1. By contacting the
"Green Machine," you can rent a motorhome sleeping up to six persons
for less than $50 a day
A Los Angeles rental firm
acquires old school buses, removes their interiors and fills them with
up to six sleeping pallets, chairs, and kitchen equipment. These
become known as "School Bus Motorhomes" and are rented to
cost-conscious, unpretentious, traveling families for as little as
$350 a week--exactly $50 a day, including insurance and unlimited
mileage--which is less than half what the same families would pay to
rent a standard motorhome or recreational vehicle, without mileage.
For further details, contact The Green Machine, 805/269-0363.
2. You'll do best on your
travels abroad to rely on guidebooks written by experienced adults,
and not by students; you'll make a better use of your funds, and save
money.
A student author of a travel
guide is a person who, by definition, has been exactly once to the
destination in question. He or she alights from an airplane, sees a
hotel, and--with no knowledge of comparative hotels or equally good
but less expensive choices--proceeds to write up the establishment.
The resulting guidebook looks like similar travel books, but doesn't
lead the reader to real value. The popularity of student-written
travel guides is a great mystery, and reflects poorly on the reading
public.
3. You can earn a free trip to
Europe by recruiting as few as eight persons to join you on an
escorted motorcoach tour operated by Go Ahead Vacations
Almost all tour operators set
a threshold of fifteen for the groups whose leader will be rewarded
with a free vacation. By contrast, Go Ahead Vacations of Boston
(subsidiary of a long-established European firm) will supply a free
trip to the person who produces as few as eight tour passengers for
one of the company's departures. Contact Go Ahead of Cambridge,
Massachusetts, at 800/438-7672.
4. The rates for deluxe
resorts plummet in the immediate weeks after a tropical hurricane has
battered their island location, despite the fact that such hotels are
scarcely affected by the storm
Modern resort hotels are built
with hurricanes in mind, and designed to withstand them. After every
recent major hurricane, the major resorts have re-opened within days
(sometimes within hours), showing no damage other than to shrubbery
and foliage. Yet because of public perceptions, tourism to those
islands and resorts drops sharply and remains low for several weeks,
until price cuts and advertising restore the flow of visitors.
Whenever you read of a tropical hurricane, rush to book the island;
you'll enjoy spectacular low rates (and also lend much-needed aid to
its population).
5. So-called "official" youth
hostels belonging to Hosteling International are supplemented by a
much larger number of unofficial, independent hostels with no such
affiliation; thus, your chance of finding ultra-low-cost lodging is
greatly increased
Low-Cost Lodgings
11. An idealistic organization
called Servas can enable you to stay for free with families all over
the world. Membership fee: $65 a year. Contact them at 11 John Street,
New York, NY 10038 (212/267-0252).
12. Hostels for all ages are
the cheapest lodgings on earth. Whether young or old, you pay $15 to
$25 for membership, and from $8 to $20 per bed per night. Phone
Hostelling International at 202/783-6161).
13. At $50 a couple per year,
the Hilton Senior Honors program is a top travel buy for over-60s.
Membership ( phone 800/432-3600) brings you discounts of 50% at Hilton
hotels in the U.S. and abroad.
14. Before departing on any
trip, pick up a Sunday edition of your destination's local newspaper;
it contains hotel ads offering discounted rates to residents. You can
request the same rates.
15. The French equivalent of
our own inexpensive, long-stay, residence hotels, is the "Citadines
Apparthotels" chain. Phone 01-41-05-79-79.
16. Extended stay hotels are a
fast-growing, new form of budget-priced lodgings; when they have
vacancies, they accept short-stay guests. Lowest- priced of the chains
is Extended Stay America charging $199 to $299 a week. Phone
800/398-7829.
17. Bargaining can lower your
hotel costs. If a hotel knows it will have vacancies on a given night,
it will readily reduce the price of those otherwise-empty rooms. But
call the hotel directly, never the nationwide 800 numbers.
18. If you were honorably
discharged from the armed forces, you can stay for $40 a night at the
high quality Soldiers', Sailors', Marines' and Airmens' Club in New
York City. Call ahead (800/678-8443).
