Tip #1.

If you are getting a rental car. We went out west recently and found that if we returned the rental car to the place where we picked it up, the cost was much less. Much much less. We had to rearrange our trip to accommodate this but it was a money saver and we still had fun.

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Tip #2.

If you are renting a car, check on flights and rentals in different cities around your destination. You may find it very advantageous to fly into a different city and begin your vacation there. We knew this was true but did not realize how much money we could save if we just checked around for pricing.

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Tip #3.

Renting a car in your area to drive to another area and leave it will usually require you to pay a fee.

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Tip #4.

Google the activity you want to attend and then be willing to change your plans if you are really interested. For instance, I wanted to find a ride along in a steam engine in our home State, Georgia. There were none so I expanded my search but found that although there were some, they were hundreds of dollars and far away. The Tennessee Valley Railroad is not far from Chattanooga. It has a great excursion train so I decided to do the next best thing and go on a train ride. While talking with the ticket agent, I mentioned that I had wanted a ride alone and she said they did that. I asked how much and was happily surprised that it was only twenty dollars per person! You do have to be eighteen or older. So for his birthday, I was able to surprise him and he was so happy to sit in the sweltering July heat and ride in the engine to watch them stoke the fire and pull the whistle cord. I was happy too because this was a perfect gift for my husband. This was a few years ago so I would call for current pricing or contact them at www.tvrail.com/