Kids eat for free—or at a discount—at dozens of chain restaurants. But check ahead, because often kids must be under a certain age, or you must order from special menus at specified times. Find spots at familyfriendlyamerica.com and coupondivas.com—whether you’re on the road or at home.
Get group airfares by putting together at least 10 travelers on carriers, including Southwest, United and American. Also ask tour operators and cruise lines about deals for groups.
Join a B&B club and pay $10 to $20 for a room, with breakfast, in the homes of travelers like you. In return, you offer your spare room to people on the road. Call Evergreen Club at 1-800-962-2392 or Affordable Travel Club at 253-858-2172. Of course, be careful when you allow strangers into your house.
Avoid booking fees by using a computer. Virtually every U.S. airline adds a hefty surcharge if you book by phone or at a ticket counter.
Free admission to more than 100 museums, zoos and science centers is yours on the first weekend of each month if you have a Bank of America ATM, credit or check card. Get details at museums.bankofamerica.com.
Older train riders get discounts in the U.S. and Canada. Amtrak cuts 15 percent off most fares for riders 62 or over, while Via Rail Canada offers 10 percent off the full adult fare for travelers over 60.
Drive for free by signing up at autodriveaway.com for cars that need to be relocated. There’s no rental charge, only a $350 refundable deposit, and the first tank of gas is free. Also call rental car companies about one-way deals to relocate their vehicles.
For free sightseeing excursions—with a local resident’s educated perspective—in select cities around the globe, visit globalgreeternetwork.info. There’s also the new europetours.eu, which offers no-cost walking tours with locals in European cities and Israel. For similar offerings, call the chamber of commerce in your destination.
If predawn flights are getting tiresome, check out sleep-and-park packages that combine a night at an airport hotel, a shuttle to the terminal and parking at the hotel for 7 to 14 days. These deals often cost about the same as parking at the airport. Parksleepfly.com, stay123.com and parkingaccess.com let you compare rates.
Flying with luggage? Ship it ahead instead, using a ground service like FedEx or UPS. Most big airlines charge up to $25 one way to check a second bag, and more for additional or overweight bags. Calculate whether shipping makes sense for you at fedex.com or ups.com.
It’s not always true that online prices are cheapest. Often you can save a lot by negotiating with a human.
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