Get Away, Without Going Broke

It's spring!  Well, at least it's spring everywhere but New England and Western states where it keeps snowing every other day.  Still, people are itching to get away on vacation. The hardest thing about it: not spending your entire life saving and rainy-day fund in the process. With a little research, it's definitely possible.
First of all, you can lessen the financial stress of flying. I'm sure you all know the Hotwire jingle from hearing it fifteen times a night, and luckily there are a lot of great sites like this that can help.  Hipmunk will let you search for flights & hotels, while comparing "agony" (layovers, etc) and price.  It also shows you if you can save by using Amtrak instead of flying.

JetBlue and South West always have specials like $70 one-way for select destinations. Nothing says amazing quite like $140 round-trip air fare!  However if you want to fly anywhere warm when there's snow on the ground, chances are you'll be paying more. Save even more by flying mid-week and avoiding typical vacation times.  Sorry spring break lovers!

For those of you looking to go to Europe, you can save big time on a place to stay. A restaurant owner in Boston (originally from France) told me that when he visits home, he finds an aparthotel.... which is basically a small apartment that uses hotel-style booking. Aparthotels will show you available apartments in a handfull of Europoean cities.  Example: a hotel in Paris starting at $56 a night.  You definitely can't go wrong there! 

Another tip I've received from savvy travelers is to eat like the locals or bring your own. If you're able to, bringing your own food/alcohol will save you hundreds. If not, ask people at your hotel where they eat when they're on a budget.  Odds are they won't send you to the overpriced touristy areas and you'll find some interesting places. If they can point you to a market that sells fresh foods, you can cook at your place and save even more.... not recommended for Mexico!

 Don't forget to use public transportation, too, once you're there. Taxis are outrageous, if you've ever been to NYC you already know. Trains and subways will take you much farther, for a fraction of the cost... not to mention it's quicker, no matter how many times your cabbie drives 45MPH over the speed limit.

*Tell what your best travelling tips are!

- Scrizzle