19. For families or groups of
four or more visiting Orlando, condos are cost- effective. Condominium
Travel Associates, Inc. offers dramatic discounts for condo units
housing four to eight. Phone 800/492-6636 or 203/758-0222.
20. Stay free at hundreds of
estates, mansions, farms, ranches, resort homes, and hunting or
fishing lodges, in 30 states and 10 foreign countries, by acting as a
caretaker. Send a SASE to The Caretaker Gazette, 1845 NW Deane Street,
Pullman, WA 99163, for an initial free report on how to get started.
21. In cities of India, you
can stay overnight as a paying guest of an Indian family for far less
than most quality hotels charge. Government of India Tourist Offices
in the U.S. (see the phone book) have lists of participating families.
22. A long-established British
rental service can pre-book B&Bs throughout the U.K. charging only $30
per person/night in London, and $25 elsewhere. The 16-year-old "Bed &
Breakfast (GB)" has a U.S. booking number--800/454-8704--and free
literature.
23. Those strangely named "gites"
are the key to a low-cost, long-stay vacation in France. Contact
Provence West Ltd., in Evergreen, Colorado (304/674-6942) for one of
those tiny bungalows called "gites."
Air Fare Strategies
34. Make your air reservations
just after midnight, when discounted fares are most available. That's
because airlines use the slow after-midnight hours to load low-priced
air fares into their computers. They also restore, at midnight, the
bargain seats that were earlier booked but never ticketed. Result: a
temporary, midnight to 1 A.M. bulge of reduced-price seats.
35. If you're traveling with
at least one other person, and plan to visit several of the Hawaiian
islands, always buy a six-ticket booklet sold by the two major air
carriers in America's 50th state--you'll save over $30 per flight.
Note: the booklets are sold only in Hawaii.
36. Europe has as many (if not
more) air fare consolidators as we in the U.S. do, and they're
concentrated in London (on Earls Court Road) and Amsterdam (on the
Darmrak).
37. Two big student travel
agencies make cut-rate international air fares available to
non-students of all ages. They're Council Travel (800/226-8624) and
STA Travel (800/781-8624).
38. When an airline launches a
sale, all other airlines flying the same routes match the sales price
for departures taking place around the same time.
39. One airline--TWA--makes
available to young people ages 12 through 24 the same four-coupon air
fare booklets costing $548 that are normally marketed to seniors. Call
TWA at 800/221-2000.
Rental Cars and RVs
54. Before renting any car,
call Rent-a-Wreck first to learn how much they'd charge to rent a
second-hand car. To reserve a "wreck" in any major U.S. city, phone
1-800/535-1319.
55. Europe's cheapest auto
rental rates are on cars picked up in France, and rented for at least
three weeks. From agencies like Auto-France (800/572-9655 or
201/934-6994), or Renault Eurodrive, phone 800/221-1052 (eastern
states) or 800/477-4176 (western states), you'll pay $519 for 21 days
(about $24 a day), unlimited mileage.
56. Before you buy, you can
rent a recreational vehicle for a trial trip. Call Cruise America
(800/327-7778) or Altman's Winnebago (818/997-6622), or scan the
Yellow Pages under "Recreational Vehicles."
57. Always make car rental
arrangements before you depart your home city. The cheapest rates
always require that you book the car several days ahead.
58. Inexpensive motorhomes
(RVs), and the campsites for them, are as widely available in Britain
as they are in the U.S. Rent a "motor caravan" or "camper van"
sleeping four for $662-$819 a week in fall/winter months, from Turners
of London, in East Dulwich, phone 011-44-181-693-1132.
59. Auto Driveaway Agencies
still exist, offering free use of a car. Auto Driveaway Company of
Chicago (800/346-2277), and National Auto Transporter (800/423-3266),
have offices in 75 U.S. and Canadian cities.
