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The next topic in my travel bloggers series is transportation! When you are going on vacation one of the most important decisions you make is how you will get there. Also how you get around once you are there. It can affect so many things on your trip. It can also be a very expensive component.
So we are going to give you tips on the best ways to utilize different transportation services in getting to your destination and also when you are at your destination. There are tips on staying in country and international travel as well. So if you are driving, flying, staying in country or going to different countries we have you covered!
1. Shannan at Captivating Compass “Many major car rental companies in Europe have one-way rentals very affordably priced (i.e.: 2 GBP/day in the UK!), if you are willing to drive a specific vehicle back into a more popular city or airport. In the UK, returning a car from Scotland to London helps out the rental company as more people fly into London that anywhere else in the UK. For helping the rental company out, they offer ridiculously cheap rental fees and then you just pay for your own petrol. It’s a genius way to save big on in country transportation in Europe!”
2. Shannon at Grab My Passport “ Not only can you save time by driving, but you can cut the costs of needing a rental car or taxis, and you can pack your car with snacks and other items you may have had to spend money on if you flew to your destination. With airlines adding on so many fees for everything these days, we rarely fly. Road trips can be fun, even with little kids. Just be sure to properly prepare for your road trip and enjoy! Memberships like AAA (in the US) are cheap and a necessity if you’re planning a family road trip.”
3. My tip for this week is “We normally drive because it does tend to be a less expensive choice for us. If you are driving, we use gasbuddy.com to check gas prices.”
4. Sarah at State By State “Another excellent money saving tip is to check the parking garages'
rates. Sometimes the prices between parking garages vary greatly. In Washington DC, we found a place we could park all day for only $10, while other places were charging $22 for four hours. We also like to take advantage of free trolley's and shuttle buses too. These are great for saving money on gas and also let everyone enjoy looking around at the sites instead of having to focus on traffic in an unfamiliar city.”
5. Regina at Full Time Field Trip “The absolute best way to save here is to redeem reward points for FREE fares. That’s not always a possibility. My next best tip is. Drumroll please. Break up your airfare into two separate reservations. Ticket pricing is often tiered by the number of seats reserved. So when you move from a party of two to a party of four, your price increases. To combat this, make two reservations rather than one and get a cheaper rate.”
6. Annette at Tips From A Typical Mom “Did you know that flight prices are not going to fluctuate that much between the airlines and sites like Expedia, Priceline and Agoda because the airlines just don’t discount their airfare that often? And when they do, they have about the same rates as everyone else. So the best way to get good deals on flights is to get an airline credit card and earn free flights, or follow a person on Instagram who is always checking flight prices like CheapSLCFlights, Scotts Cheap Flights, or another person in your area that checks deals and posts them often.”
7. Tiffany at Mommy And Me Travels “Finding deals on flights can be a waiting game (hence the patience piece). You should sign up for all the email alerts, focus on one airline alliance (this will maximize your flight miles for future free flights), and be ready to click go when you are alerted about that rock bottom flight price.”
8. Kris at Gadsventure “the best trick I have discovered to find savings when booking is using Skyscanner’s ‘Whole Month’ function. This enables the user to compare and choose the cheapest day in the entire month to fly. Being flexible is the most important factor in getting cheaper flights, as well as avoiding peak tourist periods, festivals and school holidays.”
9. Yamy at Gofamo “Most hotels offer complimentary airport transfers or have some form of shuttle service for a certain fee. Take advantage of this perk and make sure to check ahead for price comparisons with renting a car instead.”
10. Deb at World Wise Kid “We plan international travel far in advance when tickets are first available. A favorite research tool is Google flight tracking to follow prices on different airlines and understand the options. Airline websites offer the low-price calendar and the route map to compare dates and locations. We save money by choosing the no frills, low-cost airlines, traveling with carry-on backpacks, bringing our own food, water, and entertainment.”
11. Sarah at Dandelion Seeds “Rather than spending money on car rental (and car insurance) or taxis, I walk absolutely everywhere that's safe. When my kiddo was smaller, I'd put her in a good carrier with a 45-pound weight limit to keep my walking easy. It lasted for years. Although I don't save time walking, I do save money on transportation (plus, it's a great way to find local cafés and grocery stores, and save money on restaurant costs, too).”
12. Kristy at World For A Girl “At the moment, we're based in Malaysia. If you're coming out to this part of the world, my biggest family travel tip to download the Grab app on your phone. Grab is Asia's Uber. Fares are really cheap AND you can pay the driver cash. My second tip would be to think twice before using tuk-tuks and rickshaws. They're mostly used by tourists now and drivers often demand exorbitant prices. Make sure that you haggle hard, be aware of safety and remember that in a tuk-tuk you and the kids are down at exhaust pipe level!”
13. Nikki at Yorkshire Wonders “Here in the UK train tickets are not terribly cheap but there are some ways in which you can save money. Firstly, the timing of when you book train tickets is important. Aim to book at around 12 weeks from the point of travel, this is when you will find the best prices. Too far in advance and too short notice mean very expensive tickets! Always check the price of return tickets as well as singles as sometimes one type is better value than the other.”
So now you have the very best travel bloggers tips and tricks on finding airfare, driving, walking, and using alternative methods of transportation. If you would like to hear more from these bloggers please visit their blogs and stay tuned for next week’s article on Choosing Accommodations
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