Thinking of skipping the family vacation this year because of a tight budget? Don’t. There are great travel deals to be had during this economic downturn.
“There are killer travel deals lurking on the Internet’s virtual back alleys,” says travel expert Elaine Lee, editor of online travel resource guide Ugogurl.com and author of Go Girl: The Black Woman’s Book of Travel and Adventure.
The Internet is exactly where Ruth Robinson, associate curator of the California African American Museum, turned when arranging a vacation to Las Vegas for her family. “I booked everything on the Internet. There were all kinds of Web-only deals,” she says.
According to Lee, if you know where to look, you can find affordable online deals. “Discount airfares, cruises and vacation packages are available at sites like Lastminutetravel.com, Travelzoo.com,” she says. Also, check out online travel newsletters to stay abreast of travel trends and upcoming promotions. “Free online independent weekly newsletters like Smartertravel.com and Budgettravel.com also feature cheap travel specials,” Lee says. “Sign up with Farecompare.com and get email notices of reduced fares to desired destinations.”
In addition to the online travel sites offering deals, many hotels and airlines have slashed prices. “It seems that everywhere is on sale,” says Margie Jordan, president of Jacksonville, FL-based Jordan Executive Travel. And due to a slowdown in business travel and conventions, hotels have cut room rates–even in usually expensive cities such as New York and San Francisco.
Cities are also offering special promotions in hopes of luring tourists. In fact, certain destinations are cheaper this summer, especially warm-weather locales such as Miami, Arizona, and the Caribbean.
“While not normally considered a family destination, Las Vegas is currently very inexpensive and the strip hotels are offering some fabulous weekday rates,” says Jordan. That’s one reason Robinson selected Vegas. “Just walking around Las Vegas is fascinating. There is much entertainment for free, from the real circus at the hotel Circus, Circus to the pirate battles at Treasure Island to Siegfried & Roy’s White Tiger Habitat, and the Fremont Street Experience. Also, there are many great buffets where I can feed three people for around $20,” says Robinson.
As far as the Caribbean, “destinations there are offering excellent deals; particularly luxury resorts,” says Trica Jean-Baptiste, founder of NY-based Trica Jean-Baptiste Communications, a public relations firm specializing in travel and tourism. “Dominican Republic has the best hotel and air deals [for summer travel].”
European Vacation Deals
Bargains can be found in Europe as well.  “A lot of people are surprised when I tell them Europe has great deals now,” notes Lazette Jones-Carswell, Georgia-based owner of King Davids Travel. “There are discounts for airfares and hotels all over Europe.” Lee agrees, “The dollar is actually stronger against the euro and Pound than it has been in years.” Meaning you’ll get more bang for your buck, especially in countries where the dollar is strong. Among such destinations consider: Argentina, Bali, Costa Rica, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, Vietnam, Japan, China, Thailand, South Africa.If you travel with a group you can really land a great deal. And don’t be afraid to bargain for any number of rooms you book. “Call the hotels directly and ask for ‘Best Available Rate’ or BAR,” says Jean-Baptiste. If you want to book online, “Go directly to property sites as opposed to Expedia, Hotels.com, etc. for package deals. Another great option is DealBase.com, where hotels directly post their best available offers and the site calculates a cost-savings percentage.”
There are other ways to cut costs with your hotel selection. “When traveling with family stay at hotels where kids stay free and/or include breakfast,” Jordan says. “Consider
staying in a hotel that offers a kitchenette giving you the option of cooking instead of eating out every night. If your hotel room doesn’t have a kitchenette, ask for a small refrigerator in your room.”There’s even a way get free accommodations. Do a home swap instead of staying in a hotel. With home swaps, you literally swap homes with another traveler based in your desired destination. You can find homes within the U.S. and internationally. In most cases you will have to join a home exchange organization (for a fee averaging about $100 annually) to receive a listing of available homes and to have your own home listed.
Before swapping, do some research. “Work with a reputable firm. Understand what risks are involved and who is responsible for missing or broken items. Ask for references from families who have used the company,” Jordan says. Among the most popular home swapping organizations are: CHECtravel, INTERVac, HomeLink, and Homeaway.com. Also consider a hospitality exchange in which someone hosts you in their home, and in return, you host them in yours later.
“These exchanges are usually free. For small fees ($25-$100) you can join networks to locate prospective swappers. Other networks like Couchsurfing.com are
free of charge,” says Lee. According to her, you can even trade your talent for a free vacation. “There are agencies, such as Toseawithz.com, that book lecturers and presenters for cruise lines,” she explains. “You can also contact the cruise line directly and offer your services in exchange for a free trip.”Summer on the Sea
Speaking of cruises, this summer many lines charging up to 40 percent less this year than last. Visit websites such as Cruisecritic.com, Cruisemaven.com or Cruise.com for deals. “For an unconventional boating vacation, consider working as a crew member on a yacht in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Mexico and other exotic locales. Or take a cargo/freight ship to your destination,” says Lee. Check out Crewseekers.net and Freighterworld.com.
When arranging your trip, consider traveling during the slow seasons–spring and fall. Or during the summer, August offers the most deals. When booking online, says Lee, “the best times to shop online for travel bargains are midweek days after midnight.”
Even with a tight budget, you can still have a great vacation. “Many don’t believe they can afford to take a vacation this year,” says Jones-Carswell. “But with planning and putting yourself on a budget, you can get away.”