A few cost saving travel tips

We've had a few people ask us how they can save some money when they're planning their summer vacations. Like a lot of people, the company car is an SUV, so we feel the pain when we fill it up and it makes us think differently about driving all around town. So when it comes to getting away from the hectic daily routine, is the ridiculous cost of gas going to change the way people vacation? Honestly - it probably will - for now. We think it's about vacationing smarter and getting the most value out of your hard earned dollar - you deserve that vacation! Some ideas that come to mind for cutting your travel costs:

• Vacation closer to home - the savings of time and hassles, not to mention not having an expensive airline ticket is a big factor in the overall travel expense.
• Find airline deals - they're out there - it just takes time to find them. One site that we like is http://www.farecast.com/ You can check to see when the rates are competitive and the likelihood of them going up and down in the future. It is interesting to see a quick aggregate of the fares and the predictions - it's saved us some money when we book flights at the right time.
• Delete cookies on your browser -Say you go online and purchase an airline ticket from Seattle to Kauai. The next time you visit that site, you could be quoted a higher rate than what's actually available because of your spending history. Tricky isn't it? :)
• Travel in the off-season - we're biased but we think all of our properties are great year round
• Plan ahead - you know what they say about the early bird...in this case the bird gets the best deals
• Clubs - the Entertainment book http://www.entertainment.com has some great rental car coupons that save a good amount of money -easily paying for the $30 book and then some on your first booking. AAA has great discounts for events and attractions. www.aaa.com
• Gas saver - plan your route and make sure to include the best gas price locations utilizing a site such as www.gasbuddy.com
• Consider alternate transportation - take a train to your destination -when was the last time you did that? That's an adventure in itself.
• Ask your friends to join you - half the cost but twice the fun

If you have any ideas, we'd love to hear about the ways you're maximizing your travel budget and enjoying all your vacation has to offer.