17 Ways To Save On Travel In 2017 From Cheapflights.Com

Travel Experts Share 17 Ways to Save This Year

 The New Year brings new travel aspirations and money saving motivation. To help you manage both at the same time, the experts at Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, have compiled a list of 17 Ways to Save on Travel in 2017 filled with can’t-fail tips and tricks to stretch your travel dollar farther in 2017.

Starting with a currency check-up and moving through perfect planning, swap and save ideas and a round-up of other tips and tricks, Cheapflights’ list is a cheat sheet you will want to clip and save for travel planning all year round. Below is a sampling of the insider tips that will help you go farther for less in 2017:

·         Fly by night (or in the early morning) – The time a flight departs can also impact the price you pay for it. Traveling at night (between 6 p.m. and midnight) or in the early morning (think first flight out) will save. A general tip to remember: fly when people would rather be sleeping. After all, families with small children aren't usually lining up to take a 4 a.m. or 11 p.m. flight. And, an added bonus for the early bird: the first flight out is the least likely to be impacted by delays.

·         Clear your cache to save some cash – Internet users should delete their browser history every time they search for flights. Prices can increase based on the number of times searchers revisit a particular website.

·         Compare all of your options: Don't assume going directly to the airline is the cheapest way to travel. Sometimes small travel agents use flight search sites to sell off packages and flights that people have canceled. Travel providers have more flexibility to offer discounts on flights + hotels or flights + rental cars or other packages since they’re not sharing (and thus undercutting) the specific price of a room or a seat on the plane.

·         BYO - With shops and restaurants in airport departure terminals charging a premium, why not save some money by bringing your own food to eat onboard? Not only is it a sure-fire way to save money, it’s likely to be healthier too. Try our in-flight food hacks for in-flight dining at its best.

·         Stay ahead of the sales – Sign up to airline and travel providers’ travel deals newsletters and be sure to follow them on social media so you’re ahead of the game when it comes to flight sales, discounts and special offers. Oftentimes, flash sales and travel deals will be announced there first.

Here are 12 more tips you can use to play and win the holiday booking game: embrace the strong dollar by choosing destinations accordingly; use ATMs overseas for the best exchange rates; double your vacation time by combining holidays and weekends; combine business trips and pleasure into bleisure trips; pick a type of trip rather than a destination; compare prices at nearby airports; travel mid week for cheaper fares; look for the best fares 50 days out from your travel; consider traveling on holidays for big savings; use travel apps to make planning and traveling go smoother; be smart about data usage on the road; and use a la carte pricing to pay for only the travel perks you want. For the entire lowdown on how to save significantly on travel throughout 2017, consult Cheapflights.com’s 17 ways to save on travel in 2017at www.cheapflights.com/news/17-travel-save-ways-2017.

About Cheapflights.com, part of the Momondo Group

Founded in 1996, Cheapflights is a leading global flight comparison and deals publishing platform. It is now a market leader in the UK, U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand generating over $3 billion in global downstream revenue for its partners as it expands into numerous other territories. More than 120 million users visit its websites and apps each year, receiving more than two billion search results a month from across 900,000 routes. The 10 million strong opt-in subscribers to the Cheapflights newsletter receive the best deals from over 120 travel businesses – for whom it has driven more than $65 million in revenue this year. Together, the Cheapflights platforms generate enough bookings for its partners to fill a Boeing 747 every five minutes. 

In 2011, Cheapflights became part of the privately owned online travel search and inspiration network, Momondo Group.

How To Save Money On Your Next Vacation By House Swapping

Home exchange is a booming practice that is enjoyed by thousands of people from all over the world. Here’s how!

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An arrangement of sharing your house with an unknown couple from the other side of the world may initially seem like the quickest route to getting your home burnt down. However, upon further reflection and research, you will soon learn that this method of travel is an incredibly popular, safe and cheap way to experience the world.

