10 Smart Travel Tips to Save Money on Your Next Holiday

If you are searching for travel on the internet, the chances are you are planning a trip somewhere. Whether it’s for business or leisure, here are our top tips on how to make the best travel choices, and ensure that your trip is an enjoyable one.

Travel Discounts

Before you book any trip search the web for coupons. Certain airlines, car rental companies and hotel groups post discount coupons regularly. These can be used for direct bookings only but can save you money.

For airline travel there is not much point shopping around these days, unless you are going to book your flight together with a hotel. If you buy a package you might be able to secure a lower price for the combined arrangements. A travel agent is usually the best source of the best package prices. Otherwise for flight-only, just go ahead and book direct with the airline for the best price.

Alternative routes

You can always save money if you fly via another airport. This is true for domestic travel within the US and when you travel internationally.

Make sure you research both options if saving money is high on your list of travel needs. Hotel prices vary considerably from provider to provider. Sometimes the hotel’s site direct will offer the best price but sometimes to drive some volume an online provider will have a great price. Always shop around when you are booking a hotel.

Check the prices

When you look at a hotel price always make sure you are looking at ‘like for like’ pricing. Hotel prices often exclude all of the taxes, whilst the price on a OTA site could include taxes - this is particularly relevant if you are traveling overseas.

Rental cars are another product where you should compare prices. Rental car brokers can sometimes offer a better deal than the car hire company direct. Also, some airlines have official car rental companies. Check with your favorite airline to see if they have a special code to unlock special rental car rates.

Compare Dates

If you are taking a weekend break try checking prices for Friday and Saturday night and then compare the price with Saturday and Sunday night. Sunday night is usually a hotel’s lowest occupancy in a week, and rates can be cheaper.

Instead of taking a Friday off, take a Monday off. Nobody likes Monday mornings anyway! Booking early can always save you money. Airlines and hotels generally offer their best pricing to early bookers. If you know your vacation dates months in advance book your hotel then - in most cases you won’t need to pay at the time of booking and can simply hold a hotel to lock in the best possible price.