Travel Saving Tips

Do not assume that you are finished planning an affordabletrip after a careful review of cheaptravel options, including cheap fares, cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, cheap auto rentals, discounttravel packages, and cheap vacation packages.

The following are tips on how to save money once on theroad from Budget Travels readers:

• Saveyour free coffee drink redemptions for use at airports which sometimes chargetwice what they do elsewhere.

• Get Mexicosbest exchange rate at supermarkets. Allyou have to do is purchase a few groceries, pay in American dollars, and thenbe given your change in pesos.

• Saveon a cruise spa by booking a massage on a day when your ship is docked, whichis typically when ship spas offer discounts.

• Getfree admission to some of Londons historic sites by becoming a member of thenot-for-profit Historic Royal Palaces. Membership provides free access to five of the citys most impressivelandmarks, including the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, and KewPalace. Your membership card allows youto bypass long lines as well.

• Gainfree admission to 70 of Irelands historic sites by purchasing the HeritageCard.

• Ifyour trips will take you to destinations large enough in the United States tohave museums, zoos, and/or botanical gardens, look into purchasing a membershipin your home citys counterpart which may be accepted at your destination.

• Eatinexpensively in Italy by avoiding restaurants that have a cover charge. If you desire is to enjoy a light breakfastor lunch, bypass sit down restaurants and purchase a pastry or a Panini from abakery.

• Savemoney and skip lines at Florences top museums by purchasing a Friends of theUffizi Gallery pass before departing for Florence. Membership lasts a year and covers allowsfree entry to the Uffizi, the state museums of Florence, the Pitti Palace, theMedici Chapels, and more. This passallows holders to skip ticket lines.

• Whenwithdrawing money from an ATM in Europe ATMs sometimes distribute 50 Euro notesthat many shops will not accept if you are making a small purchase. Make ATM withdrawals that are not divisibleby 50.

• Insteadof paying airline baggage fees, consider mailing your bulkiest items a weekahead of arriving at your destination.

• If youare a member of Costco, check Costcos website for discount tickets to themeparks. Be aware that you will find morepark discounts on their website than at your local Costco. Make certain to allow a minimum of one weekfor your tickets to arrive.

• FreeD.C. tours can be snagged by writing in advance to your states congressionalrepresentatives, requesting passes to attend sessions of Congress anddiscounted tour tickets.

• Todetermine where the US dollar goes the furthest, visit the Office of Allowancespage on the U.S. Department of State website and click on the foreign per diemrates link. There you can find estimatesfor hotels, meals, and incidentals at over 1,000 worldwide locations.

• Enrollyour children in a frequent flier program as soon as they start flying,regardless of their age. Remember thanmany mileage programs expire if the account is inactive for 18 months. Donate to charities or do some shopping on anairlines mall website to keep everyones miles current.

• Savemoney on highway food in the U.S. by shopping at deli counters in grocerystores. The food at delis tends to befresh, usually has a good variety, and is cheaper than most sit downrestaurants.

• Cliprestaurant chain coupons and keep them handy in your car so that you can redeemthem on car trips.

• Toavoid extra taxes and fees charged when renting a car at an airport, look intorenting from an off airport car location.

• Signup for a gas station charge card from a company with gas stations across thecountry. Many such cards offer a percentoff rebate, or other inducement for use.

• Lookinto purchasing day passes sold by many all-inclusive resorts which givevisitors access to the facilities, such as restaurants, swimming pools, andbeach chairs.

• Insteadof dealing with non-stop requests for money from your kids while on vacation,give them a travel allowance and let them pay for anything more with their ownmoney.