4 “Secrets” to help you save on travel this summer
As summer approaches, I know many of you are planning trips, so I want to share four “secrets” I use to help make your vacation planning a little easier. These may seem basic but in the last few years, I have saved hundreds of dollars and hours of my life!
Travel credit cards – If you don’t have one already, travel credit cards are a great way to save hundreds of dollars on your next vacation. I personally love the Capital One Venture Card, which has double points to cover travel expenses– you get higher points/rewards on certain purchases. One of my goals this year is to fully pay for the trip to Mexico for my sister’s wedding by utilizing credit card points. Here is a helpful list of some of the best travel credit cards available right now. Above and beyond the usual travel points you receive by using the cards, many travel credit cards have great intro incentives that can save upwards of $750. You can also receive hundreds of dollars in rewards by referring friends or family to use the credit card I’ll have to report back afterwards and give an update of how much I was able to save by using credit card points.
Flight trackers – My sister is getting married this fall and she is doing a destination wedding in Mexico. She is using a travel agency to help coordinate planning booking for everyone that is invited and one of the tips the travel agency sent out was to set up Google Alerts for flights during our dates. The “sweet spot” for booking flights is 1-3 months for domestic trips and 2-8 months for international trips depending on where you are going and whether you are traveling during busier seasons for your destination.
Travel agents – My husband and I used a travel agent last year to plan our 10-year anniversary trip and it was incredibly helpful on so many levels. The agent was able to coordinate our rental cars, flights and hotels and was even able to change dates and flights on our behalf. Most travel agents have no service fee since they earn commissions from hotels, airlines, and other venues. TravelSense.org is part of the American Society of Travel Advisors and allows you to search by some useful parameters including specialty and geographic location. I highly recommend using one to plan your next trip!
Reservations – I know that seems like an incredibly basic “secret” but I didn’t realize how far in advance some restaurants or activities require a reservation. We went to Napa and Sonoma in 2015 and realized that we had waited too late to book certain restaurants and wineries that we wanted to visit so when we returned for our 10-year anniversary trip I made sure to schedule our meals and tours much further in advance. This is especially important if you are traveling during the “high” season for whatever destination you are visiting.
A few other articles and tips on traveling from the Mainstreet archives –
Smart Moves to Practice for Vacation and Trips
What are some of your favorite traveling tips and tricks? Happy traveling!!
