Six tips to help you save.

Time Money reports.

6 Smart Ways to Save on College Tours

If you have a son or daughter who’s headed for college, chances are you’ll be touring at least a few campuses to help your kid decide where to apply—or, later on, which school’s offer to accept.

Fortunately, if you plan ahead, you shouldn’t have to dip too deeply into your college savings to pay the bill. Here are some simple money savers:

1. Go with a group. Probably the easiest and most economical way to check out an assortment of colleges is to join a group tour.

Companies that run them include College Visits (which offers a five-day tour of eight colleges in the Midwest for $1,250, for example, or an eight-day tour of 21 colleges in the Northeast for $2,135) and Campus Visit Experts (which has a variety of five- and six-day tours across the U.S.). These group tours typically cover transportation, hotel rooms, and most meals.