Travel Tips and Tricks – Ways to Save

Travel like a queen (or King) on a not so royal budget.

We love finding hidden travel gems!

Join the adventure as we find and share fabulous travel experiences on a budget.

I’ll also have a “pissing pot” for the trips gone wrong to help you avoid any pitfalls.

Come along the water’s warm!

Take some time to sign up for travel deal newsletters and take a look at last minute travel for the best deals and “hidden gems”.

Last minute travel can save you a bundle if you are flexible on your dates and can travel when you see a great deal.  Cruises consider “last minute” between 2-4 months since most people book a year or more out for their cruise holiday.  Some of my of my favorite sites for last minute travel are www.vacationstogo.com, Travelzoo.com and www.shermanstravel.com.  Don’t forget to check reviews on Trip Advisor (and add your own review to pitch in), these are generally up to date and let you know if there are any last minute problems (like construction on your hotel…not fun for peaceful travel).  Add the app on your phone or an e-mail alert to make it easy to see what deals are available when you have a spare minute on your phone (always helpful when you’re stuck in a line and bored).

If you want the best airline pricing you’ll need to book in advance or book a package with a wholesale travel site.  If you have advance time (2-3 months or more) then check all flight pricing, take a few minutes to sign up for an email travel alert and grab that ticket the minute it drops in price.  Instead of checking flights one by one just log onto a site that compares them all at once. One of my favorite sites is https://www.skyscanner.com.  Don’t forget to add in the option to fly a few days prior and after your chosen travel dates, one day can make a huge difference in price. When you sign up for an alert you get to have daily pricing fed to you, no need to try to remember to check every day it will be in your email.  How easy is that?

Want more deals?  Travel off the beaten path, why visit the same places that everyone else has visited?  One of my favorite locations is an area way south of Cancun and past Playa Del Carmen in Mexico.  By driving further south we found a perfect stretch of fluffy white sand with amazing boutique hotels.  Service was spectacular and the pricing was rock bottom.  My favorite was Anna Y Jose, http://www.anayjose.com.  Take a look at Google Maps and see what else you can find in this area, it’s a great example of going a little away from the pack.

Want a great price then travel on the “off times” especially what is known as the “shoulder” periods.  Think…the times that no one else will be traveling (after Thanksgiving and before Christmas).  Resorts are rock bottom on pricing, flights are fabulously low and empty and you get to avoid the “herd”.  The only problem is that you might have to bring a group of friends if you’re looking for social time.  I went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with my husband during the first week in December and the resort was a ghost town.  We got great pricing but we got bored of hearing the same stories from each other but we fixed that by trekking into town to find someone with a different story!

Traveling during the “off season” to a beach town or warm location can net you huge benefits. Generally, this is just before the summer rush of June, July and August.  Traveling in mid-April or all of May (check to avoid spring break) or at the end of the summer in September and October can net you get great deals, perfect weather (check your region) and herd free travel.  If you want to travel with the herd then go ahead and book at the prime season and pay a prime price…not my favorite way to travel but if that is your thing do some research and grab a package early.

This Happy Hour was “CRAZY’, one euro for a LARGE Beer! The Happy Hour lasted from 9 am to 7 pm.

Take the time to get off the beaten path and you will be rewarded.  This little street (Pictured above) is lined with restaurants and shops leading to a spectacular beach.  It wasn’t too busy and it was full of photo opportunities, hiking, trails and spectacular scenery.  We went in April and the weather was perfect. If you can get away go in the off-season (why travel to pay top dollar when the heat is on and lines are everywhere?).  Timing is everything, but so is being a little away from the herd, literally, this amazing street was only a 5 minute drive to the center of the action. 1 Euro was about $1.00 at the time and got you a huge local beer from morning to evening.  Meals were also priced at rock bottom pricing.

Looking to avoid the crowds when today’s cruise ships try to book super full? You can find hidden spots away from the crowds if you take the time to look.

We looked at the map of the cruise ship and found a hidden area with amazing views. Only about 8 other people found this hidden gem of a deck.  Sure you had to keep trekking down different sets of random stairs and questioning if you were doing something “wrong”, nope just our own hidden spot.  Keep looking and you will be rewarded.  If you are not supposed to be in a specific area then generally there will be a sign or someone will let you know…eventually.  Better to get forgiveness than approval (unless it is unsafe…don’t be dumb).

Take a few minutes to do some research and you can get a great deal, amazing location, great weather at a great price AND avoid the crowds? That’s my dream trip, how about you?