Hotwire.com Recommends Seven Travel Tips for Value-Minded Vacationers
Be flexible, and let the deal - not the destination - be the inspiration;
Top U.S. cities, like Las Vegas and New York, for value vacations
Escalating gas prices, increasing hotel rates and packed airlines getting you down? Wondering if all the best deals are booked? Travel expert Clem Bason of discount travel authority Hotwire.com (TM) offers seven easy tips to help steal a deal. Continue reading.
1. Be flexible with dates. Shifting your plans by a few days can save hundreds of dollars. Instead of getting to the beach on Friday, go earlier or later, and use the savings to splurge on dinner at a great restaurant at your destination.
2. Set a budget, not a destination. Let the deal be the inspiration. If the price is right, you'll enjoy the beach whether it's in Hawaii or the Caribbean. So look for the better deal, pull out the swimsuit and go.
3. Be a contrarian. Don't follow the crowds -- head for the hills! Check out mountain resorts during the summer. Visit Las Vegas mid-week. Or enjoy a city break over the weekend.
4. Travel to alternate airports. Travelers are amazed to find that flying to Newark instead of JFK, or Oakland instead of San Francisco, could potentially save them hundreds of dollars.
5. Go local. Avoid airport crowds and contribute to the regional economy by vacationing at destinations within a 2-4 hour drive of your home town. Use the Local Trips tool at Hotwire.com to find deals, even at the last minute, on hotels within driving distance -- up to 250 miles away from home.
6. Check out the best value vacation destinations in America. Hotwire(R) recently evaluated 50 U.S. places that offer the best combination of discount travel, affordable entertainment and overall appeal. The top three destinations on the Hotwire.com Travel Value Index are Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Raleigh and Durham.
7. Use online tools to help find last-minute deals. For example, TripStarter(TM), an online tool at Hotwire.com, can help you choose the right time of year to take that dream vacation based on historical air and hotel pricing data.
"Travelers should know that the joy of a summer getaway doesn't need to be overshadowed by the stress and expense involved with planning a trip," said Bason. "Flexibility is the key, and a tiny change in plans can lead to big vacation savings."
About Hotwire
Hotwire.com (TM) is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Launched in 2000, Hotwire(R) negotiates deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars.
J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction Study(SM) recognized Hotwire for ranking "Highest in Customer Satisfaction For Independent Travel Web Sites." Hotwire is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) . CST: 2053390-40. NST: 20003-0209. For more information, visit Hotwire.com
Hotwire, Hotwire.com and the Hotwire logo are either registered trademarks or trade marks of Hotwire, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners. (C) 2000-2009 Hotwire, Inc. All rights reserved.