The secret to finding the best travel bargains

To save the most on travel, resist the mainstream. Instead, think in every way – including where to go, how to go and when to go – like a contrarian.

I call this frugal secret the off-travel mindset, a willingness to chart your own course to savings and possibly a better experience. The following are a few off-travel strategies I rely on.

Off-peak travel

Off-peak travel, or going when everyone else is not, generally gets you the best prices on costs that change with demand, including flights and accommodations.

Ms Kayla DeLoache, the US travel expert for travel search site Kayak, said midweek flights tend to offer the best value, while Fridays and Sundays are the most expensive, thanks to the weekend surge.

“Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are generally when we see airfare around 20 per cent cheaper than on other days of the week,” said Ms Katy Nastro of Going.com, a membership service for cheap airfare.

She cited a round-trip flight between Boston and San Francisco in August at US$241 (S$309) for Monday to Friday, which drops to US$208 when the departure shifts to Tuesday.

The same approach applies to the calendar. For summer travel, flights in late May and late August can save travellers 15 to 20 per cent on airfare, compared with those in mid-July, when traffic peaks, according to Ms DeLoache.

Off-season travel

Would you sacrifice the best weather in a destination for the best price? That is the prospect of off-season travel, going when the crowds ease, usually because of weather or school holidays.

In addition to lower airfares and hotel rates, off-season triggers its own specials.

For example, several recreational vehicle rental companies offer one-way relocation deals to get their vehicles from one destination post-season to the next, often 40 to 60 per cent off normal prices and starting as low as US$14 a night.

Rental car company Hertz regularly offers one-way rentals at up to 50 per cent off during transition seasons.

“It’s really a win-win,” wrote Mr Henry Kuykendall, executive vice-president of customer operations for Hertz, in an e-mail. “Customers get a great deal on one-way journeys, while we move our vehicles where they’ll serve customers best.”

Off-the-beaten-path travel

In travel economics, popularity triggers higher prices. If everyone wants to go to Dubrovnik, Croatia, which has a finite number of guest rooms, then the prices for those rooms tend to go up. And if you find long wait times at attractions and restaurants, the quality of the experience tends to go down.

One way to avoid the beaten-path pinch is to get off it by looking for similarities in less popular places, or “dupes”.

“These dupes offer similar experiences, landscapes or cultural vibes, allowing travellers to avoid crowds and save money while still enjoying a memorable trip,” wrote Ms Melanie Fish, vice-president of global public relations for Expedia Group Brands, in an e-mail.

She identified alternatives, including Baton Rouge, Louisiana, over New Orleans for a similar cultural spirit but a cheaper cost of living. With its walkable streets, small hotels and culinary scene, Charleston, South Carolina, can substitute for Europe and save you money on airfare. (Expedia noted that round-trip airfare to Charleston from New York recently started at US$217.)

Off-ramp travel

Whether you call it off-road, off-grid or offline, leaving the world behind usually means saving money.

In the US, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) allows dispersed camping – meaning camping apart from developed campgrounds – for free for up to 14 days on its public lands. (Travellers should expect to forgo toilets and running water and adhere to Leave No Trace wilderness principles.)

The federal website Recreation.gov manages camping reservations on lands managed by several agencies, including the National Park Service and the BLM, which also offers campgrounds.

Recreation.gov also takes reservations for rustic cabins on Forest Service lands.

Several camping platforms, including The Dyrt, Hipcamp and Campspot, identify campgrounds, dispersed camping areas and campsites on private lands.

Off-speed travel

Transport is one of the biggest expenses of a trip. But what if you tried moving at the speed of humans when you got there?

Slow travel, such as following ancient routes – think of pilgrimage trails such as the Camino de Santiago in Spain – can offer relatively affordable ways to travel.

Walking routes that do not require camping can be a lot easier to find in Europe – hikes in Switzerland range from vineyard ambles to high Alpine treks. With some planning, walkers can also tackle sections of the 1,609km-long Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin using shuttle services from trailheads to lodgings in local communities arranged in advance with volunteers.

Going by bike – or bikepacking – allows you to cover more ground. The Adventure Cycling Association offers information on long-distance bike routes across the country and into Canada. It also offers its own guided biking trips (a four-day, inn-to-inn trip in Maine costs about US$1,700) and a list of cyclists-only lodgings found along bike touring routes.

Off-the-cuff travel

While it may be difficult to find a cheap flight at the last minute, spontaneous lodging and package deals abound.

The app HotelTonight offers discounted last-minute lodgings – which range from basic to luxury hotels – in cities from Albuquerque in the US to Zurich in Switzerland.

Among short-term rental platforms, Whimstay offers deals on vacation homes, usually with booking dates within 30 days.

Online travel agencies often maintain pages devoted to deals on short notice.

Expedia recently listed a trip to Orlando, Florida, from Baltimore for US$171 a person a night, including airfare and hotel accommodations. Travelocity and discount retailer Costco also list travel sales.

Tour companies such as Intrepid Travel offer last-minute deals, recently including a nine-day trip to Bali in June for US$772, or about US$200 off, not including airfare.

Offset travel

In some cases, travellers can trade their sweat equity for free or discounted travel by volunteering.

Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, for example, offers global farm stays for volunteers who participate in farm work and can use their free time to explore. Experiences range from making goat cheese in Greece to working on an organic 8ha farm in Missouri.

The organisation emphasises education and cultural exchange, and hosts provide meals and lodging to their volunteers, who usually work around 25 hours a week.

Other organisations charge a fee to cover a volunteer’s lodging and food. The non-profit ConservationVIP, for example, offers week-long trail restoration trips in Yosemite National Park for US$1,095 a person.

If your idea of travel involves getting to know the locals, consider a day of volunteering. In Hawaii, the programme Malama Hawaii offers a range of traveller-friendly volunteer opportunities across the islands, such as beach clean-ups and tree-planting. NYTIMES