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More bits from the backpack . . .

© Diane Goldberg under the original topic name

Ma BudgetTravel has been fiddling around with tiny bottles of shampoos from hotels past and playing with her little packages of Kleenex this week in preparation for another journey --- as is her wont whenever she gets ready to go she is struck by rememberance of journeys past. . . and as tax day in the USA looms large on the horizon she's slightly more persnickety than usual about money. So this week's bits will focus on

Ways you really can save on travel

Avoid beachfront hotels in towns with public beach access --- even side view rooms on the oceanside of a property are cheaper than oceanview rooms. Staying right across the road from the sea can really reduce the cost of a weekend.

Never, ever, simply don't buy a swimsuit in a resort area if you can possibly avoid it.

Decide how many places you want to go before buying any sort of travel card or transport pass. They always appear to be great deals and often aren't. For example a London Visitor's Travel Card purchased in advance covers five zones of travel. You can use it from Central London to Heathrow or Hampton Court --- if you are going those places it's a huge saving. On a day when you are likely to go from a Bayswater B & B to an exhibit at the Victoria and Albert, stop off for a quick trip round the shops and then out to dinner in Covent Garden you are much better off with a one day off peak card covering only zones one and two. Similar situations occur on almost all public transport.

Instead of deciding how much things cost in an unfamiliar currency every time you want a beer, make a daily budget at home deciding how many euros or US dollars or what-ever-the-currency is you'll spend for walking around money each day. Try to stick to it instead of relentlessly calculating across countries .

Amsterdam may well be the dog doo capital of the Known World. (Ms Budget Travel simply wanted to share that.)

Never go to a NASCAR event without some form of ear protection. Buying ear protection at the track is absurdly expensive.

The least expensive way to stroll through any shopping area is after the stores close.

If necessary overpay for transport to the airport if it means making your flight.

If you are going to use Priceline at http://www.priceline.com keep in mind that it is your friend but not your bestest friend --- if the system advises you that only 10 percent of the customers who asked for a flight for one hundred and fifty got it and suggests that you try one hundred and seventy go ahead and try one fifty --- you might be one of the lucky 10 percenters. You can always have another go if Priceline turns you down. Always start with an absurdly low figure when playing with priceline.

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