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:


When it comes to budget traveling, it is hard to overestimate the importance of the season of travel. Travel costs are largely dependent on the time of the year, and every travel destination has its high, low and shoulder seasons.

Knowing the seasons for the destination of your choice is a great way to enjoy wonderful travel on a budget.

The high season for a particular destination varies quite a bit from location to location. For some locations, the high season can be as short as a couple of weekends throughout the year, while for other locations high season can last all summer (or all winter) long.

It is also important to know, however, when low season is low for a reason. There are certain locations you definitely to not want to visit in the off season.

For instance, in August, most locations in Egypt approach the temperature of an oven, while hurricane season in Florida or the Caribbean can definitely put a crimp in your vacation.

In addition, many beach towns, and some parts of Europe, just about close down in the off season. It is important, therefore to plan smart to get the best travel bargains while still enjoying your vacation.

The best choice for budget minded travelers is often the shoulder season, that magical time of year when bargains are plentiful but destinations are still very enjoyable.

The period between high season and low, known as the shoulder season in the travel industry, is the time when prices have begun to drop, but for reasons that are related to the demand for the destination, not on its underlying value or lack of value.

For many locations, the shoulder season begins in the fall, when the college students and vacationing families that kept demand high begin to go home.

For instance, fall is a great time to visit many European locations. The temperatures are cooler, the crowds are gone, and the prices on lodgings and meals are lower.

In the Caribbean and Mexico, the shoulder season covers the late spring season.

Prices drop at this time since most tourists from colder climates are enjoying better weather at home and no longer dreaming of escaping to a warmer climate.

Most guidebooks and travel related web sites will have information on the best time to go to each location for maximum value, so if you are unsure exactly when the high, low and shoulder seasons occur for your destination be sure to check one of these sources for further information.

Finding great deals is possible in all seasons, of course, but it is generally most difficult in the summer time, when interest in vacationing reaches its peak.

The winter is an excellent season to visit many locations, but remember that it is high season for destinations like ski resorts.

The winter season can be a magical one for many locations that are on sale, however. For instance, travel to Asia is often markedly cheaper in the winter, but the sight of a snow covered Shinto temple is a remarkable sight, and one not to be missed.

Many locations in Asia and Europe have winters that are less harsh than those in many parts of the United States, so a winter vacation can still be quite magical.



Caffeinated Content

Paul Hata asked:


Many budget minded travelers like the safety, security and convenience that comes with booking a packaged or escorted tours.

These tours can be particularly useful for those traveling to an unfamiliar or exotic location, as well as for those who want to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time.

There are tour packages to every conceivable destination, and for every possible budget.

There are package tours that specialize in budget accommodations, and there are those that use only the finest hotels and the best restaurants. When looking for a suitable tour, it is important to take your own tastes and budgets into account.

There are several types of package tours available, and it is important to understand the difference, and to choose the type that best suits your interests, travel style and of course your budget as well.

Fully escorted tours

Fully escorted tours are generally the most all inclusive. In most cases, everything is included, from airfare and lodging to sightseeing and meals. In most fully escorted tours, the entire tour is tightly structured, and a full, highly detailed, itinerary is provided.

Many people like the structured and all inclusive nature of this kind of package tour, but they are not for everyone. Many independent minded travelers do not care for the rigid structure, or the fact that there is often not time to explore a particular destination more in depth. Many of these more independent minded travelers prefer the next category, the partially escorted tour.

Partially escorted tours

As the name implies, partially escorted tours are not as all inclusive as fully escorted ones.

These tours generally take care of transportation from one destination to another and lodging once you get there. Unlike fully escorted tours, however, these partially escorted tours generally provide more free time to explore on your own.

With most partially escorted tours, meals, other than maybe a few, are not included.

The tour often stops at a particular restaurant or eatery, but the meals are generally at the expense of the traveler.

Many travelers prefer the greater freedom this affords, while others prefer the all inclusive nature of the fully escorted tour. It is a choice each traveler must make for him or herself.

Many partially escorted tours also include optional excursions, and these excursions are also at the traveler’s expense.

It is important for anyone considering such a tour to get a list of optional excursions, including the price, and to review the itinerary for less costly alternatives that may be available.

Lodging and airfare tours

A package tour that includes only lodging and airfare is the least inclusive, least structured, and generally the least expensive, type of package tour available.

This type of package deal generally includes the airfare to your destination, transfer to the hotel, lodging for the length of the stay, and transfer back to the airport upon departure. In some cases a rental car may be included as well.

While these types of packages can be an excellent deal for the adventurous traveler, it is important to take into account the cost of meals, sightseeing tours, etc., and to compare that cost with the cost of a more inclusive package.

It is also important to pay close attention to the location of the hotel, and its proximity to the sights you plan to see. Many tour companies keep the costs of their packages low by using out of the way or unpopular hotels, so it is important to consult a map of your destination and find your hotel before booking the trip.

If you end up in a hotel that is far from the city center, you may end up spending lots of money on taxi far or rental cars. It is often better to upgrade to a hotel that is closer to town, even if that causes the cost of the package to rise.



Website content