FrugalMonkey Discount Travel News

Category: Travel Deals

  • Travel Deals Into Alaska

    Planning the perfect summer trip? Or perhaps you’re investigating your family’s next winter wonderland vacation?


    Alaska is one of the most breathtaking displays of nature and wilderness available in the United States. Each summer and winter tourists flock to Alaska’s many cities and rugged outback trails for romantic getaways, adventure vacations, cruises, road trips and site seeing. Whether you want to travel in the summer, enjoying the warmer days, camping and the outdoors, or if you want to ski the Alaskan mountains and snowshoeing during a winter adventure, Alaska is as good as it gets. Check out these flight deals from the west coast into Alaska brought to you by FrugalMonkey!

    Anchorage
    Looking for flights into Anchorage? If you want to enjoy a vacation in the Land of The Midnight Sun, check out these incredible deals. Right now you can fly round trip out of Seattle from $510 including tax. Check out the travel auction sites, rent a car as a package deal and check out some of Alaska’s other gorgeous cities.

    Ketchikan
    If you have a pallet for salmon, you’re going to love eating fish in Ketchikan. Each summer tourists pour into this fishy hub for excellent food and some incredible sight seeing. Right now you can get flights from $435 when you book on Hotwire.

    Juneau
    If you are interested in visiting the state capital and seeing the surrounding glaciers, flights start at just $512 with Hotwire.

    Fairbanks
    For a look at the center of Alaska’s rustic charm and laid back nature, you’re going to love a trip into Fairbanks. For you summer vacationers, keep your eye on the sky; Fairbanks is known for gorgeous displays of the Aurora Borealis which can be seen a reported 200 days out of the year. Flights into Fairbanks can be found for $695 with Orbitz.

  • Fly As Cheap As $37 With American Airlines

    American Airlines is slashing prices in a nationwide promotion that means you could be booking domestic flights for as little as $37. With so much pressure on the airlines to fill seats, prices are being cut dramatically. Therefore, if you have the desire to do some domestic traveling, you can be on your way for practically pennies. The discounts do have some stipulations. You have to book your flights before their blackout date in March and you have complete your travel before May 20, 2009. Yet, if you have some relatives to visit, a spring break vacation to enjoy or simply want a getaway, now is the time to do so. You can also find cheap hotel prices through American Airlines and through various online travel auction websites. With the number of people flying at an all time low, hotels have to lower their prices as well. Book your travel plans now and fly at extraordinarily low costs.


  • Book Lodging With FrugalMonkey

    Finding cheap accommodations can mean the difference between a big budget vacation and a more affordable one. With FrugalMonkey’s section on how to book discount accommodations you can learn how to save hundreds of dollars each night on hotels. By taking advantage of travel auction sites you will be able to spend the right amount of money for your vacation budget. Most people use these sites for flights only, but they commonly offer discount packages, entire vacation packages and cheap accommodations as well. By looking through travel auction sites you will be able to access and see which hotels are offering discounts in addition to which packages are best for you. Bid and potentially save! Saving money on accommodations means saving money in one of the largest expenditures for vacations. Check out our section on lodging now!


  • Travel Cheap With Rail Passes

    When most travelers hear the word Rail Pass, they think of the Euro Rail. The Euro Rail is one of the most popular travel discount strategies when backpacking Europe. It allows travelers to purchase trip packages so that travel is possible between many countries, without having to buy individual tickets. Buying a Euro Rail pass remains one of the most popular tools for cheap travel when you’re visiting and traveling within Europe.


    What most people don’t know is, is that there are rail passes available for other countries that can help backpackers travel cheaply all over the world as well.

    Amtrak is the most popular series of railroads and buses in the United States. It provides travelers with unlimited travel for thirty days when a pass is purchased. Traveling to Alaska is possible via the Alaskan Railroad, although this trip is not typically included in a normal Amtrak pass. If you’re vacationing in Japan, you can buy rail passes for a 7, 14 or 21 days depending on your vacation plans. Vacationers can access almost every popularly traveled part of Japan through this intricate and well-traveled railway system. There are even Australia rail passes for travelers, to help them commute within the country more affordably. Since Australia is so large and the cities so far apart Rail Australia most commonly provides access to only western Australia cities.

    Purchasing a rail pass is a great way to save on transportation costs. You avoid the expenses of renting a car and the large expense of trying to purchase flights to travel longer distances. Most people enjoy traveling by bus or via the railway system. You are able to watch the countryside turn over, relax and enjoy your vacation knowing that you have saved money by traveling in such an efficient and user-friendly way. The next time you’re taking a vacation, think about traveling using a rail pass to save money.

