Copyright (c) 2008 Anson Werner
Shopping Travel Deals
http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/

While it is sometimes difficult to find specific vacation specials that match your travel desires for the Christmas holiday, there are other considerations you can take into account that could help you save a lot of money. Here is a list of ten tips that might help you to save money on your next holiday vacation adventure:

1. Since most airlines are now charging for extra bags, taking your gifts on the airplane could very well end up costing you a lot of extra fees. In fact, most travelers will find that shipping gifts via UPS or the U.S. Postal Service will be much cheaper than trying to carry those gifts onto the airplane.
   
   
2. If you are going to carry Christmas gifts on the airplane with you to your destination, it is recommended that you do not wrap your gifts until you reach your destination. With the heightened security concerns at American airports, airport security will likely unwrap your gifts for you, just so that you can board the airplane. So don't wrap your gifts before you leave, and you will not have to wrap those gifts twice. Additionally, whenever possible, you should pack loose items in clear plastic bags for the same reasons. If security needs to dig through your small items, items may be lost.
   
   
3. If you need hotel rooms at your destination, hotel-flight packages are generally far less expensive than buying the two items separate, in some cases as much as 75% cheaper. Even connecting flights are generally cheaper than direct flights.
   
   
4. Before you order those airline tickets, take some time to check the alternative travel methods including: Amtrak train, bus, or rental car. You may even find packaged Christmas vacation deals offered by specific airlines, such as those offered by American Airlines (described on our website), which is offering flight and hotel Christmas package deals for as little as $139 per night per person.
   
   
5. When talking to a travel agent, don't give the agent a specific travel date, but instead, give a date range to the agent. Your flexibility on travel arrangements could literally save you as much as 50% on your travel arrangements.
   
   
6. If you are willing to catch an afternoon flight, as opposed to a morning flight, and travel on Tuesday instead of on Monday, once again, you could save a lot of money on airfare.
   
   
7. For holiday travel, if you are willing to travel on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day, you will find the airports relatively empty and the flight ticket prices extraordinarily low.
   
   
8. Be willing to consider alternative airports. For example, you could fly into Dallas / Fort Worth airport (DFW) or you could fly into Dallas Love Field (DAL), which is located just to the northwest of downtown Dallas. If someone is picking you up at the airport, there may be little difference to them which airport they pick you up. And, if you are catching a cab or rental car from the airport, the extra drive time will not be that much, since there is only 20 miles between airports.
   
   
9. When you rent a car at your destination, be sure to refill the gas tank before you return the car to the rental car agency. If the car rental company has to refill the gas tank after you drop off the car, they will charge you their gallon price, which is typically much higher than the gas station across the street from the car rental agency.
   
   
10. If you plan to stay in a hotel while visiting family over the holidays, ask if the hotel offers courtesy shuttles to and from the airport. This could prevent you from needing to have someone waiting for you at the airport, and it could eliminate the cost of catching a taxi cab to your hotel, which could cost quite a bit of extra cash.

Vacation package deals are a nice method for getting great travel deals at great prices, but travel package deals only offer value to those who are more flexible in their travel plans. When it comes to holiday travel, flexibility is not usually a luxury most of us have, especially if we plan to spend our holiday at grandma's house.

It is my hope that these travel tips can actually help you to conserve the money you need to spend on your next holiday vacation.

Author's note: This article is derived from the one posted here:
http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/2008/12/12/christmas-trav
el-money-saving-tips/

Credit:

About the Author:

Anson Werner is a travel hound. In his desire to find incredible travel deals - so he can get out of the house and on the road - he spends his spare time shopping travel offers and learning tricks to help him save money and get more enjoyment from his limited dollars. Recent finds include a 3-day/2-night vacation for two to Las Vegas for $49, and a trick for getting a free cruise for his family. Anson's friends had always asked him about the deals he finds, so he decided to share his knowledge and discoveries in his travel blog at: http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/

Related Information:

NBA Benefit Provider - Endless Vacation Rentals by Wyndham Worldwide

NBA Resource Article - Jet Lag - 7 Steps To A Successful Trip

NBA Resource Article - Holiday Travel Tips with a Furry Friend

Reprint of this article does not constitute an endorsement by the National Business Association; the article is for informational purposes for our members and viewers of our Web site.