5 Ways to Spend Less on Your Next Vacation

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1. Book early. You’ve probably heard this sound advice before, but the importance of planning ahead cannot be stressed enough! You should start looking at tickets at least six months ahead of time with rough dates for travel in mind. This will give you plenty of time to finalize your plans and wait for ticket fluctuations to fall in your favor so that you can nab a great deal. Plus, most travel websites can send you updates whenever the price of “your trip” is reduced. While some people talk up waiting until the last minute to get discounts on unsold seats that the airlines just want to fill, the truth is that you could end up paying a lot more if you wait, or potentially seeing the flights you need sell out.
   
   

   
   

2. Stay at an Inn-and-Suites establishment. The term “suite” tends to come with the connotation of a high price tag, but an establishment billed as an inn and suites often has lower prices on bookings for rooms that come with multiple beds and bathrooms, a seating area, and a kitchenette. This makes them ideal for family travel since they will accommodate a group and allow you to prepare some meals in your hotel room.
   
   
3. Hit up the visitors center. Most cities, especially those that have a vested interest in tourism, tend to have a visitors center where you can find maps and information on local attractions. In most cases the employees stationed at these centers can give you valuable insights into how to save money in the city by visiting free attractions, finding free parking, and using public transportation. Most can even provide you with coupon books.
   
   
4. Get AAA. You might be surprised at the many establishments that take AAA and give you a discount in the process. You could save at least 10% on everything by visiting hotels, restaurants, and even retail shops that accept your membership card. Not only does AAA have listings of their partners online for your perusal, they also offer roadside assistance, travel protection, and even discount travel bookings (they’ll set everything up for you like a personal travel agent), all for the price of your annual membership.
   
   
5. Buy a guide book. A personal travel guide offers convenience, but comes at an astronomical cost. Luckily, you’re not reinventing the wheel here. Plenty of people have gone before you and many have written about the experience in order to offer other travelers insight into the systems that govern other countries and cultures. Most of them also provide money-saving tips and even specific locations to visit (hotels, restaurants, attractions, etc.) for frugal travelers. Don’t want to carry a bulky book on your trip? Get your smart phone set up for international use so you can download Urbanspoon, Foursquare, and other helpful travel apps.