Pigeon Forge

I’ve been going to Pigeon Forge with my family for around seven years now. We’ve stayed in condos and cabins, and we’ve travelled around quite a bit after doing the touristy things on the main Parkway.

What we’ve found through the years are easy ways of saving a little bit of money.

Coupons, coupons, coupons! 

I’m not talking extreme couponing here, but simply picking up the coupon saving booklets can add up quite a bit when dining out. You can pick them up at most gas stations and hotel lobbies. Flick through them, sometimes you can get better deals in one book than you’ve found in another.

The Tanger Outlet Coupon book. Tanger Outlets is a huge pull for tourists, including us. We can’t keep away from the deals, and on one of our trips we noticed vending machines with coupon books in. For only ten dollars, you can get hundreds of dollars worth of savings! But wait! You can also get a coupon for the actual book itself. I usually get mine from Smokymountainnavigator.com – just save the coupon to your phone or print it out and take it to the office. We usually find a way to use at least a couple, and they’re usually 10% or so. A pretty good saving!

I usually either make a binder or simply save the coupons to my phone. A couple of good websites are below.

http://www.smokymountainscoupons.com
http://www.visitmysmokies.com
http://www.mobilebrochure.com/smoky-mountains/brochure/guides-coupons/monster-discount-coupons/

Groupon

It may sound obvious and in the same vein as coupons, but a quick check through Groupon.com can be the difference between being able to afford three days or a week in the Smokies. It so often has cabin and hotel deals, and the price really would surprise you. It also has deals on things to do such as Pigeon Forge Snow – although always compare it to the booklets! You can usually get a better deal from one over the other, but you won’t be able to tell without looking.

Travel Guides

I always apply for the official travel guide before I go, or I view it online. You can get it free and you can check out deals, it has coupons in it, and you can also see the events going on when you’re planning to travel. Sometimes, simply shifting your vacation a week or two can save hundreds of pounds/dollars. Plus, events such as the Rod Run or events in Dollywood can make traffic unbearable. You don’t want to waste valuable time sitting on the Parkway.

You can get it here!

Check TripAdvisor

It sounds obvious, but if you’re lucky, a local from Pigeon Forge will be happy to answer your question about your vacation. The Pigeon Forge forum is pretty active, and any questions you have can be answered in a few short hours by some intelligent, knowledgeable people. Not to mention the reviews can save you a trip that isn’t rated very well, and in turn quite a bit of money. We skipped on the Hollywood Wax museum for that exact reason.