Budget Travel?

[Anonymous]

Please share your tips and websites for budget travel. I've just booked a trip to Florida for thanksgiving through expedia for 1800 (for 2 people), this includes 4 nights for two people and the flight. I tried to find something cheaper, but did not manage. Really appreciate your tips, as my gut is telling me, I should be spending much less on 4 nights, but I may be wrong.

Is expedia a good place to get deals or are there better websites?

Do you usually book the hotel and the flight separately, or do you book them as a package?

[Anonymous]

I will look on Expedia to get an idea of what's available, but I typically book directly with the airline and/or hotel. Expedia charges a fee (albeit a small one) for airline tickets and I've found that I can get better hotel deals by calling the hotel directly.

[Anonymous]

Yes, book your air though the airlines site. That gives you a lot more flexibility if you have to cancel or change. You can try bidding on Priceline to get your hotel for less.

[Anonymous]

I think you can typically find better deals if you make your own package by researching and booking things individually.

[Anonymous]

Check out www.traveldealoftheday.com

[Anonymous]

I also like smartertravel.com to get an idea of which airlines service particular airports and flight schedules - then it's easier to go direct to the airline. Also smartertravel.com has alot of deals if you follow them regularly.

http://www.smartertravel.com/airfare/schedules/

[Anonymous]

www.travelzoo.com

[Anonymous]

Have you tried priceline or hotwire?

Also, did you also try expedia's competitor sites like travelocity and orbitz and see if you could get it cheaper? And check out booking the same exact itinerary on your own and see if you can get it cheaper or if expedia is really the best deal.

[Anonymous]

Don't forget to clear your cookies. They tend to show you one price when you first check. Then when you come back after checking another site the price tends to go up a little to make you feel like if you don't book now, the price will keep going up. If you clear your cookies, the prices should come back down.