Travel in Budget

For many people, autumn is the time of year when the nights get colder, the days get shorter, the leaves change color and the year heads rapidly toward the cold winter months. The fall of the year is the time when the kids are heading back to school and anxious travelers are no longer dreaming of beach resort towns.

For the smart budget traveler, however, the autumn season offers some tremendous opportunities for lower prices, smaller crowds and an overall better vacation value.

The very items cited above make fall a great time for budget minded travelers to head to some of the best known resorts and enjoy lower prices on airfares, rental cars, food and hotel rooms.

Every vacation destination has its own high and low season, but the autumn of the year has the advantage of being the off season for both summer and winter destinations.

For instance, while winter is the high season for ski resort towns and other winter destinations, the mountain locations of these resorts often mean that skiing and other activities are available in late autumn, while prices for lodging, meals and rental cars are still much lower.

Likewise, resorts and travel destinations that enjoy great popularity in the summer months are still quite pleasurable, and often more so, in the fall of the year. For instance, autumn offers such benefits as cooler temperatures and fewer crowds in addition to lower prices.

The same restaurant at which reservations were impossible to come by in the busy summer months may suddenly be available in the fall, and that pricey summer hotel room may be quite affordable once summer has ended.

When looking for the best possible deal on fall travel, it is important to thoroughly research your particular destination. While fall is the off season for most locations, this is not true for every destination.

Be sure that there really are better values in the autumn season before booking your trip.

It is also important to check the weather, including average temperatures and average rainfall levels, for your fall travel destination. After all, lower autumn prices will do you no good if rain or uncomfortable temperatures ruin your long anticipated vacation.

If the average temperature and precipitation levels are to your liking, it is time to start searching for the perfect fall travel deals. The obvious first place to start for many people is the internet.

There are a number of very good web sites and newsgroups devoted to the best in budget travel, and they are a great place to start.

It is also important to start planning early for your fall vacation. While the heat of summer is still around, be sure to start shopping for the best fall deals.

Airlines often start promoting their lower fall airfares while summer is still in full swing, and it is important to act fast to get the lowest fares. The same goes for rental cars and hotel rooms, and those fall specials are often snapped up very quickly by other budget minded travelers.

Paul Hata asked:


There are many things for the budget minded traveler to remember, since getting the best deal on a vacation is so important. Most workers spend the entire year working just to be able to afford a one or two week break from their workaday routine, so it is easy to see why finding the best deal is so vital.

The world of budget travel is one of the most exciting and interesting, and in today’s world traveling on a budget is becoming more and more of a necessity.

There is no doubt that airfare is one of the biggest expenses of any vacation. Airfare costs can easily represent at leas half of the total cost of a vacation, and if you do not get the best possible deal on airfare it is easy to go over budget.

The following tips are a great way to get started on making your valuable vacation dollars stretch farther than ever.

- Be sure to shop around, whether you are shopping on the internet or visiting local travel agents. Different web sites, and different travel agencies, often have access to different specials and sales, so be sure to shop around for these hidden deals.

- Consider traveling in the off season or shoulder season. The same hotels that are overbooked and expensive in the high season are often available at excellent prices once the high season has passed. In addition, off season travel offers the advantage of smaller crowds and a more relaxed atmosphere.

- Think about group travel. Many airlines and hotels offer discounts to groups, so if you can travel with your friends and family you may be able to save some money

- Don’t forget about last minute travel. Retirees, and those with flexible employment, are often able to take advantage of some spectacular last minute deals. Cruise lines, airlines and hotels often discount their offerings significantly to avoid the expense and lost revenue of an empty cabin, airline seat or hotel bed.

- Look into package deals. For many destinations, especially exotic locations to which airfare tends to be expensive, package deals can be significantly less expensive than making your own arrangements. Many travelers also like the safety and security of traveling with a group.

Being on a tight budget does not mean you have to forgo the excitement and adventure of a great vacation. There are numerous opportunities waiting for budget travelers willing to put in the time and effort to seek them out.



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Paul Hata asked:


There is no doubt that airfare is one of the biggest expenses of any vacation. Airfare costs can easily represent at leas half of the total cost of a vacation, and if you do not get the best possible deal on airfare it is easy to go over budget.

There are some important strategies for getting the best deal on airfares, and this article discusses some of our favorites.

One of the things I have learned over the years is that it is almost always less expensive to fly out of the larger airports than the smaller regional ones.

While this is not always the case, and it is not true of every small airport, most larger airports have far more airlines competing for passengers. As we know, more competition generally equals lower prices for passengers.

Many of the larger airports are also home to the low cost carriers that have been such a phenomenon in the industry. While Southwest, Jet Blue and some of the other low cost carriers serve smaller airports, many are left out.

The great thing about the incursion of these low cost carriers is that they drive down the prices of the major airlines as well.

So, even if you don’t like the open seating, peanuts only policy of a low cost carrier like Southwest, chances are you can still score a good deal at an airport they serve, even on one of the old line air carriers.

Of course the problem with flying out of major airports is getting there. Many people are in the same situation I am. That is, they have a small, regional airport nearby, with a couple of major airports a few hours drive away.

What I do every time I need to fly is compare the cost of flying out of my close regional airport to the price I can get if I fly out of a major city. While I have been able to score some excellent deals from my regional airport, in most cases the difference in fare has been at least $200.

I then must weigh the costs of that cheaper ticket against the convenience of local flying. Usually it makes sense to head to the large airport, particularly if I am buying more than one ticket. At a $200 price differential, it is easy to see how much money can be saved for a family traveling together.

One great trick that too few people take advantage of is booking an airport hotel for the night before your flight.

This is especially valuable for those early morning flights and saves you having to get up in the middle of the night and hit the highway. Instead, head down the night before, get a good night’s sleep and take the airport’s shuttle right to the airport door.

The extra added bonus of this approach is that in most cases these airport hotels allow their guests to leave their cars at the hotel for the duration of the vacation.

In many cases this service is free with the hotel stay, and even in cases where there is a few involved it is usually much lower than comparable parking at the airport.

So instead of paying $10, $15 or even $20 a day to park at the airport, you have a safe, well lighted place for your car during the trip, plus a comfortable place to spend the night.

I honestly don’t know why more people don’t take advantage of this great way to save big bucks on both airfare and parking costs.



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