1. By contacting the "Green Machine," you can rent a motorhome sleeping up to six persons for less than $50 a day

A Los Angeles rental firm acquires old school buses, removes their interiors and fills them with up to six sleeping pallets, chairs, and kitchen equipment. These become known as "School Bus Motorhomes" and are rented to cost-conscious, unpretentious, traveling families for as little as $350 a week--exactly $50 a day, including insurance and unlimited mileage--which is less than half what the same families would pay to rent a standard motorhome or recreational vehicle, without mileage. For further details, contact The Green Machine, 805/269-0363.

2. You'll do best on your travels abroad to rely on guidebooks written by experienced adults, and not by students; you'll make a better use of your funds, and save money.

A student author of a travel guide is a person who, by definition, has been exactly once to the destination in question. He or she alights from an airplane, sees a hotel, and--with no knowledge of comparative hotels or equally good but less expensive choices--proceeds to write up the establishment. The resulting guidebook looks like similar travel books, but doesn't lead the reader to real value. The popularity of student-written travel guides is a great mystery, and reflects poorly on the reading public.

3. You can earn a free trip to Europe by recruiting as few as eight persons to join you on an escorted motorcoach tour operated by Go Ahead Vacations

Almost all tour operators set a threshold of fifteen for the groups whose leader will be rewarded with a free vacation. By contrast, Go Ahead Vacations of Boston (subsidiary of a long-established European firm) will supply a free trip to the person who produces as few as eight tour passengers for one of the company's departures. Contact Go Ahead of Cambridge, Massachusetts, at 800/438-7672.

4. The rates for deluxe resorts plummet in the immediate weeks after a tropical hurricane has battered their island location, despite the fact that such hotels are scarcely affected by the storm

Modern resort hotels are built with hurricanes in mind, and designed to withstand them. After every recent major hurricane, the major resorts have re-opened within days (sometimes within hours), showing no damage other than to shrubbery and foliage. Yet because of public perceptions, tourism to those islands and resorts drops sharply and remains low for several weeks, until price cuts and advertising restore the flow of visitors. Whenever you read of a tropical hurricane, rush to book the island; you'll enjoy spectacular low rates (and also lend much-needed aid to its population).

5. So-called "official" youth hostels belonging to Hosteling International are supplemented by a much larger number of unofficial, independent hostels with no such affiliation; thus, your chance of finding ultra-low-cost lodging is greatly increased

Travel Employment

6. You can work for six months at a Club Med resort, earning a bit, enjoying a lot. Phone Club Med Recruitment at 561/337-6660 for a recorded message that lays out all the details.

7. A San Francisco school presents instruction throughout the year in scattered U.S. cities on becoming a tour escort. Call the International Tour Management Institute at 415/957-9489.

Low-Cost Lodgings

11. An idealistic organization called Servas can enable you to stay for free with families all over the world. Membership fee: $65 a year. Contact them at 11 John Street, New York, NY 10038 (212/267-0252).

12. Hostels for all ages are the cheapest lodgings on earth. Whether young or old, you pay $15 to $25 for membership, and from $8 to $20 per bed per night. Phone Hostelling International at 202/783-6161).

13. At $50 a couple per year, the Hilton Senior Honors program is a top travel buy for over-60s. Membership ( phone 800/432-3600) brings you discounts of 50% at Hilton hotels in the U.S. and abroad.

14. Before departing on any trip, pick up a Sunday edition of your destination's local newspaper; it contains hotel ads offering discounted rates to residents. You can request the same rates.

15. The French equivalent of our own inexpensive, long-stay, residence hotels, is the "Citadines Apparthotels" chain. Phone 01-41-05-79-79.

16. Extended stay hotels are a fast-growing, new form of budget-priced lodgings; when they have vacancies, they accept short-stay guests. Lowest- priced of the chains is Extended Stay America charging $199 to $299 a week. Phone 800/398-7829.

