First of all, get your passport in order. I don’t know how many people I have seen show up at airports without a passport for flights overseas. You gotta have one! Apply for one at least six months before your vacation, as it takes forever for our hyper efficient government to issue your passport.

Look for travel deals in the off season. If you are going to Europe or Japan, go in Fall when fares and hotels are cheaper. If you are going to Hawaii or the Caribbean, summer is actually a cheaper time. If you do have to go in the high season, book many months ahead to get the best deal possible. Call the airlines reservation line as well. Sometimes they can work magic and find you fares that aren’t online or seemingly anywhere else.

Use airline points to get discounted or free air fares. It is very easy to accumulate these points, as every business seems to have a scheme to give you them. There are also points bonus opportunities just by signing up at an airlines website, and subscribing to offers. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to get the free seats even if you have the points. They make them F fares, way down the chart, and there may not even be one of these seats on each plane. The one person I know that got a totally free ticket with miles booked a YEAR in advance.

Even if you don’t have the full number of miles to get a free ticket, often airlines will run promotions for smaller number of miles and cash that can be a bargain. These are much easier to get. I like these offers because they give me miles when I travel, so, when I use 10,000 miles and travel 10,000 miles, I am right back where I started at the end of the trip.

Check with discounters online. Of course we all know the Travelocities and Pricelines, but definitely compare them with the airlines own site, and you might be surprised, you will sometimes find better deals there. If you are traveling in Europe, check out Ryanair or Easyjet, best fares ever. In America, Virgin seems to be an up and comer in the low fare game.

Check for cities near your destination. Prices to popular destinations like Las Vegas may be very cheap. It may be better to fly there and drive to Los Angeles if the price of the flight and car hire is right. Even better on the East coast, cities are very close to each other, so go out a ways, and you may find a better deal.

Don’t get charged for bags. Many airlines are charging for the fist bag you check, so don’t check them. I have been around the world with only a backpack and a shopping bag (to carry back souveniers). Why take 10 pairs of pants if you are only going to be wearing a swimsuit. Find out the bag rules before you get to the airport. If you are loaded for bear, like moving overseas, look into shipping your items in a container or simply through the mail. It is often times cheaper, and more likely to get to the actual city it was shipped to.

If traveling inside a country, look at car hire. When I travel cross country, it is often cheaper, if quite a bit slower to rent a car, especially for multiple people. The reason I like to hire a car is I would rather put 3000 miles on their car in a week than mine. It is worth the extra expense. And, when you think about it, it may not be that much slower to travel by car as you have to show up at the airport five hours early and wait 10 for your connection these days.

If you are in a foreign country, be sure to get your international drivers license before you go. These can be bought at AAA, and can be used in over 150 foreign countries. These are a supplement to your regular license, so they are not valid in America, but American licenses are not recognized in other countries, kind of a catch 22.

I also like bus service as a cheap way to let someone else do the driving. Look up Megabus to see if they go where you want, or check out the old hound. Greyhound has some great deals in Canada I have noticed. Bus travel is the least comfortable, but it is often cheap.

For hotels, check the internet here as well. Shop around at Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com etc., and you may find a good deal, especially if you book in advance. You also may find really good package deals with hotel and airfare for one price. If you are really cheap like me, look at couchsurfing.com. You can stay at someone elses house for free, and get to meet great people and really learn about the regions culture. Again, this isn’t for everyone. And, if you are by yourself, look at prices on hostels where you share a dorm room with other travelers. Another great way to meet people, but rarely to I find you save money with more than one person.

Look at renting an apartment short term. I have seen many ads on Craigslist etc. for people wanting to rent out their apartment for just a few days or weeks at prices lower than hotels. Of course, shop around here as well. I was in Tampa for superbowl weekend and people were wanting $10,000 a week for some rentals. Research the areas the homes are in as well, as they may be far from the city center.

Research your destination before you go for entertainment, attractions and restaurants as well to save money. Often, attractions like Disney or Six Flags offer special deals on their web sites, and visitors beureas are invaluable sources for discounts. Check Yahoo travel which has good reviews and attraction guides for most cities.

Food is one of the biggest areas for savings. Often when I am in a foreign town, especially internationally, I have no idea where to eat. Many countries don’t have Taco Bells or McDonald’s on every corner, so use the internet to search for low cost eating options. If you wait until you are hungry to start looking, you will end up paying way too much for dinner.

It seems like every major city has a Chinatown, and invariably, there is where you will find great food at good prices. I also like to open air markets where grandmothers will make you homemade delicacies for a little bit of nothing. Finally, supermarkets are always a good choice for cheap eats. When I am in Paris, I go to markets for baguettes and cheese and I am set.

If you want to go to a sit down restaurant, look at the menu before you go in. Most restaurants have their menu published outside the establishment, if they don’t list prices, go down the street. Waiting until you have started eating appetizers is the wrong time to realize everything on the menu is $50 and up.

Finally, take advantage of all the free offers you can by researching before you go. In France, all the museums are free, but only one day a month. Some churches charge you to visit unless you go for mass. Some attractions are cheaper early in the morning, or late in the evening. Many places have special youth, elderly, student, or locals prices. Take advantage of all those discounts you can. I still have my student I.D. even though I haven’t been in school in years. Still works for bargains!