House swapping is a great way to see the world 

Italy’s University of Bergamo surveyed 7000 home exchangers last year and found that 92% of Australians were satisfied with their home-swap experience. They also found that 19% of users were aged over 65.

WHAT EXACTLY IS HOUSE SWAPPING?

Bee Cogger from House Swap Holidays first heard about it from a friend who was doing an around-the-world trip on a very tight budget. She adds, “I wondered how on earth she could do it. She said she was house exchanging."

Bee and her partner signed up soon after and before they knew it, were on their first trip to California. Although she initially had hesitations at letting a stranger into her home, she said after the first experience all her fears were alleviated.

It is estimated that house swapping has grown by 20% every year since it began about 60 years ago

Fancy staying at a luxury foothill home with this stunning view? (Photo: Home Exchange)

“I would wake up in the middle of the night and wonder what the hell am I doing?” she said. “But once you’ve done the first one you understand. It’s all about getting to know the people before hand and by the time you do the exchange you feel like friends.”

Bee and her partner have now clocked up a tally of over 70 exchanges to homes spanning the entire globe. “You name it and I’ve been there. I get more and more ambitious now that I’m retired,” she says. Bee has recently been to Turkey, Switzerland, France and England – all on home exchanges!

HOW DOES IT WORK?

To take part in home exchange, all you have to do is sign up to a website such as HouseSwapHolidays.com.au,HomeExchange.com or HomeforExchange.com. You simply pay an annual subscription fee of around $30-$70 to have your profile on the website and then the house swapping itself is free. You can also arrange to swap cars, look after each other’s pets or gardens and borrow bikes and more.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HOME EXCHANGE?

Siggy and Heather Nowak from HouseSwapHolidays can’t recommend home exchange highly enough. They say the obvious benefit is cost savings, but the advantages go a lot deeper than that.

“We can be saving up to $250 per night on accommodation with additional savings on hire car costs. What also has to be taken into account is the advantage of being able to cook your own meals and not be dependent on having to go to restaurants or cafes,” adds Siggy.

Home exchange or house swapping is booming and is enjoyed by thousands of people from all over the world

Ted Marsden from HomeForExchange.com has completed 17 exchanges so far and he believes everyone should get on board. He loves that house swapping allows you to immerse yourself more in the local culture and community activities.

“House exchange enables you to explore and experience other countries and cultures whilst living in a home environment and being in control of your daily activities and meals. You make friends with like-minded people from all over the world all at a minimal cost.”

Exchanging homes is a great way to become part of the community and meet new people

WHAT’S THE CATCH?

Siggy says of their members, none can recount any bad experience from home exchange. Aside from a few broken glasses or the house being a bit dusty, no one could say a bad word.

“House swappers seem to be very keen to make their house look fantastic – they’re house proud," Siggy adds. "We put effort into making our place look very presentable. We guess that by doing this then our swap family will try extra hard to leave our place like it was when they came in.”

Home and car insurance almost always covers the guests, provided you let them know the name of the driver using your car. Be sure to check with your personal insurance provider before undertaking the exchange.

House swappers can find themsleves living in a wide range of regions and countries (Photo: Home Exchange)

HOME EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS

Ultimately, Siggy believes house swapping is all about trust. “You get to live in the shoes of someone else. This means you respect them and their way of life and they are likely also to respect your way of life. Swapping for us has been brilliant. It has saved us costs and we have been able to visit places we could not have been able to go to and experience living as a local.”

Bee’s highlight exchange was to a chateau in France, which featured an indoor pool and lovely grounds. “That’s somewhere you’d never go otherwise if you were going through a package deal company,” she adds.

Ted from HomeForExchange has experienced a white Christmas at Niagara-on-the-lake and was taken lobster trapping by a host in the small village of Cutler. At one home in Hagge, Sweden, he and his partner were even given use of the Range Rover, speedboat, canoe, bikes, golf clubs and received complimentary games of golf. All part of the house swap.

