Thanks to fuel and surcharges, airfare can take a huge bite out of your travel budget. Money-saving tips are sometimes contingent on when you purchase your tickets, when you decide to fly and what airport or airline you select as your carrier of choice. Typically you can nab your best deal on Tuesday afternoons, according to Rick Seaney from Fare Compare, who also recommends the cheaper Wednesday to fly. Another money-saving tip is to purchase tickets one at a time, because purchasing multiple tickets per transaction bumps up the price of the ticket.
You have several options to find a great discount on hotels, like booking your travel off-season, using your AAA card to get a discount or to join hotel rewards clubs where you can earn points for each stay toward discounted rates or free nights. In gambling meccas like Las Vegas, join the player's club to earn points for your game play, which can be used for less expensive hotel stays, comped rooms and dining discounts. Aside from that, one of the better ways to get a hotel discount is simply ask for one. Ask for student, military, AAA, government, AARP or senior discounts, or what special package rates they have available at the time of your visit.
Often you can save big when you purchase your entire vacation package -- airfare, hotel and/or rental car -- at the same time. Bundle your travel plans together to get even bigger savings through travel discount sites such as Expedia, Travelocity and Priceline. Sites like Expedia also offer add-ons such as tickets for tourist attractions. When you travel to the Caribbean or to Mexico, airlines like Funjet offer all-inclusive vacations that include not only your airfare, but complete hotel packages that include dining and alcohol. Other tourist attractions, such as Disneyworld, offer packages that include park tickets and meal plans.
Many large cities both in the United States and abroad offer discount cards for tourists, who, for a flat rate, can visit a variety of popular attractions for "free." If you plan to spend a significant amount of time in these cities and plan to see several of these attractions anyway, these can work out to be a good deal more than a more limited trip where you only use the card on a couple of locations.
