Are you hoping to go on vacation? If your budget does not have any extra spending money, you should look for ways that you can cut corners. Here are some tips for going on vacation on a tight budget:

Compare Your Options

Before you book a hotel room or flight, you need to compare prices on each vendor’s site. Most times, getting rid of the middleman and booking your flight separately is a lot cheaper than packages from Expedia and other sites. Moreover, buying directly from an airline gives you plenty of flexibility to manage your flights.  

If you call the hotel directly, you could also end up saving money. Just remember that third-party sites need you to pay the full amount upfront, meaning that you should do your homework thoroughly before paying for anything.

 

Be Direct

In some cases, you might not find your favorite airlines on travel sites. For instance, Southwest Airlines does not put up a list of flights on 3rd party vendor sites. If you want to see all your options, you should check directly with airlines because you might be missing cheaper rates.

When planning your honeymoon, you should consider packages such as Discover Hawaii Tours honeymoon packages, because they allow you to save money. For the best deals, you should bypass the aggregation sites and approach the company itself.

 

For Cruises, Consult a Travel Agent

You should not book a cruise on consolidation websites. You need to look for a travel agent who specializes in cruises because he or she has existing relationships with cruise lines, which could mean discounted rates for you. Moreover, a travel agent can score you deals on a cruise ship that offers shore excursions.

When it comes to planning a cruise trip, there are many moving parts to consider, including your flight to the ship and the actual cruise. This means that if one part goes wrong, the whole thing will fall apart. An experienced travel agent has enough experience to plan a successful trip.

On the other hand, if you book your cruise trip through a consolidation site, you will be stuck with your own problems and nobody to help you during the frustrating moments.

 

Read The Label

You should be wary of airlines or hotels labeled as ‘top picks’ when using search engines. This does not necessarily mean that they offer better value or higher quality than their competition. It only means that they are business partners with the booking site, which allows them to get the top spot on your search results.

 

Travel Smart

Now that your flight has been booked, you need to learn how to follow your travel budget strictly. Because the cost of travel changes, the plans for your trip usually turn into a juggling act between money, time, and location. As you have already picked a location at this point, you should be flexible with your time by visiting during the off-season.

You should not only budget for what you will spend on during your trip, you also need to consider all the related expenses. For instance, you need to consider the cost of buying new luggage or bringing your pet on a plane. Thinking about all the related expenses allows you to draft a realistic budget.

 

Pack light

Many of us have been guilty of over packing for vacations and short trips. According to the owner of Hana tours, packing light is the key to a fun trip. You only need to pack the necessities and leave the heavy stuff that you do not need – such as blow driers – at home.