11 tips to save on travel — cut travel expenses

En español | * LIST * | * SLIDESHOW * Photos * * * 1 of * PHOTO BY: Getty Images 1. SAVE ON CAR RENTALS  Show your AARP card when you rent a car and get significant discounts. AARP members

will save as much as 30 percent with Avis. That would get you $90 off a $300 rental. * * * 2 of * PHOTO BY: Ken Paul/Getty Images 2. GET AMTRAK’S SENIOR DISCOUNT Folks 65-plus can get a 10

percent discount on most Amtrak train travel. You could save $22 on a round trip ticket between New York and Chicago. Caveat: The senior discount can’t be combined with other discounts.  * *

* 3 of * PHOTO BY: Audtakorn Sutarmjam/Getty Images 3. SKIP RENTAL CAR INSURANCE Most of the time you already have adequate coverage through your personal insurance. Check and save up to

$40 a day. * * * 4 of * PHOTO BY: Getty Images 4. GET AN AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL SENIOR PASS If you’re 62 or older, $20 a year will get you and a carload of people admission to more than 2,000

national parks and recreation sites. That’s a savings of $60 over a regular annual pass. * * * 5 of * PHOTO BY: Getty Images 5. CHECK DIFFERENT TRAVEL DATES Shifting an arrival or departure

date by a single day can save you a surprisingly large amount of cash. Flight search engines such as Matrix.itasoftware.com show lower-priced options. A recent round-trip ticket from New

York to Los Angeles was $81 cheaper if you flew a day earlier. * * * 6 of * ADVERTISEMENT * * * 7 of * PHOTO BY: Getty Images 6. CHECK AIRLINE CONSOLIDATORS They buy tickets in bulk and sell

them at a discount. A round trip flight from Boston to London was $419 through AirlineConsolidator.com versus $546 on Aer Lingus, saving $127. * * * 8 of * PHOTO BY: Trinette Reed/Getty

Images 7. BLIND-BOOK A HOTEL Tell Hotwire.com the neighborhood, star rating and amenities you want and you’ll save up to 60 percent if you book before knowing the name of the hotel. That’s

$120 saved on a $200 room. * * * 9 of * PHOTO BY: Elliott Kaufman/Getty Images 8. VACATION IN A DORM Colleges overseas rent dorm rooms in the summer. In Perugia, Italy, a week at Casa

Monteripido costs $260 versus $430 for the Primavera Mini Hotel. Save $170. Go to UniversityRooms.com. * * * 10 of * PHOTO BY: Getty Images 9. SKI FOR CHEAP Multi-mountain passes from

websites such as EpicPass.com or MountainCollective.com can save you big. IkonPass.com charges an adult $699 for eight days of skiing at any of 26 destinations. That’s $175 less than eight

tickets at the window. * * * 11 of * PHOTO BY: Monty Rakusen/Getty Images 10. TAKE A FARMING VACATION Learn about organic farming and enjoy a trip overseas by volunteering to work with World

Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. A room and food are free. You could easily save $1,500 over a week at hotels and restaurants. * * * 12 of * PHOTO BY: Thomas Barwick/Getty Images 11.

DRIVE, DON’T FLY That is, if your family vacation is less than 500 miles away. Four tickets from Washington, D.C., to Cincinnati over a recent week cost about $315 each. Gas for driving

would have been under $70. That would save you $1,190 — and you’d have your car and gear with you. MORE 99 WAYS TO SAVE 8 WAYS TO SAVE ON CAR COSTS 25 WAYS TO SAVE ON SHOPPING