夏天近了，再過(guò)兩三個(gè)月，旅游的季節(jié)又到了。或許你正在計(jì)劃跟家人和朋友一起旅游，又或許你打算一個(gè)人踏上旅程。但不管怎樣，如果你的經(jīng)濟(jì)情況并不富裕，只能嚴(yán)格按照預(yù)算開(kāi)支，那么確保你玩得好又花得少的一個(gè)關(guān)鍵因素，就是想方設(shè)法避免旅行中不必要的開(kāi)銷。

沒(méi)錯(cuò)，旅行中有不少大大小小的費(fèi)用都是可以避免的。只要提前做好功課，就能省下不少航班、酒店和就餐費(fèi)用，同時(shí)還絲毫不會(huì)影響旅行的樂(lè)趣。

避開(kāi)旅游旺季

只要出行時(shí)機(jī)安排得當(dāng)，是能省下不少旅途費(fèi)用的。首先，你要盡可能避免在旅游旺季時(shí)出行。

紐約市一旅游公司smarTours的聯(lián)合CEO格雷格?格羅內(nèi)姆斯表示：“如果你在旅游旺季過(guò)后的幾周出行，那么首先當(dāng)?shù)氐臍夂虿⒉粫?huì)有什么變化，另外從航班到酒店等各種費(fèi)用都會(huì)下降很多。”比方說(shuō)，如果你想到海濱城市待上一周，不要光把時(shí)間局限在炎夏時(shí)分，你可以提前搜索一下整個(gè)夏天的機(jī)票和酒店費(fèi)用，甚至晚春和初秋的時(shí)間都可以考慮在內(nèi)。

如果你確實(shí)只能在旅游旺季抽出時(shí)間，那也盡量不要趕在“旺季中的旺季”。比如旅行預(yù)訂網(wǎng)站Upside.com的董事長(zhǎng)兼CEO杰伊?沃克就指出：“要盡量避免各種小長(zhǎng)假。比如在美國(guó)，大多數(shù)人都會(huì)把夏季的出行計(jì)劃放在陣亡將士紀(jì)念日、美國(guó)國(guó)慶日（7月4日）和勞動(dòng)節(jié)。”

錯(cuò)峰出行能省下很多旅行開(kāi)支。比如沃克建議最好搭乘凌晨或深夜的航班，或是選在周二或周三出行，這些時(shí)間一般都能買到最便宜的機(jī)票。

“哪怕只給你的出行計(jì)劃做一個(gè)小小的變化，都能讓你省下不少旅行費(fèi)用，甚至在旅游旺季也是一樣。比如如果你一定要在某一周里出行，你也可以給你的行程加上或減去一天。雖然行程只有一兩天的變化，但你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)很多費(fèi)用都變便宜了。”

避免機(jī)場(chǎng)碼頭的泊車費(fèi)用

AirportParkingHelper.com的執(zhí)行董事安迪?吉布森指出，在機(jī)場(chǎng)或碼頭停車一天，可能要繳納20美元的停車費(fèi)。不過(guò)如果你在出行前住在一家有停車服務(wù)的酒店里，就可以避開(kāi)這項(xiàng)費(fèi)用。

吉布森表示：“如果你無(wú)論如何都要住酒店，那就選擇一家允許你在離開(kāi)時(shí)免費(fèi)將車輛停放在那里的酒店。如果你提前預(yù)訂了一家有機(jī)場(chǎng)泊車服務(wù)的酒店，你就可以放心地乘機(jī)了，因?yàn)槟阒滥愕能囎涌偸怯械胤酵５摹Ｏ啾戎拢瑱C(jī)場(chǎng)的大多數(shù)泊車位都不能預(yù)訂，而且往往還都停滿了。”

這樣一來(lái)，出發(fā)那天，你就可以乘坐酒店的班車前往機(jī)場(chǎng)或碼頭。這種方法特別適合那些離機(jī)場(chǎng)或碼頭有一個(gè)小時(shí)以上車程的人。雖然要在酒店住上一夜，但你卻可以因此搭乘一趟更便宜的凌晨航班——同時(shí)也省卻了一大早起床趕路的辛苦。

