How to save money on holidays in the Caribbean

You can save money on your Caribbean holiday by setting aside some time to plan for your trip. You don't need to spend hours scourging around the Internet in search of deals. All you have to do to land the best Caribbean travel deals is to focus on advanced planning, all-inclusive trip options, time-of-year and a mind which is open to the possibility of considering swapping your dwelling for a Caribbean home while being on your holiday. Plenty of free activities are sprinkled throughout the islands.

Advance planning

Book your Caribbean holiday ahead of time. Penciling in your trip dates ahead of time will enable you to receive the best travel deals, especially around Christmas and other important events.

All-inclusive vacations

Plan to combine all your meals, flight and hotel stay into one package. Plenty of all-inclusive options exist throughout the Caribbean including, but not limited to, the well-known Sandals resort in Jamaica. All-inclusive means that your hotel and meals end up as one price. You can find your flight, rental car, food, drinks, hotel and one activity lumped together into one vacation package.

Off-season travel

Schedule your vacation during off-season in the Caribbean to avoid cost issues with overpriced lodging. One of the more well-known reasons for
off-season in the Caribbean involves hurricanes and tropical storms. Travel rates plummet during hurricane season which lasts from the beginning of June to the end of November. Official off-season in the Caribbean starts as early as mid-April, depending on the resort, and runs till the end of November.

Free activities

Find an array of free activities to plan while being on your Caribbean vacation. Activities for which you don't have to pay for in the Caribbean range from spending a day at the beach to hiking on high-mountain views. Walk and snap pictures through city streets or town lanes for a look at how the islanders live without paying a cent.

Shopping budget

Factor in a shopping budget while being on your tropical getaway. Limit the amount you're going to spend on souvenirs to avoid emptying out your wallet. You can find nice and cheap take-home items in the Caribbean if you spend some time shopping around for deals.

House swap

Find out how to swap your house for one in the Caribbean. One of the more recent trends, at press time, involves house swapping. You can swap your home in Europe for an adobe in the Caribbean. Websites specifically geared for this type of niche travel exist in and around the Internet addresses including HomeExchange.com and Homeforswap.com. You start by corresponding back and forth with the owners once you have found a home you're interested in, in the location you wish to travel to.