Smart consumers always look for the best price possible on purchases. “Budget” does not mean cheap anymore. It means quite comfortable, clean and complete accommodations, transportation and services. It means travel is affordable and available to more people than ever before. This, plus the fact that the travel industry in general is on a rate raising campaign to make up for the post 9/11, SARS and Iraq war years most people are looking for the best bargains ever.
General Budget Travel Tips
There is an art to budget travel. To become competent at this “art” there are two things to remember. First, it takes a bit of time, patience and research to find the real best budget deals for any destination. Comparing prices for services is easy but only after some reading, web surfing, taking notes and thinking, that is, research. It can be great fun and enjoyable when viewed as part of the trip itself. See it as a joy and the first leg of your trip.
Second, in order to really pull off budget travel you need to be well prepared before you leave home. Nothing blows a budget deal like forgetting something, especially a necessity you have to buy while on the road. Out of pocket expenses can quickly get out of hand and are easily ignored. Plan ahead, be prepared and spend your money on fun things at your destination not things you forgot.
The are also travel pro’s out there that specialize in Budget Travel like Budget Travel.
Preparation
You’ve heard it before and it needs to really be emphasized for great budget travel, prepare before you leave home. See our How To Plan and How To Pack Travel Checklist pages. These will get you 100% ready!
Packing
Pack light, pack right and pack one soft side bag. If you’re on a budget you’ll want to carry your bag and avoid having to pay porters and skycaps to move your luggage around. See our What To Pack It In page for great travel packing tips.
Finding The Best Deals
1. Start with the Internet
The web provides tools travelers in previous decades could only imagine.
Hotels
For example, to help you get going on great hotel deals check out Hotel Discounts Worldwide. Its a great site to begin your search for travel and hotel discounts worldwide.You can access guidebooks and magazines, language translators and currency conversion calculators. It contains information on where to find senior deals, budget travel clubs and coupon books.
Cheap Overseas Airfares
There are also discount airfare specialists who are skilled at helping you book flights on options that are becoming popular and are very low: last minute bookings, consolidator tickets, senior discounts and courier flights. Visit Cheap Overseas Airfares for some great flight deals.
2. Think Off Season
Paris in February, Sydney in August, Juneau in September, Maui in October. The list is endless. Pro travelers know that as long as you are prepared before you leave home you can travel anywhere comfortably at any time of year. A great resource is Budget Travel Online. They not only has great budget travel deals but have a special section on off season Travel.
3. Keep Your Eye On Current Events
Read the papers. Watch the news. Listen to the radio. The world is telling you where the best travel bargains are this year. Thailand is currently offering spectacular travel bargains to infuse cash into their economy to help with the Tsunami recovery. Hong Kong and mainland China are still offering great bargains to rebuild tourism after the SARS outbreaks. Viet Nam is in a national campaign to open itself to western investment dollars and is offering great travel deals to lure people to look.
4. Do The Opposite
Looking for destinations closer to home is easy: do the “opposite.” Many ski resorts offer great activities in the summer: mountain biking down ski trails, tennis camps, golfing getaways, hiking, health camps and more. Think beaches in the winter for a blazing fire cook out and warm up. The possibilities are endless.
5. Look To The Commercial Experts
Some of the more famous travel personalities can really be trusted. Rick Steves and Arthur Frommer have staked their entire business reputation on great budget travel deals. You can trust them as pretty solid gauges for low cost recommendations.
6. Recommended Resource
One of the best resources out there is Travel Anywhere On A Budget. The report on the site offers insider secrets of the travel industry for you to use and benefit from.
