{"id":363,"date":"2013-01-14T10:56:49","date_gmt":"2013-01-14T18:56:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lmlrn.com\/?p=363"},"modified":"2023-10-06T10:44:39","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T10:44:39","slug":"6-travel-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drprem.com\/life\/6-travel-tips","title":{"rendered":"The 6 best travel tips to save you money and time"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being a keen traveller from a young age, and having worked in the travel industry, I have picked up many travel tips that I use myself. Whether you\u2019re booking a flight, a package deal or just a hotel, there are many ways you can save money. Travelling on a budget doesn\u2019t have to mean staying in hostels and waiting for a standby ticket at the airport. You can stay in the best hotels and book your air ticket well in advance. Travelling is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and this is why its feature here on our site. So, here we go:<\/p>\n

1. Use travel search engines<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You\u2019d be surprised how many people don\u2019t use any search engines, or just use one major one. This is a huge mistake as not all websites have the same deals. The list of the best travel sites are below<\/strong>:
\n\u2022 www.kayak.com<\/a>
\no Best for searching for flights with multiple stops, as well as searching nearby airports for your destination. They have an extensive search engine that includes hotels and hire cars. Their flight search has a feature to search depending on the number of stops you want as well as the airlines you do and don\u2019t want to fly with. Always worth checking out this site
\n\u2022 Www.expedia.com
\no A good site if you\u2019re looking for a package deal. Expedia has a feature whereby they build the components of your package (air and hotel) separately. This often come out much cheaper but always bear in mind that they don\u2019t include airport transfers in this feature so this will need to be purchased separately if you need it. They are also great for searching hotels and car rental.
\n\u2022 www.google.com\/flights<\/a>
\no Google\u2019s new flight search feature is a great tool for finding the best air prices. This, just like Kayak , is not a booking engine but a search tool that will direct you to the booking website. I have used this site many times for international flights to find the best price. They make it easy to change the dates of travel to find the best price, and on a few occasions, they come up with flight options not available on other search engines.
\n\u2022 www.lastminute.com
\no A website mainly specialising in low cost travel in Europe, it is always worth searching lasminute.com for package deals within Europe and hotel discounts.<\/p>

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2. Use a budget airline<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Most budget airlines are not featured in travel search engine websites. They do not always conform to their search criteria so you could be missing out on some great low cost seats by not checking the smaller low budget airlines. As list of a few of the ones I know are below:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 www.easyjet.com<\/a>
\no For domestic European destinations, Easyjet often has the lowest prices starting at $50 per ticket including tax. They fly to most major European destinations. It\u2019s important to book early to get the best prices.
\n\u2022 www.ryanair.com<\/a>
\no A rival of Easyjets, Ryanair is Europes second budget airline and offers similar pricing and some destinations that Easyjet doesn\u2019t. It is always worth checking either sites or a combination of the 2.
\n\u2022 www.spiritair.com
\no A great US domestic airline, Spirit offers great pricing, especially for Southwest US flights. As always, its important to book early.
\n\u2022 www.allegiantair.com<\/a>
\no A low budget and no frills airline, Allegiant offer low cost flights to most of the US and Hawaii with some great deals to be had. They even offer package deals including the hotel for most of their destinations and their prices cannot be beaten. They are prone to the odd delay though so make sure you purchase travel insurance which we\u2019ll talk about more later.
\n\u2022 www.airtransat.com<\/a>
\no A great airline for travelling between Europe and North America, as well as North America to the Caribbean. It\u2019s important to book early to get the best price with Air Transat.
\nThere are many more to mention so check to see if there are any specific ones in the area you are going here.<\/p>\n

3. With flights that have multiple destinations, always mix airlines where possible<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For example, if I am looking for a flight to Barcelona from Vancouver, I would search for a cheap flight with Air Transat to one of their European destinations such as London Gatwick, and then search either Easyjet or Ryan Air for the flight from London to Barcelona. It is a complete waste of money to fly with one airline for the whole route when there are so many alternatives. When mixing airlines, always leave yourself enough time in transit as you will have to get your bags and check in again with the new airline. Use travel search engines like Kayak because they have a multiple destination search tool. This will allow you to break up your route into smaller routes to see if it works out cheaper for you.<\/p>\n

4. Always purchase travel insurance<\/strong><\/h2>\n

During my time in the travel industry, both as an agent who sold travel products and as someone working at a tourist destination, I have seen and heard of many examples when people have been saved by travel insurance, and unfortunately those who have had their travel plans ruined because of the lack of it. <\/strong><\/p>

