|
Forget Staycations: 7 coupon tips for frugal travel
Mar 22, 2010 (http://www.couponsherpa.com/ - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) --
The term "staycation" entered our travel vocabulary in 2009 thanks to skyrocketing gas prices and an iffy economy. As more Americans stayed home, travel-related services were forced to drop prices and offer special deals. That means it's cheaper to get back on the road.
There are plenty of money-saving travel coupons that allow you to take a real vacation without busting your budget. Coupons are available for lodging, food, or attractions and you can find them everywhere: online, in local newspapers, at convenience stores, motels, etc. Always read the fine print carefully for terms of the coupon.
Here are seven tips on how to get the best travel deals using coupons.
1. Avoid Package Deals
Package deals on hotels, flights and car rental have their uses, but you often can get better savings by using coupons for each individual category rather than with one package-deal coupon.
2. Promo Codes
Online promo codes are similar to coupons but, instead of handing a piece of paper over to a cashier, you insert a promo code into the appropriate box at the online checkout. Various Web sites offer promo codes for purchases made through popular travel-booking sites, like Expedia and Orbitz, as well as for specific airlines, hotel chains and car-rental agencies. Type "travel coupon codes" into a search engine and you'll find oodles of sites.
3. Comparison Shop
If you prefer to use a particular hotel or airline, comparison shopping for useful coupons ensures you'll nail the best deal. Search engines make comparison shopping much easier than the days when you had to call around for prices.
4. Entertainment Venues
Search for coupons before you leave home to such major attractions as museums, national parks and amusement parks. You'll find coupons for most major attractions online or you can call ahead and ask how to find coupons for a particular place. Entertainment book coupons also provide savings on car rentals, hotels and restaurants. You can buy a book for a specific city or subscribe to an online service that allows you to print just the coupons you need. Entertainment.com and Valpak.com are two reputable companies that offer these services. Make sure, however, the coupons can be used for the days you plan on visiting.
5. Restaurants and Grocery Stores
Food eats up a large portion of vacation budgets. Search in places you plan on visiting and download printable restaurant coupons that appeal to you. Alternately, you might reserve a hotel or motel room with a kitchenette, research nearby supermarkets and download printable grocery coupons. Be sure and check the coupon's expiration date before you leave.
6. Mobile Coupons
Use your mobile Web browser to locate coupon codes while you're on the road. If you make an unplanned stop, take a moment to see if there is a mobile restaurant coupon or mobile attraction coupon you can use to reduce costs.
7. Travel Coupons
Here a few useful travel coupon sites:
_Travel Coupon Guide and America Travel Coupons: These paper coupon books are available at select restaurants and hotels. You can also order them in advance (www.travelcouponguide.com) to help you plan your trip.
_CouponSherpa.com: Provides an extensive listing of coupons for everything from luggage to car rentals.
_Entertainment Book (www.entertainment.com): Known for its two-for-one discounts, the Entertainment Book features hundreds of coupons for shopping, travel, dining and hospitality worth thousands of dollars. You can buy a book or purchase an online membership that allows you to download coupons while on the road.
_Expedia.com and Orbitz.com: Both sites are well known as one-stop shops for deals on car rentals, hotels, attractions and travel packages, Expedia gives you a $50 coupon if you find a lower price elsewhere. Orbitz has some excellent coupons listed on their website.
_Hotels.com: This site contains a large database of coupons for hotels in major cities and some smaller areas across the U.S.
_GoGo.net: Inflight Internet Connection provides an inexpensive service while you're up in the air.
_TravelCoupons (http://www.travelcoupons.com/): You'll find a selection of excellent lodging coupons at TravelCoupons, but their list of cities is limited.
___
(Coupon Sherpa is the penny pinching, coupon clipping, deal digging, Himalayan haggling, he-man of bargains. Visit http://www.couponsherpa.com/ for more shopping advice, insider tips, and coupons.)
___
(c) 2010, http://www.couponsherpa.com/
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
_____
TO SUBSCRIBE TO NEWS2USE
Items in the News2Use package are not included in your MCT News Service subscription. You can subscribe to the News2Use package or purchase the items a la carte on MCT Direct at www.mctdirect.com. To subscribe, please call Rick DeChantal at Tribune Media Services at (800) 245-6536 or rdechantal@tribune.com. Outside the United States, call Tribune Media Services International at +1-312-222-4444or e-mail tmsisales@tribune.com.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or
847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group
Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
|
TMCnet LOGIN
Webinars
