Save on Car Rentals

Want to save on your next car rental?

Try these 17 tips featured in the Boston Globe article,  17 Ways to Save when Renting a Car.  Of course, the best tip is to plan ahead.  Here are some of the suggestions:

• Online Deals  – check company websites and social media pages of  rental car companies for deals
• Company Apps – such as the Hertz app list special offers
• Book Ahead  – but continue to check the price.  If it goes down, cancel and re-book.  Most companies do not charge a cancellation fee.
• Combine Fly and Drive – many rental companies work with airlines to offer deals when booked together
• Enroll in a customer loyalty program
• Membership Discounts – from such groups as AAA, AARP, and professional associations
• Rent only what you need – avoid the upgrades

For all 17 tips, read the full article here.

Frommer’s Budget Tips

At the 2012 Boston Globe Travel Show, Arthur Frommer and his daughter Pauline offered their advice on  “When to Splurge and When to Scrimp on Vacations“.

The high cost of air travel has forced many would-be-vacationers to stay close to home.  The Frommers suggested that rather than cancel your travel plans altogether, plan ahead and save on other vacation components such as food, lodging and activities.

Here are a few of their suggestions:

• Best time to buy plane tickets – 6 weeks before travel date, on a Tuesday or Wednesday;  Avoid booking on a weekend
• Use Twitter to track last minute bargain fares
• Consider airfare/lodging packages
• Stay in apartments where you can make your own meals rather than hotels
• Avoid Tour Groups and travel independently instead
• Save on lodging by booking a condo directly through the owner, renting a spare room or participating in a home exchange

The Frommers also recommended checking out these websites:

• To rent a spare room or apartment: airbnb.com and wimdu.com
• Rooms for free/cultural exchange: couchsurfing.org, globalfreeloaders.com, usservas.org, homeexchange.com, workaway.info, wwoof.org
• Hotel deals: hotelscombined.com, hipmunk.com, dohop.com
• Packages: bookit.com, vacmart.com,  expedia.com
• Car Rentals: bnm.com, autoslash.com
• Teaching English in Spain: Vaughan Volunteers

For more tips from the Frommers, listen to their weekly radio show on WOR News Talk radio 710 AM, Sundays 12-2  or subscribe to the podcast.

Free ebooks

Christopher Elliot, consumer advocate, has launched The Travel Troubleshooter, a new ebook series to help readers become better travelers.

Until May 28, the series will be available free of charge in MS Word format.

Elliot is asking for pre-publication improvement suggestions and editing help.  In exchange for reader feedback, he offers free copies of the books when published.

Current titles in the series include:

• Car Rentals
• Dealing With the TSA (in progress)
• Travel Insurance

Elliot is the author of Scammed: How to save your money and find better service in a world of schemes, swindles and shady deals.