Vacation Time-Saving Travel Tips

June 20th, 2008 by Susan - NWA WorldVacations

Travel experts are predicting that people will be looking to travel more efficiently with their time and money. With a little planning, these travel tips will help you avoid the lines and crowds…year round.

Go when others don’t go - For a potentially less-crowded airplane ride, consider taking a flight that departs on Monday or Tuesday instead of Saturday or Sunday.

Shift your day - Get up early and eat at the buffet or a restaurant before the rush. You will then be able to eat earlier for lunch and dinner, too. Or, you could shift the other direction and get up later, especially if your travel destination is more focused on evening activities. While everyone else is waiting in line for a table, you will be out exploring.

Buy attraction passes and tickets in advance - Before your plane leaves your hometown, you could have your tickets purchased for Broadway shows, famous museums, even theme parks. Then you can bypass the ticket office line.

Pre-purchase tours ahead of time - Tour groups are often given special preference at popular attractions including designated lines or even special entrances. Many times, escorted overnight tours, from a few days to a few weeks, are the way to go. Everything is arranged ahead of time and you have the benefit of a knowledgeable tour director with you all the time. You could take an Asia escorted tour and view Mt Fuji from a cable car high up on Mt. Komagatake. Or, take a Europe escorted tour and visit the elegant and opulent chateaux in and around the Loire Valley.

Go immediately after an “event” - Take the Olympic Games, for example. Beijing has made dramatic improvements in its infrastructure for the influx of visitors during the Games including three new subway lines carrying 4.5 million people per day. Tourists who visit Beijing right after the Olympic events will be able to skip the crowds and enjoy the improvements. Chicago is very busy for the Independence Day holiday, but you can still see fireworks on Navy Pier on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the summer. Walt Disney World is decorated for Christmas, but you could visit Orlando right before or after the holiday rush.

Take advantage of technology - Airlines and car rental companies continue to use technology to eliminate the need to stand in a line. You can check in for your flight using your home computer and rental car companies can pre-assign your car so it is waiting for you when you get off the transfer bus.