The real deal on traveling on the cheap with Priceline..

Hey Everybody..

I've gotten seriously good at getting the bottom line price when traveling. People in my family and social circles are now calling me to help them book a trip.

Here are a few steps to get the lowest price on your next trip. Its really simple..

First of all, you aren't going to get anywhere booking on Expedia, or Hotels.com, or sites like that. Those sites are only good if you need to stay at a specific hotel, and want to pay a little bit off book rate.

There is a time and place to use those sites, but honestly if you are like me, then you don't care exactly where you stay, you just want it to be a nice place, and you might enjoy the element of surprise.

Priceline is the only way to stay for a place super cheap. I have walked into many 3.5-4 star hotels, and have been wondering how they even LET ME IN THE DOOR for the 39 bucks per night that I had paid.

Its unreal.

Here is a link to my Tripadvisor page.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/JustinH

Tripadvisor is an excellent tool for reading actual reviews on a property before you stay there, also you can get some excellent tips on the area from fellow travelers, not from the hotel itself. Also you can get real world pictures of the rooms, the property, and more. This tool is amazing. I contribute to that site nearly every time I travel. Heck, they even sent me a ball cap in the mail they like me so much.

I always post the price that I paid for the room on priceline, so that other people can get a similar deal. You should too.

I'll break down this instructional into the different things that you may need to book for your trip.

1.) Airfare-

With the way that airfare in this country is getting (expensive), I have only had look booking in advance with Southwest.com using their Internet Rate. Usually priceline can not beat the price that they give, but you do need to book in advance. Southwest does not fly everywhere, but if you find yourself having to go somewhere that they do not fly, then use the ITA Software search engine.

http://www.itasoftware.com/

You will need to click on search airfares, then login as guest. ITA software is a company that makes the engine that MANY different aggregators on the internet use. Take a look at Priceline search, then use theirs, it is the exact same thing. Many sites use this engine, and they all report the same prices.

The ITA Software will get you the cheapest price on airfare, and you can go directly to the airlines website and book direct from them, with no overhead from an aggregator.

This my friends is how you get the cheapest airfare.

2.) Car rental-

You will probably need to rent a car, but it is tough to compare prices unless you use an aggregator. The big boys like Priceline do not include all the car rental companies, so you are usually stuck with their major overpriced company, unless you make a lowball offer.

Here is where carrentals.com comes in.

http://www.carrentals.com/

This site is awesome for getting the lowest posted price at a specific airport or city. They search all the no name car rental places, and you can use your judgement if you want to use them or not.

I have rented in vegas for 11 bucks a day, and orlando for 18 bucks per day.

Always rent the economy car, about 8 out of 10 times, you will get a free upgrade at the counter to something else.

I usually get the lowest price on CarRentals.com, then try to bid a few bucks cheaper on Priceline to save a few bucks. Usually Carrentals will be cheaper than priceline, they usually don't take your lowball offer.

3.) Hotels-

The way to a cheap hotel is priceline. Nothing else is even close.

http://www.priceline.com/

But the main question is what do you bid? People overbid all the time, and Priceline is ready to take your money. There are a few really good sites on the web, where actual people post what they bid, and if their offer was accepted or not. This is an excellent way to figure out where your bid should be.

These sites also show you what hotels are located in what areas, and it gives you a good idea of what hotel you will be assigned before you bid. You can go on tripadvisor, and see if you are ready to take the plunge before you do so.

The first site is BiddingforTravel.

http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/

The second is Betterbidding

http://www.betterbidding.com/

These websites are a source for an amazing amount of information, to figure out exactly what to bid on your hotel, and exactly what you may be assigned.

In conclusion, Priceline hotels are amazingly cheap. They are non refundable travel. You do not know exactly what hotel you will be assigned, until after they charge you for it. Honestly I don't have a problem with this. I have never been assigned anything but a nice room with Priceline, and have used them for years. Most times, I am overly impressed with the accommodations received for the price paid.

GOOD LUCK,
Justin