如果你確實(shí)不需要出行前住一晚酒店，你也可以在AirportParkingHelper.com上找到廉價(jià)的機(jī)場(chǎng)停車位和優(yōu)惠券。

避免行李托運(yùn)費(fèi)用

現(xiàn)在乘坐美國(guó)班機(jī)，能躲過(guò)托運(yùn)費(fèi)的情況是越來(lái)越少了——但也并非完全不可能。捷藍(lán)航空曾經(jīng)允許旅客免費(fèi)托運(yùn)一件行李，現(xiàn)在則要收取每件25美元的托運(yùn)費(fèi)，除非你升艙。西南航空大概是美國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)航空公司里唯一一家還不收取托運(yùn)費(fèi)的公司了。

不過(guò)對(duì)于其他航空公司來(lái)說(shuō)，如果你使用他們的品牌信用卡訂購(gòu)機(jī)票，是能免交這項(xiàng)費(fèi)用的。

The WeekendJetsetter.com的旅游博主安娜?萊絲表示：“比如，如果你使用美國(guó)航空的花旗銀行AAdvantage萬(wàn)事達(dá)卡，不僅你自己可以免收行李托運(yùn)費(fèi)，你的同行者中最多四人也可以免交托運(yùn)費(fèi)。對(duì)于一個(gè)五口之家來(lái)說(shuō)，乘坐一次航班省下的托運(yùn)費(fèi)，就夠繳納這張信用卡的年費(fèi)（95美元）了。”

當(dāng)然，如果你只隨身攜帶一件手提行李，也是可以免交托運(yùn)費(fèi)的。說(shuō)出來(lái)你可能不相信，哪怕是一個(gè)小小的隨機(jī)行李箱，也能保障一次很長(zhǎng)的旅程了——當(dāng)然，前提是帶對(duì)行李。旅行博客Roamarro.com的創(chuàng)意總監(jiān)科萊特?斯托勒表示，她曾經(jīng)進(jìn)行過(guò)一次長(zhǎng)達(dá)一年半的環(huán)球旅行，靠的只是一個(gè)能隨身登機(jī)的小行李箱。她建議出行時(shí)最多只帶兩雙鞋，衣服則只帶純色、耐磨、好搭配的衣服。對(duì)于最占空間的衣服，你可以選擇上機(jī)時(shí)披在身上。

然而這種方法也并非對(duì)所有航空公司都奏效。像Frontier和Spirit這種廉價(jià)航空公司，對(duì)隨身行李也是收費(fèi)的，有些大航空公司幾乎對(duì)乘客帶上飛機(jī)的任何稍占空間的東西都收費(fèi)。

DealNews.com的編輯本杰明?格雷澤表示：“聯(lián)合航空和美國(guó)航空的基本的經(jīng)濟(jì)艙費(fèi)用不含隨身行李箱的費(fèi)用。”

所以你在預(yù)訂航班之前，一定要先確認(rèn)機(jī)票是否包含行李費(fèi)用。因?yàn)槿绻欣钜獑瘟砀顿M(fèi)的話，那么貌似便宜的機(jī)票也就沒(méi)那么便宜了。反而一趟稍貴點(diǎn)的航班如果能夠免收行李費(fèi)用的話，倒是更加經(jīng)濟(jì)實(shí)惠。

避免酒店費(fèi)用

來(lái)自紐約大學(xué)喬納森蒂施酒店與旅游業(yè)中心的一份報(bào)告顯示，2016年，美國(guó)人民住酒店的費(fèi)用達(dá)到了創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的25.5億美元。如果知道哪些費(fèi)用是不必要的，你就可以免交一些酒店費(fèi)用。

比如，很多酒店都開(kāi)始征收提前入住、延遲退房、行李寄存或預(yù)訂特定房型的費(fèi)用。另外，你在使用各種酒店服務(wù)或設(shè)施前，也應(yīng)該先問(wèn)問(wèn)它是否是收費(fèi)的。

