Tips for Saving Money on your Orlando Vacation

Tips for Saving Money on your Orlando Vacation

by Jamie Jefferson

Orlando is one of the most popular vacation destinations, and travel agents know it. Between the costs for flights, hotel stays and entertainment money, you could be looking at one very expensive trip.
Fortunately, there are a lot of ways that you can save money on your Orlando vacation and still take part in all of the unique and wonderful experiences that this location has to offer.

The first step to saving money on your trip is having a budget to work with. In your budget, you'll need to account for food, airfare, hotel expenses, activities (such as one or several of the nearby theme parks) and local transportation (car rentals, shuttles, etc).

Start doing research ahead of time so you can get estimates on what all of these different factors are going to cost you. It's much better to figure out what it will possibly cost you than to be surprised when you arrive. Knowing the average price will also help you evaluate whether package deals from travel agents are really the deal that they pretend to be.

Try to plan your trip for the "off season" to lock in a better rate for your accommodations and airfare. The major travel seasons are during Spring Break, during Memorial Day, over the 4th of July holiday and pretty much any time during the summer. It's understandable, since Florida has some nice waterparks and great warm weather. But the Orlando area is beautiful any time of year. If you want to save money on all elements of your trip, plan for a different time of year.

You can save money on your airfare to Orlando through a few different methods. First, if you have a credit card with bonus points or airfare mileage, make sure to take advantage of these discounts. You'll want to call your credit card company so you can find out exactly how you can use your bonus points or miles. You want to make sure there aren't any block out dates or any other restrictions before you use book your trip.

You can also save on airfare by booking far in advance. Your flight to Orlando can be tens if not hundreds of dollars less if you book far enough in advance. This is why it's important to plan early and get those travel dates nailed down quickly. You can save money on local travel by planning carefully. If you're able to stay in a hotel or motel that is within walking distance to major attractions, you won't have to spend money on a rental car. There are shuttle services as well that can help you out if you are a bit further than walking distance.

Finally, using coupons is one of the easiest and quickest ways to save money while you are traveling in Orlando. When you arrive, you'll no doubt get coupons at the car rental place, at the airport and in your hotel. You may have free meals for your children, a free drink or a free tour of some kind. Orlando area merchants want people to continue to come back, so they offer some great discounts.

You will also want to check the major travel sites for coupon codes or promotions. When you book flights and hotels together, you can often save. And some online travel sites will occasionally discount Orlando trips still further during specific times of the year. Do an online search for a coupon code before you book to make sure you get the best deal available.