Save 50% – 80% off your flights

Uh-oh, you’ve done it again. You’ve left planning for your holiday trip to the last minute and find your travel costs are much higher than you expected.

Well, it’s not too late to get some last-minute savings. Even though travel peaks during the holidays, the cost of traveling nowadays is still less than it used to be. Plus, if you take action now, you can still shave some dollars from your holiday trip.

1. Comparison shop. You don’t have much time, but the Internet makes comparison shopping faster and easier than ever. Check out aggregator sites like Kayak.com, but don’t forget to look at individual airline sites as well. And when you’re comparing costs, remember to consider extra fees which aren’t included in ticket prices, such as baggage fees and other additional charges.

2. Act fast. When you do find a good deal, book it. Companies usually make great packages available for a limited time only, so you may not find it again if you don’t book it right now.

3. Plan to travel outside the peak periods. Don’t fly on the day before or after the holiday. Midweek also tends to be cheaper than weekends.

4. Explore other airports near your destination. See if it’s cheaper for you to fly to a nearby airport than where you originally planned go. Of course, factor in the cost of a cab or other transportation to get to your destination.

5. Try to book multiple flights with one or more connections instead of direct flights. Sure, direct flights are faster but they’re also more expensive. If you’re not in too much of a hurry – and if you’re not traveling with small children – you just might save some serious money by taking a series of connecting flights.

6. Save on accommodations by stay at a relative’s or friend’s house. Or look for hotel deals such as special family packages or holiday deals. Also check out how much it costs to rent a condo or apartment, or find a home swapping deal.

7. If you’re traveling to get away from it all, pick an off-season destination. For example, Las Vegas is cheaper during Christmas time than the rest of the year.

8. Look for deals on car rentals, if you need to rent a car. Again, the Internet is your best tool for finding hot deals.

9. if taking your own car, optimize its fuel consumption. Make sure all your tires are properly inflated, and replace your car engine’s air filter. While you’re at the mechanic, have your car checked to make sure it’s road worthy.

10. Food expenses can really add up when you’re traveling. To save on food, pack snacks and lunches to eat while you’re traveling. And when you arrive, plan to prepare your own meals.

These are only a few of the ways you can drastically reduce the cost of your holiday trip. If you want more tips you can use for your next trip and year-round, download this free report from Globe Cheap. Most of the tips in this report are insider tips only a former travel agent would know (which the author is).

If you’re willing to be flexible with your travel plans and invest some of your time and energy finding great deals (as opposed to putting everything in the hands of a travel agency) then you will save big money by following these tips.

Go here to claim your free report now.

Getting the best deal on airfare

There is no doubt that airfare is one of the biggest expenses of any vacation. Airfare costs can easily represent at least 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, 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.

Budget travel: airfare within Europe

Many budget travelers assume that a multi-city European vacation is beyond their means, but that is often not the case. The large number of budget airlines that have sprung up in Europe in recent years have dropped the average cost of airfare between many major cities in Europe. In some cases, the cost of coach airfare between major European hubs like London and Amsterdam is lower than a comparable first or even second class train ticket.

And of course flying between cities is far less time-consuming than taking the train or driving yourself, and that means more time to explore the places you’ve always wanted to see, as well as more money to spend once you get there.

The key to getting the best airfares, both from the United States to destinations in Europe, and between European destinations, is to shop around and compare carefully. Most major American air carriers have partnerships with one or more European airlines, and therefore it is often possible to shop airfares between European cities from the web sites of these airlines.

In addition, the major European only airlines all have their own web sites, and most provide for online booking and confirmation as well. This makes it easy to line up all your airfare before you leave the United States. This is an important consideration, since it is often more difficult, and more expensive, to book airline tickets or train tickets after you have arrived in Europe.

The choice of European cities you plan to visit can also have a major impact on airfare between destinations. Many of the low-cost European air carriers are based in London, so it is often considerably less costly to fly from London than to fly from many other major European cities. Therefore, many budget travelers choose to make London their primary destination, and to take two and three-day trips from there to the places they have always wanted to see.

While it is possible to get great deals from other European gateways, it is often more difficult than flying to and from London. Just as American airlines have their own major gateways, such as New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta, so do budget European airlines. Planning your visit around these hub cities is often the best way to get the lowest possible airfares between European cities.

Flying within Europe is surprisingly affordable for way for many budget travelers to get around. Many first time travelers to Europe, and some seasoned travelers as well, are shocked to find just how affordable it is to fly around Europe.

Choosing an online travel site for your Hawaii vacation

Would you like to take a trip to Hawaii? If so, you may want to start making your travel plans soon. When it comes to doing so, you will find that you have a number of different options. Out of all of those options, you may find online travel websites to be the best.

As nice as it is to hear that you should book your next Hawaii vacation through an online travel website, you may be looking for more information. For instance, there are multiple travel websites for you to choose from. Which one is the best? Before choosing an online travel website to book your trip through, there are a number of points that you will first want to take into consideration.

Reliability and reputation are important when choosing an online travel website. A small or relatively unknown website may work, but do you really want to take the chance on your dream vacation? Most travelers prefer using well-known websites to plan their trips and you may wish to do the same. If you find a great deal on another travel website, like one that isn’t as well-known, do the proper amount of research first. A good name likely means a good reputation and that should translate into a good vacation for you.

Professionalism is another great way to gauge the reliability and reputation of an online travel website. Of course, anyone can create a professional looking website, but you may be surprised how many people don’t take the time to do so. If anything on the website of your choice looks unprofessional or suspicious, it may be best to move on and examine your other options. As previously stated, you can easily find a number of online travel websites that will allow you to book your next Hawaii vacation.

The number of partners an online travel website works with should also have an impact on your decision. As for partners, what hotels, airlines, and car rental companies work with the travel website? These are results that will appear when you perform a search for Hawaii airlines, Hawaii hotels, and Hawaii car rentals. When you choose to do business with an online travel website who has a lot of partners, your chances of saving money increase. This is because you are provided with more options, which can better allow you to price compare.

In keeping with examining an online travel website, is the site easy to use? Booking your Hawaii vacation online should be easy, not hard, frustrating, or time-consuming. Are you able to find what you need right away? When you search for Hawaii hotels is that all you are getting or are you also getting hotels for other popular vacation destinations? An easy to navigate website should make it easier for you to examine your options, as well as book your trip with fewer errors.

It is also advised that you find a travel website that allows you to customize. This is important as we all have different wants and needs when taking a vacation. Are you looking for the most affordable airline reservations? Are your travel dates not flexible? Are you looking for the shortest flights to Hawaii? If so, choose an online travel website that allows you to customize your searches so that your options appear in order of affordability, availability, or time.

When choosing an online travel website to book your Hawaii vacation through, your wants should also be examined. Your wants are important with your overnight accommodations. Do you want to stay at a Hawaii hotel or a private vacation rental. As popular as Hawaii vacation homes, condos, apartment rentals, and villas are, not all well-known travel websites list them. Instead, you may need to search for a website that deals specifically with private vacation rentals.

Now you know what you should look for in an online travel website. Taking the time to choose a quality, reliable, and dependable website to book your next Hawaii vacation will likely result in a better trip and less disappointment for you.