Some people are do-it-yourselfers when it comes to travel planning. I’ve booked my last few trips on-line, and found some really great deals by digging around on the web. For example, my 4 nite trip to Orlando is coming in at $225.00 per person - airfare from DC, hotel (Days Inn) and rental car. The best comparable package I could find was about $350.00 per person.
Here’s some of the best sites I’ve found for the frugal traveler, and some hints I’ve learned along the way.For Airfare:
Microsoft Expedia is one of my favorites. You’ll need to register (free), but it’s a great site to "get a feel" for pricing. Select Travel Agent, and you’ll see the option "Lowest Published Airfare". This gives you an idea of the least you can expect to pay for a flight.Southwest Air – this airline is not listed in most of the on-line reservations systems. If you are traveling between cities that it serves, make sure that you check their pricing – I’ve often found them much lower than anyone else. Also – get on their e-mail specials list – when they offer a special, you might need to book it right away, but it’s valid for most flights over a period of several months.
For Car Rentals:
Breezenet’s Car Rental Guide. This site gives you links to most rental companies operating out of major airports, which makes it much easier to compare rates. In my experience, Alamo usually comes out the cheapest – at least in part because of the internet booking discount. Remember that whatever company you choose, reservations can be cancelled or changed if a better deal comes up – so keep checking periodically.
For Hotels:
Many people have told me that the best thing to do is "wing it" once you get to your destination. But, being a planner, I feel much better if I’ve booked in advance – in most cases, the reservations are cancellable up until 24 hours beforehand. Even if you don’t book ahead, it’s helpful to know an area’s price range for planning purposes. My favorite site is Hotel Chains on the Web. This lists many of the chains with a web presence and many offer on-line booking. Of these, I usually use Choice Hotels . This is the chain that includes Econolodge, Comfort Inn, and Quality Inn. The website is easy to use, and you can check rates for different dates and different room types. You also get a lot of information about the hotel’s amenities, where it is in relationship to nearby attractions, and a detailed map of the hotel location.When I planned my trip to Yellowstone, I was excited to find Amfac . This company manages many of the campgrounds and hotels in our national parks. On-line reservations are available for many parks including the Grand Canyon and the Everglades.
General Travel Info:
MyTravelGuide.com - MyTravelGuide.com is one of the largest travel guides on the Internet. It is a complete world destination resource guide backed up by the most popular on-line travel & Reservation tools. Voted Number 1 as the Most Useful Travel Site on the Net! And, finally – my favorite "discount travel" site is Frommers Budget Travel On-line . Subscribe to the newsletter (free), and receive a lift in your e-mail each morning. The newsletter is well written, and they find some pretty great deals (ex: Cancun for 7 days all-inclusive for $500.00 including air). I find myself saying "if I only had more vacation time left – even I could afford that".