60. Three reliable
organizations provide current information on the schedules and rates
of passenger-carrying freighters. They are: Freighter World Cruises
(800/531-7774), TravLtips (800/872-8584), and Freighter Travel Club
(3524 Harts Lake Road, Roy, Washington 98580).
61. Squeezing four into a
cabin is the most effective way to cruise cheaply. Almost all
cruiseships have four-passenger cabins, and one broker that
specializes in these crowded but economical lodgings is The Cruise
Line, Inc., at 800/777-0707.
62. Sail the coast of Alaska
in summer for only $82 per night by booking deck passage on one of the
Alaska Marine Highway Ferries making three-night trips from
Bellingham, Washington (near Seattle) to Skagway, Alaska Passengers
either sack out on an open-air chaise lounge, or pitch their own tent
on the Solarium deck. For fares and schedules, phone 800/642-0066.
63. More than a dozen big
cruise brokers are able to sell sailings of major ships at dramatic
discounts. Try Cruises Only (800/683-SHIP), The Cruise Line, Inc.
(800/777-0707), Spur-of-the-Moment Cruises (800/343-1991), several
others.
Specialist
Organizations
65. Tourscan will tell you
which Caribbean wholesaler has the best rates. Since tour operators
have different prices for identical resorts, it's helpful to learn the
cheapest source. Phone Tourscan at 800/962-2080 or 203/655-8091.
66. A twice-a-year magazine
called Specialty Travel Index lists small tour operators
catering to hundreds of special interests (acupuncture, shopping,
chess tournaments, etc.) in travel. Call 800/442-4922 or 415/459-4900
for a subscription.
67. You can make a direct
phone call to London for best-priced theatre reservations and tickets.
Phone Ticketmaster at 011-44-171-344-4444, twenty- four hours a day.
68. To obtain valuable
student/teacher IDs, entitling you to inexpensive accommodations,
museum and theatre admissions, student meals and more, contact the
Council on International Educational Exchange, 888/COUNCIL.
69. A broker called Stroman's
will help you resell that time share you so foolishly bought. Phone
409/588-4444 for further details.
70. You can purchase any
travel product on an installment plan, by simply using American
Express' Sign and Travel Plan. Phone them at 1-800/528-4800. Press 3,
then press 3 again, for information.
71. The nation's
longest-established "rebators" will "kick back" a portion of the price
on any travel product. Pennsylvania Travel, of Paoli, PA, at
800/778-7014 or Travel Avenue of Chicago (1-800/333-3335) will buy it
for you and return a portion of their commission, if you make a
sparing use of their time.
72. A leading source of
low-cost devices, luggage and apparel for travel is Magellan's
(800/962-4943).
73. Buy discount coupons for
key expenditures in your own home towns. They're found in so-called
"Entertainment Books" published by Entertainment Publications, Inc.,
800/445-4137.
74. Using a firm called Marry
Me Maui, you can have a romantic wedding on an island of dreams for as
little as $330. Phone 800/745-0344.
75. Believe it or not, there's
a money-saving club for the devotees of all- inclusive hotels,
supplying a six-times-a-year newsletter and 34 past issues. Membership
is $20 a year, but that payment is deducted from the cost of your
first booking. Meantime, you've received 34 free newsletters. Call
800/442-6900.
76. Middle-aged (and older)
Americans seeking a remote and exotic travel experience at low-cost
might try an impressive Toronto tour operator, Eldertreks, at
800/741-7956 or 416/588-5000.
General Approaches to
Travel
78. Never make a phone call,
change money, or send out laundry from your hotel. Each of these
transactions is a hotel "profit center", and hefty fees are added.
Change money at a bank, use a public booth, visit a laundromat.
79. The smart traveler buys
theater tickets as residents do--on the day of performance, at half
price. On arriving in any major theater city, ask for the location of
the local discount ticket booth.
80. Pack the least amount of
clothing your courage will allow. People who don't pack light, become
money-squandering beasts of burden, needing expensive porters and
taxis, unable to shop around among several hotels.
81. In every major
English-speaking city, haunt the university bulletin boards--a
treasure trove of listings for free and almost nightly lectures,
concerts, workshops, and social gatherings.
