Budget Travel Basics

Budget Travel Basics photoThe world of budget travel can be filled with excitement and appeal, and in our expensive world today traveling on a budget is becoming more necessary if you want to travel at all.  It is important to keep costs low when traveling, whether you are traveling solo seeing a foreign country for the first time or a family with your car filled with kids and luggage heading for the beach or an amusement park.

If you want to go the lower cost route while traveling, it is definitely a good plan to generate a travel budget.  Determine the approximate costs and prioritize the different portions of your trip, such as hotel, airfare, car rental, visiting attractions and sights, food, and gasoline.  Once you have a good idea of what you want to spend on each part of your trip, then you need to begin shopping around for the best deals.

When it comes time for you to formulate a budget for travel, you should first prioritize by deciding what is most important to you and what you can cut back on.  For example, while some travelers would rather spend a more on a higher class of accommodations, others would rather save money by staying at lower priced hotels or motels splurge on sightseeing or their food budget for the family.

Once you have prioritized the elements of your trip, begin researching what the best deals are.  Often, discounted admission rates on area attractions are the most common and easiest to find, since many theme parks, museums and other attractions run specials to draw tourists.

To get big discounts on local attractions, the best place to start is the Internet, specifically the web site of whatever attraction you want to visit.  Often you will find great deals online, such as two-for-one deals, free admission for children, special reduced admission days, even discounts on food and lodging.

There are other ways to get great discounts.  If you are in the military, a senior citizen or a member of an organization such as AAA, you will find that there are many discounts available to you.  Most AAA offices sell discounted tickets for theme parks, museums and other attractions within driving distance, and most AAA offices sell discounted tickets to popular destinations like the Walt Disney World Resort, too.  The secret to making the most of your travel budget is to research and take advantage of any discounts available.

If you plan to drive your car on your trip, make sure you get it services so that it is in good condition before you leave.  Something small like under-inflated tires or worn spark plugs or brake pads can affect your gas mileage and increase your fuel budget.

A good tip for keeping your fuel spending under control is to invest in a map of your destination.  It will keep you from getting lost and therefore wasting gas.  Being able to find your way to and from the hotel or other destinations without trouble will make your vacation less stressful and less costly.

No matter how work to save money on your next vacation, planning a budget and adhering to it will let you enjoy your vacation more, and worry about the costs less.

Best Time to go to Disney World

Best Time to go to Disney World photoWhen deciding on the best time for you and your family to visit Disney World, the main issue is usually the crowds. When visiting any major theme park, you are going to experience large crowds; And since Disney World is the most popular theme park in the world, there is hardly a day at the park without large crowds. If you do your research, you can find certain times of the year, January and September for example, that are less busy at Disney World. Even though you may enjoy shorter lines during these times, there are downsides to going at these less busy times of the year. For one, Disney has more festivities planned during certain times of the year like Christmas and New Years. For many people, it is worth fighting the crowds to be at Disney World during these times of major festivities.

Crowds are not the only factor when deciding on the best time to visit Disney World. It is also a good idea to take the weather into account. Many people assume that any time of the year is perfect weather in Florida but that is definitely not the case. The summer time can bring extreme heat and severe thunderstorms to the Orlando area that can ruin your day at Disney World. The brief showers are usually a great time to go inside and take a break. Some of the best weather at Disney World comes in the evening with mild temperatures so make sure to rest up during the day so you’re ready to go out at night.

Other tips to keep in mind when planning a trip to Disney World:

- If you are ok with taking your kids out of school for a trip, do it! Any time other kids are at school is a great time to go to Disney World because you can expect smaller crowds and shorter lines

- Keep a close eye on park opening and closing times so you can take advantage of late nights and early starts

- Two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday is a great time to go to Disney World because the crowds are minimal and the Christmas decorations are already up.

So when is the best time to go to Disney World? When it’s called the happiest place on Earth, every day of the year is the best time to go.