How to Travel on a Budget

Here's a good tip on how to save on your travel expenses.  Read on:


Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner and, chances are, many of you have already made travel plans. The question is, will your travels take you over budget?
Travel costs, if you don’t plan them out carefully, can quickly pile up. I’ve gotten into the habit of traveling only  if my company pays for it — or if I have a friend at my destination so that I don’t have to pay for lodging. I also obsessively build up frequent flier miles and use them when I can.
But there are many more ways to travel on a budget. Because taking vacations is essential for your mental well-being, I want to help you figure out how to do it without getting yourself into debt. And being in debt, I know from experience, is certainly not good for your mental well-being.

Airfare
Airfares are all over the map these days.
Because of the recession, airlines have been cutting back on flights in response to the drop in demand. But operating fewer flights means the airlines can charge more for the seats that are available.
There are plenty of websites that will help you find airfares at a discount. Some of my favorites are Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, Kayak, Sidestep, and Priceline. There are also websites such as Bing that try to predict what direction airfares will take. Check these websites often until you find a good deal. (Also, Google travel promotion or discount codes. Travelocity, for instance, sometimes has codes that you can use to get discounts.)
But don’t ignore the airline websites. Sometimes they have flights for even cheaper than you can get on the discount sites. That’s because they know many travelers are bypassing them for the Expedias of the world, and they are trying to win customers back. The airlines, too, occasionally offer promotion codes or last-minute deals to their frequent fliers. And don’t be afraid to bargain with them, either. A lot of airlines offer low-fare guarantees now. My friend Elham once found an American Airlines flight on Expedia for less than it cost on the airline’s website. She copied and pasted screenshots of Expedia’s page with the flight and price information and sent it to American’s low-fare guarantee department. She got a $100 promo code that she could then apply to her next purchase.
Keep in mind, though, that most airlines are now charging baggage fees. Only Southwest still lets you check in bags for free (JetBlue let’s you check in the first one for free). Spirit Airlines recently announced it would charge for carry-on bags. The lesson here is: If you want to save money, travel light.



more from here http://www.mint.com/blog/saving/travel-on-a-budget-05242010/