Summer is here!
For those of you with children, that means summer vacation, and summer vacation is usually the easiest time for a family trip. The weather is great, the kids don’t have school to worry about, and everyone is ready for some summer fun.
There’s no need to break the bank in order to have a great time. Here are some of our top tricks and tips to save big on summer trips!
Do your travel research “incognito”
Purchase tickets to events/activities in advance
Take advantage of free activities
Get a travel rewards credit card
Do your travel research “incognito”
Have you ever heard of a cookie? No, not the delicious chocolate chip kind.
Every website you visit will install cookies, or small pieces of data, in your computer to keep track of your browsing history.
Looking up travel information requires a lot of research, which means you will likely be visiting the same travel websites multiple times. However, if you keep returning to the same flight or hotel search, that website might remember your search and recognize that you’re very interested in that trip. Some websites respond to this by showing you increased prices!
Opening up a private, or incognito browser, will prevent websites from installing cookies or remembering your searches, meaning they have no way to spike prices based on your search history!
Purchase tickets to events/activities in advance
Museums, concert, festivals, and other public activities often have 2 prices: advanced and door. When you buy tickets at the door, you are normally paying the highest price possible.
However, many activities offer online entry prices that can be purchased in advance at a discount of 10 percent or more. It does take a bit of extra planning, as they often include specific time windows. But spontaneity costs extra! By creating an itinerary, you can figure out exactly where you want to go, and which places allow you to buy cheaper tickets ahead of time.
Always check for discounts
If you are traveling with senior citizens or very young children, odds are that whatever attraction or event you are going to offers discounts. Whoever you purchase from may see the people you are with and let you know about these cheaper prices, but most of the time you have to ask.
Don’t be shy – the worst they can say is no!
Take advantage of free activities
It doesn’t matter if you are traveling across an ocean or across town, it is very likely that there are free activities happening near you!
Museums, public events, parks these are all fun ways to spend an afternoon that don’t cost any money.
Get a travel rewards credit card
There are many credit cards you can apply to that will allow you to earn rewards for the travel expenses you are already spending money on! For instance, buying a $400 plane ticket with a travel rewards credit card could earn you up to $50 in cash back rewards. That’s an extra $50 you can use on your trip, or have once you get home!
Agencies that offer travel rewards credit cards include Bank of America, Capital One, Discover, and Chase. They all have different requirements and rewards, so you can choose the one that best fits your needs and lifestyle.
Use the best FREE travel apps
Yelp, Trip Advisor, Zagat, Urbanspoon, and Google+ are all very useful resources for researching the quality of places and activities you are considering. People can post reviews and star ratings based on their experience, which will help you better decide what the right itinerary for you looks like.
Once you decide where you want to go, TripIt or Sygic are apps that help you physically put together an itinerary. This will keep your entire trip organized for you, so you can focus on having fun.
Citymapper is the ultimate transport app. It’s a mapping service that is your guide to public transportation in all major cities.
Planning a road trip? Roadtrippers is the perfect app for you. Simply download this free app and enter your starting and ending destinations. You will be provided with the best route and recommendations for food, hotels, activities, historical sites, and more along the way. You’ll get where you need to go, and have a blast getting there.
Priceline, Expedia, and Kayak are the most trusted websites for finding the best discounts of flights and trains all over the world! Just remember to go incognito!
Research makes all the difference
These simple tips and tricks can help you live your summer to the fullest! The easiest way to research prices and events, or to download travel apps, is to use the Internet. Q Link offers 3 Gigs of Data, plus UNLIMITED talk & text every month. Plus, the upgraded smartphones we provide all new Members at no cost are Wi-Fi capable. So you can take all the time you need to plan the perfect summer trip right from your phone!
To receive FREE phone service, you first must be approved through the National Verifier. You can bring your own phone and keep your number to experience our 5G network coverage. We will ship you a FREE SIM Card Kit so you can get UNLIMITED talk & text if you already participate in government programs such as SNAP and Medicaid. Once approved, you can begin the phone activation process to receive FREE phone service online.
Out of data? No worries! There are tons of different ways you can earn extra data and minutes for free every month! Visit our Help Center to learn more.
