How do you guys travel cheap?
 

I am planning on taking my girlfriend to New Orleans for new years, along with some other friends. Unfortunately, we have almost no money, and I would like to spend most of what I do have on good food and fun, rather than hotels/other expenses.

So how do you guys travel truly cheaply?

make friends with other people and stay with them....

recently we bought a timeshare so that we can travel the world for the cost of our "share" ownership.

Before that, we'd keep on the look out for good deals via websites, frequent flyer, and time of year (off season) new years is not off season...anywhere.

Flying is not going to be cheap. It is the peak season. Same with hotels. Fun is the BigEasy is also not cheap. Good food can be expensive too :) Try Priceline for tix/hotel

From NC, it not that far of a drive, definitely your cheapest form of travel. And look into Hostels for overrnight. Far, far from luxury but cheap. http://www.hostels.com/

When flying, be willing to have one connection.
Find someone on the other end you can stay with
It is not absolutely necessary to stay at the nicest hotel, just adequate.
When eating out, fast food is fine, why do fine dining all the time
Bring your own travel food.
Bring a good book, laptop, etc. keep yourself occupied...just chill in the sun.
Find outdoor spots that are beautiful, yet free to go to.
Check out the local culture, just by walking around
Go to museums that are free.

Try inexpensive cruises...seven days, will feel like a month
and you'll have everything for you, and you get to see places.

Just because you go to another place,
doesn't mean you have to spend everything.

I would prefer to spend my money on the interesting & fun things.
Adventure, doesn't have to be costly.

Priceline is a good deal for rooms. I've paid $60 bucks for a room at the Sheraton in Boston and DC, and 80 bucks for Marriot rooms in NYC before. mmmm... nice plush beds and all...

check out www.biddingfortravel.com for tips on how to bid on priceline.

Hostels and B&B's can be a good deal sometimes. Though i'd really not want to stay at a hostel if i'm traveling with my SO *WINK* . Lack of security as well. It's great fun if you're in a group, and its high season though, you can meet new people.

Get/rent a caravan?

get a job which involves lots of travel and get someone else to pay... worked for me

At least one connection. Please also remember that it is often cheaper to leave on a Thursday than a Friday. Take the time to search for different arrival/departure dates as this can significantly impact price. I understand the importance of possible being there for the New Years celebration, but understand that about Jan 4th or so the airfare will dip dramatically.

Agreed. However, when staying in New Orleans, you will want to stay in the old section of the city. Make sure you aren't outside the city. (This should allow you to not need to rent a car.) There is alot within walking distance in New Orleans if you pick the correct place to stay.

As long as you are staying in the right area of New Orleans, you can spend days walking through the old antique shops.

Other tips: Get the "New Orleans Travel Book" or whatever the hell they call theirs before you go. There are often coupons/fun ideas for daytrips included, not to mention maps and attractions you may have missed otherwise.

Don't be afraid of public transportation. Cabs are nice, but the folks at the hotel will be happy to tell you how to get where you need to much more cheaply.

http://edubabnet.com/
Educator's Bed and Breakfast.

Effectively anywhere you go across the world, people open up their home to you for almost free. My parents use it to go everywhere. My wife doesn't like it too much.
You're supposed to be an educator to join, but just lie. That's what I do...

I fly southwest.

Unfortunatly that doesn't work when I travel to Denver to visit my parents. So when I can't fly southwest, I compare airline rates, and sometimes call up the airlines and start pitting them against eachother.

ex:
Me: "Hello, United Airlines?"
UA: "Yes, how can we help you"
Me: "I'm looking to travel from Phoenix to Denver from [insert date] to [insert date]."
UA: "We have a rate of $315 for that trip"
Me: "Oh, well I was just on the phone with America West and they offered me a rate of $300."
UA: "One second please" (puts me on hold)
UA: (takes me off hold a minute later) "We can give you the flight you're asking for for $270"
Me: "That's great can you put a hold on that price."
UA: "Yes we can, the hold will expire at midnight" (proceeds to take down my information)

Hang up then call America West Airlines and do the exact same thing to them. Keep it up until one airline refuses to go any lower and then claim the cheapest fare hold.

*Note, this tends to not work when one of the airlines is a low-fare airline like Frontier.

avoiding weekend peaks is clutch to get cheap airfare. Im going to miami in a week and its actually 400 dollars cheaper leaving on thursday night and coming home on monday morning than leaving friday morning and coming back sunday night. Booking you flight last minute on the net is also a good method.

if you are prepared to take the chance there a few sites offering "lastminute" deals.

No airline or hotel likes empty seats or beds and will offer deals for same day or near same day use.

This is the Australian version but I am sure they are in states as well

http://www.au.lastminute.com/lmn/pso...html?CATID=783

My way for cheap/free airfare?

Hit up my friends who work for airlines! I can get a space-available ticket to anywhere on America West for $100.

I can get a guarenteed space ticket for Mesa (run by America West in some instances) for FREE.

Yeah. FREE.

Fuck yeaaaaaaah.

also, don't forget to look online for New Orleans city deals for cheap or discounted coupons/tix to shows, restaurants, etc. Also Entertainment book has buy 1 get 1 free for lots of stuff. Check it out for additional savings.

Buy a motor home. Expensive at first, but a good investment.

As much as it sucks, I would go ahead and sell your girlfriend for onenight, for one million dollars to Robert Redford.

Seriously, though, you can travel cheap. Hostels are a good method, or you could even rent a pick-up truck and camp out in the truck bed.

Greyhound will get you there cheap rather than a plane but you might end up in the deepest of the deep south and then you'll have to learn to squeel like a pig.

If you insist on flying, subscribe to Southwest's and America West's weekly discounted fares. Theyre restrictive on dates, usually but you might be able to score tickets.

Personally, I would just rent a car and drive out there; if its from NC, it'll take you a long day to get there.

Give some more info as to what "not much money" means.

Cheap travel for me generally means driving and a mix of sleeping in the car, pitching tent at camping grounds, and cheap motels to freshen up.