There are definite travel hacks that you must know about. Let’s face it the best memories are family vacations because this is where we create lifetime memories that will last forever in our hearts and minds. Now these travel memories don’t need to cost you an arm and leg. If you follow these simple hacks, you will learn how to stretch your dollars to get the most value and wonderful memories at the same time. So, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer…
Step #1 – Determine Your Destination
The first think you must do is determine where you want to travel to. There are a plethora of cheap airfares available especially if you live in a major city that has a large hub-type airport. Most websites that you can purchase tickets from have a tool that will show you the cheapest airfare deals from your local airport. This allows you to provide your travel dates and what you willing to pay. Once you do this you will have prices come up for cities all over the world. This is a great way to make sure you get the deal you are looking for to create those important memories. Also, another great thing to do is to compare airfares for different carries. A site I like to use is https://www.farecompare.com/. There are others of course but I find that this one works the best.
Step #2 – Know When To Shop When It’s Cheap
The best time for domestic travel is Tuesday afternoon. The reason is most commercial airlines release their U.S. prices late Monday or early Tuesday morning. So, by Tuesday afternoon the competing airline carries will match these new prices. Never wait to buy tickets at the last minutes! You must plan ahead because prices get really expensive when you buy at the days or even 1-2 weeks before. I recommend you buy your tickets 30 days in advance to get the better rates.
Step #3 – Fly When It’s Cheap
The general rule for flying the cheapest in the U.S. is typically Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. For international travel the weekdays are definitely cheaper than the weekends. Once again this is a general rule… which means this may not be true 100% of the time so you must do your research and compare prices for multiple itineraries.
Next regarding off-peak travel there are some very high fare periods like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. My advice is, if you can, to avoid these dates or you are going to pay double or triple the rate. Now this doesn’t mean the only deals are in the dead of winter. You will see significant savings if you plan to travel during the spring or fall rather than the summer.
Finally, another travel hack is if don’t live in a big city with a big airport hub then consider driving to the nearest one. The couple hour drive will be worth the savings you will get from departing out of a larger airport.
Step #4 – Do Your Research On Other Travel Related Deals
My best advice on deals for hotel rooms or attractions is always to talk to people you know that have been there. These are conversations worth having before you look for any online reviews. Now as you check out online reviews please make sure you do your homework. By this I mean don’t book a hotel for example until you have seen pictures of the all the rooms.
I hope this helps you in your search for the best deals for your next family vacation.
Please share any of your travel hacks in the comments below.
