Travel Tips

Scroll below for travel tips which will help make your vacations run smoothly...

True or false: Making a hotel reservation is simply a matter of obtaining a price quote and accepting or rejecting rates?

If you answered true, then you've been duped. You've probably been overpaying for years and the following strategy is just what you need.

Securing the best deal on a hotel room is a tricky business, but a few simple questions are all you need to tempt the reservationist into offering a better price. After receiving the initial quote, try one or a combination of the following leading statements:

* "I was looking for something a little cheaper."

* "I really didn't want to spend that much."

* "Could you check again for a lower rate?"

* "Does your chain own other hotels in the area with cheaper rates?"

* "Are there any special discounts available, say, for members of certain organisations?"

While not every reservationist will oblige, it's worth the time to offer a few suggestive comments. You'll likely be surprised at the results and the fact that "rack" rate is rarely the bottom line.

The English Tourism Council has taken the guesswork out of British hotel booking. The Council, which represents 80 per cent of the lodgings in England, has enacted a new rating system defining all sorts of accommodations. Consider the following five-star rating system for a "bloody good stay":

* One Star - Practical accommodations with a limited range of facilities and services but a high standard of cleanliness throughout. Friendly and courteous staff to give you help and information. Restaurant and eating areas available for breakfast and dinner with a bar or lounge. Seventy five per cent of rooms have a private bath.

* Two Stars - Good overnight accommodations with more comfortable rooms, better equipped - all with private bath and color TV. Relatively straightforward range of services, including food and drink, and a personal style of service. A restaurant/dining room for breakfast and dinner. An elevator is available.

* Three Stars - Possibly larger establishments but all offering significantly greater quality and range of facilities and services. Usually more spacious public areas and bedrooms. Offers a more formal style of service with a receptionist on duty and staff responding well to your needs and requests. Room service of continental breakfast and laundry service available. Serves a wide selection of drinks with a light lunch and snacks served in a bar or lounge.

* Four Stars - These accommodations offer superior comfort and quality. All rooms have a private bath. The hotel has spacious and well-appointed public areas and will put a strong emphasis on food and drink. Staff has superior technical and social skills, anticipating and responding to your needs and requests. Room service is provided for all meals with 24-hour drinks, refreshments and snacks. Dry-cleaning service is also available.

* Five Stars - A spacious, luxurious establishment offering you the highest international quality of accommodation, facilities, services and cuisine. Striking accommodations throughout with a range of extra facilities. You will feel very well cared for by professional, attentive staff providing flawless guest services.

With these ratings as your guide, you can be sure your stay will be pleasant and your specific vacation needs will be met.

Source: Paul Grimes, in the "Minneapolis Star Tribune"

More people are choosing a healthier lifestyle. Eating right and getting enough exercise have become top priorities for many. Maintaining this healthy balance can be a challenge when traveling or on vacation. The following on-the-go travel strategies can help you maintain a healthy balance at home and abroad:

* Pack your tennis shoes. No matter where you are, there's always an opportunity for a brisk walk. Airports, shopping malls and city streets accommodate nearly every fitness level and weather condition. So don't use "forgotten" tennis shoes as your excuse.

* Bring healthy, on-the-go snacks. Fruit, low-fat granola bars and whole-wheat bagels are fabulous alternatives to high-fat, high-priced fast food stands. Plus, they fit nicely into carry-ons for tasty alternatives to airline food.

* Stretch. Whether you're traveling by plane, ship or automobile, there's always time for a ten-minute stretch. You'll prevent the traveling "kinks" - and both body and mind will be far more relaxed.

Even if you don't have time for your typical workout, these three on-the-go strategies will do wonders for your physical and emotional health while on vacation.

Traveling with another person is a wonderful way to experience the world and spend time with someone you enjoy. Even the best of us, however, can transform into entirely new creatures when we hit the road. Before your traveling team packs that first bag and departs for a vacation, discuss the following topics to ensure that this duo is a good match:

* Finances - How will you spend money? Is your partner extravagant, thrifty or irresponsible? What expenditures are most important?

* Activities - Which part of the trip most interests each of you? Do these goals and expectations coincide?

* Personal Habits - Is your partner neat, an early riser, punctual or frivolous? Do these habits coincide with yours or will they drive you crazy?

* Decisions - How will the two of you make decisions and what will you do when disagreement occurs?

* Skills - What particular skills do you each possess? If neither of you can read a map, you might be in trouble.

