These days, venturing outside the area you live in on vacation can be a mite expensive. With all of the associated costs – food, lodging, gas, entertainment, more food – it can get out of hand quickly. Even short trips can rack up large bills if you aren't careful. This is not meant to scare you away from traveling. On the contrary, vacationing in a new place is an awesome experience, and one that can be had for cheaper than usual, providing you plan ahead. The planning does not necessarily need to be extensive to be effective. A little internet searching and a few phone calls may be all that is necessary to save yourself a ton of money.
Plan Well in Advance if Possible
It is a commonly held belief that booking a flight far in advance will allow you save money on the tickets. True, even more so in the current time of rising fuel costs, which eventually trickle down to the customer in raised ticket prices. Avoid this by booking far ahead. Also, the days you choose to fly on can also save money, with Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday being the cheapest days. Further, still speaking about air travel, check for surrounding airports near your destination. Often, flying into a less popular or smaller airport near your target airport can save big bucks. Of course, flying brings it's own challenges, such as transportation when you land. If you are visiting a large city that has a well established public transportation system, this burden is eased. If not, you may have to rent a car, leading to higher costs still. Planning far in advance allows you to find good deals, especially on hotels and flights. During the past year, about 90 million people in the US used the power of the Internet to plan their travel in advance – and I'll bet they saved money.
Road Trip America – Here we have plenty of resources for free, including map making, route planning, and even seasonal tips.
Trip Adviser – Listed as the world's largest travel site, this page is fueled by actual reviews from real travelers; over 40 million of them. Great research tool.
US Boomers– A comprehensive checklist to run through during your planning stage, to include commonly overlooked tasks like who will mow your lawn during your trip.
AAA – American Automobile Association web site that allows you to plan your travel based on destination or interest.
Vacation Critic – Family vacation ideas and planning resources with tips and lots of information
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