Russell Hannon - November 29, 2017
Still paying off your summer vacation? Holding off on booking a winter escape due to the cost? If so read on because you are in the right place.
Truth is, your last trip likely cost you five times more than it needed to. That's because travel is an industry that charges five times the local cost of living. For example, an average 3-star hotel goes for $160/night, compared to a one-bedroom apartment in the same area that rents out for ($900/month (or $30/night). That hotel costs 5X more than what the local pays over the same duration. The same applies when you eating out three times a day while traveling, as it adds up to five times your at-home grocery bill.
CLICK HERE for my CBC interview on finding winter travel deals.
Overwater Bungalows
Think overwater bungalows are beyond your travel budget? Rates at the AVANI Sepang Gold Coast resort in Kuala Lampur are as low as $102 CDN/night ($80 U.S.):
All-Inclusive Resorts
Seeking the tropics? PriceofTravel.com ranked the 17 cheapest all-inclusive resort towns in the Caribbean, and found Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic to be the cheapest. For details on all 17 destinations click here: 
Cruise Deals
To quickly find amazing cruise deals, CruiseSheet.com scours the best online cruise deals and posts the best ones on their website. I also recommend CruiseCritic.com which is the most comprehensive online resource for 'everything cruises' including tips, reviews, ship descriptions, sailing routes and destination information.
My top money saving cruise tips are laid out in the article 'Cruising on a Budget - How to Find the Best Deals & Make the Most of your Next Vacation' which is sure to save you money and help you get the most out of your next cruise. This is the most in-depth cruising article I've contributed to with fellow contributors Colleen McDaniel (Cruise Critic), and Tanner Callais of Cruizely.com.
Best Day to Book Winter Travel
Cyber Monday stands out above others for great winter travel deals. It is the online equivalent of Black Friday, and falls on the Monday after the U.S. thanksgiving. This is HUGE for travel because all travel is booked online. My favorite Cyber Monday deals include 50% off at Atlantis Bahamas and 90% OFF hotels booked on Expedia's app.
To browse my favorite Cyber Monday Travel Deals Click Here. You should also visit your favorite travel websites and those of any hotels/resorts that interest you as they may post Cyber Monday deals on their homepage.
Cheap Destinations with Great Winter Weather
If your vacation dates are set, and you are up in the air on where to go, I met Roger Wade of PriceOfTravel.com who was a fellow speaker at TBEX - a conference for travel bloggers. Roger specializes in making lists of cheapest travel options, and he broke down the cheapest destinations with great weather by month. Simply click the article for the month you plan to travel, and shortlist the destinations that interest you most:
Discount Airlines
A new website making an impression with amazing flight deals is Insanelycheapflights.com which boasts jaw dropping deals on their homepage. The website has has a search feature you can use to find the best fares specific to your desired route.
In the U.S., I love Southwest for it's combination of inexpensive flights and being the last 'big' airline to not charge checked bag fees.
Visiting Europe or Iceland? Icelandic Are is a discount airline offering one-way flights between Europe and the United States/Canada with a free stopover option in Reykjavik.
Speaking of Canada (one of the most expensive countries to fly in), Flair Airlines is Canada's first ultra-low fare airline. But there is a caveat:
A new website making an impression with amazing flight deals is Insanelycheapflights.com which boasts jaw dropping deals on their homepage. The website has has a search feature you can use to find the best fares specific to your desired route.
In the U.S., I love Southwest for it's combination of inexpensive flights and being the last 'big' airline to not charge checked bag fees.
Visiting Europe or Iceland? Icelandic Are is a discount airline offering one-way flights between Europe and the United States/Canada with a free stopover option in Reykjavik.
Speaking of Canada (one of the most expensive countries to fly in), Flair Airlines is Canada's first ultra-low fare airline. But there is a caveat:
• You cannot book flights as far out as with major carriers.
• Routes typically only depart a few days each week, with one flight each of those days.
• Heftier checked-bag fees.
• Surcharges for anything discretionary including printed boarding passes.
CLICK HERE for my CBC interview on finding winter travel deals.
FREE GUIDE: Download 'Beat the best Online Fare - Every Time, Every Flight at BreakTheTravelBarrier.com