Your tip about the Rubbermaid tote as luggage prompts me to ask this question. We are traveling to t

1. Travel during the off-season when you can . The most expensive times to visit Hawaii are over the Christmas holidays, Spring Break and in Summer (June 15 to August 15). Even coming at the shoulder season, say late August, can result in far lower costs and less crowding.
2. Plan far ahead or go last minute . I’ve mentioned this before regarding inter-island airfares but it often applies to everything on your vacation. Either way you can get better deals. Traditional 3-6 months advance planning is usually the most expensive.
The last minute Hawaii packages of hotel and air from Pleasant Holidays have been another excellent value. hotels in central rome italy The last one we featured included round trip air between California and Maui plus three nights hotel for only $298 per person.
4. Consider travel insurance . How much money is at risk and how much you are willing to lose in the event of a trip cancellation or early termination? I do not suggest never buying insurance from a tour company, airline or cruise ship. Shop around for the best insurance for your specific hotels in central rome italy needs and do not buy on a whim. You need to do your homework in order to avoid throwing away money and perhaps not even getting the coverage you need. Start shopping within a few days of making your first trip reservation as waiting results in reduced hotels in central rome italy coverage.
Beat of Hawaii reader Curly, who’s coming to Hawaii in March, is excited by the deals offered. She’s already hotels in central rome italy “accumulated discounts hotels in central rome italy on 7 meals and 2 scuba dives (total cost $250, total value $500), from Groupon and PlayHawaii.”
6. If you’re coming here to celebrate, be sure to mention it . Birthdays, Honeymoons and Anniversaries may all qualify for that potential upgrade or other bonuses. hotels in central rome italy Keep in mind, however, that it doesn’t always work, and it has been tried oh so many times.
7. Check activity and restaurant websites . Some restaurants have discounted menus on certain days of the week or for early diners. I ve also found discounts booking hotels in central rome italy directly with activity vendors using their websites.
8. How far are you willing to drive to save money on airfare hotels in central rome italy . Consider neighbor airports. One example is Sacramento, and another is San Diego. Both have had great Hawaii airfares when neighboring San Francisco and Los Angeles have not.
9. When flying inter-island, don’t forget to check Island Air . They currently have the lowest priced flights, and you can often save up to $30 each way. That really adds up, and they’re a nice company hotels in central rome italy to travel with to boot.
10. Subscribe in order to track airfares changes quickly . They are alerts available from Travelocity, Hotwire, Expedia, FareCompare, and many others. These tend to work and/or be useful about half the time. Don t forget Beat of Hawaii s Post Alerts . Our Hawaii airfare deal reporting has become hotels in central rome italy the industry standard for Hawaii travel. Today is the last day that they re on sale at half-off, only $1.66/month .
11. In Honolulu, if you aren’t going to rent a car, consider in advance how to get from the airport into town . The Bus is definitely the cheapest way at $2 if you don t have over sized luggage. There may be a rail system in the near future. hotels in central rome italy Otherwise, hotels in central rome italy your choices are costly taxis, shuttles or tour buses, hotels in central rome italy none of which comes cheap.
12. Car rental prices can be all over the map . Check out our recent article Ten ways to save money on Hawaii car rentals . And by the way, don’t forget to check the gas. My last rental came to me with an empty tank, but I was so busy looking for dings that I forgot to check the gas until well after I d left the rental lot.
13. Travel with a nylon duffel bag . If I’m traveling with only a carry-on, this can be helpful when I buy too much on the trip and need to check a bag on the return. Another trick is to buy a Rubbermaid tote for $4 and use that instead of a suitcase on the return. They’re sure useful at home, and I have collected quite a number of them from this trick.
14. Hawaii is replete with wonderful and abundant free activities . Take advantage hotels in central rome italy of them. If you opt for paid activities, shop around carefully online and in person as the cost of these can vary widely from season to season, and planned hotels in central rome italy in advance versus what s available last minute.
15. Purchase a buffet breakfast at your hotel . Many Hawaii hotels offer lavish buffets where you can eat enough to only need to buy dinner. Find out in advance what s offered. When purchased hotels in central rome italy with a room rate, these can often be had at about half the cost of buying them at the restaurant once you ve arrived.
When is the best time to buy airline tickets from LAX to KOA for August travel? We ve booked our condo but the airfares are really high. Any sense of what a reasonable August airfare would be and when they would go on sale?
There is unfortunately no rule of thumb on when airfare sales occur. We ve already had some sales that extend through next fall. By the way, the first two weeks of August are high season, and will not likely go on sale at any time soon, if ever.
If you are going to see someone over in the Islands that is local, have them set a Rent a Wreck type for you. If they are residents hotels in central rome italy they may be able to secure Kamaina rates for you on some things. Don t be afraid to use local rental lots, they are regulated by the state for safety and you may do very well.
Your tip about the Rubbermaid tote as luggage prompts me to ask this question. We are traveling to the Big Island and I have a small inverter generator that I need for our cabin. I was thinking about checking it as luggage as it meets the size and weight regulations. Do you think the airline would allow that as luggage? The box even has carry handles and I have seen cardboard boxes on the luggage carousels before. I was going to call the airline and check, but thought you might know.