Five Commandments of Budget Travel, The

NEA Today, Feb 2006

Honor thy wallet with a little careful planning.

1. THOU SHALT RESEARCH THY VACATION. You can get the scoop on countries and cities at your library or online. Punch vacation spots and travel companies into a search engine such as Google.com and learn more about them. You can also look up information on airlines, cruise companies, and vacation companies. Find out when your destination's off-season is-travel is often cheaper then.

2. THOU SHALT COMPARISON-SHOP FOR GOOD DEALS. Sign up at airline Web sites and they'll e-mail you about special deals. You can compare rates for flights, hotels, and car rentals at sites such as www.sidestep.com, www.expedia.com, www.orbitz.com, www.bnm.com, and www.cheaptickets.com. Just be sure to check a handful of such sites. None of them cover all the possibilities.

3. THOU SHALT CONSULT WITH AN EXPERT. A good travel agent can provide valuable advice and find you great deals.

4. THOU SHALT BE FLEXIBLE. If you can leave or return a day earlier or later, you might save a bundle. If you're ready to be "bumped" from a full flight, you can snag a free ticket.

5. THOU SHALT USE THY CREDIT CARD. Many credit cards offer special perks to travelers, such as free collision insurance on car rentals and free traveler insurance for bus, boat, train, or plane trips charged on plastic. Some cards even provide inexpensive roadside assistance and can help if you lose your luggage or need a doctor or lawyer referral while on vacation. See what your card offers.