July 28, 2014

Greetings! I hope this finds you well and in good spirits.

I saw this article recently on discovering travel cost and thought you might find value in it.

We are now fully into the summer travel season. About 41 percent of the U.S. population — approximately 72 million Americans — plan to travel this summer.And the more popular the venue, the higher the rates. The following are tips to help you save money on vacations — both planned and impromptu — throughout the year.

Most people shop for flights when they have time on the weekend. They may reserve their seats on a flight, but if they haven’t completed the purchase by end of the day on Monday, those seats may be discounted and made available again on Tuesday — so Tuesdays are generally considered the best day of the week to find lower rates.

Contrary to popular belief, you also may find lower rates by calling the airline instead of booking online due to the fact that airlines do not post their entire ticket inventory online. This is also true of their access to lower rates for hotels and cruise ships.

Another option is to call and request a positioning flight. This is when an airline simply needs to fly a plane from one airport to another, so it’s not a scheduled flight. You can book a seat on these flights, when available, at much lower rates.

Maximize your vacation time by strategically taking indirect flights. Start by first pricing a direct flight to your destination. Then compare it to indirect flights, but do so by looking at flights with layovers where you have friends and family. Many times you can even extend your layover for a day or more for a nominal fee. That way you can get more visits out of your vacation, while at the same time enjoy cheaper airline
rates.

Bear in mind that one of the best times to travel is the week after Thanksgiving. Most Americans have already taken time off for that week and won’t travel again until closer to Christmas. Consider the luxury of fewer lines at places like Disney World and other popular attractions. You can get good deals and less crowded accommodations if you plan to travel that week.

If you’re itching to see Europe but can’t settle on where to visit, expand your options with a Eurail pass. You can explore up to 24 countries with the Eurail Global Pass by traveling Europe’s high-speed railway system without all of the hassle of airport security and baggage checking. For around $970, you can travel up to 10 days during a two-month period, or engage in unlimited travel for up to three months for around $2,270.

While Europe has the Eurail pass, we have the USA Rail Pass. Available in 15-, 30- or 45-day durations, this pass allows you to visit more than 500 destinations in the Amtrak system. For example, the 15-day pass offers unlimited travel with on-and-off privileges for $500.

Another travel saving tip is to visit countries in distress. For example, Greece is currently big on tourism since no one wants to visit due to widespread news stories about its beleaguered economy and civil unrest. Other places with low prices and considerably less crowded tourist hotspots include Turkey, Japan, Thailand and Argentina.

If you have questions about any financial issue or concern don’t hesitate to call.

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