Tips on Holiday Travel!

You have waited for weeks for the holidays and now they are finally here. You are so excited to travel for the holidays you have decided where you want to go and your bags are packed.

Then you go to make the arrangements and it all comes tumbling down. The cost for hotel stays or flights abroad are so far out of your reach its not even within shouting distance.

All your lovely plans for the holidays have disintegrated as you simply can’t afford to travel even to the North Coast. It could mean that your vacation is ruined and you will have to unpack and resign yourself to spending the holidays on the couch at home.

Could anything have saved this vacation?

Preparation

Firstly, as the saying goes if you fail to prepare then you must prepare to fail.  There is simply no alternative to proper vacation planning if you want it to go smoothly.

Before planning a holiday trip, determine how much you can afford to spend and how much it will cost to travel. Make sure to include all travel expenses, meals and miscellaneous spending money.

Selecting an off-peak day to travel will help you save money. Off-peak days are those days such as Tuesdays or Wednesdays that have fewer travelers flocking to the airports in an attempt to leave or return to the country for the holidays.

Year round, Fridays and Sundays are traditionally the most expensive days to fly. The days right before and right after the holiday tend to be the busiest and most expensive due to the demand of travelers needing to fly in or out of the country.

Fly out early in the morning or very late at night. Afternoon and evening flights are more in demand and expensive than earlier times or very late times in the day. Those times which are less in demand tend to be less expensive.

Hotel Stays

If your vacation plans include staying somewhere locally, this can be an expensive time to book.  The hotels’ rates during the holidays can double or in some cases triple.

One solution is to book long in advance and stay in groups. If going in large groups there might be discounts available or the guest house could have several bedrooms so the cost can be shared among friends.

Another way to save costs is to simply stay with family and friends and avoid the costs of hotels. After all you will be spending time with people who care about you and there is no cost attached!

So how do you save money on Holiday Travel?

Let me hear from you!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: holiday travel