Posts tagged Travel
The Secrets Of Saving On Travel
Sep 2nd
Author: andrew.regan.2006@googlemail.com
Everyone looks for the best rates when it comes to making their travel arrangements. After all, the more you manage to save on transport and accommodation, the more you'll be able to spend on activities once you arrive at your vacation destination. But when it comes to saving on travel, there are a few wise travelling tips everyone should know.
Firstly, remember that timing is almost everything with regards to travel arrangements - not only in terms of when you travel, but also when you make your arrangements. For instance, certain times of the year - like summer - are well known for being more expensive for travel. So, if you're looking to cut corners on cost, you may want to consider travelling outside of the summer months.
But that's not to say that by doing so means you'll miss out on 'prime' travelling opportunities. Spring, autumn and winter make for fantastic times to travel: you'll have the warm weather in spring, stunning scenery in autumn and countless opportunities to partake in snow sports and other wintry activities during the winter months. And, as these seasons are generally considered to be 'off peak' within the travel industry, you'll save a significant chunk of cash. Just remember that holiday travel during Christmas, New Year or Easter, for example, will typically still be expensive, despite falling in traditional ‘off peak’ periods.
That said, when you actually make your travel arrangements also has a bearing on how much you'll pay. Its common knowledge that the earlier you book your flights and accommodation, the better the deals you'll get. And while this is true for the most part, something should also be said for last-minute deals. Many airlines and hotels that do not book all their seats or rooms would much rather sell them off at highly discounted rates than to have them go completely empty. For this reason, you'll often find last minute deals which will outdo any deal you might find by booking months in advance. However, the drawback of this type of deal is that you might have to plan your trip on short notice. Moreover, you may not necessarily find cheap deals to the destination of your choice - which could actually end up being a good thing, if you're adventurous or spontaneous by nature!
And finally, the best tip for finding travel bargains is to do your research and shop around. The web is teeming with fantastic deals waiting to be scooped up - you just have to know where to look, and to have the patience to look a bit harder if you don't stumble upon something immediately. Hotel and travel sites, for example, often have a section on their homepage dedicated to special deals - so you'll know about a particular brand's best hotel rates right off the bat. And remember: making travel arrangements through combination travel packages is a big money saver too!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hotels-articles/the-secrets-of-saving-on-travel-152410.html
About the Author
Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist who lists travelling and rugby among his interests.
Save On Travel
Jul 9th
Author: happy pig
Columbus Day and Halloween are on the way. Are you planning for a journey? Actually it's a hard-won holiday, so enjoy yourself. But before starting off, view these tips that can help you save a bundle.
Book a bargain stay
Like discount golf clubs, booking a bargain hotel is more reasonable, or you can stay in Home Swaps. You should know a hotel is not the only option when you travel. Condos, villas etc are also practical.
Flying is Not Always Fastest or Cheapest
While traveling by air becomes more popular, however, it isn't the fastest and cheapest all the time. Besides plane, train, bus or boat can also be taken into account. For example, trains really beat out air travel and driving in Europe where fast trains often connect cities like Paris and London or Madrid and Sevilla and gas prices are double the prices here in the US.
Bring Less
The less you bring, the less you'll spend on baggage to carry it all in, and you won't risk over-weight fees or extra baggage fees.
Self-Cater and Eat Where Locals Eat
Ordering room service for breakfast is not only expensive, but all that waiting takes time away from sightseeing. Consider buying a carton of milk and a box of cereal or bread and jam to keep in your room. If you start your day with a simple breakfast, you'll be able to snack at that great local bakery you discover once you leave the hotel.
Don't break the bank on gifts
After having a good journey, have you considered to buy some gifts for your friends? Here I suggest you to bring some local products which are best. You should know the gift itself may be small, but the goodwill is deep. So it is unnecessary to break the bank on gifts. In addition, kids are always interested in all toys. But remember: one or two is ok, there's no need for more than that.
