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If you have to travel internationally and can’t shop around for a deal, consider splitting your international ticket in two by buying a domestic ticket and a separate international air ticket. That sounds like an annoyance, but it can save you a whole lot of money.

The idea is to get from your starting point to an international travel hub is as close as possible to your ultimate destination. You can normally find relatively low cost domestic air fare to these hubs, which is how you save money. So, if your ultimate destination is Canada, you’ll want to get a domestic flight to New York or Washington State. If your ultimate destination is in South America or the Caribbean, you’ll want to book a domestic flight to Miami. You’ll then book your  international flight as if you already live in Miami (or the domestic transition city) and save yourself the cost that you would’ve spent on international air fare to get to that transition city.

Remember to look at both legs of your trip before making any purchases. You don’t want to get a great deal on a ticket to Miami only to find out that you can’t proceed on to South America for three days, unless you want to spend the money you saved on airfare on a quick experience in the transition city.

(Photo via flickr cc)