避免這些費(fèi)用的另一個(gè)方法，就是成為這些酒店的會(huì)員。萊絲表示：“你可以在酒店官網(wǎng)上免費(fèi)注冊(cè)成為會(huì)員，也可以在入住時(shí)提出注冊(cè)會(huì)員。”

成為會(huì)員后，你就可以享有一些特權(quán)，比如免費(fèi)WiFi。有些酒店的會(huì)員項(xiàng)目（比如希爾頓榮譽(yù)貴賓）還為會(huì)員提供了房?jī)r(jià)折扣和延遲退房等特權(quán)。

這些會(huì)員項(xiàng)目一般都是積分制的，攢夠積分后，就可以兌換免費(fèi)入住權(quán)。通常來(lái)說(shuō)，你的會(huì)員級(jí)別越高，能夠享受的特權(quán)也就越多。如果你持有酒店特定品牌的信用卡，也能享受相應(yīng)特權(quán)或更高的會(huì)員待遇。

避免高價(jià)就餐的費(fèi)用

如果你在旅行途中頓頓下館子，哪怕是吃連鎖快餐，你的旅費(fèi)也會(huì)蹭蹭地往上漲。不過(guò)只要提前精心策劃，你還是能在這方面省下不少錢的。

比如說(shuō)，不要住酒店的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)間，而是預(yù)訂一個(gè)有小廚房的房間，或是住在一套有廚房的假日公寓里。溫德姆假日租賃公司（Wyndham Vacation Rentals）的一項(xiàng)研究顯示，旅客們?nèi)绻庥盟麄兊募偃展ⅲ⑶沂褂霉⒗锏膹N房自己做飯（一周按做12頓飯算，其中5頓早餐、4頓午飯、3頓晚飯），而不是到餐館吃飯，那么他們平均每周可以省下898美元。

住在假日出租公寓也能省下不少住宿費(fèi)用。據(jù)HomeAway.com稱，一套1300平方英尺的出租出寓的日租只有99美元，而酒店房間的平均房費(fèi)則為118美元，且酒店房間的平均面積只有400平方英尺。你可以在HomeAway.com、VacationRentals.com和VRBO.com等網(wǎng)站上找到此類假日公寓的信息。

避免不必要的租車費(fèi)用

如果你打算租車，也要盡量避免各種不必要的額外費(fèi)用。格雷澤指出：“租車公司經(jīng)常在最后一分鐘收取高額的手續(xù)費(fèi)。有一種費(fèi)用是可以避免的，那就是額外的保險(xiǎn)費(fèi)。”

租車公司可能會(huì)不遺余力地推薦你買保險(xiǎn)，但你很可能已經(jīng)買過(guò)了。

格雷澤建議道：“在你出行前，你可以打電話給你的信用卡提供商，問(wèn)問(wèn)如果你用信用卡租車，是否可以免費(fèi)提供車損險(xiǎn)。另外，你也可以打給你自己的車險(xiǎn)提供商，看你的保險(xiǎn)里是否包含了租車險(xiǎn)。只要有任意一方表示涵蓋了租車險(xiǎn)，你就不用再買了。”

另一個(gè)省錢妙招則是在還車前將油加滿，而不是掏錢讓租車公司去加油。另外如果可能的話，盡量不要在機(jī)場(chǎng)租車，因?yàn)樽廛嚬疽督o機(jī)場(chǎng)一筆不扉的租金，而這筆錢無(wú)疑會(huì)轉(zhuǎn)嫁到消費(fèi)者身上。

避免外幣交易費(fèi)

如果你出國(guó)旅行，那么無(wú)論是用借記卡還是信用卡消費(fèi)，都免不了要被扣掉不少費(fèi)用。比如每次你在國(guó)外使用ATM機(jī)取款時(shí)，銀行都會(huì)收取一筆外幣交易費(fèi)。跨國(guó)使用信用卡也同樣會(huì)被抽取一筆費(fèi)用。

