Cheap Barbados Vacation
"How To Plan An Affordable Vacation In Barbados"
Is
a cheap Barbados vacation possible? Contrary to many
travelers
beliefs an affordable vacation to Barbados can be done.
I know some of you are doubting me... But I will show you how!
Tip 1: Your Local Travel Agent May Not Be Best For Your Cheap
Barbados Vacation!
Lets
first look at what can make a trip to Barbados rise above your intended
travel budget.
When planning a
Barbados vacation the first thing everyone does is look
for a cheap flight.
You
call up your local travel agent and are given outrageous quotes.
You are then told that if you don't book your flight within
the next few days you will lose your chance at these ridiculous fares
the travel
agent is claiming are good for this season in the
Caribbean.
So you get home and tell your hubbie how your trusted
travel agent says these are the best airfares to Barbados for
this time of year.
You guys talk it over at night
before going to bed and decide to suck it up and book your
$1,400
USD+ seats the next day because of the "fear of losing this one time
opportunity".
Arrggghhh!!!
As you can tell it upsets me so much when I hear some of the
prices visitors to the island pay travel agents for their flights to
Barbados.
Don't you know why most travel agents tell you this when you try to
travel to the Caribbean?
Local Travel
Agencies have been losing business for years because of the Internet !!!
They
have been struggling to dig themselves out of the hole that
the Online Travel Industry buried them in since the boom of the
Internet Age.
You can not experience a cheap Barbados vacation this way because their
airfares will usually
be higher than online airfares again.
Many local travel agents have even
affiliated with large online travel agencies to offer lower, more
competitive airfares.
In essence they are actually selling you the same ticket you
could have
bought online for more so that they can make a commission or profit.
So if you were planning to book your airfare through your
local travel agent I'm sorry to break this news to you, but save
your money!
Tip 2: You
Can Fly To Barbados For Cheap!
So how do you find cheap
flights to Barbados since airfare is usually the most
expensive part of a trip to the Caribbean?
There
are three important factors that impact the price of your airline
ticket to Barbados and play a major role in finding the cheapest
airfare for your cheap Barbados vacation.
These
three factors are:
1. Whether you buy your ticket online.
Like I just mentioned above in order to keep your flight to
Barbados as cheap as possible you must find the cheapest flight offered
online.
There are hundreds of online
travel websites offerring discount airfares to Barbados including the
popular CheapTickets.com and Orbitz.com. But don't waste your time
searching through all of these travel websites one by one...instead you
can search
them all at once and find
the most affordable flight to Barbados quickly.
2. How far in advance you purchase your ticket.
You should try to plan your trip to Barbados ahead of time,
about
6 months in
advance. This gives you plenty of time to search for a
cheap flight and buying your airline ticket this early generally
results in paying a very low airfare.
3. Which season you travel.
Most visitors also travel to Barbados during the winter season to get
away from the harsh cold of the northern regions of the world.
Airline
companies and travel agencies are obviously smart enough to know this
and raise
their rates during this time of year. If you don't mind
traveling to
Barbados during the summer you
can pay less than half what you would pay in winter.
Now thats a great start to a cheap Barbados vacation!
Tip 3:
Spend Under $100 USD Per Night For Your Hotel During
Your Cheap Barbados Vacation
Now
its time to find a cheap Barbados hotel to stay in during your time on
the island.
If
you want to
experience a cheap Barbados vacation you can not stay at the luxurious
beachfront
Sandy Lane or Colony Club Hotel on the Platinum West Coast.
These
Barbados vacation resorts can be anywhere from $300 USD to over $1,000
USD per night. This is just too pricey if you want
to keep
your Barbados
trip cheap.
How does
under $100 USD per night sound???
There
are plenty of great cheap Barbados hotels lining the more affordable,
yet just as beautiful, south coast of the island. Many of
these
hotels offer rates under $100 USD a night. There are also
some
cheap hotels you can choose from along the west coast of the island if
your heart is
set on staying on the platinum coast.
I have created an
extensive list of cheap hotels in Barbados
offering rates this low. I personally recommend the Butterfly
Beach Hotel.
However if you are not interested in staying at any of these cheap
Barbados hotels you can also compare
the current rates offered all of the hotels in Barbados
and choose what you consider to be the hotel rate that best fits your
travel budget.
Tip 4: Combine! Combine! Combine! For Your Cheap Barbados Vacation
Another
great way to experience a cheap Barbados vacation that I want to
mention is with cheap
all inclusive vacation packages to Barbados.
The name of the game here is COMBINE, COMBINE, COMBINE!.
The reason these Barbados vacation packages work out to be such a great
option
is
because they "combine" your flight and accommodation costs to create
cheap Barbados vacation deals for you. This way you will know exactly how much your trip
to the
island will cost before leaving home.
However
remember that the flight and hotel aren't the only things you
can
combine. There are a number of extra costs that many
visitors forget come along with a Caribbean vacation. These
include meals, attractions and car rentals.
Many all
inclusive Barbados vacation packages include these additional
vacation expenses and allow you to put together your own Caribbean
travel package. They therefore further reduce the
overhead cost of your vacation once you have arrived on the island.
This option is also great
for busy folks. Most of us work 9 to 5 jobs and have
a family
and kids to attend too. Planning a trip to the Caribbean can
therefore become tedious and overwhelming.
That is why cheap Barbados vacation packages were created..to
make vacation planning
hassle free. They allow you to choose
your vacation package to the all inclusive resort of your choice,
pay one set package price, receive your online booking confirmation and
begin counting the days down till paradise!