17. Bargaining can lower your hotel costs. If a hotel knows it will have vacancies on a given night, it will readily reduce the price of those otherwise-empty rooms. But call the hotel directly, never the nationwide 800 numbers.

18. If you were honorably discharged from the armed forces, you can stay for $40 a night at the high quality Soldiers', Sailors', Marines' and Airmens' Club in New York City. Call ahead (800/678-8443).

19. For families or groups of four or more visiting Orlando, condos are cost- effective. Condominium Travel Associates, Inc. offers dramatic discounts for condo units housing four to eight. Phone 800/492-6636 or 203/758-0222.

20. Stay free at hundreds of estates, mansions, farms, ranches, resort homes, and hunting or fishing lodges, in 30 states and 10 foreign countries, by acting as a caretaker. Send a SASE to The Caretaker Gazette, 1845 NW Deane Street, Pullman, WA 99163, for an initial free report on how to get started.

21. In cities of India, you can stay overnight as a paying guest of an Indian family for far less than most quality hotels charge. Government of India Tourist Offices in the U.S. (see the phone book) have lists of participating families.

22. A long-established British rental service can pre-book B&Bs throughout the U.K. charging only $30 per person/night in London, and $25 elsewhere. The 16-year-old "Bed & Breakfast (GB)" has a U.S. booking number--800/454-8704--and free literature.

23. Those strangely named "gites" are the key to a low-cost, long-stay vacation in France. Contact Provence West Ltd., in Evergreen, Colorado (304/674-6942) for one of those tiny bungalows called "gites."

Air Fare Strategies

34. Make your air reservations just after midnight, when discounted fares are most available. That's because airlines use the slow after-midnight hours to load low-priced air fares into their computers. They also restore, at midnight, the bargain seats that were earlier booked but never ticketed. Result: a temporary, midnight to 1 A.M. bulge of reduced-price seats.

35. If you're traveling with at least one other person, and plan to visit several of the Hawaiian islands, always buy a six-ticket booklet sold by the two major air carriers in America's 50th state--you'll save over $30 per flight. Note: the booklets are sold only in Hawaii.

36. Europe has as many (if not more) air fare consolidators as we in the U.S. do, and they're concentrated in London (on Earls Court Road) and Amsterdam (on the Darmrak).

37. Two big student travel agencies make cut-rate international air fares available to non-students of all ages. They're Council Travel (800/226-8624) and STA Travel (800/781-8624).

38. When an airline launches a sale, all other airlines flying the same routes match the sales price for departures taking place around the same time.

39. One airline--TWA--makes available to young people ages 12 through 24 the same four-coupon air fare booklets costing $548 that are normally marketed to seniors. Call TWA at 800/221-2000.

Rental Cars and RVs

54. Before renting any car, call Rent-a-Wreck first to learn how much they'd charge to rent a second-hand car. To reserve a "wreck" in any major U.S. city, phone 1-800/535-1319.

55. Europe's cheapest auto rental rates are on cars picked up in France, and rented for at least three weeks. From agencies like Auto-France (800/572-9655 or 201/934-6994), or Renault Eurodrive, phone 800/221-1052 (eastern states) or 800/477-4176 (western states), you'll pay $519 for 21 days (about $24 a day), unlimited mileage.

56. Before you buy, you can rent a recreational vehicle for a trial trip. Call Cruise America (800/327-7778) or Altman's Winnebago (818/997-6622), or scan the Yellow Pages under "Recreational Vehicles."

57. Always make car rental arrangements before you depart your home city. The cheapest rates always require that you book the car several days ahead.

58. Inexpensive motorhomes (RVs), and the campsites for them, are as widely available in Britain as they are in the U.S. Rent a "motor caravan" or "camper van" sleeping four for $662-$819 a week in fall/winter months, from Turners of London, in East Dulwich, phone 011-44-181-693-1132.

59. Auto Driveaway Agencies still exist, offering free use of a car. Auto Driveaway Company of Chicago (800/346-2277), and National Auto Transporter (800/423-3266), have offices in 75 U.S. and Canadian cities.

