This is often the most expensive part of the trip so it pays to shop around for the best deals.

Car hire/rental

A car is a car - book the smallest size car you can deal with (you might get an upgrade) and make sure you only get the insurance coverage that you need. Be sure to check with your own personal car insurance provider to see if you would be covered anyway. For many people traveling within the USA additional coverage is not usually required - so save some money and check with them before you depart.

When comparing providers one big differentiating factor can be whether or not they are on-airport. When on-airport all of your luggage can be wheeled to the car. When off-airport you’ll probably need to transfer all luggage to the shuttle bus then off again - along with all of the travelers in your group. This is a BIG hassle - especially after a long flight when everyone is tired. If you are able to do this, then we have found that sending one of the group off to get the car while the others wait at the airport works well - the car would be driven back to the airport arrivals area and luggage loaded there.

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Car rental from m-broker
5% Police and Service Personnel Rental Car Discount
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5% Military and Government Discount For Rental Cars
Car Rental coupon for Seniors (50+) on all car classes

Flights

For long haul flights the airline choice may make a difference to your comfort and hence stress level at the end. For cost savings, indirect flights with one or more stops are often cheapest. When comparing options, do compare the total journey time by including the time between flights as these can sometimes be long.

For some long journeys it may be beneficial to choose stops along the way in order to stretch legs and give the kids some time to run around - just make sure that the stop-over time is long enough for that (are you even departing from the same terminal you will arrive in!)

Lowest International Airfares for Economy Travel

Top Flight Offers from the UK