Copyright reserved by istockgolf.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/save-on-travel-1362860.html
About the Author
Golfing as you like—discount golf clubs
Top Five Cheap Flight Destinations
Jul 9th
Author: Suzanne Bradley
At the moment, it’s easy to see how some people would be worried about vacation costs this year. Travel is too expensive for many people because of the economy and threats of layoffs. However, there are still cheap travel destinations if you are willing to do your homework. The bulk of your vacation cost will probably go towards your flight and your hotel stay. So, finding a cheap flight and taking advantage of other options can greatly reduce the cost of your vacation. Here are the top five cheap flight destinations that you should consider:
New York City and Other Big Cities
You can often find cheap flights to New York City and other big cities because they are home to large airports. When you fly into a large airport, you have more airline options, which can lower the price. Big cities can be a lot of fun, but are not usually high on the list for tourist destinations, since people are more likely to want to head to the beach or mountains for vacation. As an added bonus, that means that other activities in the cities are also less expensive. Most big cities even have government-sponsored museums, parks, and zoos which are free or under $10 for admission.
Florida or Southern California
The price of your flight often depends on your point of origin. One thing that is almost always a sure bet, though, is that it will typically be cheaper to stay in the United States than to travel abroad. If you live in the eastern half of the country, Florida is a natural choice. You can find flights into Orlando and Miami for just $100 to $200 if you are leaving from a larger northern airport. In the west, southern California is a great destination for the same reason. If you live in the center of the United States, check both Florida and California prices. Also, don’t forget that visiting the gulf of Texas is also an option.
Canada
If you absolutely just want to experience a different country, Canada is a great option. Staying near the United States and not having to cross an ocean helps keep the price of the flight down as low as possible. Canada is also not a huge tourism center, so prices for flights are naturally lower than, for example, Hawaii. Keep in mind that travelling can still get pricey once you arrive at your destination with the current exchange rate, so budget accordingly. However, with the money you’ll save on a flight, it could be worth it. You won’t find warm, sunny beaches in Canada, but you will find some great wilderness resorts, and there are a number of cities that are fun to visit, such as Toronto.
The Caribbean
Believe it or not, the prices for plane tickets to the Caribbean are actually fairly affordable. Although this is a tourist hotspot, the sheer number of flights going into and out of these airports drives the price down. When you work with your travel agent, you can also often get a lower price because they get discounts for selling a certain number of flights on one airline – and flights are easy to book to the Caribbean. There aren’t as many tourists flying to, for example, Italy on the other hand, so they aren’t likely to get a discount on that airline. You can save even more money in general by choosing to fly to Puerto Rico, since it is still a territory of the United States.
Mexico
Some vacationers have been shying away from Mexico recently. However, if you stick to tourist hot spots and use a little discretion, you can be very safe in this country. Flights into Mexico are inexpensive for the same reasons that flights into Canada are inexpensive, you are staying near the United States and you don’t have to cross an ocean. You’ll still pay more for a flight to Mexico than most domestic flights, but if you shop around for good deals, you should be able to travel fairly inexpensively.
Flying will always be expensive, no matter how much price comparison you do to different destinations. There are a few things you can do to keep the price as low as possible, wherever your destination may be. First, be flexible with your dates. Flights are usually more expensive on weekend and near holidays. You can also add more layovers to your flight or take nighttime flights to save money. Finally, when you book your flight, try not to plan activities that you have to rush to as soon as you land. That way, if there is an overbooking problem, you can volunteer to take a later flight. If you do that, most airlines will refund your ticket and give you an additional free flight to use in the future.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/top-five-cheap-flight-destinations-868419.html
About the Author
Suzanne Bradley is a freelance writer and blogger who writes about vacations and the travel industry in general, often discussing vacation tips such as finding cheap flights.
Boomers May Soon Overcome Top Objection To Retirement In Mexico
Apr 14th
Author: Jim Scherrer
By: Jim Scherrer
As retirees and 12 year residents of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, it’s quite easy to extol the benefits of living in Mexico. Of course, not every part of Mexico is the same (as is true in the US or Canada); however, we can certainly vouch for Puerto Vallarta. With its beautiful climate and landscape of the Sierra Madres cascading down into Banderas Bay, its kind and friendly local citizenry, its proximity to the US and Canada, and its lower cost of living, what’s there not to like in this wonderland south of the border?
English, as a second language, is widely spoken throughout the city, the safety of expats is of highest priority for the authorities with the rate of violent crime at a fraction of that back home, corruption significantly reduced, poverty virtually eradicated, and the cleanliness of this city make it a favorite resort destination for millions of visitors from throughout the world. All of the “Big box” stores such as Sam’s Club, Costco, Wal-Mart, Builders Square, Office Depot, nine beautiful signature golf courses, world class deep sea fishing, high speed internet, satellite TV, VOIP telephone service, etc. are all available in this beautiful city in the center of the Mexican Riviera. The face of Vallarta has been dramatically altered during the past decade with well maintained city parks, esplanades, a new malecon walkway along the beach, new water treatment facilities and miles of new water distribution lines, new or upgraded power distribution system throughout the city, new downtown above ground and underground parking garages, a new University of Guadalajara branch, a new Convention Center, the tripling in size of the Maritime Terminal, the quadrupling in size of the International Airport, and the addition of four new hospitals with modern and sophisticated diagnostic and surgical equipment, staffed with highly trained and experienced English speaking doctors.
Now that we’ve established the fact that Vallarta is a fine place to live or retire, let’s take a closer look at the last item above related to medical care.
With high quality medical care readily available in Vallarta, the cost of it, even though at a fraction of the cost in the US, can be a deciding factor when considering Mexico as a retirement location. Assuming that most retirees have reached or are fast approaching their 65th birthday, the availability, quality, and cost of medical care are of high importance. The quality of medical care in Vallarta is generally equal to or better than that received in the US and the cost varies from one third to one half of that in the States (speaking from experience and with authority!).
Having high quality medical care available in Mexico is one thing but paying for it is another since US provided Medicare for seniors fails to cross the border at this time. Various supplements to Medicare cover seniors traveling abroad for a limited period of time (for example, supplement F covers the holder for the first 60 days of international travel), however, they are inadequate for full time residents living abroad.
Although Mexican Social Security (IMSS) is available to expats, most under the age of 65 have their own private international health insurance which is somewhat costly as discussed in numerous articles and covered on websites such as MedToGo. For many years, we have used IHI/BUPA and can state emphatically; their coverage and service is absolutely great for expats living in Mexico and traveling worldwide.
Now, let’s assume you’ve reached the age of 65 and are considering Mexico as your retirement destination. It’s very difficult to abandon your free Medicare that you’ve contributed to for a lifetime, the cost of private insurance is almost prohibitive, and you can’t afford to take the risk of being uninsured. This is the main dilemma for seniors considering retirement abroad. Even so, there are more than five million (some reports indicate six million) Americans living abroad, of which more than a million reside in Mexico per the Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO). In fact, there are more US expats living abroad than reside in 24 of the states in the US as reported by Republicans Abroad!
Well, perhaps we’re on the verge of overcoming this top objection to retiring in Mexico! The US government has been approached by numerous expat groups such as the Puerto Vallarta based chapter of Democrats Abroad and the bipartisan group of American Citizens Abroad (ACA) with the intent of promoting the advancement of Medicare for expats living abroad.
Before Congress can enact such a law change, they must conduct demonstration projects in order to determine the feasibility and cost effectiveness of such law changes. The Americans for Medicare in Mexico, A.C. (AMMAC) have put forth a tremendous effort in promoting this benefit to eligible retirees and have encouraged many members of Congress to initiate such a demonstration project. They argue that not only have these eligible Medicare recipients paid into the fund over a lifetime, but the cost to the US taxpayers will be significantly reduced because rather than returning to the US for expensive and long term medical care, the majority of these expats will merely elect to have their medical care provided near their foreign residence at a fraction of the cost.
Proponents of the law change such as Professor David C. Warner of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas have written books and papers on the subject of “Getting What You Paid For: Extending Medicare to Eligible Beneficiaries in Mexico” and the newly appointed US Ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, has been following the current efforts to establish a demonstration project for the initiation of Medicare in Mexico as a pilot program. In fact, Ambassador Pascual recently accompanied President Obama to a North American Summit in Guadalajara where one of the topics covered was Medicare in Mexico as reported by the Guadalajara Reporter.
