How to Have Cheap Vacations in Europe or Anywhere and Live to Brag About It - Part 2 of 3
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In Part 1 of this series we said that planning cheap vacations in Europe or anywhere else builds strength of character. Why? More work and more sacrifice as the price you pay for saving money. Like, that's life, donchya know.
We pointed out the basic facts that much depends on when you book your departure for which destination, how you structure all the components, and how to keep on saving money after you get to wherever you're going. And we started by offering some simple tips for booking strategies.
Now let's look briefly at how your choices of time of year and destination can affect your cost savings.
MONEY-SAVING TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR SEASON AND DESTINATION
Best that you consider these two factors together, because prices seesaw
up and down with the seasons for many vacation destinations, making this the
most money-saving consideration of them all. Some hints:
- "The Shoulder Season". Choosing this time could save you hundreds of dollars. While researching your destinations, find out when the peak and low seasons are. The time in between is the shoulder season. For example, Europe in the fall and the Caribbean during late spring.
- Europe in the Fall. Here's one of the best times for cheap vacations in Europe. You'll find more discount airfares and bargain package discounts for most major European destinations starting in October.
- Asia in the Winter. Asian weather is so variable during winter that you're likely to find lots of discount travel offers. Asian winters can find you basking in sunshine today and snowed in tomorrow. So if you don't mind carrying the wardrobe to match, this can be a good money-saving choice.
- Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe in the Spring. In Europe, the temperatures are still relatively low so you should find more springtime discount travel deals. In Mexico and the Caribbean, prices start coming down in mid April as temperatures begin to rise, but the water and air are still pleasant and the resorts are less crowded. For a Mexico vacation, especially look for Cancun discount vacations.
- And the Summer? This is when finding a good vacation deal gets tricky. But if you're extra-special lucky you just might somehow land yourself a cheap beach resort vacation in June or July.
TIPS ON CHEAP DISCOUNT VACATION PACKAGES
Some of the above tips also apply here, and you can sometimes save
even more than when building the package on your own. Last minute discount vacation
packages are easiest to find if you don't care where you're going.
Perhaps the cheapest form of bargain travel is the vacation package that's classified as "allocation on arrival". This means you'll be allocated accommodations when you arrive. Some deals give you a halfway option where you'll be told the resort, the type of hotel or the grade, but the final selection will be done when you arrive. This can really be fun if you love surprises!
That's it for Part 2 of our simple tips for vacations in Europe or anywhere else.
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