萊絲表示：“現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)有很多信用卡和活期賬戶不再收取用戶的外幣交易費(fèi)或ATM費(fèi)用。如果你沒(méi)有這種賬戶，那么在出國(guó)旅游時(shí)可能要損失掉幾百美元的費(fèi)用。”

比如她建議可以辦理Chase Sapphire Reserve信用卡，該卡不收取任何外幣交易費(fèi)。而第一資本（Capital One）的360儲(chǔ)蓄賬戶與借記卡“能夠讓你在全球各地免費(fèi)取錢”。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：樸成奎

With the summer travel season just a couple of months away, you might be making plans for a family vacation, getaway with friends or even a solo trip. If you need to stick to a budget, one of the key parts of your travel planning is finding ways to avoid unnecessary expenses on your journey.

That's right: There are plenty of fees — both big and small — you can dodge when you vacation. You can also keep down the cost of flights, accommodations, food and more common travel expenses without cutting back on the fun.

Avoid the high cost of peak travel times

You can keep travel expenses manageable if you time your trips right. For starters, avoid traveling during the peak season, if possible.

"It's amazing what a difference it can make to go a few weeks after peak season," said Greg Geronemus, co-CEO of smarTours, a guided tour company based in New York City. "You can get essentially the same weather and spend a lot less on everything from airfare to hotels." For example, rather than limiting your search for flights and accommodations at the beach to one week in the summer, check prices across all the summer months and even in late spring and early fall to find the best deals.

If your schedule allows you to travel only during the peak season, make sure you don't plan a trip for the "peak" of peak season. "Book away from major holiday periods," said Jay Walker, chairman and CEO of Upside.com, a business travel booking site. "Memorial Day, July Fourth and Labor Day are generally when summer travelers will pay the most for their itineraries."

Avoiding peak travel times can also save you money. For example, Walker recommends flying early in the morning or late at night and on Tuesdays or Sundays to get the cheapest fares.

"Even small, incremental changes in itinerary can generate discounts on travel, even during peak summer travel seasons," he said. "If you have to travel during a given week, try adding or subtracting a day from your itinerary. Often, a change of a day or two will generate a cheaper fare or rate."

Avoid airport and cruise parking fees

Parking at an airport or cruise terminal can cost $20 or more per day, said Andie Gibson, managing partner at AirportParkingHelper.com. You might be able to avoid this travel fee by staying at a hotel that offers free parking packages the night before departure.

"If you need a hotel room anyway, choosing a hotel that allows you to park your car for free while you're gone is a no-brainer," Gibson said. "When you pre-book a hotel with airport parking included, you enjoy peace of mind knowing you've got a guaranteed spot to leave your vehicle — unlike most on-site airport economy lots, which don't allow pre-booking and can fill up."

On the day of your departure, simply take the hotel shuttle to the airport or cruise terminal. This strategy can especially pay off for travelers who have to drive an hour or more to get to a city with an airport or cruise terminal. By staying overnight, you might even be able to book a cheaper early morning flight — without having to get up at the crack of dawn.

If you don't need a hotel room prior to the trip, you can find cheap airport parking alternatives and coupons at AirportParkingHelper.com.

Avoid airline baggage fees

It's getting harder to avoid baggage fees — but not impossible. JetBlue, which once let passengers check one bag for free, now charges $25 per bag checked at the airport, unless you opt for a higher tier fare. Southwest Airlines is the only major airline that still lets passengers check bags for free on domestic flights.

However, you might be able to avoid this travel fee on other airlines if you use their branded credit cards to buy your tickets.

"For example, with the American Airlines Citi AAdvantage Mastercard, you will receive a free checked bag for yourself and up to four companions traveling on the same itinerary," said Anna Rice, a travel blogger at TheWeekendJetsetter.com. "For a family of five, the savings from just one trip already amounts to more than the annual fee of the credit card ($95)."

