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Finding great travel deals is a skill, but it can be honed: if you know where to find a good deal, you can be patient and flexible, And if you use Federal 24 Hour Cancellation Policy to capture an urgent opportunity.
One unusual way to save money while traveling? There are websites that allow you to buy other people's non-refundable vacations, from airfare to hotels to cruises, that they want to get rid of. If this sounds intriguing, this could be a great way to save money, although you may not find Black Friday travel deals, as with technology products, people have to cancel or cancel travel plans year-round.
With that said, here are some of the best travel websites and tools you can use to make your next trip affordable.
I expect most people know this, but I need to start the list somewhere. For those who may not know, Google Flights has explore tool where you see a map of potential destinations from your local airport and their prices. This is great when you don't have a specific destination but want to get away and see where you could potentially go. You can browse the planet and find great deals that you would never have seen otherwise.
Quick tip: If you have a budget, use the filters in the top left corner to set it and see where you can afford to travel around the world.
Use Skyscanner to find the cheapest flights
Yes, Google Flights is more user friendly and has cool features, but if you mean business and are looking for cheapest flight options you can find, Skyscanner this is what you want to use. Here you will find flights that aren't even on Google Flights, and it even has research a tool similar to Google, where you simply enter your local airport, select “whole month” for the dates, and hit “search” to find all possible low-cost destinations for that month (I found a direct flight to Cancun from my home in Atlanta for $183).
You can also catch last-minute airfare deals and set alerts for cheap flights.
Buy used vacation packages from people who can't get a refund.
Imagine purchasing a full family vacation package months in advance, but like most people, foregoing travel insurance. You have a family emergency and you can no longer travel. What can you do? Sell your vacation online.
Websites such as Sparefare, Roomer, Plans Change and Transfer Travel allow you to buy other people's holidays that they can no longer take themselves. You can both save money and get these people out of a difficult situation. Here's a quick overview of your options:
TransferTravel
TransferTravel similar to the Facebook Marketplace of travel plans. You can find anything from cruises to flights, hotels, activities and more. This is the widest of all websites offering transferable travel products.
Reserve tariff
Reserve tariff focuses on air tickets or vouchers, hotel bookings and holiday packages. You will be contacted directly by the seller to receive their non-refundable reservations. SpareFare also helps you manage the process of changing the name of your airline ticket, which can be a little complicated if you do it yourself.
Rumer
If you want to find hotels at a good price, use Rumer. The website is focused on showing non-refundable bookings from people desperate to get as much money back as possible. You can find hotels from all over the world and filter them by number of guests, dates and location. You may not always find something available where you stay, but if you do, you'll be a happy camper.
What are your thoughts so far?
PlansChange
PlansChange just like Roomer, but smaller in volume and coverage. If you're looking for affordable accommodation, it can't hurt to check out both options.
Use SecretFlying to set up “wrong fare” alerts
Airlines sometimes make mistakes, and as a seasoned traveler, you should be prepared to take advantage of them when you can. SecretFlight is a travel deals website that works the same as many others, but it also has a special tool for finding cheap flights that exist due to mistakes airlines make. (For example, there was a tempting Round trip from Chicago to London for just $58. last month.) Bug fees add up quickly, and many of them may not suit you logistically, but if you ever snag one, you'll be bragging about it for years to come.
Use the Travel Arrow extension
If you're still only using Google Flights for your search, you may be missing out on some cheaper options. Travel Arrow is an extension that you can install on your browser that will cross-reference flight information on Google on Skyscanner, Kayak, Trip and Expedia (all major competitors to Google Flights). While it doesn't always work, it's a free tool that will more than pay for itself if you ever book a cheaper flight using it. Keep in mind that some flights may be cheaper because they have longer connections.
Use These Online Holiday Package Websites
Eat many websites that sell you travel packages including flights, hotels, food, tours and even transportation (railways, buses, taxis, etc.) for many cheaper than you would find if you tried to book each item separately. The catch is that these packages tend to be strict on dates, and their cancellation policies are often less lenient. But you'll be able to find amazing deals in places you might not otherwise be able to afford.
Gate1for example, has been around since the 80s—my mom and my dad used it to visit the Eight Wonders of the World on a budget for years. Their best suggestions come from them weekly specials (you can sign up for their email newsletter) and last minute offers where you can find multi-day tours with big discounts.
For example, you can take a 13-day trip to Thailand for $2,249, which includes all of this:
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Round-trip flights from Los Angeles to Bangkok or Bangkok to Los Angeles.
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Transfer from Chiang Mai to Bangkok
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11 nights in first class
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Hotel taxes, fees, service charges and porters
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18 meals a day: 11 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners.
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Sightseeing along the route in a modern, air-conditioned bus.
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Services of an English-speaking tour manager throughout the territory
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Entrance fees along the route
Here are a few other websites similar to Gate1 where you can find great deals on packages for your next trip:
