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BOOKING TRAVEL ONLINE:
Booking & shopping
online has proven to revolutionize the travel industry. There are many
pros to utilizing online booking sites to plan your trip. Bottom line
is, it saves you time and money, both important factors when planning
your trip.
Before you go booking your
trip online, read our tips on doing so to ensure you find the best
deals and are protected in the process…
1. Shop around:
This has been our motto
from the start. We are finding that prices change all the time, so it
is important to look around for the best travel deal.
Besides searching our site, we have provided our favorite sites (with reviews) for finding the best deals.
Don’t get paralysis on
analysis though. We recommend you pick a price (be reasonable though)
and search until you find it- once you find it- take it!!
2. The more flexible you are the better:
Hey, I know when you travel with kids or a group of people, being flexible isn't an option.
If you can be flexible, it
will help, that's all. Things like flying on certain days (like
Saturday or mid-week), or specific times (10pm-6am for example) could
be a benefit.
3. Join Frequent Flyer Programs:
This is a travel tip. You
don't have to fly every other month to benefit from these programs. If
you use credit cards, you might as well get something back.
Heck, we pay them enough in
charges that you deserve something in return. Just pick your favorite
airline(s) and sign up for an airline mile card!
4. Read:
Sign up for e-zines.
You can set up a free email
account if you don't want these piling up in your in-box. Many of them
have an opt-out section that allows you to quit receiving emails once
you are done.
They usually provide
up-to-date alerts on what deals are out there. Also, you might want to
look into a few information products about traveling on a budget or
getting great deals!!
There are experts out there who have been there and done that and know how to take advantage of great opportunities.
5. Know all the terms and conditions:
This is a very important
cheap deal travel reminder. For example, you will want to know if your
quotes are locked in immediately or how long you have til you must
decide, what their refund policy is, cancellation policy, if their site
is safe when you enter your information (if you see a golden key or
padlock at the bottom in the toolbar, then you will be fine), changes
you might need to make, and so forth. You don't want to get trapped
into something that you can't get out of.
6. Get Coupons:
Getting your hands on
coupons can save you tons of money off various travel necessities. You
can find valuable money savers with coupon books. Other cheap deal
travel tips to consider...
7. Check a few sites & once you find your price, go bid at an auction site like Priceline, at a lower price.
8. Book all in one.
Sometimes if you book your airfare, car, & hotel or a combo of the
three, you can get a better cheap deal. Don't be afraid to ask!!
9. For flights, you can
also do things like get bumped/stay over, fly out of another airport in
your region (consider gas & driving and if that's worth it), &
consider 1-2 or more connections (no-stop flights can be expensive).
Bonus tips when shopping online in general…
- Do online shopping with
companies you know. We provide some places that give you a good start.
You can also compare offline or with major retail chain's websites.
- Keep your passwords private and choose them wisely.
- Keep good records. This protects you if something arises.
- Check out the
company’s security policy and privacy policy. These are typically
located at the bottom of the page. Or, look under site map or company
information.
- Read the legal terms. These policies let you know what they do with any information you provide.
- Get their contact information. Try it out if need be. Make sure you know how to get a hold of someone.
- Make sure before you purchase, you read their return/refund policies.
- Review all descriptions of products, shipping & handling terms, and any other pertinent information you want to know. This should all be outlined for you.
CHEAP INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL:
What is the real secret to
cheap international travel? It is the same as the secret to doing
anything for less. Learn to be an opportunist. Opportunistic travelers
get to travel more, see more and do more. Of course, you can ignore
this advice if you have unlimited funds.
I went to Ecuador because
it was cheap. Honestly, aren't there many interesting places in this
world? Why not choose one you can travel to inexpensively? The other
places will be there in the future, and you may have an opportunity to
go to those places cheaply at some point.
Cheap Countries
Ecuador is my favorite
international destination. You can still get a decent meal for two
dollars. U.S. dollars, by the way, since that's conveniently the
official currency of Ecuador now. From the beautiful snow-capped Andes
mountains, to the Galapagos Islands, you'll never run out of places to
explore in Ecuador. Travel there is safe and inexpensive.
South America in general is
inexpensive, and the most affordable countries are, in my opinion, the
most beautiful. These are the countries along the Andes mountains;
Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Argentina, thanks to it's recent economic
troubles, is once again a cheap place for travelers as well.
In Central America, it
costs very little to travel and vacation in both Nicaragua and
Guatemala. Nicaragua, in particular, has become more stable and safe
for travelers in recent years. Costa Rica is a wonderful too, and
though it is one of more expensive counties of Central America, that
probably still leaves it cheaper than Europe.
In Asia, India is still
low-cost, especially if you stay in the numerous hostels and boarding
houses. Thailand and Indonesia are also very cheap. With all
international destinations, the plane tickets will be your single
biggest travel expense. This is especially true with the asian
countries. Being there is cheap, but getting there may not be.
Cheap International Travel Tips
Wherever you go, there are
things you can do to keep it cheap. Eat where locals eat, for example,
instead of at the tourist restaurants. To keep it really cheap, eat
fruit from street markets (wash it well) and packaged snacks from
grocery stores.
Visit the free and cheap
attractions first. It's possible you'll have so much fun that you'll
never get around to doing the expensive things. A higher price means
better quality with travel bags, but not with travel experiences.
Busses are cheaper than
taxis in any country, but be careful of crowded city busses, where
pickpockets hang out. Walking is even cheaper, and it's a great way to
learn about a city. Just ask the locals where the dangerous parts are
before you wander too far.
For cheap accommodations
find out where local visitors from within the country stay. Negotiating
room charges is common in some areas. In Banos, Ecuador, we negotiated
our room rate down from $12 to $6 per night, by paying for several
nights in advance. Consider hostels, if you don't mind sharing a room.
They're much more common overseas.
Cheap international travel
is often only as cheap as your plane tickets. Use the techniques
outlined on our site to save big on tickets, or search the fares to
several interesting countries. If one is $500 less than the others,
consider going there. $500 can buy a few extra days, or an extra
mini-vacation some other time. | 
