When traveling, most people want to get the most possible 'bang for their buck' by looking for the best possible rates on everything they need, from flights to a discount hotel deal.
Getting a discount or finding a deal is easier than you might think, and there are many ways to do it.
Consider the following points to start with: þASK: Your travel agent, the booking agents at the hotels you are considering, your friends or family who have been to the city or country you are going to visit; ask everyone for discounts or ideas on how to get them.
It's amazing what you can get when you simply ask, and it's amazing how many people don't bother.
þDO YOUR HOMEWORK: By investing the time and effort to look around and learn what your options are, you are ten steps ahead of someone who just calls their travel agent and says 'take care of it'.
This works well for the wealthy and those to whom money is not a concern; we are assuming for the sake of this article that you are looking to save money and get the best value.
þUSE THE INTERNET: There are online search engines that will look all over the internet for the best deal possible.
They take the complex web of the internet and make it simple by allowing you to just type in your destination of choice, your dates and preferences, and finding you what you are looking for.
Check out sites like Expedia and Orbitz.
þCONSOLIDATORS: Many airlines and hotel chains will keep blocks of tickets aside in case they are needed, and will release them to be sold by companies called consolidators.
This is a tip you will get from travel agents, but the connections are hard to come by unless you know someone.