10 Tips to Save on Travel This Holiday Season

Whether you’re traveling near or far, check out these 10 smart tips to save on travel this holiday season.

With the holiday season around the corner, there are dozens of expenses that put a strain on our finances. And, for many families, traveling to see loved ones is one of the biggest expenses at this time of year.

Whether you’re traveling across the state, across the country, or around the world, here are 10 of our best tips to save some money on holiday travel.

10 Tips to Save on Travel This Holiday Season

1. Set alerts

Depending on how long you wait, it may be too late to get a really great deal on airfare, but you can always try.

Sites like Kayak let you put in your departure and arrival cities, and send you a daily alert on the prices. Buy when you see a great deal!

You can also check out our flight hack for another way to find great prices on airlines tickets.

2. Rent a car

This might seem counterintuitive, but it can sometimes be a cost-saving measure to rent a car versus driving your own.

It saves wear and tear on your vehicle, and if you’re driving a long distance and unsure how reliable your vehicle is, it could save you headaches should it break down.

3. Hotel promotions

If you have family or friends in your destination city, have them watch for local hotel promotions on rooms. A discount certificate (think Groupon, etc.) can lead to big savings!

4. Consider an apartment or house rental

Sites like VRBO and Airbnb can have great deals. Many families travel and have vacant homes they rent out in their absence. Take advantage! 

Our family does this often, and it’s normally not only less expensive than a hotel, but more comfortable, giving our family more room to “spread out.” You also save since you can cook your own meals instead of eating out for every meal.

5. Travel on the actual holiday

If you can travel on the actual day of the holiday you can save huge money on transportation.

Flights and train fares are often dramatically lower on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day, for example.

6. Ask for help

If you would rather see your family than receive a gift, why not ask for assistance with travel costs in lieu of a gift?

7. Combo parking and hotel packages

If you’re driving to the airport, look for hotel deals that provide parking, a hotel stay, and transportation to the airport. You can save a lot of money on parking fees this way!

8. Look for discounts

You may have discounts waiting that you don’t even know about.

Many employers have arrangements with travel companies to give discounts, as do credit card companies. Even your Costco card might open up a world of discounts you didn’t know existed! 

9. Be flexible

The more flexible you can be when it comes to the timing of flights, travel, and booking, the more options you’ll have at a lower price. Also, if you can arrive or depart from a nearby city, it can save you money as well.

And, don’t rule out smaller airports when flying, as sometimes it’s cheaper to fly into smaller destinations than larger hubs. I have often found great prices flying out of smaller airports, and they are so much quicker and easier to get in and out of when it comes to security and crowds.

10. Ship your gifts ahead

If you’re flying, or even taking a train, you won’t want to haul loads of luggage stuffed with gifts — or pay for it! Instead ship things ahead to your destination.

You can even purchase everything at one time on a site like Amazon, use Prime shipping, and have everything already there when you arrive.

You may want to call ahead to check with the hotel if you’re planning to go this route to ensure they’ll hold your packages.

Do you have any other tips to save on travel this holiday season? Share them in the comments section below.

For more travel bargains anytime, you can also visit MomsWhoSave’s travel deals page.