By Hyder Abd
Vacations are that exciting time when you get to unplug from your daily work or school life, and your other daily routines and unwind. Leaving your daily stresses behind and going somewhere new is an excellent way to recharge your batteries, so to speak. Unless you are fabulously wealthy, vacation planning starts with setting a budget for the overall trip and trying to find the best bang for your buck within that budget. This may mean some careful evaluation of your travel options before you spend money on anything. One of the best places to save money is where you will be staying during your vacation.
First, you need to be familiar with the travel booking and information sites out there and how to take advantage of them. Once you have a list of places you are considering as your vacation destination, check out Trip Advisor for some crucial information about the area. You can learn about the climates, when to go, how to get around, and much more. You can read which parts of town are tourist friendly and the advantages of staying in particular areas. Once you've identified an area that seems suitable, you can read the traveler opinions and reviews of the hotels in that area - both the good and the bad. Flexibility is key when looking for a hotel to stay in during your vacation. Don't get too hung up on a couple of negative reviews if there are many more positive reviews of an establishment.
When looking for hotels that you'd like to stay in, keep in mind that your goal is to save money here so that you will have more money left over to spend on eating out, attractions, etc while you are there. Make an honest assessment of exactly what amenities you absolutely require during your stay. For example, hotels that offer a business center, fitness room, or swimming pool will generally have a higher rate for their rooms. Will you need the business center? Perhaps you can get away with using your smartphone or visit a place that offers computer access hourly. Are you absolutely sure you will be using the fitness facilities during your stay? Maybe you can do a simple workout in your own room such as pushups and sit-ups. Pass up some of these amenities and you will save yourself a lot of money.
Once you've done this assessment and picked a few hotels you are interested in, comparing the pricing for those hotels on different websites such as Travelocity, Expedia and so on. Don't forget to visit the official hotel website to see if there are any promotions or special rates being offered. See if they offer any discounts for members any organizations that you may belong to. If your dates are flexible, try out the different possibilities for check in and check out dates. Remember, weekend rates at most hotels are a lot more than weekdays so if you can possibly adjust your travel, you may reduce the cost here.
Keep in mind that most vacationers like to get out and do other things. Even if that is to simply go to the nearest beach and take in the sun. If a majority of your time is going to be spent outside the hotel visiting local attractions, and you are really only using the hotel to sleep at night, then do you really need to pay the premium for a high class hotel with tons of amenities you may never use? Sites like Price Line are great for those looking to score very good nightly stays. You can use the bidding feature very successfully on there.
Lastly, look on some of the travel websites such as Expedia to see if you have the possibility of receiving an additional discount for booking your hotel together with your flight if you plan to fly to your destination. Oftentimes, this discount can bring the price down quite a bit lower than the competing sites offer for hotel alone.
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