If you know me, you know I love to plan, plan, plan! I love organizing (most things), scheduling, and having my hands in the middle of things. Hence the reason I love planning our vacations! I know not everyone enjoys doing this, nor does everyone have the time.
For those of you that enjoy planning your own vacation but are not sure where to start here are a few tips for you. Before we get started, I want to warn you to always read the fine print. I have noticed that several of the discount websites try to stick “extras” in the agreement. I still use these sights but am aware of the extra fees they try to tack on my bill.
Some examples of this would be:
- airfare baggage fees - international flights are different prices than domestic flights
- car rental - sometimes when you rent a car the price is for one driver, an additional driver could be up to an additional $20 per day
- hotel fees - you can be taxed multiple times depending on the city in which you stay
Ok, hope I haven’t scared you off because now we are going to get to the fun part!
Airfare
These are the sites I use most often:
- www.airfarewatchdog.com - one of my favorite places to check. This is one site where you need to read the fine print. Usually it’s something like “may only be used on *** days”, or “must book flight no later than *** days in advance”. You can find some pretty good deals here though.
- www.southwest.com - offers their “Wanna Get Away” prices. I believe these are online prices only. If you fly Southwest frequently, make sure you sign up for their frequent flyer miles. It’s free and it’s a way to earn free flights. Yes, they do have some blackout dates, but they are better than most airlines.
- www.craigslist.org - another option for purchasing an "airline voucher". Again, be careful; make sure you have proof of the voucher before you send them money.
Hotel
Most of our vacations now days are with extended family. For us, renting a timeshare has been ideal. We all get to stay at the same location and the resort usually has activities so we don’t have to always “go out” and find something to do. Here are a few sites that I have used:
- http://www.omcancun.com/ - I have recently used this site and got a great deal!
- www.redweek.com/browse/timeshares - A great worldwide timeshare site.
- www.sellmytimesharenow.com
I recommend checking reviews before you go to a new vacation spot. www.tripadvisor.com is a great way to see what other people thought about the vacation spot. Also, make sure to check the date the review was posted. Things are probably a little different now than five or ten years ago!
Take into consideration that some people may not like a location for the very reason you love the location, ie., the resort was too quiet vs. I loved the resort because it was quiet and peaceful. People post reviews on restaurants and entertainment as well as hotels.
Happy travels to you!
Jennifer Harrelson, Mom to Isabel 4, and Eliana 2, 5th year in MOPs
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