Planning a Cheap Summer Vacation: Your Booking Options Reviewed

Are you gearing up to plan your summer vacation? If you are on a budget, you may wonder how you should book your vacation. Which approach gets you the best deal? Continue reading on to find out.

When it comes to planning a summer vacation, you usually have three booking options. They include using a local travel agent, an online travel website, or making your reservations independently? Which option saves you the most money?

As for local travel agents, it usually depends on who you know. If you personally know a travel agent, they may be willing to take the extra step to help you get a better deal. Otherwise, travel agents are designed more for convenience. You don’t want to spend hours booking a vacation, so they do the work for you. You tell them where you want to go, when, and how much money you have to spend. They will give you an ideal arrangement and help you make the plans.

Although you will find a variance, some travel agents like to deal with or have special arrangements with hotels, airlines, and car rental companies. This may be a business arrangement or a personal preference based on previous experiences. Either way, you don’t always get the best deal with local travel agents. If you are concerned more about saving time and getting the best quality vacation, doing business with a local travel agent is ideal. On the other hand, if you want to save the most money, continue reading on for your additional options.

As for online travel websites, there are many to choose from. Well-known and popular websites include Priceline.com, Orbtiz.com, and Travelocity.com. Online travel websites are nice because they save consumers time. When comparing the cost of airfare, you can compare the rates of five different airlines in less than 2 minutes. If you book your vacation in the form of a travel package, you save time by planning most of your trip with one simple purchase. Saving time is nice, but remember your goal is to save money.

Although you will find a variance, online travel websites usually offer the best deals for travel packages. Do you need to book a stay at a hotel, need a car rental, and airline tickets? You are likely to find the best deals on these travel websites. If you only need to make one or two arrangements or can’t find an ideal summer vacation package, it may best to avoid them.

As for making each of your travel plans separately and independently, it may seem like a big inconvenience. Luckily, it is easier to find the best deals. Many airlines offer special one-way trips to popular vacation destinations. Hotels occasionally offer special deals, like a free or discounted nights stay with the purchase of five other nights, and so forth. The best deals are advertised right on their websites. A standard internet search can help you find these websites. It does take more time, but you may be surprised with what you find.

For most travelers, it is a tossup between online travel websites and independent reservations. Although online travel websites usually offer the best deals for vacation packages, it is easy to check. You should get the name of the airline, hotel, and car rental company. Visit their websites and request another quote. Add the three and compare to your quoted travel package costs. Do you save money? You should. If not, it would be better to make your travel plans independently.