Two Ways To Save Money On Your Road-Trip Accommodation Costs

It is never too early to start planning the family vacation road trip to be taken over the school holidays. Motels located at popular beachside resorts book out quickly, but as a family on a budget, how do you save money when the rest of Australia is on holiday too? December vacation accommodation is generally at its priciest point of the year, but that does not mean that you can't get a bargain. Here are two ways you can reduce the price you pay for accommodation so that you have more money to spend on the fun stuff.

Utilise Accommodation Aggregation Websites

You don't have to look further than your favourite search engine to find a travel-based aggregation website. These websites are ones where you enter the location of your visit, and they show you all the available motel rooms in the area along with the current advertised price. The interesting point about these websites though is that they often advertise different prices when you compare the same motel room between different sites. Because of this price differential, it is prudent that you check the price of the motel you are interested in on more than one website.

Additionally, sign up now to more than one aggregation website so you are immediately informed of the announcement of special deals. Often, the websites run short sales where you can save up to 25% of your accommodation cost by booking in advance.

When looking for motel accommodation, you don't have to settle when pre-booking. However, if you don't pre-book your accommodation well in advance, does this mean you're going to pay top dollar prices?

Turn Up And Negotiate

There are often good reasons not to pre-book accommodation in advance while on a road trip. For example, if you don't want to be tied down to a set plan and just want to see where you end up, then pre-booking is not an option.

While bargaining is not something every person is comfortable with, it is still worth asking the question about whether it is a fixed rate or if there is room for negotiation. Offering to pay by cash, for example, is one way to secure a discount. This is because the motel does not need to pay the surcharge fees charged by credit card companies. At worst the motel will say no to your request for a cheaper rate, so it never hurts to ask.

The ultimate goal of this holiday is to have a great time away without it costing an arm and a leg. Do some research now so you know what you will be paying later.