A short, honest conversation will ensure that you work as a team rather than as opponents.

Tens of millions of Americans participate in frequent flier programs. Yet few take full advantage of them. The following strategies will help you to maximize your vacation miles:

* Pay for your ticket when traveling with your family. Then redeem your miles for family tickets. Most airlines only credit miles if the ticket is in your name.

* Stick with one or two airlines. Special status or discounts provided to steady customers are well worth the price of loyalty.

* Understand the "stopover" and "stop" concepts. In terms of frequent flier miles, airlines total mileage for each leg of a STOP. With a STOPOVER, mileage is calculated between the starting point and your final destination, even if you spend several hours in an en-route city.

* Calculate savings vs mileage earnings for economy fares. Discounted fares might not earn miles.

* Exchange miles for short flights during peak times. You'll save money on these expensive flights and you won't lose the ability to collect miles on longer flights.

Remember: It's up to you take full advantage of the frequent flyer miles you rack up.

Source: Randy Peterson, in "Bottom Line Personal"

Rail travel is an economical and adventurous way to enjoy your vacation, especially in Europe and many lesser developed countries. To keep your rail travels right on track, adhere to these guidelines:

* Double-check your station. While US cities usually offer only one station, many international cities offer several. So be sure you're at the right station and allow time for travel between stations, if necessary.

* Select your own seat. Generally, you are not required to stay in your reserved seat unless the train is full. Once the train is in motion, you're free to choose a location that is more to your liking.

* Be prepared for smoking. Outside the U.S., smoking is more apt to be allowed than prohibited.

* Research your destination's local spelling. Local and Americanized spellings and pronunciations can vary significantly. Learn the local lingo for identifying your stop.

* Make sure your car goes all the way to your destination. Some cars are left at intermediate stations. While an unexpected stop is adventurous, it could create problems for you.

A little planning will go a long way toward making your international rail travel as smooth and pleasant as it can possibly be while you enjoy your vacation.

Source: "Insider Travel Secrets" by Tom Parsons

Safe travel involves far more than protecting your toteable treasures. Truly safe travelers also secure their homes with the following steps:

* Leave a radio on and tuned to a talk station. Leave a light on and attach others to random timers.

* Arrange for someone to maintain the yard, randomly raise and lower blinds and curtains, take out the garbage on the specified day and collect mail and newspapers.

* Shut off the water, leaky valves or "questionable" appliances. In cold climates, leave an upstairs faucet dripping to avoid frozen pipes.

With a little planning and a small amount of time, your home and your sanity will be secure.

Source: "Travel Smarts: Everything You Need to Know to Go Anywhere" by Herbert Teison and Nancy Dunnan

* Select the first flight out in the morning. There is a good chance that the airplane will be sitting at the gate after having come in late at night. Delays almost always cascade throughout the schedule.

* Choose a nonstop flight if at all possible. The more takeoffs and landings, the more chances for delays.

* If you can't get a nonstop, try for a direct flight, which in most cases is a plane that goes from your departure city to your destination but makes one or more stops.

* If you must choose a flight with stopovers, see whether there is a connection that takes you through a less-congested airport or one less likely to have weather delays.

* Consult the on-time rating for the flight, available from the airline, a travel agency or an online reservations service. You don't want to fly in on a flight with a rating of "5" (on time only 50 percent of the time) to meet a flight with a rating of "9."

Do you love to travel? Then why not earn an income, or at least a tidy sum, from something you love to do? The following full and part-time jobs will keep you on-the-go while earning an income:

* Photographer - Travelers with basic photography skills and a bit of experience can turn their travels into money-making vacations. Stock photography agencies purchase quality destination photographs from a multitude of freelancers. Representing photographers, these agencies sell stock shots to editors, advertisers and book publishers.

* Travel Writer - If you have a knack for the written word, travel articles are an excellent way to supplement your income. Magazines are always looking for unique destination ideas or unusual slants on popular vacation hot spots. "Writer's Market", an annual book listing endless magazine and book publishers, is an excellent place to begin.

* Air Travel Employee - In addition to traveling on the job, airline employees receive significant travel discounts and allowances for the entire family.

* Sailboat Returner - At the end of 'round the world or long distance sailboat races, racers usually opt for air rather than more-of-the-same sea travel for the return leg. This leaves the sailboat stranded at the finish line. "Bringer backers", as they're called in the industry, are hired to return the boats to their home ports.