House swapping is becoming a holiday haven (Photo: Home Exchange)

10 TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL HOME EXCHANGE

1. Communication, communication, communication! Talk through any concerns, ask as many questions as you can and provide as much information as possible to prospective house swappers.

2. Be honest in your summation of your house and what you want from your swapper. Paint an accurate picture of your home and be open about what you want from them in return.

3. Look for people with common interests and in similar circumstances to you. For example do you want someone who loves pets and enjoys gardening, or someone who cares as much about having a neat home as you do. It also helps to find people in a similar stage of life as you.

4. Get to know the swapper. You can Skype, email or phone people beforehand to get to know them better. Don’t forget to look up their house on Google maps or check references if you want to be sure they are trustworthy.

5. Ask for and provide plenty of helpful information about how the house works, maintenance, the best ways to get around, the best shops to use, cafes and restaurants to go to or places to visit.

6. Meet the neighbours. To immerse yourself in local culture, befriending the neighbours is a great way to get to know the local area better. You might even make lifelong friends!

7. On your profile, tell prospective swappers what your life is like including hobbies, work, family and lifestyle. And use plenty of photographs to sell your home.

8. Plan in advance. Start planning your trip early to ensure everything is sorted in time and everyone is clear on everything.

9. Be persistent and if you don’t receive a response on your first application, don’t be disheartened! You have to be proactive and perseverant when looking for exchanges.

10. Be open-minded and adventurous. One of the major advantages of home exchange is that you’ll visit places you never would have thought of. It is also easy to travel to smaller towns and villages. Don’t discount offers if you weren’t planning on travelling to that particular location. Take advantage of the incredible opportunity to travel and truly experience the hidden locations of the world!

(Featured image: Home Exchange)

Would you consider house swapping? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: http://www.wyza.com.au/

21 Useful Travelore Tips For Travellers

We're halfway through the year already, and if you haven't had a chance to take a vacation yet, you might be itching to do it soon.

But before you book your flight and start packing your suitcase, you might want check out the infographic below by the Baltic Travel Company. In it, the trip experts share 21 travelling hacks that will help you get from point A to point B with ease.

These aren't just confined to your average packing tips either — from transportation to the best time for travel and even anti-thieving tricks, the infographic has all sorts of suggestions to make your time away from home more enjoyable.

Check out the infographic below for all 21 tips and let us know in the comments below your golden rule for travelling.

From The Huffington Post Canada  |  By Joy D'Souza

Five Travelore Money Saving Travel Tips

 

Flexible Travel Date Airfare Search

Some airlines and sites have very useful flexible travel date tools. Among airlines, JetBlue, United, Southwest; for third party sites, Kayak and Google Flights are best. On United.com check the "my dates are flexible" box and choose a length of stay. On Kayak, register your email address and select "Show flexible dates"; search for "Southwest Shortcut" to see Southwest's tool and "JetBlue best fare finder" to find JetBlue's.

You Might Not Need Travel Insurance

Your credit card might already have free, built-in travel insurance up to $5000 per trip for the most common reasons people use insurance, which include canceling before or during a trip due to illness or injury, and lost or delayed baggage. The Chase Sapphire card, United Explorer Card, and some Citibank Aadvantage cards offer the best protection.

Check for Price Drops after You Book

After you pay for an airfare or a hotel, the price may have dropped, but most people never check. You can get either cash or a credit for future travel if you know how. Yapta.com is useful for airline tickets, Tingo.com for hotel rates.

Air+Hotel Really Can Save Money But Not Always

You've seen those package prices from tour companies and airlines. But how do you know if they're a deal?  Sometimes a quick search will give you a very convincing answer. Recently British Airways had airfare plus 5 nights hotel to Dublin for around $750 per person for fall travel. But Airfare Alone Was $900 or More. A No-Brainer.

