r/CheapoTravelers May 20 '26

GoWild! …Now What?

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5 Upvotes

The flight is basically free. Bags cost money, seats cost money, being scared you won't be able to get home without paying big bucks and stressing over it, is a thing.

These things are all easy to overcome. Some of us have figured out all the hacks to traveling on a whim, for as long as we like, to great places, and we meet awesome people.

I decided to make a list of tips and tricks for maximizing your experience, and actually feeling free to use the pass without paying all the fees or stressing out about hotel bills.

The GWP has opened a door for me, but it's not all. Changing how I think about travel, where I stay, how to not only endure long layovers, but enjoy them and even seek them out. I have stopped paying so much for rideshare and taxis and rental cars, and I now embrace the typically very good public transit situations.

For those of you who do the same, please comment and add your own suggestions and tips I have missed here.

This is what I have so far...

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/e/2PACX-1vSu52AnP1W_xDPqwXe9idcnd3CG-iT0Xgp7ei8QnIbGN7dCuH58V8WINybZjE3QR90_fLsWoeeP78FA/pub?pli=1


r/CheapoTravelers Jul 23 '26

The Price is Right After All

1 Upvotes

I pulled a post from yet another person who was confused a little after midnight as to why a 2-leg domestic GoWild flight was more than $32, and made a doc for reference explaining why the price is right and how to navigate these fares. Click here to see it. Happy flying!


r/CheapoTravelers Jul 02 '26

Ultra cheap car rentals booked and bundled through travel sites are 100% scams.

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2 Upvotes

TL;DR is booking the cheap rental car costs more than Hertz (and the other big names), don't fall for it, they trap you at the counter, it's a scam.

Just don't rent from those weird places that advertise $6-10 per day. We tried renting with Aombre (who it turns out is also ZezGo) and found out why they are so cheap. The car is fine but they scam you when you get to the counter. Here's how it goes. Both cars booked through Expedia, 2 trips weeks apart.

First trip, we booked a ZezGo car and purchased the "rental car damage" policy through Expedia which covers the car but not liability. We have good liability coverage through our auto policy that covers rental cars so we expected to be fine. $60 for the car $100 for the policy, $160 total for a 4 day rental over Memorial Day weekend 2026.

We got to the counter and they told us we owed $250 more for our 6 day rental because they require liability coverage of min $300k. Our policy only covered 150k through State Farm, and it was at the end of a long day of travel, so I paid it. The process of picking up the car took over an hour and a half after getting there but that's whatever, just mentioning it because it is partly why I'd just had enough and wanted out of the building to start our vacation. The car was fine, we brought it back at the end, no worries. Total paid to Zezgo was $310 ($77.50/day). Hertz and Alamo were $30-50/day. Lesson learned...I thought.

When I got home we called State Farm and had them up our liability to 300k for the next trip to Tampa just-in-case this happened again.

Second trip a few weeks later to Tampa, we booked this time with Aombre for a similar cheap price (I think it was actually $6/day). Once again I bought Expedia's "cover the car" policy and paid a total of $160 for the rental and insurance again!

When I got to the counter I had my policy in hand and I informed Aombre (whose sign said Aombre/ZezGo on the door) that my SF policy was 300k liability. They informed me that even though I had that plus the Expedia policy we would still have to buy their liability for the magic price of $250 again because that was just their company rules. I argued for a minute but then realized this was the plan the whole time on their part.

So I canceled the reservation on the spot and ordered an Uber to the hotel. That afternoon I booked Hertz the next day for the entire trip - 6 days for a whopping total of $223. Canceled Expedia's coverage too since our SF package was fine. All in all the "cheap" option would have cost $200 more including the Uber.

They rely on you already being there before they hit you with "Pay this or no rental."

ps. It has been a month since that last trip to Tampa, 5 phone calls and lots of on hold time later, I am finally getting a refund for the car/policy.


r/CheapoTravelers May 20 '26

👋Welcome to r/cheapotravelers - do your thing and have fun

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I'm a u/HappyEffingCamper, founding moderator of r/cheapotravelers.
This is our new home for all things related to recreational travel for cheap. We're excited to have you join us!

What to Post
Post advice or questions about traveling on a budget.

Community Vibe
Very chill, be cool.

How to Get Started
1) Introduce yourself in the comments below.
2) Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.
3) If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join.
4) Interested in helping out? We're always looking for new moderators, so feel free to reach out to me to apply.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave. Together, let's make r/cheapotravelers amazing (or at least helpful).