How to Find the Cheapest Travel With Flexible Dates
Those with flexible jobs or those who work from the Internet will find that they can get better deals on vacations because they can choose to travel during the off season and can take advantage of last-minute deals. Many hotels, cruise lines and airlines will offer extreme discounts when they are trying to fill seats and rooms before a flight or ship leaves. It may be difficult to make last-minute plans for those that are used to planning vacations many months in advance, but the money saved might be enough to entice you to look for last-minute deals.
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Instructions
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Take the calendar and decide which dates you can afford to be flexible. Depending on your schedule and your lifestyle you may be able to be flexible all year round. Most likely however, if you work from home you will be able to be flexible most days out of the year but you may have some dates where you have to be somewhere. These may include weddings, special family events or work conferences. Take a pencil and black out the dates in which you are not available.
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Determine where you are interested in visiting. Decide if you would like to take a vacation somewhere where you can read, relax and get a tan. If you are that type of traveler you should consider the Caribbean or beaches in the United States. If you are more adventurous and like to hike you may want to consider South America and the rainforest. If you are interested in history or art history, you may want to visit European capitals such as Rome or Paris.
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Go to several travel websites and sign up for their emails. Most airlines will drastically drop their rates if a plane is not full and will send out emails through travel services to clients who have expressed an interest in that destination. Some of these websites include Travelzoo and Last Minute Travel. Many airline websites and online travel companies also have web pages devoted to last-minute deals. Most online travel agencies will allow you to search their site with flexible dates.
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Contact a local travel agent and tell them you have flexible dates, where you would like to travel and how much you would like to spend. Ask them to alert you when the price drops to your limit. They will also be able to give you advice on where to stay and how to save money while you are at your destination.
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Once you have found a deal, shop around to determine if it can be found more cheaply anywhere else. If one online outlet has dropped their prices it is likely that others will drop their price.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep your bags packed. Many last-minute deals, especially those on airline websites, can be purchased up to three hours before departure. For this reason, keep a bag packed in your closet or keep a list of items you will need to pack so you can be out the door quickly.
For international travel, ensure that your passport is valid.
Remember to consider shipboard credit when deciding to take a cruise. One outlet might offer a slightly more expensive ticket than another, but will include more shipboard credit than the other cruise.
Many international destinations require a travel visa that may be difficult to get last minute. Before you choose a destination, determine if a travel visa is required and the steps to receiving one.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit calendar and pen image by Dariusz Urbanczyk from Fotolia.com