Heading to Europe? Focus First on Crossing the Atlantic Cheaply

Fares to Amsterdam might be $1500 round-trip. But Frankfurt? $799 recently on Singapore Airlines from New York, even for summer travel. Frankfurt to Amsterdam? $100 round-trip by train or plane. Think of it as two cities for less than one. Check out under-the-radar airlines such as Norwegian.com, Condor.com and Wowair.com, all of which sell super-discounted tickets from the U.S. to Europe, as this explains.

Contributed by George Hobica

Follow us on Twitter: @TraveloreReport

Travelore Tips: 9 Hidden Vacation Costs You May Not Factor Into Your Plans

Garry Knight

Saw a great airfare sale, or dug up some reasonable hotel rates? We love a cheap getaway as much as the next travel site, but before you start celebrating, we wanted to point you to the fine print — costs associated with taking a holiday are rarely as clear as they seem at first blush. Here, to combat sticker shock, we've compiled the most common hidden fees that many don’t often think of beforehand.

1. Entry and exit fees: Many countries bake embarkation and debarkation fees right into your airline ticket price, so you pay that alongside the base fare. Nations such as Costa Rica and Samoa, however, require you to pony up as much as $40 per person at the airport just to get on your flight back home. Many airports of these require the payment in local currency, so make sure have some bills left at the end of your trip.

2. Foreign exchange fees: More often than not, converting currency is a losing game for the traveler. Unless your bank has international branches or partners that don’t charge a fee, you’ll be dinged $5 to $10 and/or up to 3 percent of your withdrawal amount at an international ATM. Still, this is usually preferable to going to the Travelex counter at the airport, which is the worst deal you’ll possibly find. These changers often charge service fees and have less attractive rates. Be on the lookout for “no commission” claims offset by even higher rates, and don’t use unauthorized brokers, to avoid counterfeit risks.

3. Room tax: Hotels charge an “occupancy tax” on top of city and state taxes. These typically fall between 10 and 18 percent in the States, occasionally more. This means that a reasonable $200 a night room will actually inch closer to $250 per night. Unfortunately, there are no regulations currently in place in the U.S. that require hotels to list the total amount at the outset, like airlines were made to do, so don’t celebrate too early when you see a nice base rate.

4. Daily “resort charges”: Similarly, if you’re happy with the nightly room rate at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, be aware that there’s a unavoidable $25 daily fee that provides you Internet access, gym access, and bragging rights. The same goes for many other resorts in popular destinations, whether or not you intend on using all the amenities that the fee covers.

5. Visa fees: Americans get such a good deal with one of the most powerful passports in the world — with visa-fee access to 172 countries internationally – that sometimes we forget that visiting a foreign country may still require a visa with an accompanying fee. Tanzania, for example, charges American visitors $100 per person, and some countries charge even more.

6. Rental car insurance and fees: If you’re already a car owner, you may or may not have an auto insurance policy that overlaps with that rental companies are offering. Most plans, however, don’t cover damage when you’re outside of your home nation. Car rental insurance can cost $10 to $20 per day, and extra gear like a GPS could also add an additional $15 per day.

7. Airport transfers: Not renting a car? Depending on where you go, going between an airport and city can add up. Public transit and buses are the cheaper option, while taking taxis for door-to-door service could cost you anywhere between $25 and nearly $70, counting tip and tolls. Psst — considering the high airport parking fees, driving yourself to the airport might not always be the cheaper option.

8. Food expenses: Convenience has it’s premiums, whether you’re looking for a bite by an attraction or at the airport. Depending on your hometown, most meals will likely cost more than you usually spend at home wherever you go. We like apartment rentals with a full kitchen so that we don’t need to eat out for every meal, though grocery prices can also vary drastically from destination to destination.

9 Baggage fees: They’re old news, but they’re still real. These days, flyers are most frequently surprised by higher-than-average baggage fees on budget carriers, who use them as a way to recoup the ultra-low base fares that they sell. (Spirit Airlines is notorious for this.) Mercifully, most airlines let at least one bag fly free per person for international flights, and elite airline status or affiliated credit cards can also waive fees domestically.

Contributed by Darren Murph  blog.shermanstravel.com

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