6 Ways to Save Money on Vacation

Reader Comments
Back to blog

At disney world, try and bring snacks a long with you. You are able to save a lot on food if you do this. Also, I had a friend who bought things from the Disney store and had it shipped to her hotel at disney world so they didn't have to buy things there. She says that it was a great deal cheaper.

Mary C. of CO 12:09PM November 10, 2010

Before making the choice to use credit cards abroad, call your credit card company and ask what their currency conversion rate is. Most cards have one, and it will add to your vacation costs, sometimes substantially. We have found it cheaper to use an ATM when traveling for a few days or more outside the USA . Talk to your bank before you go and have them raise your daily limit as high as possible. That is usually $500USD. My husband and I also each carry a card with that limit so that we can take out a substantial amount at one time if need be.

JAH of IN 7:54AM December 26, 2008

I've found that by searching the discount travel websites, like Priceline for example, which offers excellent rates and lists more area hotels than you could ever imagine existed - when you find a hotel that fits your needs, try going directly to that desired hotel's website. You may find even better deals. I did that for a recent stay in NYC - the discount travel website offered the hotel room in NYC for $175++ and the hotel's website offered it for $165 inclusive of taxes, etc. And as everyone probably knows most hotels offer/accept Auto Association Clubs, like AAA, discounts. So, take advantage of that discount too, if and when possible.

Toni of NJ 11:18AM December 24, 2008

Very timely for the Summer vacation. I have a post last month on 13 Things I do to save on vacation.
http://the-q-family.blogspot.com/2008/05/13-things-i-do-to-save-on-vacation.html
Enjoy,
Amy @ The Q Family

Amy @ The Q Family of GA 7:43PM June 11, 2008

Before we go on vacation we head out to BJ's wholesale to stock up on snack and energy bars. We even bought a filtering water bottle so we can get water on the go on our trip. Especially with two kids we have to keep everyone's energy level up and depending on where you are you may not be able to stop for a snack at a local store.

FFB of NY 3:39PM May 29, 2008

Thanks. Some more I just thought of:
If you need to take a taxi somewhere, don't just get in the first one you see. When I was in Prague, I noticed that the taxis that hang out in tourist areas may be much more expensive than the ones just outside. I have no idea how widespread this is, though.
If you're exchanging money or paying for something in cash, always count the money you receive right away. Same goes for double-checking things like restaurant and hotel bills. I've seen friends get ripped off this way, sometimes by quite substantial amounts. Not everyone in this big, bad world wants to rip you off, but the sad truth is that some people do, and it never hurts to be careful.

Johanna of MD 4:22PM May 28, 2008

When travelling domestically for a weekend, stay in hotels that have a business clientele. They will have much cheaper rates Friday through Sunday than a touristy hotel. Some hotels in DC, for example, are much more affordable on the weekend than during the week. The same can be said for the Marriott in Brooklyn. While it's still expensive @ 300 a night, that's a bargain compared to it's 500 a night during the week.
If you're planning a trip to a theme park such as DisneyWorld or Universal, go in the heat of August as that's when the resort hotel rates are cheaper at Disney World.

Veronica of NY 4:07PM May 28, 2008

Great ideas, thanks, Johanna! I forgot the one about the bus vs. taxi - that can be a fun cultural experience, too.

Kimberly Palmer of 3:33PM May 28, 2008

If there's a university in or near your destination city, find out if they rent dorm rooms out to visitors during school breaks. Note that school breaks in other countries do not always coincide with those in the US - in England, for example, there's a month-long break at Easter, and summer break lasts until late September. If you're going to London, I highly recommend the London School of Economics.
Research all transportation ahead of time. If you can figure out how to get where you want to go on a bus rather than in a taxi or rental car, you can save a lot of money. And it often happens that buying things like long-distance train tickets in advance is very much cheaper than paying the walk-up fare.
Find a grocery store or produce stand and stock up on fresh fruit. If you're really hard-core, you can subsist on this for one or more meals each day - otherwise, you can use it to round out a small meal purchased at a cafe.

Johanna of MD 3:26PM May 28, 2008