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For such a small cost compared to the cost of an accident or sickness, you can insure yourself against the huge expense should you have an accident while travelling or get sick. In foreign countries, they will usually charge extortionate amounts for healthcare and without coverage, you will be stuck in a foreign country with a huge medical bill. It goes without saying that you should always shop around, but price is not the determining factor when comes to the right policy for you. Here are some things to look out for when purchasing the right policy for you or your family:
\n\u2022 Look for the amount of medical coverage they provide. Some policies cover an unlimited amount should you get sick, while others put a cap at $25000 or above. It is always worth checking how much you are covered for.
\n\u2022 Check exclusions to the coverage. If you are planning on going skiing or any other dangerous activity, your insurance may not cover you and you may have to purchase additional coverage for that. Should you forget or not check, your insurance policy will be useless.
\n\u2022 Check the amount of deductible on your insurance. Most medical bills are under $500 for small treatments such as bumps and scrapes so therefore most low cost travel insurance providers have a standard $500 deductible before they pay you anything. Regardless of what your illness or injury is, you will have to pay that amount so it is worth having a policy with a zero deductible so you don\u2019t have to pay anything on top of the premium you have already paid.
\n\u2022 Most people fail to add travel accident insurance or cancellation and interruption coverage to their insurance. Most airlines and hotels now have a 100% none refundable and none changeable policy, usually at some point before your travel date. In the event of something happening to you or a close family member before you have to travel, having this sort of coverage will make sure you are fully covered to get all of your money back so you can rebook for a better time. This coverage will also cover you in the event of a delay and any damage to or loss of your baggage.<\/p>\n

5. Always ask for an upgrade<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Whether you\u2019re checking in for a flight or for a hotel stay, always ask for a better seat or an upgraded room. Most people don\u2019t ask and therefore don\u2019t get. There is no harm in asking for a window seat if it\u2019s your preference, or a seat with extra legroom. You might even get bumped to first class if there are empty seats available. For a hotel, you may be given a larger room or even one with a better view. So, always ask for an upgrade.<\/p>\n

6. Use travel and points credit cards to book your travel <\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are an unlimited number of points and airmiles cards out there. With the shopping that we do everyday, there are cards out there that give you points and even airmiles that you can use towards your travel expenses. In the sea of options, how do we decide which is the best one? Well, here are a few questions to ask when choosing your travel credit card:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Is there an annual fee and what does this include?
\n\u2022 Most travel credit cards have some sort of fee. This can be a good thing, as this may include annual travel insurance as long as you\u2019re using the card to make the purchase. If not, its best to go with one with no fee, especially when the fee takes away from any savings we may make
\n\u2022 What is the percentage return on your purchases?
\n\u2022 Most credit card rewards range from 0.5% to 4%. Its best to compare how much you are rewarded compared to how much you have to spend, to work out which credit card is best for you.
\n\u2022 What travel expenses can you redeem with your points or miles?
\n\u2022 Some credit card companies only allow you to use your points towards specific travel expenses and only on specific travel dates. Check the small print and make sure there are no huge blackout dates. The best type of credit card will give you free or discounted travel on any date at any time.
\n\u2022 Are there any incentives for signing up
\n\u2022 Most credit cards give you bonus points on your first purchase and some even reward you on an annual basis. Compare the signup bonuses and see how much this is worth to you compared to the annual fee if any.<\/p>\n

These steps may seem long and time consuming, but compared to the amount that you will save, they are worth it. Travel is something that should be an important part of our lives and we should always make time for it.<\/p>\n

It can be used to build personal relationships with our friends or loves ones, or to enrich ourselves with other cultures. Hopefully this guide will give you more opportunity to travel on a budget and give you more reasons to love your life right now, so you can share it with us here.<\/p>\n

Sign Up For a Newsletter Service<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Finding budget-friendly flights can be a daunting task, often requiring endless hours of internet searching with minimal success. That’s where specialized newsletter services come to the rescue.<\/p>\n

These invaluable services do the legwork for you, delivering a curated list of flight deals straight to your inbox every week. What’s there not to love? Take MattsFlights.com, for example\u2014a service that has already empowered over a million travelers to discover affordable fares to destinations they adore.<\/p>\n

Don’t miss out. Sign up now at https:\/\/www.mattsflights.com\/<\/a><\/strong><\/span> and enjoy significantly reduced flight costs, whether you’re planning a trip during peak season or looking to escape during the off-peak months.<\/p>\n

Please share any comments or feedback below.<\/p>\n

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