Finding the best deals to travel

Now this blog is about traveling. But why dream about the places you want to go to without having the money to get there. So I assembled a list of tips on how to find the best deals to travel based on my own experiences on finding the cheapest deals. Try them and I'm sure you will find the best deals possible.

1. DIY - Do It Yourself
I found that the way to lose money when planning a getaway trip is going to travel agencies. Travel agencies are great if you do not have time and have the money to spend. But if you are on a tight budget the best way to do it is to plan your own vacation. This includes booking your flight yourself, finding a good hotel, car rental, finding attractions & things to do and finding the best deals on food around the area.
The best way to find these things of course is the internet. Sites like expedia, cheaptickets and orbitz are great for getting the best deals. You can search for flights, hotel and car rental at the same time. A great time saver!
I'm assuming that if you are reading this you do have internet access. So why not start browsing around to find a good deal on tickets as a starter?

2. Plan ahead
The best way to find a good deal on flights is to book them early. Airlines tend to raise the prices on flights 7 to 10 days before a flight. Due to business travelers who usually buy the last minute seats. So even though it is true that you could get good last minute deals, it is usually not the case.
Especially if you are planning a vacation in the high season this rule usually apply to finding a good deal. Most people do not have the money or do not know if they will get the days off to book a flight in advance for high season. So this makes the same flight a lot cheaper early on.
Also if you are booking a vacation package the best way to finding a good deal is booking at least 60 days in advance according to Expedia.
This does not mean you have to book right when you find the first cheap fare. Patience is a key to finding the best fare. Checking back to see the price might return cheaper results. So be wise in buying right away.

3. Travel on Wednesday!
Overall Wednesday is the cheapest day to travel for almost all airlines. Especially if you are traveling inside the United States borders. After Wednesdays the cheapest days to travel is on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
The main reason these days are cheaper is because most people do not travel on these days. Especially people traveling for pleasure.

4. Sign up to receive e-mails
This is one of the easiest ways to always know about travel deals. You can sign up with the various airlines. Or you can sign up with other internet travel search sites.
Signing up for all these e-mails might make your inbox a little bit too crowded. If this is the case for you, you can make a folder in your e-mail account where all your travel info will go to or you can make another e-mail account especially for your travel research. This will leave your inbox open for e-mails from the people you love.

5. Go kayak
On kayak.com you can find the cheapest fare by comparing the prices different websites offer. This is a lot better than just searching on one site. And it is also a lot easier that searching every site individually. This way you can safe time but still find the best deal around the web.
Other sites that also offer this service is sidestep.com and away.com even though I find their interface a little bit less attractive.

6. The power of non-refundables
If you are sure of your date of travel, get a non-refundable ticket. They are almost always the cheapest tickets out there. The only problem is if you do not fly on that day, you loose your money. But for the price differences it is definitely worth the risk.
There is even a chance you can cancel your flight in advance and still be able to use the value of your ticket towards a future ticket. This is not true for all airlines. But you should read through the fine prints to find out if this is possible for your ticket. Southwest for example is one of the airlines you can apply the full value of your ticket toward a future trip.
Most airlines also charge a fee to change your travel date if you cancel in advance. Make sure you also find out what this fee is. Because it might be cheaper to buy a new ticket than to change your date.

7. Bid on your vacation
With a site like skyauction.com you don't need to fly, sail or sleep for the full price. On this site you can actually bid on airfare, cruise fare or hotel prices. You could have the vacation of your dream for as low as $1.
Be sure to read through all the fine prints. Some hidden fees may apply.

If you put theses tips into practice, you will be sure to find the best deals out there for your time away.

A traveler