12 Ways to Save Money When Taking a Trip

With the cost of gas steadily increasing, many of us are looking for ways to still enjoy the all American road trip or perhaps the drive to the mountains or the beach without going broke. In fact, for many people, the most expensive part of a weekend getaway is the fuel costs. Consequently, many of us are looking for alternatives to excess driving or ways to still enjoy our travel, but still keep costs low. So, if you are planning a trip, and want to save money everywhere you can, here are some road trip and vacation tips.
1. Make sure your vehicle is in top driving condition before the trip, you don’t want to make an unplanned garage stop on your travels.
2. If you have the flexibility in your schedule, go to places like Disneyland, Dollywood, Six Flags and other theme parks in the off-season. Other places that can be equally enjoyable in the slightly off-season are the mountains and the beach.
3. Rather than eating out for all meals, get a room with a kitchenette and plan on eating 2 meals a day at your room and only meal out one.
4. Assuming you choose to only eat one meal out per day, consider making it the lunch meal. Typically, restaurants will have a lunch menu that is as delightful during the lunch hours as it is in the evening, but at a lower price.
5. If you are planning on paying for your gas, lodging, food, etc., via a credit card, be sure you use one that has low interest and gets you as many perks as possible.
6. Research your destination, then select a lodging that is with easy walking distance. This way you can park your vehicle and not have to drive as much.
7. In your research, see if the area offers a City Pass. These are great because they will have a flat price for a variety of area attractions, as well as coupons for restaurants, diners and other places.
8. If traveling with kids, bring along a DVD player and movies from home rather than paying for the use of the DVD player in the hotel room. Also, having a portable DVD player can make the road trip easier as well, since there will be fewer (if any) "Are we there yet?" questions.
9. Be adventurous in your dining and try out a few ethnic restaurants. Typically, these will have lower prices and larger portions of food. In fact, you may find that there is enough for 2 meals so you can simply use the microwave at the hotel to reheat.
10. Make the time spent traveling more enjoyable-especially with kids in tow- by stopping at rest areas to get out and stretch or take the time to have a picnic lunch.
11. Check out mykidseatfree.com and find out where to eat where your kids are free. Simply input the zip code and the site will give you list of eateries.
12. Save miles, plus wear and tear on your car, by checking with a travel agency on booking a rental vehicle and your lodging accommodations together. If your regular vehicle is a SUV, but you can get by with a compact car, you may find that the money you save on gas and easily pays for the rental.
Just because gas prices seem to be making a race uphill, doesn’t mean that your travel plans have to come to a screeching halt. Use the tips to help keep your travel plans on track.