Higher gas price, weaker US dollars, international traveling are getting more and more expensive these years. We want to share with you some tips from our long time friend, Jim (he asked me not disclose his full name), who had traveled more than 50 countries in all five continent in his life. These tips will help you keep your budget without compromising quality.

Explore New Countries
Euros are getting stronger in 2012, which means you need to spend more and more dollars on a same trip. So don’t lay your eyes only on Europe. There are many other countries for you to explore. How about Brazil? China? Or India? You need an expensive round-way tickets, but you end up spending a lot less in those countries. To save more, see the next tip “Fly local”.

Fly Local
After you arrived in the country you are visiting, book tickets through the local airline companies or travel agents. If you don’t know any one in that country, ask your friends or friend’s friends. Having someone in local could save you big on hotels and food as well.

Take A Cruise
If you still want to visit Europe, take a cruise. Taking a cruise to Europe is much cheaper than taking a flight, because your primary food and lodging costs are already covered on the ship. A cruise line that hits major ports of call around Europe is as fun as traveling on the ground if not better.

Check out Local Travel Agents
You are probably use to book your entire trip via Expedia or Travelocity. The truth is they are not the cheapest as they used to be. Do a price comparison online before you book. Take some time to do the research. Then print the deal and call your local travel agent you are comfortable with or refered by your friends. And ask them if they can beat the deal. The chances are you will get a better deal from your local travel agent.

Try Airline Companies
Some airlines, such as AA and Delta, offer cheapest airfair only through their websites or phone reservations. You can also book hotels or activities through them, at the same rate as other major online agents. Don’t forget to use your milages.

Go out of Season
If you are planing a family vacation to Europe in summber, consider to go in the winter. If you want to go to Caribbean, consider June/July instead of winter. Off season tickets and hotel costs are much cheaper. You could save 30% to 50% on your entire trip!

Try Road Scholar
If you are a senior, consider Road Scholar. Road Scholar, the not-for-profit educational travel created by Elderhostel since 1975, offers 6,500 educational tours in all 50 states and 150 countries. Not only you can get an extremely low cost domestic or world-wide traveling, you also get to know many freinds in your age. Check out their website: RoadScholar.org for details. Don’t know where to start? Click on the “Most Popular” on left navigation menu to find out what others are thinking. A two week adventure to ITALY / CROATIA / GREECE is only $4825, about half of the price compared to most of travel agents.