My first tip, is that if you are not bound by seasonal restraints for your traveling (i.e., not an educator or student that only has the summer for your vacation time), I would recommend traveling during the off-peak seasons (spring or early fall).

Here’s why:

First, cheap airline tickets are easier to come by during these times. Typically, the price of plane tickets jump considerably from early June through August. Why? Simple, supply and demand (that’s when everyone vacations). You can usually save between 20-40% if you avoid this travel window.

Second, prices and availability of hotels during these times are better as well. Reason, see above explanation.

Third, it’s just more enjoyable. A: because it isn’t as hot as it is during the summer months, and B: there aren’t as many of those DAMNED tourists. Ha! You’ll be able to see more without waiting in long lines at museums, or pay higher prices at restaurants that thrive on gouging tourists.

If you must travel during the peak season, you may have to just bite the bullet and pay a little extra… but trust me, it’s worth it!

Analyze the places that you have decided to go, and plan a travel route. For instance, in my recent trip to Italy, I decided to fly in to Venice, and leave from Rome, hitting all the spots on my list in an efficient route in between. Flying in to one place and out of another is just as cost-effective than just booking a round trip, and sometimes it can even save you some cash.

There are several sites out there that you can use, like Orbitz, and TripAdvisor that can help you find the best rates. Play around with different variations, and see which ones work best.

Consider taking a red-eye flight out that gets you to your destination fairly early in the morning. This way you will have almost that entire day to utilize. If your flight doesn’t get in until the late afternoon, don’t count it as one of your days.

Here’s one of the best travel tips that I can give you: once you have found which flight, and airline you are going to use, make sure you sign up for their frequent flier program BEFORE you book a flight. You’re going to be flying thousands of miles… You might as well make them count for something. There are also a lot of miles programs on credit cards out there as well. If this DOES become a passion, you can lay the ground work for future savings!

Once you have gotten the best travel route planned, and signed up for a frequent flier program, there is only one thing left to do… BOOK YOUR FLIGHT!

If you do not already have a passport, I would suggest getting it sooner, rather than later. It usually only takes a few weeks, but you don’t want to still be waiting on it when your flight is leaving in a couple of days! Your local post office is the most convenient place to get this taken care of.