It’s time to go back and look at those travel receipts to see how much you actually spent on your holiday travel this summer. No matter how savvy of a traveler you may be, chances are you did not anticipate all of the incidentals on the trip, especially if your travel destination was new to you.
We have put together a list of travel tools to help you reduce the cost and in some cases the time it takes for planning your next big trip.
Road Trips – Gas Saver
If you are like most travelers this summer that decided to take a road trip instead of spending the cash on a flight, GasBuddy.com, is a fabulous tool for finding the cheapest local gas prices around. A well planned and cost efficient road trip means planning out your gas stops ahead of time to ensure you save money. Also, if you are not already a AAA member and are planning a road trip, it is worthwhile to join to receive the travel discounts.
Flying – Plan for the Lowest Fare in Advance
You want to try and book your travel at a time when fares are the cheapest. A relatively efficient tool, farecaster.com (now Bing Travel), uses historical data to help you determine if a current fare will fluctuate in the near future.
Booking Fares, Lodging & Restaurants Online
The most popular sites to book travel online are Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, & Priceline. The travel search engines Sidestep & Kayak are also great tools if you are looking for a high-level overview of pricing across all of the online travel sites. Trip advisor can also be useful if you are looking for advice from real travelers. And, if in a major city, Chowhound provides a cheap way to get some eats.
Transportation Around Your Destination
Although it may be nice to take cabs around the city, you’ll save more money if you use mass transit. Hopstop.com & Google Transit are excellent tools to use to get to places quickly and cheaply. Plus, you’ll save money on gas and it’s better for the environment. If your traveling to a rural destination, these options may not be available and your best bet would be to use Trip advisor or contact your hotel for guidance.
Reviewing Your Previous Trips
Make sure you look at how much and in what areas you spent your money on previous trips. There could be a lot of excess costs that you can avoid in the future by choosing more affordable options. So, take the time to review.