In summarizing, we are anticipating the availability of Medicare for eligible retirees residing in Mexico in the not too distant future. Once this obstacle to retiring abroad has been eliminated, not only will millions of baby boomers in search for a less expensive and better quality of life be heading south of the border, but so too will millions of retiring Mexican Americans desiring to return to their homeland. Combined with all of the other obvious benefits of living in Paradise, free and high quality medical care for boomers will just be the icing on the cake!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/medical-tourism-articles/boomers-may-soon-overcome-top-objection-to-retirement-in-mexico-1185916.html
About the Author
Jim Scherrer has owned property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 26 years and resided there for the past twelve years. The mission of his series of more than 60 articles pertaining to retirement in Puerto Vallarta is to reveal the recent changes that have occurred in Vallarta while dispelling the misconceptions about living conditions in Mexico. For the full series of articles regarding travel to and retirement in Vallarta as well as pertinent Puerto Vallarta links, please visit us at Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Buyers‘ Agents
Tips For Successfully Flying Standby
Mar 13th
Author: Brian Jenkins
Stand by flying has changes in recent years. In the past, standby tickets were available that allowed you to fly much cheaper, as long as you were willing to risk sitting at the airport for an extended period of time. Now, these standby tickets are no longer available, but flying standby still has its benefits. When you make reservations, you most likely choose the most convenient and the least expensive flight from your preferred airport to your destination. However, after making your reservation, others may have cancelled, businesses could have released blocks of tickets, or someone could have not shown up to fly. An airline dislikes flying with empty seats and the airline will do everything it can to fill these empty seats. You can benefit from this by taking an earlier flight by flying standby.
To fly standby you must already have a ticket for a flight, and you can only fly to the same destination as your current ticket, typically on the same route, if there are layovers. If you want to fly standby, head to the ticket counter as soon as you arrive at the airport, since standbys are typically on a first come, first serve basis. Once you are on the list, do not leave the area. The agent will not hold your spot and it will be lost if your name is called and you are not present.
The first rule of flying standby is to pack lightly. When an airline makes the decision to put people on an earlier flight, they often do so at the last minute. If you have bags to check, or have already checked bags for a different flight, your chances of flying standby are reduced significantly. Therefore, to increase your odds of flying standby, pack only what you can carry on.
If you are curious about flying standby, and would like to try it, call the airline several hours before your scheduled flight and ask if there are any open seats on earlier flights. If there are a few extra seats available, head to the airport since you cannot be placed on standby over the phone.
An important consideration when flying standby is what happens in the case of connecting flights. If you standby and board a plane four hours before your confirmed reservation, you will arrive early at the next airport, but if you are connecting, there is no guarantee that the connecting airport will have openings on their flights. You may end up waiting at that airport until your originally ticketed flight arrives. One of the best scenarios for flying standby is when you are able to convert your confirmed ticket with layovers to a standby, same price, ticket that is non-stop. If the flight has layovers, head directly to the ticket desk when you land, and ask to be placed on the standby list for the connecting flight.
Increase your success of flying standby
There are a variety of ways to increase your success of flying standby. If you are traveling by yourself, your chances of success are greater than if you are traveling with your family. This makes sense, as there is a much greater chance of finding one empty seat than finding four empty seats. Because of the decrease in the odds of flying standby, it does not make sense to fly standby with children. To successfully fly standby, you need to arrive early at the airport, and spend a good deal of time waiting around. This is too much to ask for children right before climbing on board an airplane.
Take time to consider the time of year as well. If you are traveling on a holiday weekend or on the edge of bad weather, flights are probably overbooked already, and showing up early will not be very beneficial. Airlines give first choice on standby flights to those who have been bumped from another flight, so showing up early will not put you at the head of the line.
Flying standby is a great way to take advantage of cheap plane tickets as long as you are willing to be flexible. Cheap tickets, for late night arrivals, are easy to find. Once you buy your ticket, pack lightly, and on the day of your flight head to the airport early, or call ahead and see if there are any empty seats on flights heading to the same destination. Using this method, assuming that you are not traveling at a busy time of the week, midweek is best, you are very likely to standby on an earlier flight, and arrive at your destination at a reasonable hour.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/tips-for-successfully-flying-standby-563788.html
About the Author
Brian Jenkins is a freelance writer who writes about topics and tips involving the travel industry and special deals, often discussing specific subjects such as cheap flights.
