Travel Smart - Essential travel strategies for your next vacation.

‘Tis the season to travel smart. With the shaky state of this year’s economy, many travelers are thinking twice prior to pulling out their credit cards and booking a vacation. During these tougher times, smart travel is the only way to travel. In order to help you take your family on an unforgettable vacation without the costly price tag, we put together a list of helpful tips on how to travel smart:

1.       Shuttle Service. To avoid renting a car or spending appalling amounts of money on taxi fares, book a hotel that offers complimentary airport transportation. If you are traveling to a destination with theme parks, such as Orlando, find a hotel that offers complimentary shuttle service to and from the theme parks.

2.       Room Amenities. One of the most pocket draining aspects of vacationing is eating out. One way to cut down on food costs is to search for hotels that offer all its guests a microwave and mini-fridge in the room. Not only will this allow you to buy groceries and store them, but it will also allow you to turn one restaurant meal into two.

3.       Continental Breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when you have a full day of sightseeing and adventure ahead of you. Find a hotel that offers a complimentary continental or hot breakfast so you can get your day started off on the right foot.

4.       Multiple Day Tickets. When taking your family on a vacation involving premiums and tickets, buy the package that will get you the most bang for your buck.  Although multiple day ticket packages may have a higher price, they often provide the best value.

5.       Take a timeshare preview.  Vacation packages that require a resort sales presentation always save you big bucks on a family vacation. Not only will you learn about the benefits of a vacation ownership program, but you will receive room nights at a discounted rate as well as attraction tickets, premiums or gifts.

6.       Staycation: Avoid the airports altogether and hop into your car for a family road trip. With the cost of gas going down, driving to your vacation destination is now the smarter choice.

It may be the season to save, but there are still ways to travel without cleaning out your pockets. So if you have a budget but still  have a bold appetite for adventure and fun, abide by these tips and we guarantee you will save a hefty chunk of change on your next vacation.