Tip 5:
Rent The Barbados Minimoke Not The Benz During Your Cheap
Barbados Vacation
Now
that you have gotten the flight, accomodation, meals
and even attractions out of the way it is time to
save even
more money and make your Barbados vacation even cheaper!
How?? By not renting a large vehicle or luxury car!
Lets talk cheap
Barbados car rentals...
Remember
you are taking a vacation in Barbados, a very tiny Caribbean island.
You definitely do not need a large van. A cheap minimoke for a
traveling
couple or a 4 door economy car for the visiting family
is perfect.
For example choose the
cheaper minimoke ...Not the compact
or luxury sedan!
If you need more space because you are a surfer with surfboards or a
large family, then you can rent a SUV.
But choose the
affordable Suzuki Jimny....Not the fully loaded Toyota
RAV4!
Little sacrifices
like these add up to big travel savings! There might be a little less
space in your vehicle but your wallet will be a little bit thicker.
Now on to the next cheap Barbados vacation tip!
Tip 6: Eat
In Not Out During Your Cheap
Barbados Vacation
Whether
you are on a vacation in the Caribbean or in your home town eating out
is always more expensive than making your own meals. The only
difference between the two is eating out during a vacation in the
Caribbean can be twice
as expensive as eating out in your home town!
Most
visitors take a trip to Barbados to relax and enjoy the sun and
therefore don't want to lift a muscle...They want to lie on the amazing
beaches and stare into the beautifu turquoise waters.
I am not blaming them! I love doing the same thing..But once you have
absorbed your day's dose of sun rays and are getting
hungry eating in can be one of the most over-looked ways of saving
money during your Barbados vacation.
This
really works well for families with small children travelling to the
island since it can be very tiring taking the kids out to a restaurant
every night.
So how do you eat in during your Barbados trip?
It is not as hard as you think...
You just have to stay at
a Barbados hotel in walking distance to a grocery
store or supermarket.
And
since there are supermarkets in most of the major cities and districts
on the island you just need to stay in one or as close to one
as
possible.
Here are a few such hotels in Barbados:
• Accra
Beach Hotel, Blue Horizon Hotel and South Beach Resort &
Vacation
Club are in walking distance to a 99 convenience store in Rockley, St.Michael.
• Little Arches Hotel is in walking distance of a Supercentre
supermarket at Southern Plaza Shopping Centre in Oistins, Christ Church.
•
Sunswept Beach Hotel, Mango Bay Hotel, Discovery Bay, The Sandpiper
Hotel and Settlers Beach Hotel are in walking distance to a Supercentre
supermarket in Holetown,
St James.
•
Worthing Court Apartment Hotel, Blue Orchids Beach Hotel and Coral Mist
Beach Hotel are in walking distance to a Supercentre supermarket in Worthing, Christ Church.
And these are just to name a few.
If
your hotel happens to be a bit too far to walk to a
supermarket and back then
consider walking there and taking a taxi back once you've bought your
groceries. This will save you having to spend money on a taxi
both ways.
Then all you need to do is make a meal plan to follow for each week of
your trip.
You
can even leave the weekends free for dining out and cooking your own
meals Monday to Friday.
If you really hate cooking while on vacation and your hotel does not
have a kitchenette then consider buying some cold
cuts, cheese, bread and vegetables from the grocery store.
This way you can make yourself a sandwich a couple
nights of the week. Many Barbados hotel rooms come equipped
with a mini refrigerator or one can be rented for a small charge.
I promise you will be shocked at the amount of money you will save this
way.
Tip 7: Eat
Local and Cheap During Your Cheap Barbados Vacation
So where do you eat in Barbados during those days of the week when you
aren't eating in??
You eat local and cheap
rather than upscale and expensive.
Many
of the restaurants in Barbados cater toward tourists who are either on
a romantic vacation or honeymoon who are willing to pay big bucks for a
captivating Caribbean dining experience.
But if you do your research you can find some cheap gems throughout the
island. If you are staying on the west coast in the Holetown
area Angry Annie's
in 1st Street is a great choice. If you are staying along the
south coast Sweet
Potatoes in St.Lawrence Gap is worth a try.
These cheap restaurants in Barbados may not provide you with a lavish
setting but are easy on your wallet while still providing you with a
friendly taste of Bajan cusinie.
I also recommend eating dinner at The
Oistins Fish Fry on Friday nights.
This night in the fishing village of Oistins on the south coast will
offer you meals
as low as $15 to $20 USD for large dinner portions of locally caught
and fried Bajan fish. You will also get to dine in the open
air while enjoying local music, arts and craft.
A Summary
Of The Seven Tips To Planning Your Cheap Barbados Vacation
• Tip 1: Don't book a
flight to Barbados through your local travel agent.
• Tip 2: Find your
cheap Barbados flight.
• Tip 3: Find a cheap
Barbados hotel for under $100 USD per night.
• Tip 4: Consider a
cheap vacation package to Barbados.
• Tip 5: Rent a cheap
rental car (not a luxury car).
• Tip 6: Eat in some
nights of your Barbados vacation.
• Tip 7: Eat out local
and cheap.
So
I hope these tips have helped you and that you
are starting to see the picture I am painting here??
The cheap picture that is!
Now go take the first step to planning your cheap Barbados
vaction!
Do You Have A Great Tip On How To Experience A Cheap Vacation in Barbados?
Everyone wants to enjoy a vacation in Barbados for as little as possible.
Maybe you have a great tip to help other travelers plan their cheap vacation in Barbados.
Share it with us!
ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS:
Blink Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl Google Simpy
Spurl Technorati
Y! MyWeb
|
Return from Cheap Barbados Vacation to
Vacation in Barbados

|