You also might be able to avoid fees if you opt to bring only a carry-on bag. Believe it or not, a small bag can be enough to get you through even a long trip — if you pack wisely, that is. Collette Stohler, creative director of travel blog Roamaroo.com, said she traveled around the world for a year and a half with only a carry-on bag. She recommends packing no more than two pairs of shoes, taking only solid-color clothing that can be mixed and matched and wearing layers — including your bulkiest clothing — on the plane.

But even this strategy doesn't work on all airlines. Low-cost carriers like Frontier and Spirit charge for carry-on bags, and some major airlines have started billing passengers for bringing aboard anything other than a small personal item.

"Basic Economy fares from United and American do not include a full-sized carry-on suitcase to go in the overhead bin," said Benjamin Glaser, an editor with DealNews.com.

So, make sure you check airlines' baggage fees before booking a flight. You might find that the cheapest flight won't cost you the least if you have to pay more for your luggage. A flight that costs slightly more might be a better deal if you can take a carry-on or check a bag for free.

Avoid hotel fees

Hotel fees hit a record high of $2.55 billion in 2016, according to a report by New York University's Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism. Knowing what you might be charged extra for can help you avoid some of these fees.

For example, hotels are increasingly charging for early check-in, holding luggage until a room is ready or after check-out and guaranteeing a specific room type, according to the study. Be sure to ask about fees before using any hotel service or amenity.

Another way to avoid some fees is to become a member of hotel loyalty programs. "Loyalty programs are usually free to sign up for on a hotel's website, but you can also ask to be registered at check-in," said Rice.

One of the perks you can often get as a member is free WiFi, she said. Some loyalty programs, such as Hilton Honors, offer members discounted room rates and late check-out.

These programs typically allow members to earn points for staying at hotel properties and cash in those points for free stays. Often, as you earn more points, your status increases, and you have access to more benefits. You also can get perks and achieve higher rewards statuses faster with a hotel branded credit card.

Avoid the high cost of food while traveling

The cost of food while traveling can add up quickly if you eat all of your meals at restaurants — or even fast food joints. However, you can avoid eating out for most or all of your meals if you pick your accommodations carefully.

Instead of booking a standard hotel room, look for one with a kitchenette or stay in a vacation rental with a full kitchen. A study commissioned by Wyndham Vacation Rentals found that travelers saved $898 a week by using the kitchens in their vacation rentals rather than dining out. They cooked 12 meals, on average — five breakfasts, four lunches and three dinners.

Staying in a vacation rental property also might help lower your overall lodging costs. According to HomeAway.com, the average price per night for a 1,300-square-foot rental condo is $99. On the other hand, the average price of a hotel room is $118, and the average room size is just 400 square feet. You can find vacation rental properties on sites such as HomeAway.com, VacationRentals.com and VRBO.com.

Avoid unnecessary car rental expenses

If you have to rent a car for your vacation, keep the cost down by avoiding unnecessary fees. "Car rentals agencies always slam you with tons of charges at the last minute," Glaser said. "One avoidable one is additional insurance."

The rental car company will likely offer you the option to buy insurance coverage, but there's a good chance you're already covered.

"Before you travel, call your credit card provider and ask if they will provide collision insurance if you pay for the rental with your card," Glaser said. "Also, check with your own automobile insurance provider to see if they will cover your rental. If either says yes, you likely don't need any more."

You also can save money on rental cars by filling up the gas tank before you drop off the car, rather than prepaying the rental company to refuel it for you. If possible, don't rent a car from the airport, because you'll pay more thanks to concessions fees rental agencies pay to airports — and pass on to consumers.

Avoid foreign transaction fees

If you travel overseas, you could get hit with a variety of fees for using your debit or credit card. For example, your bank might charge you a foreign transaction fee for withdrawing cash from an ATM in a foreign country. Your credit card issuer also might charge you a fee for using your card overseas.

"Today, there are many credit cards and checking accounts that do not charge consumers foreign transaction fees or ATM fees," Rice said. "If you're traveling without one, you could be wasting hundreds of dollars on a trip on fees."

She recommends the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, which has no foreign transaction fees. And the Capital One 360 checking account and debit card "allow you to take out money around the world for free," Rice said.