Traveling Tips

So many people have been asking lately how JD and I manage to save so much traveling. I thought I'd post our tips so that you can take advantage of what we've figured out and you can post your tips in the comments section.

One of the things I have to admit that is really helpful  for us is having Dad Santini working for travel and tourism with companies all over the US. Those connections are helpful and there are some things that we wouldn't have been able to do without them, however, most of our travel savings have come from all of JD's planning and research. It makes a huge difference. Planning ahead is the number one way we save.

Here's a list of websites we find helpful:

Tripadvisor- Plug in your destination and what you are wanting to research (things to do, hotels, restaurants, etc.). This site lists advice, tips, and ratings from people who have been there. You can also define your search by how much you are willing to spend. A lot of the reviews include tidbits such as where to park, where to find discounts, and what to order.

When we went on our road trip up the west coast, we went to the Getty Villa in San Diego. It was absolutely amazing and one of the highlights of our trip. We would have never known it existed without searching tripadvisor. 


Yahoo! Travel- This site also provides reviews.

Google- Google to find out the cheapest places to park, where and when the early bird specials are, which beaches are the least crowded, if there are other coupons or specials floating around the internet, maps of where things are so you can maximize your time (the worst is when you can't fit everything in because you didn't realize that it takes 2 hours to drive to one of the places you want to visit), etc. 


I will admit I was quite proud of myself when I discovered through google that certain rides at Disneyland are on a different line tracking system than others. We learned we could swipe our passes to save us a place in line at one ride, then run over to another that's on a different system and swipe our pass for that ride so that we spent very little time in line. 


The attraction's website- Make sure you know the days an attraction are open and hours. Some places have a wacky schedule. You don't want to show up at an attraction on a Wednesday only to find out that they are closed on Wednesdays.


Hotwire- You can search for great deals on hotels that are a little nicer- usually 3 to 4 stars. The catch is that they don't tell you which hotel it is until you purchase it. Somehow, it's necessary for them to do that so that they can give discounted prices. We use them for hotels that we plan on staying at for several days. 


For JD's birthday last year, I was able to find a local hotel that was 4 stars and beautiful for dirt cheap.


Expedia- If you are looking for a place to crash for a night as you are passing through, Expedia gives great deals on hotels that are 2-3 stars. With this site, they tell you the names of the hotels. Be sure you google the hotel to see that it's decent. We've stayed in some slightly scary places before. Don't even get me started on the hotel in LA..... 


Groupon, Buy With Me, Living Social, etc.- These are websites that provide coupons for various services, items, and restaurants. If they cover the city you are traveling to, you can search for coupons that you can use on your trip. Be sure you check to see the expiration date. 


When we went to LA for a wedding, we only ate only at places that we had coupons for. That cut our costs for food in half. And we discovered some really fun places to eat.

Citypass- We LOVE Citypass. You can purchase a citypass for a number of different cities. They charge you one discounted price to be able to go to a bunch of different attractions. You get to cut in front of lines and they also have coupons for places to eat. There is no way to possibly do everything offered with the citypass, but you save about 50% on the attractions.


Those are our tips- lots of planning- but JD loves doing that I love goin' for the ride!


Do you have travel tips to share?