Tips & Strategies for Vacation Savings, Part 2

Here's the second half of my list of tips for saving money on your vacations this summer. If you have any tips or suggestions of your own that you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them,

• Check your hotel lobby for brochures and coupons. You should be able to find coupons for local attractions and activities, as well as food coupons for resturants that are close to your hotel. You can check the rest stops and welcome centers for these as well.
• Eat out at less expensive restuarants. (perhaps fast food for lunch and something a little nicer for dinner) Or go to a nice place for lunch, since lunch menus are generally less expensive.
• Stay at a hotel that includes a complimentary breakfast.
• Pick a hotel that's close shopping and food establishments so that you can walk. (in some cases this conflicts with the idea of staying at a hotel that is away from popular attractions, but in some cases you should be able to stay outside the "major" center and still be close resturants, etc.)
• Before going on your trip find out if they have any of the following: walking tours, bus tours, or metro station.
• Drive at night to avoid heavy (even stand still) traffic and save on gas.
• Carry snacks & drinks in a cooler in the car, to avoid having to spend money at a gas station or rest stop. (this will also come in handy when your in the hotel room)
• Spend less on souvenirs. Don't spend all your money on items that you could buy just as easily at home (unless it's cheaper at your vacation destination). And avoid over-priced gift shops and boutiques. (you know, the ones with normal every day stuff that you could find anywhere, yet they cost 2 or 3 times as much.)
• Set a budget ahead of time for eating out, buying souvenirs. It's very easy to get carried away with spending when your on vacation. While it's okay to splurge a little, try to set a spending limit ahead of time and be more selective about what you spend your money on.