How to book cheap flight & train tickets for your well-deserved vacation

by Lia Belle on June 18, 2012 with No Comments

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Yeah, I hear you. You love your work and your busy daily activities (read: routines). But the summertime is nearly approaching, and as you know the summertime (almost) equals to vacation time. So it is never too early to actually do something else other than working and doing your daily activities and start planning your vacation instead. You deserve a break, you deserve a vacation.

Yes, I said it!

Perhaps you’d prefer to book business or first class tickets to Europe, Indonesia, Africa, and beyond for yourself and your loved ones through a travel agency. However, when you own a computer and internet connection, you might as well plan and book the most affordable tickets for your vacation yourself.

These are some tips on how to book cheap flight and train tickets for your well-deserved vacation:

1. Plan the best option

After deciding the destination you want to go to, and how to get there, keep in mind that there are only 2 best options to plan a vacation: the last minute one, and the one you plan 2 – 3 months in advance.

The first option usually offers the cheapest tickets (if you are lucky) but you usually don’t have enough time to do things that need to be done before you go. The second option offers not only the cheapest tickets but also the right amount of time that you need in order to do things before you go on your vacation.

2. Be flexible

Whichever option you take, always be flexible with your date planning. Be flexible means be ready and willing to go at least 3 days before and/or after the date you’ve already had in mind. The more flexible you can be, the more chance you have of getting the cheapest ticket.

3. Check on Wednesdays

Always check for the cheapest tickets on Wednesdays. Why? because Wednesdays are the days that the new rates go into effect. The other best days to consider are Tuesday and Saturday.

Try this one: choose Wednesday as your departure day and choose Tuesday or Saturday as your return day. Then try the other way around.

4. Compare, compare and compare

Sure, you can always check websites such as MyFlightSearch, Skyscanner, Kayak etc. This is what you should always do: compare their prices with the airline’s prices.

For example: when you see a great price’s ticket on MyFlightSearch for Etihad Airways or Qatar Airways, then go to the website of those airlines and compare the prices. Keep in mind that the prices can be changed within hours, within minutes even!

Favorite airline tickets:

5. Go beyond the familiarity

I, for one, used to book and fly only with one or two particular airlines because they were simply familiar to me. Well, the time has changed: you can also go beyond this familiarity.

Check other airline’s websites and other flight comparison’s websites and get the cheapest ticket that they can offer you. Whatever you do, do not get stuck with only one or two particular airlines.

Wait, there is also another option. When you are planning to travel to Europe, you can actually travel by trains very comfortably. In fact, traveling by train in Europe is the best way to see the wonders of European cities and countries.

Favorite train tickets and rail passes:

6. Consider foreign currencies

Now you have gone beyond those familiarities in term of airlines, you can do more, as you can also consider those “foreign” airlines with “foreign” currencies. For example, despite many challenges, the Euro still worth more than, for instance, the US Dollar. Take it into your advantage and book the cheapest tickets that you can get in any other foreign currencies.

7. Don’t wait

When you have finally found the cheapest flight and train tickets out there, do not wait for too long until you actually book them. Why? Well, because you are not the only one on the planet who’s hunting for them.

When you are absolutely sure about your destination, planning, date, the price etc, book those flight and/or train tickets right away and secure your tickets in advance!

Another tip: after you have booked your flight and train tickets, start booking your hotel, hostels or apartment, and enjoy your vacation!

Do you have other tips on getting the cheapest flight and train tickets? Share them on the comment section below. Looking forward to reading your very own tips.