If you’re military or a military family, I need you to know one thing:
You’re probably overpaying for vacations.
But you don’t have to be.

And scroll down for Veterans Day Freebies + Deals! 🇺🇸

We’ve been full time traveling for years often flying, staying, and exploring for free or close to it and most of the time, it’s thanks to the military benefits we’ve learned to stack and stretch. You’ve earned these perks… so let’s actually use them!

Here’s everything we use to save on travel all year long (plus, scroll for the full Veterans Day restaurant + retail deals at the bottom, we update it every year).

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How We Travel the World for (Almost) Free

🛳 Free Cruises?! Yep.

You read that right.
Veterans sail free with the Margaritaville at Sea “Heroes Sail Free” deal. We’ve done it and the only thing better than tropical drinks is tropical drinks onboard a free cruise.

Planning a Different Cruise?
Military discounts apply on select Disney Cruise Line sailings, port excursions included. You can even get military discount deals on pretty much any cruise line with VacationsToGo (military only section!). We’ve booked 4 military discounted cruises with them since 2006.

✈️ Military Flights That Cost Next to Nothing

If you haven’t heard of Space-A travel, buckle up.
You can hop on military aircraft around the world for a fraction of the cost of commercial flights—or free, depending on the mission type.

We’ve flown from Europe to the U.S. and across the Pacific this way, and shared everything we’ve learned in our guide:
👉 How to Fly Space-A

Bonus? We stack credit card points for commercial flights too, earning entire hotel stays and flights for $0 using the Chase Sapphire & Hyatt combo.

🏰 Disney Discounts for Military Families

• Discounted Park Hopper Tickets
• Access to Shades of Green, a military-only resort inside Disney World
• Up to 35% off stays at Aulani, Disney’s resort in Hawaii. Disney Aulani Guide Here
• Savings on Disney Cruise Line excursions

We’ve personally used all of these and can’t recommend them enough for family trips, especially off peak dates.

🎟 Where to Find Hidden Deals

Your base’s ITT (Information, Tickets & Travel) office is a hidden gem.
Theme parks, hotels, ski passes, local attractions, rentals for camping & outdoor activities! They’ve got it all, and usually cheaper than anywhere else online.

Pair it with:

• VetTix.org for free event tickets (concerts, sports, theater)
• MWR trips + lodging for budget friendly options near base

🌲 National Park Passes = FREE Adventures

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Military members (including veterans) can get free Annual or Lifetime America the Beautiful passes, which give you access to 2,000+ federal lands and parks.

Got a VA rating?
Veterans with 10%+ disability are also eligible for the Access Pass, which comes with campground and amenity discounts.

🏨 Military Hotel Rates + Travel Hacking Tips

Most Major Hotel Chains Offer Military Discounts

• Hilton: Up to 15% off
• Hyatt: 10% off
• Marriott: 10% off
• Wyndham, IHG, Best Western: All offer reduced rates

But here’s the secret sauce → Join the loyalty programs and stack with credit card points.
We earn 17x points with our Chase Sapphire and World of Hyatt combo. Enough for free nights and luxury perks when booking a stay.

🐾 Trusted Housesitters Military Discount

If you haven’t tried Trusted Housesitters, it’s one of our favorite ways to score free lodging around the world. We’ve stayed in beautiful homes, some with ocean views! Just for caring for pets while the owners travel. It’s not always perfect, but for budget travel, you really can’t beat it. And yes, you can do Trusted Housesitters with kids. Whether you’re slow traveling or looking to stretch a PCS stopover, it can save you thousands in lodging. They don’t offer a specific military discount, but I’ve got a 25% off code you can use here.

Don’t Sleep on Veterans Day Freebies

Veterans Day is like Black Friday for military perks and it’s not just free pancakes (though yes, there are a lot of those too). We’re talking full meals, free retail items, car washes, desserts, and even amusement park tickets in some states. The catch? Most deals are one day only, and you need to know exactly where to go and what to bring.

But here’s the thing, some of the best military discounts are available all year long, and those are the ones that really stretch your travel budget over time. From hotel savings to everyday retail perks, we use these to cut costs every month. I rounded up both the limited time Veterans Day offers and the year-round money savers we personally use.

👉 Click here for the full 2024 Veterans Day & Year Round Military Deals List

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A post shared by Salty Vagabonds | Adventure Travel Family (@saltyvagabonds)

Final Thoughts: These Perks Add Up to Huge Savings

Every free cruise, discounted hotel stay, waived park entrance fee, or yes, even a free donut! Is money you’re putting back into your travel fund. These deals may feel small, but they add up fast.

If you made it this far, bookmark this post! I’ll be updating it with 2025 discounts and affiliate links to the brands, hotels, and platforms we actually use as a full time military travel fam.

Let’s stop leaving benefits on the table and start stacking them like pros. Got questions? Drop them in the comments or shoot us a DM on Instagram. We’re always happy to help another military family plan smarter.