| Cheap travel means you get to go more often, go | | | | even rent a condo or apartment? We did this a few |
| on longer trips or just save some of your money for | | | | years back in Tucson, Arizona. It was nice to escape |
| other things. Fortunately, it doesn't mean low-quality | | | | winter for a couple months, and it was fun to |
| travel. If you find a way to get a cheaper plane | | | | explore and get to know a new city. Often you can |
| ticket, for example, you might be flying on the same | | | | save hundreds of dollars this way, versus paying by |
| plane as with the more expensive tickets. | | | | the night for hotel rooms. |
| Of course sometimes you can save money by | | | | 3. Be an opportunistic traveler. |
| traveling differently, and that's okay too. Why pay an | | | | This is the most valuable of these cheap travel tips. |
| extra $40 for a hotel if you like the idea of staying in | | | | There are so many things to do out there and so |
| a hostel with visitors from around the world? Why | | | | many places to see, so why get stuck on just the |
| rent a car in countries where good bus and train | | | | ones you have already thought of? With a little luck, |
| systems make for cheaper and more interesting | | | | you might find a more interesting place to go for half |
| trips? | | | | the price. With little shopping, you might find a bed |
| Essentially you can travel cheap in two ways. First, | | | | and breakfast in whatever country you visit, and pay |
| you can find cheaper ways to get the same thing. | | | | less for a more interesting experience. |
| The other, perhaps more powerful way, is to alter | | | | First look for all the possible alternatives that are less |
| your expectations and plans to create a more | | | | expensive. This isn't about doing something you don't |
| interesting trip that is also inexpensive. The tips that | | | | want to do. But among those cheaper choices there |
| follow will help you do both. | | | | might be a perfect trip for you. Why not find out? |
| 1. See if you can book two flights cheaper than one. | | | | To start with, do any of your friends live in |
| My wife and I are thinking about going to Ecuador | | | | interesting places? Visiting friends is a great way to |
| this year (2007). Checking for our approximate dates, | | | | save on travel costs and have a load of fun (with |
| I found that it would cost $950 each round trip from | | | | the right friends). |
| Colorado Springs, or $1,900 total. Then I checked | | | | Here's a good example of being an opportunist. We |
| from Colorado Springs to Miami. It would be $215 | | | | were in the mountain resort town of Banos, Ecuador, |
| round trip. From Miami to Guayaquil, Ecuador costs | | | | and asked about the cost of taxi ride to some |
| $350 round trip. That makes it just $565 to Ecuador, | | | | waterfall. It was $15. It was apparently a popular |
| or $1,130 total - a savings of $770. | | | | attraction with tourists. We kept that in mind as we |
| Of course, if you are going to do this, you have to | | | | wandered around. Then we saw a chiva (an |
| find flights that have enough time in-between them. | | | | open-sided bus with seating on the roof) go by |
| You probably won't get e refund if you miss the | | | | playing music. We asked about that. |
| second flight because of a delay on the first. In our | | | | The chiva took us on a tour of the city (I rode on |
| case, we have friends near Miami, so we'll just | | | | the roof), then up into the mountains for a view of |
| arrange the flights to be a day or two apart, and go | | | | the city from above. Then we watched the volcano |
| visiting. Even after the cost of renting a car for a | | | | Tungurahua erupt and spit out a bit of lava. They |
| couple days we'll still be hundreds of dollars ahead. | | | | served us hot rum drinks (included in the price), and |
| 2. Live in a new place for a while. | | | | there were fire-juggling entertainers. Passengers had |
| One way to make a vacation less rushed, cheaper, | | | | to push the chiva to get it started for the trip back |
| and in many ways more interesting, is to stop going | | | | to town. The cost of all this? $3 each. Cheap travel |
| from hotel to hotel. Why not stay in a place, and | | | | does not mean uninteresting travel. |