* Relocation Driver - Similar to sail boats, rental cars and motor homes often require relocation to their originating city. Drivers fly to meet vehicles and then drive them to this home city - typically the driver's home base as well.

* Cruise Ship Employee - While cruise ship workers spend most of their time aboard ship, true sea lovers revel in earning money while floating around the world.

So if you truly love to travel, consider the preceding occupations. You might be able to make a living while living your dreams!

Source: "Travel Bargains: How to Pay Less and Travel More" by Art Evans

Lightweight, packable and stuffable, pillowcases have virtually endless uses:

* Cover hotel pillows for added sanitation and comfort.

* Transform one into a beach bag.

* Stuff one with dirty clothes for on-the-go laundering.

* Stash your sleeping bag inside for cleaner, easier traveling.

* Tote activity-specific items such as snorkeling gear, water bottles, sunscreen and athletic shoes.

Stash 'em, stuff 'em, tote 'em or transform 'em - pillowcases are yet another "must" for vacation travel.

Colorful ties and scarves are a traveler's "must have". They add a boost of color to an otherwise neutral travel wardrobe. So to keep them crease-and-twist-free, simply roll 'em, and stuff 'em with the following packing strategy:

* Grasp the narrow end of the tie or either end of the scarf between two fingers.

* Roll it tightly around your fingers to eliminate creases.

* Stuff each bundle neatly inside a nylon sock for easy packing.

Voila! You've got creaseless, colorful bundles to brighten nearly any wardrobe.

Traveling on a limited budget doesn't mean "missing out" or settling for less than the best of EVERYTHING when on vacation. Low budget satisfaction is all a matter of establishing priorities prior to the trip.

Ask yourself: Are posh lodgings important? Are there costly attractions that simply cannot be missed? Is sampling local cuisine a "must" experience?

Everyone's tastes are different and identifying your priorities is the first step.

Then create a priority-based vacation budget. If most of your money is allotted to lodging, you'll need to cut costs on restaurants and activities. For example, if your "must do" three-day ballooning adventure consumes your budget, you may need to consider camping and picnicking.

Even with a limited vacation budget, nearly all your travels can be satisfying adventures once you've identified your priorities!

Source: "Tips for the Savvy Traveler" by Deborah Burns and Sarah May Clarkson

Are you planning to stay in one destination for a week or more? If so, renting a room from a private homeowner could save you hundreds of dollars and provide a cultural adventure to boot.

Even economical hotel rooms cost approximately $50 a night. This budget room provides the bare necessities - bed, bathroom, TV and phone. However, a typical "room for rent" in a private home costs approximately $300 a month and may include everything from kitchen and living room privileges to meals and "tour guide" style information.

So if you do the math for a two-week stay, a hotel room costs $700. However, a room for rent costs only $300 and you'll still have more than a week to spare.

So the next time you're planning an extended vacation, check the local paper's classified section for a "room for rent". You could save hundreds of dollars while gaining personal insight into the culture of your destination.

Source: "Travel Bargains: How to Pay Less and Travel More" by Art Evans

* Pack your bag as if you will never see it again. Checked-in luggage should be predominantly clothing and toiletries. Any valuables should be carried on.

* If you use curbside check-in, watch your luggage right onto the conveyer. Skycaps often like to pile bags high on carts rather than immediately putting them on the conveyer belt. As long as your bag sits in plain view, it's vulnerable.

* Get to the baggage claim area as soon as possible after landing and put some instant identification on your bags to set them apart from the rest.

* Don't get separated from your bag at security checkpoints. Don't put your carry-on bag on the conveyer until you have a clear path through the metal detector. Thieves have been known to wait at the other end to take your stuff while you are stuck behind someone who keeps setting the detector off.

* Cover up the keypad when you type in your phone card security code. To a thief, your phone security code is like money in the bank.

* Be wary of self-ticketing machines, especially those that oblige you to put your luggage off to the side as you concentrate on the self-ticketing screen. Thieves love these devices.

* Don't ever hang valuables on the hook inside a public toilet. After hooks were removed from all rest-area stalls at the Pennsylvania Turnpike, it hurt thieves' business so much that they put the hooks back up themselves! Keep your bag on the floor between your legs.

* Always put your ID tag on the outside and inside of your bags. Handles can easily come off during the baggage handling process.

Source: Kevin Coffey, "Lies, Cons and Stolen Briefcases"

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