It never hurts to ask. When booking hotels, visiting attractions or stocking up on travel essentials, ask for a military discount. Not everyone will offer one, but many times the retailer, park or hotel will have a discount available. Oftentimes, hotels may say they don’t offer a military rate, but if you use the right words, you can certainly get one. Ask for the “government” rate and all you’ll have to do is show your military ID at the time of check-in. This can save a significant amount of money, especially when coupled with rewards programs. You may not rack enough points for a free night, but there are other ways to utilize your points. “I am a big fan of earning reward points that can be redeemed for gas cards and restaurants in addition to airline miles,” Dillon said. “It will always help reduce the overall cost of travel. These programs aren’t always tied to credit cards either. Bing has a rewards program where users earn points per internet search and there are also point programs tied to debit cards as well.
Most military bases also have travel agents or similar on standby, too. For example, the Information, Ticket & Tours (ITT) office, offers discount tickets to most tourists attractions, special events and Ticketmaster. They partern with Latitudes Travel, a full service travel agency, to provide discount hotels, rental cars, travel packages and cruises.
Download Apps before you leave.
The CNN travel staff is always on its toes, hunting for the best apps to make traveling more enjoyable for business and leisure travelers. In late July, they released the best new apps for travelers and we found some perfect for families on the go. PackPoint generates a customized list of items you should pack, this could be extremely useful for long trips and big families. The app even takes weather into consideration after users specify their agenda, for example adding “fancy dinner” to the itinerary, “hiking” or “baby” needs. You’re virtually guaranteed to pack everything you need, saving you a trip to an overpriced store near your hotel.
The Entertainer is another great app covering more than 20 cities, promising to add more to the list. The Entertainer used to be a book of coupons you could buy at a store, but now they’ve been condensed into one easy-to-use app saving you money everywhere from hair salons to hotels. You can even snag buy one, get one discounts at major retailers. All users need to do is show the app and redeem a coupon at the proper location.
Another app growing in popularity is City Maps 2Go Offline Maps. The app gives users pre-downloaded city maps, so they don’t require any Wi-FI and you won’t use up all of your data. This app also eliminates the chance of finding unwanted roaming fees on your next cell phone bill. Parents should also search app stores for park finding applications to locate the nearest park when planning long road trips. This gives children the chance to burn energy, have fun and most importantly, avoid temptation of vending machines and over-priced video games at each rest area.
Save big on souvenirs.
Instead of spending an arm and a leg on the stuffed animal your child is likely to forget about before the holiday break is over, challenge the kids to unleash their creativity. “I buy my 7-year-old a blank notebook prior to each trip so that she can chronicle her own journey,” Dillon said. It’s an excellent idea for people of all ages (yes, that means you too!) to journal about their trips. Children too young to write can capture their memories by drawing pictures; older children can describe their experience in words. And thanks to smart phones and apps, everyone can capture their favorite memories with the click of a button or tap of a screen. Dillon said it is very important to make sure each family member feels included and enjoys the vacation. “I think the most important thing to do is let everyone in the family pick an outing. That way, no one’s interests are left out.”
