15 tricks to finding an off-season travel deal
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Repositioning cruises are designed to get the ship from one of its serving destinations to the next. So a ship that sails in Alaska might be offering a cruise from the West Coast, through the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean, or a Mediterranean cruise ship may be crossing the Atlantic."They've got to get the ship there, with passengers or not, so it can be an interesting value," says Edward Hasbrouck, author of "The Practical Nomad."

10. Beware of add-on fees. Often the advertised prices don't include a host of charges (various kinds of taxes, port fees, service fees and resort fees), "which can add considerably to the advertised price," says Hasbrouck. On the phone, ask about the total walkaway price. If you're shopping online, it's often "only when you see the 'buy' button on the screen that you know what the actual price is," he says.

11. Sign up. Lodging and airfare are the most expensive part of most trips. If you have a destination in mind, sign up for e-newsletters from the hotel(s) or airline(s) you're most likely to use, says Schultz. If you ask, many airline sites will notify you about deals to a particular city.

12. Double-check prices before you leave. "Keep calling back until you get the best deals," says Glink. The price on her rental car decreased by $100 in the month between the time she reserved it and her family's travel date. By calling to check prices closer to the date of the trip, she was able to get the better rate. But travelers have to take the initiative. The rental-car company "would not have called us," she says.

13. Ask for a better deal. "If it's off-season, then it's less crazy, and you're in a better moment" to ask for exceptions, says Schultz.

With car rentals or hotel rooms, you can also haggle over amenities, such as upgrades or (with a room) free breakfast. "These are the kinds of things they almost always have discretion on," says Hasbrouck.

14. Don't be afraid to try the last-minute approach. "It's no longer when you book, but how you book," says Greenberg, who doesn't subscribe to the traditional notion of "off-season." Instead, he says, travelers "can benefit from the world of unsold inventory." Some Web sites he uses are: Site59.com, 11thHourVacations.com and LastMinuteTravel.com.

15. Just show up. "Another strategy of the off-season is just go there," says Hasbrouck. With hotels, it's a great time to just walk in and bargain for the best room rate you can get, he says. Since the off-season means plenty of empty hotel rooms, if you don't get a price you like, go down the street.

"Off-season is the best time of year for on-your-own, do-it-yourself travel." says Hasbrouck.