Lesser Known Ways to Save Money While Traveling

Unless you have a lot of disposable income, you probably look for ways to save money when you are traveling. There are many common ways to do this that people like to utilize. For example, people will often book their plane tickets at least one month in advance. This helps them to avoid paying the high fees that airlines charge for tickets that are bought at the last minute. Using public transportation is another popular way for people to save money during a trip. However, there are a wide variety of money saving techniques that the majority of people never think about. If you use these consistently, they can save you a significant amount of money. You can also save money on hotels in Barcelona by looking for online discounts. Here are some of the lesser known ways to save money while traveling.

1. Car rentals

While public transportation is the cheapest way to get around when you are traveling, some people prefer the freedom to go exactly where they want, when they want. Therefore, a rental car is ideal. If you plan on renting a car, there are a few things you will need to keep in mind in order to save yourself some cash. If you rent a car from one facility and drop it off at a different facility, this will usually cost you twice as much as it would cost to rent a car and return it to the same facility you rented it from. The cost is also very high to return the car in a different state or country than the one you rented it in. If you plan on going to two different cities, you would be better off renting a car in one city, returning it to the facility you rented it from, and then taking public transportation to the next city. When you arrive in the next city, you can rent another car. The money you will pay in public transportation between cities pales in comparison to the cost of returning a rental car to a different facility than the one you rented it from. 

2. Insurance coverage when you rent a car

Many people make the mistake of paying for the insurance that is offered by car rental companies. In many cases, these people are wasting their money. This is because there are certain credit cards and insurance providers that offer insurance whenever you rent a car. Before your trip, you will need to confirm if your particular insurance company or credit card offers this type of coverage. If they do, you need to remember to decline the insurance offered by the rental car company.

3. Car seats

In the old days, it was usually less expensive to bring your own car seat from home to use in your rental car, instead of paying a rental car company to provide you with one. However, airlines are now trying to nickel and dime you for everything. Because the cost of baggage has gone up, you might save money by simply renting a car seat. You should car your airline and the rental company you are going to use to determine which option is cheaper. Renting the car seat will also save you the trouble of lugging your car seat around while you are on vacation.

This post was provided by Fiona Moriarty of Hipmunk, a travel website that helps you to locate the best deals on transportation, accommodations, and more.