Truly Authentic
If you really want to get someone special a great gift, avoid souvenir shops in the tourist area. Those gifts are generally marked up because they know they will get the traffic to purchase their goods. Do research in advance on Web sites like virtualtourist.com where you can get tips from others who have visited certain destinations and provided feedback on what’s worth your time and why.
Apply Yourself
Being connected with your mobile phone is an ever-growing trend, so why not incorporate it into your vacation planning? While it may be hard to plan every detail on your trip, there are several mobile applications that can make your trip planning less stressful. Decide on the destination and travel details; then leave the rest up to your mobile phone. Mobile applications, such as WHERE, Gowalla and Yelp, provide real reviews by consumers for various points of interest. They can also provide specific recommendations at certain restaurants and what you can expect to spend.
If you want to plan in advance, these sites also have an online component you can check out. While you’re surfing the net to plan your trip, also check out urbanspoon.com for restaurants that locals frequent.
Give Back with Voluntourism
Want to get the most out of your vacation this year? Try out voluntourism or a volunteer vacation. The Travel Industry Association finds that more than one quarter of Americans are interested in spending their time off helping others. It’s also a great way to save money, especially if you want to travel abroad. Many organizations that arrange volunteer vacations provide special all inclusive packages for a set amount of time. Check out earthwatch.org, unitedplanet.org and globalvolunteers.org for opportunities ranging from one week up to as many as 52 weeks! If you have a special strength, you may find there are other clubs out there that could use you. Take, for example, worldvets.org, an organization that travels all over the world to focus on animal health.
For more ways to save money year round, visit Careonecredit.com
Daily Venus Diva -- Daily Venus Diva.
Join the Curvy Conversation