If your spirit of adventure is larger than your travel budget, these
money-saving tips might just put your next vacation within reach.
1. Swap homes with other vacationers
If you prefer to mingle with the locals rather than other tourists,
look into a home exchange vacation. One couple spent their
eight-week honeymoon touring Europe without ever staying in a hotel;
instead, they stayed in private homes while their European hosts
stayed in their New York City apartment. Sound risky? Maybe—but tens
of thousands of people have exchanged homes since the 1950s. For an
annual membership fee (usually around $50), home exchange clubs help
members arrange exchanges, as well as offering tips to make the
exchange go smoothly. According to ExchangeHomes.com, a home
exchange can cut travel costs by as much as half. More importantly,
though, a home exchange vacation makes it possible for you to live
like the locals, and perhaps make some life-long friends.
2. Rely on the hospitality of others
In a slight twist on the home exchange idea, look into joining a
hospitality club that will hook you up with people willing to host
you on your next vacation. The largest hospitality club has more
than 23,000 members in 148 countries. Membership is usually free,
although members are asked to provide hospitality to others (on a
voluntary basis) in return sometime in the future. In addition to
saving money, staying with others is a great way to meet locals who
can give an insider’s perspective on your destination.
3. Stay in a monastery or convent
Monasteries and convents have a long tradition of providing
hospitality to travelers. Aside from being a lot more interesting
(and affordable) than the local Holiday Inn, a monastery can be a
great place to explore your spiritual landscape. Many monasteries
and convents ask for a donation of $40 to $80 per night; others only
ask for a free-will offering. In addition to simple accommodations,
monasteries and convents often offer their guests simple meals as
well as opportunities to participate in daily prayer and work.
Reservations may be required in advance. You can research this
vacation idea by looking up individual monasteries or convents
online. Or get a guidebook such as “Europe's Monastery and Convent
Guesthouses: A Pilgrim's Travel Guide” or “Sanctuaries: The Complete
United States: A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries, Abbeys, and
Retreats.”
4. Win a free vacation
Nothing in life is free, the old adage goes, but the
vacations many companies are giving away as part of promotional
sweepstakes and contests come close. True, the odds of winning a
free vacation are remote, but if you’ve ever played the lottery, you
may as well spend a few minutes searching the web for “vacation
contest” and related terms. The only cost of entering will probably
be the time it takes to fill out online entry forms. (Be forewarned,
though, that providing your e-mail address virtually guarantees
unsolicited e-mail in the future.)
5. Sleep under the stars
Hoping to vacation in Hawaii or the U.S. Virgin Islands?
Rather than spending a fortune on hotels or resorts, why not slash
the cost of your accommodations by camping on the beach? Both
destinations have parks that offer beachside camping for about $20
per night. Camping is an affordable alternative at virtually any
destination, in fact. And camping doesn’t necessarily mean “roughing
it.” Modern camping equipment can keep you as warm and comfortable
as if you were sleeping at home (decent sleeping bags and sleeping
pads are a must), and many campgrounds offer conveniences such as
showers and running water. Some even rent basic but comfortable
cabins.
6. Travel in the off season
It may be obvious to seasoned travelers, but those with
less experience may not be aware of how affordable it can be to
vacation in the “off season”—basically, any time other than when
most people travel to your destination. Certain destinations’
accommodation and airfare prices may be slashed by 30 percent or
more during the off-season compared to the peak travel season.
7. Consider your airline alternatives
When booking airfare online, don’t overlook discount and
international airlines—some are not listed on the big travel portal
websites, even though they might have a lower fare to your
destination. Also be sure to compare rates for alternate airports
within a reasonable traveling distance. You might live half an hour
from a major airport, but the smaller airport a couple hours away
might have substantially lower fares. Check for alternate airports
near your destination, too. Finally, be flexible about your arrival
and departure dates; the major travel portals all have options to
search for the cheapest flights within a range of dates. Any one of
these alternatives could potentially save you hundreds of dollars.
About the Author:
Jerry Windley-Daoust profiles
cheap honeymoon ideas at the
Creative Honeymoon Ideas website.
