One of the best ways to get the most out of a vacation is to use coupons and discounts. You can use these on travel expenses, including flights, hotels, and rental cars.
Flights
One of the best ways to save money on your travel plans is to shop around for fares. Use an airline search engine to see a map of all flights from your home airport and find the cheapest routes.
Another way to save money on airfare is to book early. Airlines offer discounts on tickets booked at least seven days before departure.
You can often find even better deals if you’re willing to change your travel dates slightly. For example, shifting a trip by two weeks may save you 20 percent or more on a ticket.
Avoid crowded travel days, such as Saturdays and Sundays. They’re typically the most expensive times to fly, but they’ll also mean longer airport security lines and fewer seats available on your flight.
If you’re flying to an area with no local airline, check online for small airlines that operate locally and are less crowded. These smaller airlines are often more flexible and can offer lower fares than the larger, more established ones.
You can also combine your flight with a hotel stay to get a deal. Many of these bundles are only available when booked at the last minute, but they can offer huge savings over booking your flight alone.
Hotels
A hotel promo code can help you save money and make your travel plans easier. First, however, you must know what to look for and how to use them to get the most out of your trip.
One way to do this is to search for vacation packages, which are often available in conjunction with a hotel or rental car. These deals can benefit travelers heading to a popular vacation destination such as a beach resort, theme park, or tourist-friendly capital city.
To find the best deals, you must research and compare them side-by-side. You can do this by using a tool such as KAYAK, which searches hundreds of travel sites to bring you the best deals available for your vacation.
Another way to save on hotels is by signing up for loyalty programs from the hotel, airline, or rental car company. You can also sign up for their emails and stay updated on new promotions and offers.
You can save a lot on your next vacation by taking advantage of these companies’ unique travel offerings. They can include accessible accommodations, upgrades, and perks like free attractions tickets or a free rental car. Do research before booking your next vacation, as the rewards can be substantial.
Rental Cars
If you need to rent a car while on vacation, you can use the many available discounts to get the best deals. These include coupon codes, cash discounts, and discounts on rentals of several days or more.
Avis, for instance, offers a 30% summer discount on prepaid rentals and offers cash discounts of up to $15 per day for renting two cars. Another company, Budget, is offering 35% off on prepaid rentals this summer.
It’s a good idea to always book in advance and reserve your rental car for a week or more. Then, you can get better deals and save more money throughout your stay.
The best rental companies have several different brands, each designed for different types of travelers.
Some are specifically designed for business travelers, while others are geared toward leisure (vacation) travelers. For example, Payless is a super-budget brand that Avis/Budget owns.
In addition to a large selection, many of these brands are willing to work with their customers. For example, they may waive the rental fee for young drivers or offer an upgrade to a larger vehicle without charging extra.
Be wary of the rental car counter agents who attempt to upsell you, especially if they ask for additional insurance. This is usually a scam. They are incentivized to do this by earning a commission on the other insurance.
Keeping Busy
While there’s no debating that a vacation is the pinnacle of your life and a reward in and of itself, the reality of being out of town for a week or more can be daunting at best, one of the best ways to make the most of your time off is to plan your travels with a nod to the pros. This will prevent you from stumbling upon the best hotel, flight, or rental car deals a la carte and save your precious time and libido above.