Will this winter ever end? For the lucky ones who can get away, spring break and spring travel season is just around the corner. But did you know that airfare and hotel prices for popular destinations can spike by as much as 30%? Well, we’ve got your back with some great saving tips that help stretch your budget.
1. Go skiing-While most people have had enough of this epic winter which still seems to not be fading away, for the avid skier cold winters are the best. With everyone heading to warm locales, the longer the winter extends the longer the ski season lasts.
With the apex of the ski season having passed check out Liftopia.com for great rates in your area or across the country. Savings can be near 50% at some resorts.
2. Use discounted gift cards-If you are one of the many who is ready to bid winter adieu then the thought of a skiing trip now is the furthest thing from your mind. The problem is you aren’t alone which leads to a spike in price to the most popular destinations.
Discounted gift cards from sites like CardCash.com help you save without compromising on where you want to go and what you want to do. Airline gift cards, hotel gift cards and restaurant gift cards can drop the price of any vacation by 10%-20%.
3. Know when to buy and when to fly-Booking your flight in advance is always the best, especially when traveling in March when prices on flights can be as much as 20%-30% higher than average when flying to top destinations. Therefore, grabbing that sale is all that much harder so you have to know when to look. According to FareCompare.com, airlines post their deals on Monday night and other airlines match into Tuesday so the best time to buy is Tuesday at 3:00 pm.
When is the best time to fly? Wednesday is the cheapest day to fly, followed by Tuesday and Saturday. You definitely want to stay away from Sundays when people head back for work the following day.
4. Learn how to coupon-It may cost you a lot to get to your destination but once you’re there you don’t have to go broke. From car rentals to hotels, from entertainment to souvenirs there is a coupon out there for almost everything. Sites like retailmenot.com and couponcabin.com aggregate thousands of coupons that help stretch your already thin budget.
Many large cities have City Passes which bundle a number of top destinations together for a discount.
5. Take advantage of the sharing economy-Airbnb.com may be well-known but there a host of other sites and services that allow you to share, swap or rent someone’s apartment, boat, car or more for a fraction of the price of a rental.
Check out Airbnb, relayrides.com, getaround.com and liquid.com for some great products.