| Travel gurus would always remind us that | | | | here!There are travelers who insist on |
| backpacking around the world or going | | | | going certain fixed days when they could |
| abroad for a student workshop do not | | | | have gone on off-peak days such as |
| require heavy budget. Unless you fancy | | | | Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. |
| souvenirs and expensive restaurants, | | | | You can bet that you will often get the |
| it's much easier to subsist on a | | | | cheapest tickets during these days, as |
| controlled budget. Actually, one of the | | | | well as during certain off-peak months, |
| top reasons for the cheapest packages or | | | | such as summer in |
| the friendliest agents offering the best | | | | Aruba or April until October in the |
| travel rates we still grope for our | | | | Pacific Islands. One example is booking |
| credit cards is the fact that we are not | | | | a flight to Honolulu for $485 -- or |
| grabbing opportunities, and it's almost | | | | elsewhere in the US at At Orbitz, you |
| a cliche. For example, if I am going to | | | | can take advantage of tickets sold |
| book a flight to Nevada, I'd probably | | | | 'today' at discount airfare rates which |
| take a direct flight so less waste of | | | | you can use next year. Also, travel |
| time. So I check out for instance and | | | | buffs sometimes register to discount |
| find discount airfare rates. However, | | | | travel sites such as in order to take |
| unless I make further research, I won't | | | | advantage of the newsletters they offer. |
| realize that I could actually take two | | | | These newsletters update them on the |
| flights to get there, both costing less | | | | latest deals on both travel and hotel |
| than the direct flight to Nevada even | | | | packages.Another question you should ask |
| when combined. Moreover, the search | | | | yourself is: Am I traveling as a tourist |
| only allows me to find 'affordable' | | | | or as an ordinary citizen who wants to |
| hotels or motels, but never apartments | | | | spend Thanksgiving with my relatives in |
| near the area. So looking for the best | | | | Miami? This should give you a hint |
| rates online can sometimes be a narrow | | | | whether to take an international or |
| and stupefying process.Fortunately for | | | | domestic flight. Domestic flights are |
| those who love to browse travel guides, | | | | far cheaper to the point that you can |
| Fielding's, Fodor's, and Frommer's can | | | | actually squeeze your budget and still |
| easily be accessed online as well as on | | | | have something left to buy an extra pair |
| many travel kiosks and bookshops. But | | | | of jeans. If you travel outside of the |
| there are budget traveling secrets that | | | | country, be sure to take with you my |
| are too subtle for the human perception | | | | word of caution: The natives will always |
| to notice. For example, ask yourself: | | | | hike up the prices for almost all the |
| Do you actually enjoy the travel or the | | | | goods and services that you will consume |
| destination itself? Most of my friends | | | | -- most notably a cab ride. Let them |
| confess that they hate airline food and | | | | know that you're a budget traveler, or |
| the plane flights or cruises make their | | | | at least ask for the real price before |
| stomachs queasy. Not to mention the | | | | accepting offers.Now, are you set? |
| fact that traveling itself drains their | | | | Traveling on discounted prices don't |
| wallets! So to make things convenient, | | | | have to be a pain in the neck. When an |
| they had to think of creative ways to | | | | opportunity for a cheap flight arises, |
| stay on land, revel on the surroundings, | | | | be the first to snatch it. Remember |
| and cook their own meals. That would | | | | that a holiday spent in the Bahamas may |
| mean checking out the nearby apartments | | | | be just as cozy as the one spent at home |
| instead of a discount hotel, or buying | | | | -- but an inexpensive treat to the |
| their own food from the grocery instead | | | | Caribbean can make a whole world of |
| of marauding the local restaurant. Now, | | | | difference if you get a flight ticket |
| we're talking controlled budget | | | | that's a real steal. |