Tweets from Last Night - Saving Money on Travel

Everyone wants to save money, especially on travel! This week travelers from around the globe shared their do's and don'ts for sticking to a travel budget, and even better, how they save for the biggest trips. Daily Getaways  and City Pass sponsored the event (from April 9 – May 11, 2012, you can purchase amazing getaways at deeply discounted prices!). Read on before your next trip for great money saving ideas!

Q1. Tips for staying on the cheap while on the road?

• Couchsurfer! tripfilms
• Wait 'til the last minute! Always great deals at the 11th hour! McMedia
• Join hotel loyalty programs, sign up for their email lists and use coupons! jloveslife4
• Be flexible on where your going, be flexible on dates you travel, talk to a travel agent (we are always updated on deals) Cardinaltravel
• When checking into a hotel, always ask if the price is the best they can do. Often, they can do better flipflopcaravan

All inclusive resorts can be beautiful, and cost effective! Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

 Q2. Best advice for saving up for a big trip?

• Automatic transfer of funds from checking to savings. Mine is set at about $100/month to travel account. allison_b216
• DON'T go shopping for trip! HennArtOnline
• direct deposit! Also, start to weigh things like buying a new shirt vs. enjoying a meal in Rome: which will you enjoy more? DitchCity
• Get your miles in check and organized by using a tool like @TripIt. Then book everything you can with your miles. pointstravel
• if you are saving for a big trip - Stop Eating Out! For the price of one meal, you can feed yourself for a week! earthypets
• I gather up stuff I'm not using any more and sell on ebay, etc. It adds up. vagabondchick
• I gave up our housekeeper to save $$ for travel. When I'm scrubbing a toilet, I envision warm water and beautiful beaches. NomadicKids

 Q3. Booking site that always yields the cheapest results? Strategies? 

• Orbitz. Start off with a very very low bid and keep on raising it until it gets accepted. FelixtheTurtle
• I like @Kayak & @FareCompare for finding cheap flights on the fly, but overall @ITASoftware's Matrix can often get you lower fares flyingwithfish
• Tingo, of course! It gives you Money Back if the hotel you book drops its prices. @TingoTeam SmarterTravel
• We <3 @thehipmunk. ApproachGuides
• I get airline fare sale email alerts. LuxeTiffany

Q4. One trip that you took that broke the bank? Was it worth it? 

• Paris! Converting from US dollars to Euros didn't go so well but it was sooo worth it NewYorkHabitat
• oddly, a week at Disney World in Orlando does more to break the bank than travel abroad. But....totally worth it for the kid :) kymri
• Traveling to SA for 2010 World Cup & african safari. WORTH IT! BespokeTravels
• Galapagos last year. And YES! rtwdave
• Trip of a life time, India, well worth it. Credit card never forgave me TravelWithKat
  

Venice, Italy is beautiful, but a not a great budget destination

Q5. Biggest ‘budget’ moment in your travels?

• Realizing I had spent the last of my Lira the night before right as I was getting ready to hail a cab for the airport. Ran instead! GeneralTours
• Anytime I unpack the hammock #tni MalloryOnTravel
• Spending hours decoding the BsAs bus system to avoid spending $3 on a cab ride MoonGuides
• Pitched a tent in the middle of a sheep farm in NZ to avoid paying camp/hostel fees... in winter! #TNI JeannetteKimmel
• Budget moment- deciding it's time to go home. beasharif
  

Q6. What are you willing to sacrifice to have money to travel? 

• I only had one kid (they're expensive!)...is that sacrifice enough? :) ZipSetAndrea
• We subject ourselves to office coffee rather than going to Starbucks shermanstravel
• Driving an older car, just not shopping as much in general! But also having kids does that to you :) jkheaton
• Nice furniture...why I'm not inviting u to my house. amytravels
• I will sacrifice just about anything EXCEPT my book money for travel. My name is Jane and I'm a book-a-holic . jbranigan
• We've been living with my in-laws to save money to #travel and buy/remodel our dream apt! KyleHepp

Q7. Travel Points program that gets you the farthest? 

• Once you start with Emirates LAX-DUBAI, then you rack up miles fast that will get you farther! kymri
• I like Southwest CC and Rapid Rewards for cheap flights in US.  allison_b216
• I gotta go with AMEX rewards. Flew to China for $99 First Class http://t.co/lhele3E3 TravelProducer
• Best strategy is to up your loyalty points through promotions http://t.co/VRNzBmQW dailygetaways
• @Americanexpress and @MarriottIntl rewards programs TravelingPerly

Q8. Does and Don’ts for staying on budget while on the road? 

• Bring set amount of cash. No savings dips on the road! AtlasTrav_Molly
• DO Report your credit cards stolen before you leave #TNI RickGriffin
• Stay in a suite with a small kitchen and eat out less. APBNewsTweets
• Do take public transportation over taxis. Don't spend every 5 minutes Tweeting unless you have a good Int. phone plan! darrenfrei

Shop local markets to find good food on a budget

Q9. Tips for affordable sightseeing while traveling? 

• Lots of museums & attractions offer discounts (or free entry!) on particular days. travel_version
• Hike! noelleluxtrav
• Also holding on to undated student IDs as long as possible!!! TripFilms
• Always take a camera, never know when you might get a compromising pic that is useful for blackmail MalloryOnTravel
• download walking tours and city guide apps to your iPhone  L_e_a_h
• skip "tours" & DIY, 90% of the time, its better. always read tips guidebooks or other travelers give, it'll save u tons #tni AnjaniLadki
• Walk-public transit-visitor center-coupons-free museum days-online tickets Vacation_Mamma

Hiking is a affordable way to spend a great day. Quito, Ecuador

Q10. Destinations that work best for budget travel? Worst?  

• Best: Driving distance ones because roadtrips make the best memories. MedjetAssist
• The Outback, if you can find somewhere to spend money, you really are a world class shopper MalloryOnTravel
• Best budget travel destinations? US National Parks pass for $80/vehicle #TNI #lp reidontravel
• Best: SE Asia, Central & much of South America. 1Dad1Kid
• Best: Most Places in SE Asia - Worst: Scandinavia #TNI Bloggeries
• With the currency exchange in #Mexico - you can't do much better than that for budget travel! cabojulie

A HUGE thank you to travel experts SmarterTravel and ShermansTravel for hosting this week's event!