Nowadays, with the soaring cost of fuel,  it seems more and more difficult to travel on a budget. However there are a lot of things you can still do. Here are some suggestions:

Generally, the most expensive part of one's trip is lodging. You can call or write to the tourist bureau of the country, state or province you intend to visit and have them send you a guide of  recommended low cost hotels, motels or hostels to stay at. For example, you can find a lot of small hotels in Germany or France for under 40 euro. One site that I recommend for Europe is Venere.com.  Those small hotels or 'guest houses' as the locals call them, generally sleep up to 2 people. It is difficult to find budget size rooms in Europe that are as large as the hotels in North America.

Check out the list of Bed and Breakfasts in the town you intend to visit. B&B's are a great place to stay for those on a budget.

If travelling by air, the best people to ask for advice are the airline employees themselves. No one, even the super frequent flyer, travels more than an airline employee especially a flight attendant or a pilot. They know the ins and outs and can give you a lot of free advice on any destination. Travel agents are a good resource too.

Also when booking your airline reservation, consider taking an overnite flight. These flights are often less expensive. Also sometimes, certain days of the week are cheaper  such as Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Occassionally, airlines tend to overbook certain flights and ask for volunteers to switch to other flights later in the day. Compensation will be offered. If you are flexible, and can travel at another time, this can be a great payoff! If you get bumped from a flight, you can ask for free accommodation and food as well, if this happens while you are away from home and there is no other flight the same day. Airlines will generally cooperate with your demands since you are doing them a favor! 

I would also suggest signing up for any free frequent flyer or air miles reward program. This is a great way to earn points for free flights. You would be amazed on how fast the points accumulate. Some credit cards give you bonus points for just signing up which might even be equivalent to a free trip! In many cases, you can redeem these points for hotel stays and car rentals as well.

When buying an all inclusive package (air, hotel and sometimes food) the best places to check are: Your local newspaper, travel agent, airline. After checking those options, then check on the web. Go to the 'last minute deals' section on any site and see what's available.

Another way to save money when travelling is to travel off season. When headed to warm weather destinations, consider travelling in the month of November. The pre-Christmas season is a great time to travel and will save you lots of $$$$.

If you have the patience to sit through a vacation ownership presentation, this can earn you free rewards! Some companies, for example, like Ramada Plaza resorts, offer very reasonably priced vacations and include free side trips! This is not a scam. There is a lot of competition with different time share companies so they will sweeten the pot to get you interested. The great thing, though is that there are no strings attached.  I tried it once and it paid off. I was able to get free passes to Universal Studios as well as a free 3-day cruise and a side trp to Las Vegas! These companies will often wine and dine you and if you have a couple of hours to spend, you can reap the benefits!  Make sure that when you do attend the meeting, that you do not bring your kids since they might become a little restless.

If you are considering working in the travel industry, this of course will save you a lot of money as well. Whether you work for an airline company, hotel or travel related industry, there are many rewards in doing so such as reduced rate tickets, free or reduced rate hotel stays, discount on car rentals etc. 

Thank you for reading my guide. If you have found these tips to be informative or helpful, kindly click the "YES" button below. You are also invited to visit my ebay store by clicking here

My next guide will talk about travelling to my home town of Montreal, Canada