Traveling has a long tradition and our societal wanderlust gives us an opportunity to revitalize ourselves by experiencing the world. Unfortunately, the cost of traveling is up and it appears it will continue an upward trend.

So, is the increase in travel expenses just a temporary event or permanent? Well, the future appears to be a mixed bag. Fuel prices probably are never going to drop much. The dollar, hopefully, will rebound at some point and that will definitely help.

So, are there any ways we can deal with the increased cost of traveling? There are always little things you can do and, in this case, some big ones as well. The key in many cases is to think beyond the normal travel strategies.

If you travel abroad, you already know what you biggest expense is. Flying from here to there takes a lot of fuel and airlines are under a lot of pressure. Flights are going to become more expensive, so we need strategies to deal with them.

Not all flights are created the same price wise. The first factor is the time of year you are flying. To save a boat load of money, try flying during the off season for the location. You’ll save money on the flight, lodgings and basically everything.

Ah, but what if you just have to go during the high season? Are there any options. One is to fly something called a charter flight. These are part time airlines that operate during high seasons. They are no frills flights, but pretty cheap.

What if you are really looking for a cheap flight? The only real answer is to fly air courier. Yes, these really exist. Flights are rarely free, but they can be had for $100 or so. Look up the Air Courier Association for more information.

After flying, putting your head on a pillow is usually the second biggest cost you will face. You pay for a luxury hotel. To save some serious cash, try a hostel or dorm. You can usually save five to 10 times the money you would spend at the hotel.

Another great way to save money on accommodations is to hit the train station. Most have a booth where locals rent out a room in their house to you. This can also be a good way to meet the locals and get a taste for the real life in the area.

While it is true that the expense of traveling is going up and probably will continue to, the avid traveler should not be put off. Get creative and you can save some serious money. You might just find you also have a better time of it.

Tags: Travel

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 at 5:20 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.