So I decided to plan a vacation, but honestly, I don’t have that much cash right now. A lot of my friends laughed when I told them I was going to Egypt. “How can you afford it on your salary?” “What are you going to do once you get there and you spent all your money on airline tickets?” These are just a few of the questions I was asked. And to be honest, they were all valid questions and concerns for that matter. What my friends didn’t know however, is that I am a whiz at finding great vacation deals. It doesn’t matter where or when I am flying, I can find the lowest and best price for hotels, airlines and car services. I am the vacation deal finder.

What are my secrets? Good question. For all the vacation deals I have managed to find over the years, the one common tie between them all is perseverance. Once I decide where I am going to go, I scour the Web, looking at all airline sites, different hotel sites, etc. I don’t give up. If I find a great price, I make note of it, but don’t stop looking. Find a great vacation deal isn’t just something you fall onto. They are always hidden and disguised. Like a bird watcher in the forest, if you want to find a good vacation deal, you need to be patient.

So, back to my trip to Egypt. I decided back in December that I was going to go in Egypt at the end of May. I gave myself a good time window to look for tickets. Looking for a vacation deal when you are traveling abroad can make or break your wallet, so I had to be sure that I was getting the best price I could without having time as a factor in my decision making. When looking for a vacation deal, you never want time to have to factor into your decision, so as always, the earlier you to decide on where and when to travel, the better off you will be.

I searched lots of different sites. Some quoted me as high as $2,400 for a roundtrip ticket. I couldn’t believe it! Then, last month, I settled on a $900 roundtrip ticket from New York to Cairo, with one layover in Frankfurt for 2 hours. The money I saved on my ticket is now money for excursions, great food, wine and fun.

To expand off the topic of finding a vacation deal, always look around the Web for coupons. It may sound silly, but they add up. When I find the flight I wanted to Cairo, I checked the carrier. I am flying with United. I then proceeded to search for United ticket coupons and found one for $50 off. So, my ticket jumped down to $850 roundtrip. I then proceeded to sign up for their frequent flier program and applied my miles, totaling around 11,000. The timing of this worked well because I also needed a credit card. I found a credit card that worked with United and got 15,000 miles for signing up. In total, I now have 26,000 miles, and a free domestic flight or, if I choose to save up more miles, I am over halfway through to a free international flight. Working together with different aspects of travel, vacation deals can land you free trips!

Flying is not cheap. In fact, it is one of the deciding factors in whether or not I want to go somewhere. But great deals for inexpensive air fares are out there, you just have to know where and how to find them. Traveling is stressful enough, no one needs the extra stress on their pocketbook, that’s for sure. In today’s technologically charged world, there are a plethora of web sites that offer inexpensive air fares, and in my opinion, that is the way to go! Here are some of the most popular web sites for finding inexpensive air fares.

Travelocity.com

“Travel enriches your life when it’s done right. We understand that on top of a guaranteed low price, travelers need useful, insider information, the security of reliable customer support, and control over the details that make a trip smooth, efficient, and truly great.”

Orbitz.com

“[This] award-winning flight search engine makes it easy to find the lowest fares on hundreds of airlines. We offer a comprehensive selection of hotel rates, including discounted Low Price Guarantee rates. Orbitz’ inventory includes hundreds of airlines, more than 80,000 hotels worldwide and 13 rental car brands. Orbitz search results are presented in an easy-to-use matrix that displays a vast array of travel options.”

Expedia.com

“Expedia delivers consumers everything they need for researching, planning, and purchasing a whole trip. The company provides direct access to one of the broadest selections of travel products and services through its North American Web site, localized versions throughout Europe, and extensive partnerships in Asia. Serving many different consumer segments — from families booking a summer vacation to individuals arranging a quick weekend getaway, Expedia provides travelers with the ability to research, plan, and book their comprehensive travel needs. Expedia-branded Web sites feature airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rental, cruises, and many other in-destination services from a broad selection of partners.”

STA.com, a student airfare web site –

“The exclusive STA Travel Blue Ticket™ provides students with competitive airfare pricing and unmatched flexibility and ease when booking their travel. It’s what sets us apart from the rest! We distribute over 1,500 global land products making it clear and simple for students to plan their trip.  From accommodations, tours, work, study and volunteer programs, it’s easy to organize your ideas and put them into motion.”

You can find inexpensive air fares on any on these web sites if you go on them seeking trends in expensive air fares. You do not need to go to carriers to find inexpensive air fares anymore. These sites go above and beyond just airline tickets. They will help you plan your trip. Have a great trip!

Travel time can be a stressful time. Between trying to decide where to go, how much you want to spend and whether or not you can get time off work, the idea of a distressing trip is starting to stress you out! So, rather than try to go it alone and plan everything from start to finish, why not look into a vacation travel package.

People who don’t often travel may not know what a vacation travel package entails, or for that matter, what it is! So, with this in mind, I have set out to demystify and illuminate the subject of vacation travel packages.

So, first let’s ask ourselves where do we want to go? And just for fun, forget about budget constraints; forget about time off from work, forget about all the variables that can stop you from going to your dream destination. For this vacation travel package, the sky is the limit!

Since I am writing the article, let’s talk about China. I have always wanted to go there, but there is so much to see and do, I have never been able to fully plan the trip.

First I need to decide how long to go for, and since I do have work, I am choosing a shorter trip, about two weeks. I searched vacation packages to China online and within a few seconds I found a bunch of great sites. One in particular caught my eye, so I clicked. 

China Odyssey Tours is just what I am looking for. “We provide private tours in China. You (maybe only yourself, or with your spouse or lover, or your family or friends) will have an English speaking licensed tour guide, a private vehicle (with size in accordance with the group) and a licensed driver. The guide, driver and vehicle will be at your service during the whole trip organized by China Odyssey Tours. The tour itineraries here have been tested by our customers and proved to be reasonable and practical. Your rooms, meals, vehicle, airport transfers, activities included in one price. You can select your preferred departure dates!” So, what they are saying is, my vacation travel package to China means all I have to do is give them money and they do everything else for me. For someone with not a lot of time and a clear desire to go somewhere, you can’t ask for anything more!

So, now lets say I am a bit more adventurous and I want a more physical trip, perhaps biking and boating in China. And in a few new keywords (cycle china vacation package) I found GAP Adventures: Cycle China. “Discover China by bike, which is the perfect pace to interact with the local people and experience the culture up close. Cycle through quiet farming hamlets and follow rivers to discover small villages and bustling market towns along the way. No visit to China would be complete without a visit to the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors. An ideal adventure for the active traveler!”

See how easy it is to find a vacation travel package? You can see what you want to see, eat what you want, sleep in nice places and get the full package experience without the stress of doing all the planning yourself. And another hint: if you do want to plan things yourself, look at some vacation travel package itineraries for ideas and highlights of the country so you won’t miss a thing!

Good luck and happy traveling!