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Christmas means travel for a lot of families, but travel costs are preventing many from going "over the river and through the woods" to Grandmother's house this year. So, let's look at some ways to cut travel costs.

Web Deals

There are some reputable sites that can give consumers real deals. Consider www.kayak.com or www.lastminutedeals.com to see if your destination is among the deals of the week. Be vigilant because airline ticket prices can change several times a day.

Packing on the Pounds

Packing on the pounds in luggage will cost more at the ticket counter. Plan to fly by wearing your heaviest items such as your coat and boots. These added pounds in the suitcase will cost you in excessive luggage weight fees. Be a careful packer! Also, think about purchasing presents at your destination so that you are not charged luggage fees for those presents.

Rideshare

Consider finding some travel mates to get to your destination if traveling by car. A pretrip planning meeting would include agreed upon dates and gasoline costs. Some post their trip dates and destinations on www.craigslist.com under the rideshare column, but caution should always be exercised when considering travel with someone you have just met. The best way to find travel mates is let those in your social circle know of your plans.

Flexibility

Be flexible with your dates. The willingness to travel one to two days on either side of your original plans can save hundreds of dollars on an airline ticket. For instance, college students released from classes on a Friday to travel could save a lot by traveling the following Monday on many airlines.

Food choices

If traveling, be tight with your dining dollar. This is the one area that you have the most control over in deciding your travel budget. Your dining decisions can include using coupons, eating the airline food, packing some sandwiches for the car trip, sharing an entre when dining out, eating more meals at home with the relatives and avoiding trendy restuarants.

Hotel costs

Depending on your travel route, hotel costs can accelerate or decline over the holiday season. Know your destination before you go. Use discounts such as military, AAA or AARP. Call the hotel direct instead of calling the hotel's 800 line. Each destination might be running a special rate or know of other hotels in the area that are not booked.

Reduce your destination's costs

When you arrive at your family's home for the holidays, consider spending quality time with the relatives instead of kissing cash goodbye at the theaters or amusement parks. Use your time to go through some photo albums with Aunt Gertie or learn from Grandma how to make her famous apple pie. Your travel dollars will evaporate each time you leave the house!

Holiday travel can make excellent memories for any traveler, but avoid the trap of having to spend money to create great memories. Your travel costs are determined by you and you alone, so plan to make your "dollar holler" by squeezing it for its travel worth!

Learn more about this author, Jan Vroegin.
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