Vacationing in the Digital Age: Virtual Sunscreen Anyone?

COLUMBIA, Md., March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Gone are the days of writing off for destination brochures, shopping travel agents and buying coupon books. Ask anyone in their 20s or early 30s when they last walked into a AAA office or called their travel agent. Most likely, all you will hear is a deafening silence.  

And it's not just the young travelers who are giving up traditional planning methods for more high-tech avenues. According to the 2009 Travel Monitor from Yankelovich, 66 percent of Americans are using the Internet to plan their vacations, versus just 35 percent in 2000.

"Vacation planning these days is so much easier because of the Internet," says Jenny Realo, executive vice president of CareOne Services Inc. "And the number of online services and resources continues to grow every year."

We've all heard about the gnome and other travel services that advertise their wares over national airwaves, but what about some of those unsung portals with lower advertising budgets? Realo navigates the Web and offers these digital tools that save you money, while still allowing you to have a great vacation.

Getting the Best Prices

Planning in advance is important to any trip. Knowing where to get the price is part of it. Start by checking out kayak.com to compare rates on all the major travel reservation Web sites. If you find a few Web sites that often give best rates on your favorite destinations, sign up for their e-mail alerts so you can be sent the best deals as they become available.

Home Sweet Home… Almost

We generally sleep better in our own beds, so why not get the comfort of home on your next trip? Consider renting a vacation home rather than spending hundreds a night on a hotel room. Check out Web sites, such as vrbo.com and homeaway.com for great vacation destinations that feel almost like home. These homes come fully equipped with a full-range kitchen, complete washer and dryer units, and other amenities you oftentimes won't find in a hotel. Save more and go with a group of friends or another family.

Or go the bed and breakfast route with sites like bbbonline.org and BedandBreakfast.com. You'll likely get a very affordable rate and benefit from insight offered by the owners on where to go and what to do. Not to mention, your cost includes breakfast.

Shop the Truly Authentic

If you really want to get someone special a great gift, avoid souvenir shops in the tourist area. Those gifts are generally marked up because they know they will get the traffic to purchase their goods. Do research in advance on Web sites like virtualtourist.com where you can get tips from others who have visited certain destinations and provided feedback on what's worth your time and why.

Apply Yourself

Being connected with your mobile phone is an ever-growing trend, so why not incorporate it into your vacation planning? While it may be hard to plan every detail on your trip, there are several mobile applications that can make your trip planning less stressful. Decide on the destination and travel details; then leave the rest up to your mobile phone. Mobile applications, such as WHERE, Gowalla and Yelp, provide real reviews by consumers for various points of interest. They can also provide specific recommendations at certain restaurants and what you can expect to spend.

If you want to plan in advance, these sites also have an online component you can check out. While you're surfing the net to plan your trip, also check out urbanspoon.com for restaurants that locals frequent.

Give Back with Voluntourism

Want to get the most out of your vacation this year? Try out voluntourism or a volunteer vacation. The Travel Industry Association finds that more than one quarter of Americans are interested in spending their time off helping others. It's also a great way to save money, especially if you want to travel abroad. Many organizations that arrange volunteer vacations provide special all inclusive packages for a set amount of time. Check out earthwatch.org, unitedplanet.org and globalvolunteers.org for opportunities ranging from one week up to as many as 52 weeks! If you have a special strength, you may find there are other clubs out there that could use you. Take, for example, worldvets.org, an organization that travels all over the world to focus on animal health.

If you want to stay local, check out the local Habitat for Humanity to see if there are opportunities for you to travel to a nearby state. You can also check out the Sierra Club online, the oldest and largest grassroots environment organization in the United States.

Another plus for voluntourism - most of your expenses are tax deductible! If you want to take advantage of this tax break, check out the organization's U.S. tax status before signing up.

"Good money management includes setting short and long term goals. A vacation should be a short term goal you save towards and a time that is stress free," says Realo. "Consider your trip a reward for sticking to your budget and staying within your means."

For more ways to save money year round, visit www.careonecredit.com.

About CareOne Services

CareOne Services Inc. was formed in 2002 to provide consumers with multiple solutions to complex money problems. CareOne Debt Relief Services boasts a unique Financial Fitness Center that examines each consumer's individual financial situation and develops a personalized solution to help the consumer get out of debt and strengthen his or her financial footing.

CareOne Debt Relief Services has helped hundreds of thousands of consumers. CareOne takes a holistic approach in assisting customers to manage their debt, looking at an individual's situation and creating a solution that is achievable and works. CareOne does not offer to change or improve an individual's credit score, record or rating.  CareOne goes beyond providing the standard debt payment programs, helping consumers address day-to-day life issues that are the result of being in debt along with free educational tools online.

SOURCE CareOne Services Inc.