Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Thrifty Thinking: Holiday Travel Tips

Bob Diener, co-founder of  Getaroom.com,has  advice on how you readers can make the most of this holiday season’s travel. Bob is an industry expert with over 25 years of experience and with the holidays right around the corner, he can offer insight into all aspects of travel. From how to take advantage of “Dead Week” to tips on how to score deep hotel discounts in the drop of a hat!

  • Book early! Rates are expected to go up as it gets closer to the holidays. Early booking also means you can grab a room at preferred hotels before they fill up.
  • Heading out of town for Thanksgiving? Consider traveling early morning on Thanksgiving Day and returning on Saturday to avoid the rush of travelers and to take advantage of lower hotel room rates.
  • Want to enjoy a carriage ride in Central Park? Rates in NYC are much lower in November and  after December 15th, so avoid the first two weeks in December for the best holiday shopping rates.
  • Alternate airports can offer you substantial savings to top destinations. Consider Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach instead of Miami, or choose Midway when flying to Chicago instead of the massive O’Hare airport.
  • Traveling on Christmas Eve can be a lower option on flights and hotel room stays. Return the following Saturday for even lower costs.
  • Top destinations for the holidays according to Getaroom.com are New York, London, Orlando, Las Vegas, Cancun,Anaheim, San Francisco and Miami.
  • Rates drop in the big cities after New Year’s. Let the party die down and enjoy great bargain rates at top  hotels in New York under $200 a night and first class hotels on the Las Vegas Strip from $20 a night.
  • Use the phone to find the best rates! Getaroom.com offers personalized service with its unpublished rates that can only be acquired through its call center. More than 40,000 hotels participate in the exclusive program.
  • Grab flights early in the morning as they are often the cheapest option during peak flight times. You’ll be up early with excitement anyway, so you might as well get your trip started.
  • Get to the airport early. Due to over bookings during busy times you don’t want to miss your flight as you might have to wait hours or days to get another one. An extra hour at home isn’t worth all of the frustration of missing a flight.
  • Bring snacks with you and an empty water bottle to fill up after passing security. Why pay close to $3 for water and high prices for snacks.

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