Holiday travel has gotten a bad reputation for being chaotic, expensive, and stressful. Whether you’re traveling to a vacation destination or to visit family, you can avoid the chaos and stress by planning and being proactive about saving money.
Here are some tips on how to travel and stretch your budget this holiday season:
Rent a Car
If you’re looking to road trip (near or far) during the holidays, consider getting a rental car through Enterprise. Especially if you are traveling long-distance, you can avoid wear and tear on your vehicle, get a vehicle that is more fuel-efficient, and get a car that has more space to accommodate your needs.
Enterprise offers some wonderful deals throughout the year. Some of the deals coupled with cashback offers or online promotions can save you even more. Look here for more information.
Rental cars are a particularly wonderful option if you are traveling with a group. Not only can you get a large enough car to fit your whole party, but you will all be traveling for the cost of one vehicle and everyone can chip in on gas. This can also be the most pleasant form of traveling, as you can move at your own pace and sightsee along the way.
Save on Snacks
There’s something about travel that gets the appetite going. The moment you hit the road or cross over TSA’s security lines, the inevitable tummy growl starts. To avoid spending higher prices on airline snacks or buying from convenience stores, airports, and restaurants, pack your snacks before you leave home.
If you plan, you can shop in bulk for your favorite items and pack snacks not only for the trip to your destination but the trip back as well. As BusinessTravelLife notes, this way you’ll be eating healthier while saving money along the way.
Plan Ahead
Even though the holidays happen the same time every year, they always seem to sneak upon us. Part of the reason the holidays seem so chaotic is that we delay saving money for the more expensive season, we delay booking travel plans, and our shopping list seems to be never-ending.
Erase these holiday stressors by booking your trip in advance, and save some money by doing it earlier. By affording yourself more time to plan for your trip, you can monopolize the best deals and avoid the high costs that come with booking flights, hotels, and rental cars last-minute.
Tip: Ask a hotelier how they plan their own vacation
Be Flexible
If you are flexible with your travel dates and times and have a little extra patience, Motley Fool points out you can reap some great saving benefits. Consider doing the following:
- Fly with connecting flights.
- Travel on the holiday and be flexible with holiday plans.
- Travel in advance of the holiday, spend some extra time at your destination and return later to avoid the high-traffic days.
- If you have time, be willing to volunteer for later flights, and in return, you can save big on your current flight or future flights.
Use Your Points and Look for Deals
If you have a credit card, you may have racked up points or miles throughout the year that can be used towards your travel. Check with all your accounts to see if you’ve accumulated rewards, and consider cashing them in. In addition to your rewards, set up alerts on your favorite travel companies to track pricing, promotions, and coupons.
Holiday travel doesn’t have to be chaotic, stressful or expensive for you this year. You can enjoy the holiday season with the ones you love and do what you love—all while saving big. Consider renting a car, and pack snacks for the entire trip.
Plan ahead, look for deals and be flexible with your travel. You likely will find that you’re not only avoiding the stress that comes with procrastination but are also coming out on top financially.
Related article: How to Have a Stress-Free, Restorative Holiday Vacation Wherever You Go
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About the author
Hi, I am Are Morch. Your Hotel Marketing Coach and Customer Experience Expert that teaches owners, general managers, director of sales, director of marketing and your team members how to use new digital marketing strategies that make every experience count and drives new business
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