Budget Travel Tips

With all the upheaval in the stock markets, taking a girlfriends’ getaway may be the last thing on your mind. But as a result from all the stress of watching your 401K funds dwindle, a vacation is exactly what we all need. Now, we’re not suggesting you go and spend two weeks on a bender in Dubai, but a long weekend at a favorite destination is in order. Here are a few of our favorite top budget travel tips:

1. Shop around for plane tickets. Don’t just look at Orbitz and pick the lowest airfare you see. It pays to look at individual airline websites. In fact, we've bought our tix direct the last couple of trips.
2. Find a good hotel deal on a site like Travelocity but it’s non refundable? Call the hotel and ask them to match it. 99 times out of 100 they will and you can generally cancel at larger hotels up to 48 hours ahead of time with no penalty.
3. Always book a car rental directly with the car rental dealer, not through Orbitz. Say no to insurance if you have car insurance or your credit card covers it (our Amex Blue does). If you agree to bring the tank back full; be sure you do. We paid $6.99/gallon this weekend because we were running late to the airport and didn't have time to find a gas station.
4. Avoid the minibar—go to the drugstore for water, Vitamin Water, Advil, Pringles, Twizzlers, etc. Every time we go to Vegas we have the taxi make this key pit stop on our way to our hotel.
5. Go with more friends! Four girls to a room keeps costs down.
6. Go a day less. Hope recently had a fun time in Charleston on an overnight trip
7. Chill out with wine while you’re getting dressed to save on bar bills when you head out. (Buy the vino at a nearby store—don’t order it from room service.) Our favorite hotel chain, the Kimpton Group, offers a free wine hour at most of their hotels. Drink up!
8. Don’t drink and shop—it always leads to regrets.
9. Carry on your luggage. With most airlines charging for even your first bag, it pays to be a smart packer and fit everything in your carry on.
10. Go now! October is a quiet month for travel in the U.S. Hotel rates go up starting in November and December in resort towns.