60. Three reliable organizations provide current information on the schedules and rates of passenger-carrying freighters. They are: Freighter World Cruises (800/531-7774), TravLtips (800/872-8584), and Freighter Travel Club (3524 Harts Lake Road, Roy, Washington 98580).

61. Squeezing four into a cabin is the most effective way to cruise cheaply. Almost all cruiseships have four-passenger cabins, and one broker that specializes in these crowded but economical lodgings is The Cruise Line, Inc., at 800/777-0707.

62. Sail the coast of Alaska in summer for only $82 per night by booking deck passage on one of the Alaska Marine Highway Ferries making three-night trips from Bellingham, Washington (near Seattle) to Skagway, Alaska Passengers either sack out on an open-air chaise lounge, or pitch their own tent on the Solarium deck. For fares and schedules, phone 800/642-0066.

63. More than a dozen big cruise brokers are able to sell sailings of major ships at dramatic discounts. Try Cruises Only (800/683-SHIP), The Cruise Line, Inc. (800/777-0707), Spur-of-the-Moment Cruises (800/343-1991), several others.

Specialist Organizations

65. Tourscan will tell you which Caribbean wholesaler has the best rates. Since tour operators have different prices for identical resorts, it's helpful to learn the cheapest source. Phone Tourscan at 800/962-2080 or 203/655-8091.

66. A twice-a-year magazine called Specialty Travel Index lists small tour operators catering to hundreds of special interests (acupuncture, shopping, chess tournaments, etc.) in travel. Call 800/442-4922 or 415/459-4900 for a subscription.

67. You can make a direct phone call to London for best-priced theatre reservations and tickets. Phone Ticketmaster at 011-44-171-344-4444, twenty- four hours a day.

68. To obtain valuable student/teacher IDs, entitling you to inexpensive accommodations, museum and theatre admissions, student meals and more, contact the Council on International Educational Exchange, 888/COUNCIL.

69. A broker called Stroman's will help you resell that time share you so foolishly bought. Phone 409/588-4444 for further details.

70. You can purchase any travel product on an installment plan, by simply using American Express' Sign and Travel Plan. Phone them at 1-800/528-4800. Press 3, then press 3 again, for information.

71. The nation's longest-established "rebators" will "kick back" a portion of the price on any travel product. Pennsylvania Travel, of Paoli, PA, at 800/778-7014 or Travel Avenue of Chicago (1-800/333-3335) will buy it for you and return a portion of their commission, if you make a sparing use of their time.

72. A leading source of low-cost devices, luggage and apparel for travel is Magellan's (800/962-4943).

73. Buy discount coupons for key expenditures in your own home towns. They're found in so-called "Entertainment Books" published by Entertainment Publications, Inc., 800/445-4137.

74. Using a firm called Marry Me Maui, you can have a romantic wedding on an island of dreams for as little as $330. Phone 800/745-0344.

75. Believe it or not, there's a money-saving club for the devotees of all- inclusive hotels, supplying a six-times-a-year newsletter and 34 past issues. Membership is $20 a year, but that payment is deducted from the cost of your first booking. Meantime, you've received 34 free newsletters. Call 800/442-6900.

76. Middle-aged (and older) Americans seeking a remote and exotic travel experience at low-cost might try an impressive Toronto tour operator, Eldertreks, at 800/741-7956 or 416/588-5000.

General Approaches to Travel

78. Never make a phone call, change money, or send out laundry from your hotel. Each of these transactions is a hotel "profit center", and hefty fees are added. Change money at a bank, use a public booth, visit a laundromat.

79. The smart traveler buys theater tickets as residents do--on the day of performance, at half price. On arriving in any major theater city, ask for the location of the local discount ticket booth.

80. Pack the least amount of clothing your courage will allow. People who don't pack light, become money-squandering beasts of burden, needing expensive porters and taxis, unable to shop around among several hotels.

