Fred Harteis News Articles - Cut your summer travel costs

Fred Harteis News Articles - Is expensive gas causing you to rethink your summer vacation plans? Don't worry. Here are some Tips to cut your travel costs this summer.

1. Hold on to your wallets
We'll get the bad news over with now. Taking the family on vacay is going to cost you 5.4 percent more this year than it did last summer, according to the Automobile Association of America. On average, you can expect to spend an average of $261 per day for food and lodging.

2. Stay with monks
If you don't mind a curfew and a little peace and quiet, you can bunk at a monastery for as little as $18 to $35 a night, says Pauline Frommer of the Pauline Frommer Travel Guides. To get the lowdown on where to find these places, check out guidebooks that focus specifically on convent or monastic travel or ask about accommodations at the Vatican Tourist Information Bureau. Keep in mind that there may be gender restrictions and if you're traveling as a couple, you may have to get separate rooms.

3. Hone your discount radar
It's not only accommodations you may be able to bargain for. Before you leave for your trip, make sure you contact the local tourist board and tell them to just send you buckets of coupons. Generally these local tourist boards will have two-for-one movie tickets, tour passes or theatre and meal discounts.

4. Ditch your frequent flyer card
If you are holding frequent flyer reward cards...toss 'em. These cards generally have high annual fees and fees that could be $15 for simply redeeming your miles. There is also the possibility of blackout dates, possible seating restrictions, and there's just no guarantee how valuable these cards will be when demand is high and seats are limited on most airlines' according to Curtis Arnold of cardratings.com.

5. There are deals to be had
Don't let the prices scare you away. There are still opportunities out there for last minute travelers, says Terry Trippler of Cheapseats.com. "As airlines scrutinize markets, they may think they need more help filling up seats, and you'll see prices come down," he says.

Airlines change their prices three times every weekday and once a day on Saturday and Sunday. You'll likely see large clearance sales on cruises this summer. Cruises in the Caribbean aren't selling that well, according to Banas. So you'll likely see a lot of deals on those for the summer. Some helpful travel sites you may want to check out include site59.com, 11th hour.com and gotoday.com.

Source: Cnn.com

About Fred Harteis: Fred Harteis leads Harteis International. With a background in agriculture Fred Harteis has created many successful business ventures.