Vacation can be expensive. You buy not only air tickets, but you also pay for a place to stay and activities to do while you are there. Maintaining a travel budget can be difficult. However, bundling purchases, such as using travel packages, can help keep costs down and maybe even get big discounts on things to do.
What are travel packages?
So what is a “vacation package”? Think of it as a bunch of vacation items bundled into one payment. I think this term can be misleading because you might automatically think that the tour package covers your entire trip. This is not necessarily true.
A travel package can be for the whole trip, for a weekend or even for a day. This can also apply to package payments for flights, hotels and car rentals. There are also “travel packages” that only include booking activities while you are at your destination. Some have only a guide and a few major attractions.
Basically, a vacation package is when you buy more than one vacation item together. It can be any combination of things that can help you plan your trip and save money.
Where can you book tours?
Whether you are planning or looking to put together a last minute tour package, there are several ways to make this booking.
Internet Travel Sites and Airlines
Every travel website and every airline website has vacation package options for you. For example, on sites like Expedia, you can choose the option that says “Book a flight and hotel”. This is one way to tie. Another option is to select the “vacation package” option and see what other options can be combined.
In Expedia, continuing the example, you can add a vehicle to your package as part of a travel package. You can also select events on the Southwest Airline website.
Aside from Expedia, there are dozens of online travel website options for booking your travel packages. I recommend comparing prices from different sites to see which one gives you the best deal. Some examples of where to start:
Just keep in mind when using these sites that they are essentially intermediaries. So, if for some reason you need to cancel or make changes, you will have to go through them and not through the travel company that will take care of you at your destination.
Refunds can sometimes be tricky, so if you’re not one hundred percent sure about your plans, consider either waiting until you book or contacting local businesses directly so you don’t have any problems with the middleman.
Booking sites
Booking sites like Viator or TripAdvisor are great options for booking travel packages for weekend getaways or day trips. For example, if you are in Germany and want to take a short trip from Munich to the Austrian border, you can do so by booking a day tour. The package will most likely include transportation, a guide, and food (either included or a stop where you can buy it).
These sites can also be used to book events, excursions and tours. Booking these travel packages is a great way to experience the local culture without worrying about the planning details!
Through your travel credit card
If you have a great travel benefit credit card in your travel wallet, be sure to visit the website (or give them a call) associated with your account. This is another resource that you can use to find deals and combine payments. When you book with a tourist credit card, you can also easily pay everything using your points.
Groupon & LivingSocial
Groupon has a variety of travel options to choose from. You go to their vacation option and choose where you would like to go. It’s also a great way to see different destinations and offers if you’re unsure of where to go first.
LivingSocial is similar to Groupon and has very similar deals. I think it is always helpful to compare the cost and what you will receive before booking. Comparing the two should give you a good idea, and don’t forget to read the fine print!
Hotels
Various hotels and resorts offer packages for guests who book directly through them. This can include event packages, meals and resort credit, or even the option of free overnight stays if you book a minimum number of nights.
No matter where you decide to go, be sure to visit the official website of where you are staying and see what they have to offer.
All inclusive packages
Holidays usually mean that everything in the hotel / resort is paid for or included in your room rate. For example, all your food and alcohol will be billed per person in your hotel room, and you don’t need to worry about that cost while you’re there.
When it comes to travel packages, this is a great option for extended stays, especially in resorts and spas, where you will likely be spending all your time at the resort itself. It should be noted that these all-inclusive trips do not always include all excursions or activities on site, so be sure to check the options. In addition, the flight may be separate if you do not book an all-inclusive resort with your flight.
(Note that all resorts charge a daily resort fee. This plus taxes is not included in the all-inclusive rate, so you will still be responsible for paying it upon check-out)
Costco Travel Packages
If you have a Costco membership, be sure to visit the Costco Travel website. Exclusively for Costco members, the site offers flight and hotel deals and carefully selected travel packages. One of the nice things about them is that the price you see is the price you pay; all taxes and fees are included, making it easy to understand how much you will be paying – no surprises!
For any CEOs, 2% cashback applies to your travel purchases as well!
Travel Agents
It is not used very often nowadays. However, travel agents are still a great resource to help you book your package. With the help of agents, you can often customize your travels in many more ways than a simple online booking would allow.
For example, they can not only help you with your flight and hotel accommodation, but they can also book activities, tour guides, airport transportation, and more. By booking together, they can sometimes get you a better deal (not always); they may also have contacts in different companies who will help you with a discount.
For those who want everything to be booked together and really don’t want to think about it, a travel agency might be of help.
Pros and cons of vouchers
While they sound great, there are both good and bad sides to buying these packages.
Advantages
Depending on your trip and what you are hoping to do, travel packages can be a great way to pay for everything at once and incur no additional costs while you are at your destination.
Some clear benefits include:
- Consolidating payments helps reduce overall costs.
- Certain activities and events can be pre-planned and included in the package price, saving you the trouble of planning or paying for them separately.
- Tours and guides may be included, which can be very helpful if you don’t speak the language.
- Airport transfers can be included to reduce the stress of the trip to your hotel after landing.
- Not all packages need to cover the entire trip; there are many options to choose which package is right for your vacation.
disadvantages
While travel packages include many great things, I think there are some limitations to their use. For example,
- Less flexibility on arrival at your destination – everything is planned in advance! If you don’t do something or don’t want to do something in the package, you will not get your money back.
- If classes are canceled for some reason, they are often replaced with something else, without even asking you. If they give you a choice, your options will be limited.
- Meals may not be included, so this is usually the cost you will need to add to the package. Any meals that are included in the price are in restaurants that you are not allowed to choose.
- You are still required to apply for tourist visas, if applicable.
- You often have to pay for packages in advance, so it can be very expensive right off the bat.
- The best travel package deals may vary depending on your travel dates, so your flexibility may be limited.
When is it worth buying a vacation?
It all depends on where you are going and what your goals are. Here are some examples of what I think about this:
- I love all inclusive vacations when going to the beach resort. I feel like it makes life so much easier.
- When I travel to a country where I don’t know the language and / or my time is limited, I like getting day packages for tours and activities. I find this especially useful when traveling alone. I feel that this way I can see more typical tourist spots, and the rest of the days I leave for my own creative planning and wandering around.
- If I am going somewhere and I have only one final destination, ie I am staying at the same hotel, I will try to find vouchers that include the cost of the flight and hotel accommodation.
This is definitely a personal decision that depends on what you hope to get out of your trip.
How much do you actually save on travel packages?
Depending on where you look, websites will advertise that buying packages or bundling payments can save you hundreds of dollars. This may be true, but the actual amount will depend on your trip.
The best you can do is check the package prices and then calculate how much it will cost if you order these items separately. Then you will need to see if these savings are enough for you. Not all savings are worth it.
For example, if you realize that a package will overwhelm your spontaneous ability, the package may not be worth the savings.
Final thoughts
Whether it’s a solo trip, a family vacation, a romantic getaway, a girls’ weekend, a getaway to chill out, a getaway full of activities, a trip to the mountains or a beach resort, there is a package for the getaway. according to your needs.
You can book packages with a full range of options depending on your budget and vacation goals. Vacation packages can relieve the stress of planning. Just be sure to calculate how much you’re saving and see if it’s really worth it!
Your next wishlist vacation is waiting for you. Happy travels!
This article originally appeared on Your Money Geek and has been republished with permission.