81. In every major English-speaking city, haunt the university bulletin boards--a treasure trove of listings for free and almost nightly lectures, concerts, workshops, and social gatherings.

82. According to a group of travel writers, every traveler should carry: a good pair of walking shoes; a photocopy of the first page of their passport (carried separately from the passport); plastic zip-lock bags; immodium (for diarrhea); photocopies of medical prescriptions; a Swiss Army knife; a pocket flashlight; spare camera batteries; their address book; and photocopies of all credit cards.

83. Single persons traveling alone can avoid that pesky single supplement by booking tours operated by Globus/Cosmos (sold by all travel agents). It guarantees a shared room; and if it can't find such a share, it will let you use the room alone, without extra charge.

84. Visiting any large city, move around like a local (using public transportation), and sample the neighborhoods. You'll not only save money; you'll learn how people there live.

85. A little known method of obtaining foreign currency abroad, and at a good rate, is simply to cash a personal check at American Express offices. The sole condition: that you have an AmEx credit card for securing the transaction.

86. Substitute tang for orange juice (bring along a can of the powdery stuff) and you'll save upwards of $100 on a two-week trip abroad.

87. Traveling with a companion, pack half your clothing in their suitcase, and pack half their clothing in yours. That way, you'll suffer no calamitous consequences if the airlines should lose or delay delivery of one of your suitcases.

88. It's simply foolish to visit any destination without first purchasing a budget guidebook to it. No matter how confident you may be of your own travel knowledge, you will always find in such books at least a few valuable suggestions of low-priced lodgings, meals or activities of which you would otherwise have been unaware.

89. Purchase your overseas theater tickets exactly as you would in the U.S.--over the phone, and from your home telephone, using a credit card. You can make such phone reservations as easily for the opera in Antwerp as for a Broadway show.

90. Before visiting any large city, inquire about passes for unlimited transportation or museum admissions in that city. One such museum pass currently promoted for our own country is the CityPass (obtained by phoning 707/256-0490).

91. Cheapest vacations for senior citizens are in college towns, attending classes. Virtually every state university permits senior citizens to audit its courses without charge. Call the Offices of Continuing Education, or Offices of Admission, of most such schools.

92. Never change your dollars into foreign currency at a money-changing kiosk or storefront. Look instead for a bank, the biggest you can find; they pay the best rates. Better yet, search for the even better rates of a bank ATM machine that honors your card--they are increasingly found all over the world.

93. AT&T access numbers enable you to make cheap calls to the States from most foreign countries. Handy wallet cards issued by AT&T list access numbers from 50 nations. To get your own card, call 800/331-1140.

94. Trans Media Discount Cards are now honored in Britain and France. If you're a card holder, you can request an "international directory" prior to leaving for Europe that lists discount-granting (20%) restaurants in London, Paris, and nearby.

95. Teachers are now entitled to the same remarkable free admissions or discounts abroad that students have received for eons. For a $20 teachers identification card entitling the bearer to student privileges, call C.I.E.E. at 800/2-COUNCIL.

96. $2.95 brings you a valuable, 20-page study by travel expert Jens Jurgen on foiling pickpockets, bag-snatchers and other travel-related crimes. It's a travel classic, yet costs only $2.95, including postage and handling (send check to Travel Companion Exchange, P.O.Box 833, Amityville, L.I. 11701.

97. As a tourist, eat one meal a day picnic-style. Buy bread, paté, cheese, wine from the foreign equivalent of a delicatessen, and consume them on a park bench, alongside a river, or even in your hotel room. You'll save money and eat healthily at the same time.

98. When eating at restaurants abroad, split, share and divide. When two of you dine, order one appetizer, one main course, and then split those dishes between you; you'll still send uneaten food back to the kitchen, and you'll save 50%.

99. Two toll-free numbers enable you to find the locations of ATM machines abroad. They are 800/VISA-911 for Plus or Visa cards, 800/4CIRRUS for Cirrus system (affiliated with MasterCard) cards.