Travel Secrets to Save You Money

credit: gadl

If you love traveling as much as I do, you’ll be keen to find ways to save money – I figure that means you can travel more often, or further. A bunch of tips they talked about at Microsoft will give you some ideas to make your travel dollar go further.

• Check the price of a deal that you book directly, rather than through a travel agent. Hotels, cruise lines and tour companies might be paying your agent commission, so you should check that you’re not covering this cost by paying a more expensive rate.
• Reconsider paying optional insurances on rental cars. They’re often unnecessary and if you pay by credit card, your credit card company often covers you anyway.
• Be flexible enough to book at the last minute. Even if airlines or hotels tell you that won’t be cheaper, don’t trust them. Try it.
• Don’t believe that the best deals are always online. They often are, but for certain “bulk” deals you might see the lowest fare in an airline window. Keep an eye out.
• Book a hotel room direct – the rate might be the same, but you’ll get more for your money, because hotels are often much kinder to those who book directly compared to guests who get a cheap rate online.
• Airfares – especially for relatively long distances across the US – are often cheaper than the gas bill if you drive.

Tags: Airfare | Airlines | Finances | Hotels | Saving Money | savings | travel