Sunday, April 18, 2010

Find Last Minute Travel Bargains For Your Family

By John Greyling

If you're planning a trip with your family, this could be the perfect time to find last minute travel bargains for your next getaway. More and more families are finding it harder to get away from it all these days. With so many things to do, it can be hard to find the time to all get away together to take a vacation.

It's no surprise then that many families find when they do book a vacation, it's a last minute travel special. While most people plan six months in advance or more for a big trip, some families find that they just squeeze it in at the last minute and that a spontaneous trip is the only way to ever really get that time away together.

If your family is like this and you are planning last minute travel, you need to know how to get those great deals that are out there waiting to save you money. The first step is to know what your options are. As a last minute traveler, you might not think you have any but that's not entirely true.

Many times airlines, hotels and rental car services will offer discounts to last minute travelers because they would rather take a cut than to not make anything at all. Therefore, hotels offer some excellent last minute deals on their rooms, airlines will give you a great rate for vacant seats that needs to be filled and car rental agencies will often reduce their daily rates.

This could be exactly what you need to take advantage of for your family trip. Remember that if you want to find these last minute travel bargains, you should not be afraid to ask for discounts. You never know if you'll get it unless you ask so don't be shy.

Using the Internet is an absolutely fabulous way of finding deals. There are sites that allow you to bid on airfare and reservations so you can get a great deal on your trip. You can also use the Web to search for last minute specials that may be there or to find a deal on reservations that someone else has had to cancel last minute. When you get a great deal, such as a 90 day last minute travel special, family holidays become really quick and easy to plan.

When you really want to find a great bargain, you need to be flexible. Don't expect that you are going to get everything you want exactly for your needs at the price you want. When you want to get a good deal, you may need to travel at different types of even on a different day to secure that discount. When it's a last minute trip, you need to work with what you've got.

Remember to be persistent in your search for good rel=nofollow [http://www.last-minute-travel-tips.com/]last minute travel bargains. Your family can travel for less if you just keep looking. Try not to let stress get you down and once you find a great deal, go ahead and snag it up before someone else does.

John Greyling is a retired entrepreneur and businessman. During his career he acquired extensive experience if many business sectors. He now spends his time travelling the world with his family and writing. If you found this article interesting visit http://www.last-minute-travel-tips.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com Find Last Minute Travel Bargains For Your Family

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Budget Travel Tips - 3 Easy Ways For a Great Vacation by Following These Budget Travel Tips

By Carrie Ori

All of us at one point have searched for budget travel tips to get us to our dream destination without breaking the bank. This is entirely doable given the technology that is available to us today. This article covers three tips that should help you plan your vacation and stay within your budget.

 1.    First of all, try to plan your vacation during off peak travel times. On average, airlines tend to charge 25% more if you fly on peak days. But if you leave mid-week, say on Wednesday, and plan to come back on Saturday, you will save some serious cash. Additionally, catch a flight that flies at a non-peak hour and your savings will add up. Airlines tend to charge a premium for flights that leave between 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Yes, people who fly sometime out of that eight hour window are generally inconvenienced because it is a pain to plan for a 6:00 AM flight but you will probably stick to your budget if you do this. To add to this, you will encounter much fewer crowds at the airport.
 2.    You can score big on airfare just by knowing the secret code. Many airlines are trying to entice customers by giving their customers special promotional codes for deals on their airfare which is not advertised to the general public. You either have to be part of their frequent flyer program or you may have to register via their website. Many airlines are also offering their Twitter followers special discounts. To take advantage of these unique savings, sign up for any e-mail offered by the airline that you want to fly, or follow the airline via Twitter.
 3.    Hotels are feeling the pinch nowadays too. To take full advantage of this, once you find a hotel that you like, give them a call. And not through their 1-800 customer service phone number. Find the phone number of the location where you want to stay and talk to someone at that location. Ask if there are any special promotions or perks not listed on their website. More often than not, this person will have the authority to give you special treatment.

