Summer vacation is a beloved tradition, but the 2010 season is shaping up to be more expensive than usual, with airfares up 22 percent from a year ago. And that’s on top of the lingering effects of the recession, which has left many people with less money to spend on leisure.
Fear not, travel lovers: There are still plenty of ways to enjoy a summer vacation while keeping costs down. A new Bing Travel slide show fills you in on our favorite ways to save money — and the best destinations to visit — for summer travel this year.
Among our tips are taking cruises, which can be a very economical way to travel; avoiding expensive baggage fees by packing light; and being flexible about when and where you go. As possible destinations, we suggest such locales as Las Vegas, San Diego and the Dominican Republic. While the latter is known for its tropical beaches and rugged mountains, there’s an additional reason to visit this year: The money you spend can have a positive impact on neighboring Haiti, still recovering from January’s devastating earthquake.
What are your tips for saving on summer travel, and which places do you recommend traveling to? Share your suggestions with fellow travelers in the comments section.
Anyone coming to the world cup in Johannesburg this year?
Thank you for your information.
Sometimes it can be fairly easy and simple to get cheap travel deals but this is not always the case.
Today's Top Travel Tweets: twitter.com/protripadviser
top travel tweets: twitter.com/Protripadviser
Cheap Holiday Packages---Flight + car rental + Hotel Up to 51% off:
http://ow.ly/1GCU9
-----------Now its time to say let's go and have a fun on vacation
=======Always take care of yourself
If there are two or more of you then look for somewhere within 400 miles from your home and drive there instead of flying. And big savings for larger groups.
I am always looking for the inexpensive Internet option when shopping for anything. I found a travel site which offers rebates on hotels stays, discounts with vacation packages, a city on sale each week, and many other specials. It is www.wandjan.com. I am not sure what a wandjan is, however, she can whip up some great deals.
Try driving or staying close. Everyone lives within 4 hours of someplace nice & touristy. Go online and request a free travel to-do book from that state. Most states have free books to attract tourists. Tunica is an alternative to Las Vegas. Branson, MO is also a nice spot for shopping & shows.
I tend to use sites like Travelzoo.com, they have great last minute deals even on day trips. I am also an avid airmiles collector. It's great for getting gift cards to hotels or even tickets to a baseball game or amusement park.
stay home
Check out several travel agencies for the place you want to visit and ask what attractions are included. Then decide what attractions you really want to see and make your own plans. This way you can reduce the cost of a full blown tour, see actually what you want, and spend the amount of time you want at each attraction.
When looking into a recent trip, I found the hotel prices to be way more than I expected. I usually use hotwire.com in this case but they were still expensive. So I looked into condos and studios at www.homeaway.com and www.cyberrentals.com and found a condo so much bigger and nicer than a hotel room right on the beach for 1/2 the price.
The best travel savings I have EVER gotten is when I use Priceline's 'Name Your Own Price' feature (you can access it from their main window). But ONLY use it the day before, or the day of your trip. You see, 3, 4, and 5 star hotels have rooms TONIGHT that will be empty in the area you want to stay... and they will rent them to you for VERY LITTLE rather than see them go empty. All you do is bid for a hotel (I usually pick 3 or 4 star) at about ONE THIRD what the area hotels post as their rates online. If you bid on a room today that you want either tonight or tomorrow... I have NEVER been turned down! I get rooms that cost 200 to 300 dollars a night for 50 to 75 dollars a night. I do it all the time. And if by chance you don't get the price at a lower rate.. you just pay full price... and you were going to do that anyway, right?
fly to a country where you get a lot for your $$
We have found that cruise lines do regional specials all the time to try and find families who have not cruised before. Oasis of the Seas is sold out now a year in advance. Call 866-350 4936 for our current specials, or our website.www.AVCTravel.com/PatriciaWillett
