Are you thinking about vacation travel in the near future? Think again, but this time, think about how to stretch your travel dollar and get more vacation for your money. See how much you can save by trying some of these tips from travelers who have learned how to save, and save big with simple and smart travel tricks.

Travel savings accounts are a wonderful idea. You save for nearly everything else: College, a new car, and even for that new boat or recreational vehicle. But do you save for those trips abroad, or do you make the mistake of taking from one account after another in a last-minute effort to find enough money to make the get-away vacation idea work? You are not the first to try this method of finding vacation money. But there is a better way. Start saving now for vacation instead of waiting for the annual epiphany to remind you of the vacation months. If you start now you can avoid the inevitable rush to scrape enough money at the last minute. If you have electronic banking, you can set up a regular deposit into a separate vacation account. This is perhaps the best idea to make travel expenses part of your budget. You don’t have to think about it, because it is already done for you at regular intervals. Travel is one of those things we don’t consciously think about very often during the year because other things tend to crowd it out so often. So if you tend not to think about travel and vacation until certain times of the year, a travel account might just be your ticket to that destination of your choice, but without the rush to get in line to pay for it from other savings or credit cards.

Travel smarter and farther – it is surprising how much can be saved by using a few simple travel tips. You can save a bundle by traveling mid-week. Most of us travel during the weekend and end up paying the airline weekend rates that can kill the most important time of the year with family and friends. For the especially adventurous, you might consider traveling on the redeye. This idea might sound like too much at first, but it does have advantages that go beyond just cost. There are daytime hassles that usually don’t happen at night, such as children who might be fidgety, as well as annoying or overly-talkative adults who might sleep through the entire flight. And even better, the flights are almost always relatively empty. Imagine your own Air Force One complete with flight attendants who treat you like royalty because you’re one of the few brave enough to fly at night! You can also use public transportation to save rather than taking a taxi or special bus service that takes you to the same destination. And you can get there at a fraction of the cost. You can also save a bundle by buying convenience items at home rather than at the destination where they can price gouge without competition. And don’t forget the coupons! Find a local paper or other publication where there are coupons to help save those important dollars during vacation. You can also find them at local supermarkets. Read the rest of this entry »