  • Airlines Slashing Prices

    With luxury travel and airlines struggling through economic times, say goodbye to those high airfares. While the history of travel seemed to moving more toward more expensive prices, airlines have been forced to slash airfares in order to fill domestic and even international flights. Now, if you want to travel to Hawaii, vacation in Alaska, take the family to Mexico or go skiing in Colorado you can find the airfare to do so affordably. Airlines hadn’t been expecting to cut prices in 2009 especially since oil prices were rising and travel continued to be a luxury people wanted to spend money on. However, with the recent economic crash and cheap oil prices, airlines have been cutting prices dramatically in order to fill flights. What does this mean for travelers? It means cheap flights to amazing destinations. Book now and enjoy!


  • Make The Most of Your European Vacation

    Get the most out of your European Vacation by utilizing these FrugalMonkey Travel Tips.

    With budget travel being so reasonable, people are finding deal after deal that will allow them to fly overseas and enjoy a European vacation. In addition to this, travelers are enjoying better exchange rates against the dollar then there has been in recent years, adding to the affordability of European travel.


    FrugalMonkey wants to offer these tips to European travelers to assist you in saving on airfare and overall vacation costs during your trip.

    Travel To Europe During the Off Season     – By traveling on the cusp of high season travel to Europe, you can save hundreds on hotels and flight prices. High season for sunny locations tends to be in the summer and areas of Europe that are known as winter wonderlands will be more expensive during the winter months. If you can book your flight and hotel during the off-season hotels, flights and activity prices will be cheaper. If you still want to enjoy high season perks, try traveling on the cusp of off-season dates. In doing so you can often find amazing travel deals and off-season prices while still experiencing some of the better weather during your European vacation. By picking the right date, you will save on travel costs. Think off-season!

    Utilizing Travel Auction Sites – Sure you know all about Travelocity, Kayak and Orbitz but think globally and try booking flights with some of the European travel auction outfitters. For example, Ryanair.com provides extraordinarily cheap airline prices in and around Europe in addition to providing rental car deals, hotel packages and vacation discounts. USA Today recently published an article about a traveler who was able to fly from Rome to Paris cheaper then taking a similar train route by simply taking advantage of European travel auction sites. In order to take advantage of the savings check out Ryanair.com, Euroflights.com, Brussels Air, Easy Jet, Sky Europe, Easy Jet and SmarterTravel.com. Asia.com provides flight discounts into Asia and check out Air Baltic for excellent deals into Eastern Europe. Travelocity is also widely used throughout Europe and can be a great way to book your initial flight overseas and then subsequent flights throughout the continent once you are there. Travel auction sites continue to be a great way to find discounts.

    Get Outside The Tourist Trap     – The most expensive way to travel is by following every sight and sound listed in the guidebooks.


    Touristy locations are likely to have the most expensive prices and be the activities that will cost you the most on your vacation. Look around or ask a friend who has traveled previously some of the less touristy places to visit in the European city you are visiting. Cheaper food and cheaper stay could save you a lot of money over the course of a longer vacation.

    Plan Ahead     – By planning ahead, booking flights ahead of time, booking hotels and hostels ahead of time you will ultimately save money due to avoiding last minute expenses. It will also give you the luxury of shopping around to find the best rental car discounts, the cheapest hotel stays and the best flight schedules. Thinking ahead, and booking your vacation early will allow you to enjoy better discounts and ultimately a better vacation.

    By utilizing FrugalMonkey travel tips such as these you will save money and enjoy a better European vacation!

  • How To Find Car Rental Deals

    When you’re vacationing its common to need a rental car. Taking taxis gets too expensive, buses aren’t convenient enough and flying isn’t practical for shorter distances. The only problem is that car rental costs can go through the roof – especially for longer vacations.


    FrugalMonkey explains just how to find car rental deals and vacation on a lower budget without skimping on the things you really need.

    Finding car rental deals doesn’t have to be tricky. The first thing you should do is check the online travel consolidator sites like Hotwire, Orbitz and Travelocity. Most people think these venues are only good for finding cheap airfare. The truth is though, these websites provide more than just budget airfare. Car rentals, hotel searches and vacation packages can also be found on these sites making them a great place to find savings for your vacation. These websites will find you great deals on car rental prices so you can enjoy your vacation and not have to worry about travel costs getting out of hand.

    This isn’t the only place to look for car rental discounts however. There are other sites that will help you find discount codes for car rentals that aren’t travel auction sites. Retailmenot.com is one such site that searches the Internet for discount codes from certain vendors and Internet sites and then helps you book using that code. Online rebates always exist, whether it be for a free upgrade, 10% off the total price of your rental car, discounts on weekend rentals and more. There is no reason to pay full price for a car rental when there are so many amazing deals out there. Be sure to remember to check out consolidator sites and for online coupons and discount codes before reserving your car. It could save you hundreds of dollars on your next vacation!