 Just by following these three simple techniques, you should be able to find a few travel bargains. It really is easy to sign up for an airline's e-mail list or to follow them on Twitter. Traveling during off-peak season takes some planning but is also easy to do and you might be happily surprised what extras you can get just by asking the hotel desk clerk. By following these budget travel tips, you will be able to travel cheaply and have a great time in the process.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com Budget Travel Tips - 3 Easy Ways For a Great Vacation by Following These Budget Travel Tips

Monday, March 8, 2010

Practical Travel Tips to Save Time on the Road

Being on the road is no walk in the park. In fact, the romance of the road can be highly overrated when you factor in mishaps and perils that make you lose valuable time. And not even your best designer mechanical pocket watch can recoup the time lost (not even Big Ben itself). Here then are practical travel tips to help you avoid common time wasters on the road.

Avoid Shortcuts

Unless you know the terrain like the back of your hand, you should avoid alleged shortcuts through dirt roads and unmarked paths. You might not see anything of interest on the interstates but at least you can go from coast to coast on good roads, hopefully without too many hassles.

Besides, Hollywood movies do have a grain of truth to them. You certainly do not want your mechanical pocket watch to be the only thing left as you explored a dirt road with a maniac at its end. Then again, if the purpose of your travel is to see the back roads of America, then you are welcome to them.

Take the Train

Between traveling by car and traveling by train, the latter is often more desirable. At least, in terms of time since train systems can be timed to the last minute of your mechanical pocket watch. No more flat tires, overheated radiators, busted air conditioners, psycho hitchhikers and other perils of the road, which use up your time.

Unless Bonnie & Clyde's successors exist, you also avoid highway robberies and road rage. And you do not have to drive! The downside is that you cannot get out of a train to admire the scenery up close but it is a disadvantage well worth it.

Bring a Bandage to Airports (And Your Acting Self)

You are probably incredulous about the connection between a bandage and saving traveling time. Well, it is quiet simple really. When you are in a very busy airline hub, you can wrap the bandage around your ankle and then limp like your life depends on it. If you are lucky, and dumb luck plays a big role in traveling, you will probably get an electric cart for the disabled. No more running around chasing after the time on your mechanical pocket watch! You will be whisked to your flight, which certainly beats missing it as you have often done in the past.

Be Picky About Where You Eat

If it is possible, stick to reputable fast food chains. Even if your stomach is growling in hunger, never risk your health on road side shacks posing as diners. You will almost certainly get diarrhea and stomach cramps, which will hold you back holed up in a motel's dingy bathroom. Now those illnesses will take many revolutions of your mechanical pocket watch, yet another timewaster.

If you can, you should stick to diners with trucks parked outside. These usually serve palatable food and passable coffee, and if you are lucky, you will get good company with truckers and friendly staff.

Remember that even the best traveler among us will commit mistakes. But if you follow these tips, you might actually make good time and arrive in your destination ahead of time. Safe traveling!

About the Author:Bradlley Mckoy- To track the time while you traveling, choose from among a wide variety of engraved pocket watches or your favorite Colibri pocket watch and mechanical pocket watch at ExecutiveGiftShoppe.com today!

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=281436&ca=Travel

Saturday, January 30, 2010

7 Tips For Successful Travel

We all travel a lot more now than our ancestors did. We travel all over the world and only think of the jet lag, and not the vast distances we cover. Our world has become smaller and more reachable. And this is a good thing. It helps us to understand different cultures, different people with different ways of living and working. But there are a few essentials you should always check before setting off.

1. It may seem obvious, but many people don’t bother to find out the most basic things about the country they will travel to. You should do this to avoid surprise or disappointment.

2. Check on the kind of weather you will find where you are going. If you live in Florida and travel to northern Greenland, you will be in for a shock unless you know that much colder weather is normal there.

3. Be sure that the medical and general insurance coverage you have (you do have, don’t you?) is adequate for your destination.

4. Do you have all the paperwork and documentation required for your trip? If not, get it!

5. Are there any diseases you will need immunization against where you are going? Check and find out before getting exposed.

6. If you plan on driving in the place you intend to travel to, check that you have an acceptable licence. You may need an international driving licence, for example. And are you familiar with the local driving laws where you are going? If not, become familiar, fast.

7. Finally, the most obvious one of all: is your passport up to date? And if not, do you have enough time to renew it before you set off? You’d be surprised, amazed even, at how many people get this one wrong.