Family Vacation Money
Saving Tips
By: Art McCarty
Being a Orlando travel insider, we are revealing our secrets, and rounded
up the best ways to cut costs on your next family vacation to Orlando.
It all adds up....
- Put a lid on gas prices. Your best Orlando, FL travel friend on
the road should be www.gasbuddy.com,
a website that surveys prices at gas stations across the country.
You can find a gas station closest to you--wherever you are-- with
the cheapest rates. Dont go more than a few blocks out of your way
to get the lower price or you will burn in gas what you saved in cash.
- Get an eticket. When you book your flights, ask for an email confirmation,
even if it needs to be send to a neighbors computer. Some airlines
charge $25 if you request a paper ticket.
- Dont change your mind. Since the travel downturn after September
11, most airlines have added a penalty fee of about $100 per ticket
for flight changers on nonrefundable tickets, so have a firm plan
before you book your reservation to Orlando, FL.
- Check the discount airlines. Big online travel agencies (such as
Orbitz, Travelocity, and Expedia) are great for finding low fares,
but some of the discount airlines--including Southwest Airlines (www.southwest.com)
and Jetblue (www.jetblue.com)--aren't
included in their price comparisons. Go to the airlines' sites to
find out whether they offer better deals. Others to try: Spirit Airlines
(www.spiritair.com),
Song (www.flysong.com),
Airtran Airways (www.airtran.com)
and Frontier Airlines (www.frontierairlines.com)
- Brown Bag it. Many discount airlines are able to offer lower rates
because they dont serve snacks or meals on board. Avoid the inflated
prices of airport food by packing your own.
- Get a free breakfast. You dont have to stay at a bread-and-breakfast
to get a free morning meal for your family. All-suites hotels, such
as Holiday Inn offer FREE breakfast that can save you about $10 per
person. No breakfast? Ask the hotel for a refrigerator in your room,
and buy the things you need for one or more meals per day so you dont
have to eat in the pricey hotel restaurant or go ahead an rent a spacious
Orlando Villa.
- Don't get hosed for making phone calls. If your staying at the Wyndam
Hotel for example sign up for special program or ensure the villas
in Orlando offer free local calls. Otherwise, use your cell phone
for all calls or buy a prepaid calling card in advance.
- Save on rental car insurance. Many credit cards offer automatic
insurance on rental cars, so you probably won't need the package the
rental company offers if you pay with your card. Just check with your
credit card company before the trip. Also check with your auto insurance
carrier to see if your plan includes rental cars.
- Sign up for e-Rewards. Get $1 toward Hertz car rentals, American
Airline tickets, and Hilton Hotel rooms for every e-mail you read
when you sign up at www.e-rewards.com.
Be sure you do your comparison of villas, hotels, inns, resorts to
ensure you find the best fit before making your trip into Orlando FL.
http://www.islandhideaway.net
This article was posted on March 10, 2005
Return to Index
