Top secrets for scoring travel deals
Top secrets for scoring travel deals
Traveling tends to be an expensive ordeal. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing though. Very few people who travel regret doing so. Seeing new parts of the world and meeting new people is a powerful way to expand your mind and reveal new parts of yourself. There is nothing else in the world that can replace the value of what you learn while traveling. Using these hacks, you can reduce the cost of your trips and make memories that will last.
Go incognito
Always clear your cookies and browsing history before shopping for flights, hotels, or other similar items. In addition, make a habit of using incognito browsing windows for this type of shopping. The reason for this is a bit complicated but important. As we use the internet, websites leave cookies in our browser. These are harmless bits of information that are used to speed up the websites you are using.
The only trouble comes from the fact that airline and hotel websites look at these stored cookies to determine what prices to show you. If you’ve been looking at websites that talk about things to do in Paris, the price of European flights and hotels will automatically go up for you. The easiest way to avoid this and make sure you are getting the best prices possible is to clear your browsing data and go incognito. Incognito browser windows are designed to avoid using cookies and other types of data. Data that would tell an airline or hotel site how much you really want to go to, say, Chile for spring vacation.
Travel in the offseason
This hack may seem rather obvious. Of course, prices will be cheaper when the demand isn’t as high. So what makes this a hack? Not every place in the world has the same peak tourism season. As an example, going to Central or South America during Holy Week is likely going to be expensive. More expensive than going to Taiwan during that same time. Start by doing a little research about the place you want to go and when the most popular times to visit are. You can save yourself quite a bit of money by simply shifting your trip dates. Sometimes, it only takes a week to make a difference.
Book flights at the right time
When you book your flights can also really affect the prices. Try to book on a weekend as prices are often lower. In addition, depending on what season you’re taking your trip, booking different amounts of time in advance is important.
It is recommended that for trips in the spring, you should book roughly 90 days in advance. In the summer, try for roughly 50 days in advance. Fall and winter trips ought to be booked roughly 70 and 60 days in advance respectively.
Find free tours
Despite the old saying, sometimes you can get what you don’t pay for. Many times, locals will offer tours for nothing but the cost of a tip at the end. Because they are working for tips, they will make an effort to be both informative and engaging. You may find that some of the highest quality tours are offered in this manner. Do a little internet research beforehand or ask around once in the area to see what’s offered.
Now you know a few tricks to reduce the cost of travel. If Europe is your dream, check out this article by Budget Travel magazine on how to get cheap flights. Life is short, so go to that place you’ve always wanted to see. Or, if you want to travel but don’t know where to go, throw a dart at a map and go there. Of course, for many people travel isn’t about the destination at all, but the journey. Maybe its time to give in to the wanderlust and just wander.