82. According to a group of
travel writers, every traveler should carry: a good pair of walking
shoes; a photocopy of the first page of their passport (carried
separately from the passport); plastic zip-lock bags; immodium (for
diarrhea); photocopies of medical prescriptions; a Swiss Army knife; a
pocket flashlight; spare camera batteries; their address book; and
photocopies of all credit cards.
83. Single persons traveling
alone can avoid that pesky single supplement by booking tours operated
by Globus/Cosmos (sold by all travel agents). It guarantees a shared
room; and if it can't find such a share, it will let you use the room
alone, without extra charge.
84. Visiting any large city,
move around like a local (using public transportation), and sample the
neighborhoods. You'll not only save money; you'll learn how people
there live.
85. A little known method of
obtaining foreign currency abroad, and at a good rate, is simply to
cash a personal check at American Express offices. The sole condition:
that you have an AmEx credit card for securing the transaction.
86. Substitute tang for orange
juice (bring along a can of the powdery stuff) and you'll save upwards
of $100 on a two-week trip abroad.
87. Traveling with a
companion, pack half your clothing in their suitcase, and pack half
their clothing in yours. That way, you'll suffer no calamitous
consequences if the airlines should lose or delay delivery of one of
your suitcases.
88. It's simply foolish to
visit any destination without first purchasing a budget guidebook to
it. No matter how confident you may be of your own travel knowledge,
you will always find in such books at least a few valuable suggestions
of low-priced lodgings, meals or activities of which you would
otherwise have been unaware.
89. Purchase your overseas
theater tickets exactly as you would in the U.S.--over the phone, and
from your home telephone, using a credit card. You can make such phone
reservations as easily for the opera in Antwerp as for a Broadway
show.
90. Before visiting any large
city, inquire about passes for unlimited transportation or museum
admissions in that city. One such museum pass currently promoted for
our own country is the CityPass (obtained by phoning 707/256-0490).
91. Cheapest vacations for
senior citizens are in college towns, attending classes. Virtually
every state university permits senior citizens to audit its courses
without charge. Call the Offices of Continuing Education, or Offices
of Admission, of most such schools.
92. Never change your dollars
into foreign currency at a money-changing kiosk or storefront. Look
instead for a bank, the biggest you can find; they pay the best rates.
Better yet, search for the even better rates of a bank ATM machine
that honors your card--they are increasingly found all over the world.
93. AT&T access numbers enable
you to make cheap calls to the States from most foreign countries.
Handy wallet cards issued by AT&T list access numbers from 50 nations.
To get your own card, call 800/331-1140.
94. Trans Media Discount Cards
are now honored in Britain and France. If you're a card holder, you
can request an "international directory" prior to leaving for Europe
that lists discount-granting (20%) restaurants in London, Paris, and
nearby.
95. Teachers are now entitled
to the same remarkable free admissions or discounts abroad that
students have received for eons. For a $20 teachers identification
card entitling the bearer to student privileges, call C.I.E.E. at
800/2-COUNCIL.
96. $2.95 brings you a
valuable, 20-page study by travel expert Jens Jurgen on foiling
pickpockets, bag-snatchers and other travel-related crimes. It's a
travel classic, yet costs only $2.95, including postage and handling
(send check to Travel Companion Exchange, P.O.Box 833, Amityville, L.I.
11701.
97. As a tourist, eat one meal
a day picnic-style. Buy bread, patι, cheese, wine from the foreign
equivalent of a delicatessen, and consume them on a park bench,
alongside a river, or even in your hotel room. You'll save money and
eat healthily at the same time.
98. When eating at restaurants
abroad, split, share and divide. When two of you dine, order one
appetizer, one main course, and then split those dishes between you;
you'll still send uneaten food back to the kitchen, and you'll save
50%.
99. Two toll-free numbers
enable you to find the locations of ATM machines abroad. They are
800/VISA-911 for Plus or Visa cards, 800/4CIRRUS for Cirrus system
(affiliated with MasterCard) cards.