  • Cruise Into The Caribbean With These Amazing Deals

    Right now you can get amazing deals on Caribbean cruises with Norwegian Cruise Lines. Sailing the Caribbean is the kind of thing people dream about doing their entire lives. Some reserve vacations of this sort for honeymoons or romantic getaways. But with prices as low as $219 for Caribbean cruises from Norwegian Cruise Lines, this dream vacation can be a reality. In order to fill up cruise dates, this cruise liner is offering extremely cheap prices for week long cruises in the Caribbean in order to meet capacity. The closer to the cruise date you can book, the cheaper you’ll find the price. Book now and enjoy your Caribbean sunsets.


  • Budget Travel Destinations Worldwide

    In today’s economy travel is a luxury many people cut back on. But really, you don’t have to! FrugalMonkey offers travel deals and advice that allows vacationers and backpackers to travel without having to worry over money issues.


    By picking cheap or discounted airfares, finding reasonable hotels and hostels and by planning your vacation the right way, you don’t have to miss out on the perfect vacation. Instead, you can be living it!

    Europe has been a popular travel destination for years. Backpackers and luxury travelers alike have been bouncing in and out of Europe to see its multitude of cultures, vast landscapes and to experience life in some of the most beautiful and interesting countries in the world. Lately however, travel in Europe has lulled as a result largely due to issues in the economy. Travel companies and airlines however, are now offering very reasonable flights from the U.S. to Europe during the winter months – a great time to indulge in some traveling. Many of these deals are featured in newspapers, an excellent place to look for budget travel deals and discount vacation packages. While a large deterrent in traveling to Europe continues to be the dollar’s value against the euro you can easily cut down on travel expenses by purchasing a EuroRail Pass. These passes, which come in a variety of availabilities, allow travelers to move easily between Europe’s many beautiful countries. It is perhaps the most economical way to travel in Europe and will save you potentially thousands in rental car fees and flights.

    Thailand is another very popular tourist location and is steadily increasing in popularity. The beauty of the country and the exoticness of the people and landscape are hard to pass up. However, in light of recent airport closures and political issues in the region, it is losing its allure to these travel annoyances.


    These issues taking place in Thailand are very concentrated in only a few specific areas and can easily be avoided by planning trips that avoid these travel ‘hot spots.’ However, while these travel pitfalls and fears are very easy to avoid it has slowed tourism to Thailand, a country where the economy relies heavily on the money and attention foreigners who travel bring to the area. As such there are some excellent travel deals emerging from Thailand where airfare and hotels can be found at practically a steal! While travelers need to always keep in mind the possibility of airport closures and other travel annoyances, there is a serious silver lining to be taken advantage of as a result. Put frankly, there are plenty of open airports in Thailand as well as surrounding areas and this region is a world traveler’s must see. Take advantage of these deals now!

    Aside from going overseas travelers look at the many beautiful places that can be found on U.S. soils as well. Hawaii is one particularly popular travel location that is a favorite among U.S. citizens and world travelers alike. Not only known for its pristine beaches and beautiful locale the Hawaiian Islands, until recently, have been known for being a rather expensive vacation spot; hardly a haven for the budget traveler. However, with its recent slow in tourism hotels in Hawaii are now offering hotel-packages way below normal prices! This practically never happens and is the perfect time to see a place budget travelers would otherwise not be able to afford. FrugalMonkey has an entire section dedicated specifically to travel in Hawaii; an excellent place to learn more about travel and savings in this beautiful and famous travel friendly location.

    Check back each week for more travel and budget friendly advice from FrugalMonkey!

  • Booking Apartments Instead Of Hotels During Your Vacation

    Traveling internationally tends to lend itself to trips longer than just a few days. After all, you aren’t going to travel thousands of miles to the Australian outback or the South African coast and only stay three or four days.


    Simply put, international hotels tend to be longer than just one week. An unfortunate side effect to this however, is that you have to pay more for lodging. On top of that, hotel stays at nice resorts can end up being one of the largest travel expenses during your vacation.

    There is however, a way to avoid expensive hotel stays on your international travel vacation. Try renting an apartment during your stay! For stays longer than a week, renting an apartment has a large number of advantages to staying in expensive hotels. The first is that you ultimately save money on lodging. Hotel stays can really add up, but for longer stays you can save hundreds of dollars if you rent an apartment for a few weeks instead. Additionally, you can enjoy the liberty of cooking in your own kitchen, sitting in your own space and typically apartment renters enjoy a less touristy view of the place you are visiting. A characteristic many people view as advantageous. This is especially true for those who visit the same place time and time again.

    So, consider renting an apartment in Buenos Aires, while you’re staying in Greece or in any major city. The practice is gaining in popularity and is generally viewed as a great way to save. It’s also a great option for families who travel together. One and two bedroom apartments will rent for significantly less then a family who needs to rent hotel stay for a few weeks. It’s simply a better way to get more for your money while you travel!