Celestial Seas

Mary Hanna asked:


When considering a cruise vacation this is a very good question. The Cruise lines pre-book massive amounts of airline space. That allows you better access to flights, and many cruise lines pass on their reasonable prices to passengers whose travel agents book through them.

If you choose to make airline reservations on your own please select flight schedules that allow you enough time to get to the pier in time for the ship’s departure on the day of your cruise travel. That applies in reverse, leave enough breathing room to get to the airport with time to make your return flights after your lovely cruise vacation.

Two advantages of using cruise line provided airfare are:

By purchasing cruise line airfare, you also receive transfers to and from the airport to the pier. If your flights are delayed and arrive past the time of the ship’s departure, the cruise line assumes responsibility for either delaying the ship’s sailing or getting you to the cruise ships first port of call.

You should let your travel agent book the Airline Reservations through the Cruise Line for safety reasons. This basically makes the Cruise Line responsible in the event of a flight or sailing delay or cancellation. Here’s a cruise tip, for a small additional “air deviation” fee, most cruise lines will attempt to book you on the airline or flights of your choice.

If you have frequent-flier miles be sure to book your flights well in advance to ensure your arrival on time. When scheduling your flight home after the cruise, be sure to take into account disembarking time from the ship and local transportation time to the airport. Leave plenty of time because some local airports may not be as sophisticated as those you might be used to. And in today’s world, security will make it even longer to board your flight for your cruise travel.

You should arrive at least a day before the cruise vacation, especially if you are flying a long distance to pick up the ship. That way, you can rest up and be ready to enjoy every moment of your cruise. You get the added benefit of not having to worry about a delayed or cancelled flight, causing you to miss the cruise. This was the best cruise tip I have learned over the years.

When you are flying to your cruise vacation you will have to consider baggage weight. Generally there are no restrictions on how much luggage you can take aboard ship, but do remember that if your cruise vacation involves a flight, airlines have their own baggage allowance restrictions. These vary on scheduled flights, depending on airline and route. Please note that the allowance may be less on international flights. When flying from New Zealand back to Miami after our millennium cruise vacation, Quanta’s airline was very strict about weight and charged us because we were over.

The cruise lines will generally supply you with its luggage tags which will be in addition to your personal ID tags. The luggage tags will be included with your cruise documents which normally arrive 2-3 weeks before your cruise vacation.

Here are some cruise tips we have learned through our cruise travel.

It is strongly suggested that you remove old airline flight tags to eliminate ANY possibility of confusion on the part of the airline.

An extra folded flight bag takes up very little room and it can be handy on your way home when you have more to carry then can be placed in your original luggage.

Be sure to keep your travel documents, identification documents, medications, valuables, a set of clean underwear, credit cards, cash and travelers checks on your person or in your carry-on luggage. Horror stories concerning lost airline luggage are well known.

When traveling outside the United States to pick up your cruise ship, make photocopies of your passport and cruise itinerary, place one set in each bag prior to checking them with the airline. This will ensure you that your luggage will catch up to you at some time during your cruise vacation.

When waiting in line or sitting in an airport, always have the strap to your carry-on luggage wrapped around an arm or leg, then it won’t disappear without your knowledge.

Be very careful using your telephone card in airports. People will stand behind you and watch as you tap in the numbers. And much to your dismay, a month after your cruise travel, you get a huge telephone bill. I know it happened it me. I was not responsible for paying the bill, but it was a hassle.

It is useful to take an overnight bag for the last night of your cruise vacation. Your cabin steward will be collecting all checked bags the night before disembarkation, sometime around midnight. If you have this small overnight bag you can use it for the clothes you wore the evening before. And as mentioned, it comes in handy for packing all the mementos you picked up along the way.

The most important cruise tip is to relax and enjoy your cruise vacation. You deserve it.

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mandy Karlik asked:


Home for the holidays has a nice sound to it, until you actual get on the freeways, compete for precious parking space, and unwrap your presents for the nice airport security people so you can wait for four hours for your flight. As some heroic individuals do try to go home for the holidays, another travel is also heading out of town. But there’s no security checkpoint, no weather delay, and no gift-giving anxiety. These people are going on a holiday cruise. For the right people under the right circumstances, there is no better way to spend the holidays than on the sea.

Most cruise lines offer special packages that cruise over Christmas and New Year’s, typically with an upcharge that reflects some of the extra festivities that passengers will experience. Many holiday cruises offer special meals, decorations, and parties to commemorate Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and the fare reflects this.

Holiday cruises sell out early, so if you want to try this next year, make your decisions as early as you can. In fact, it might be good timing now to book for the 2008 Christmas cruise!

While the cruise lines do an outstanding job of making the voyage as festive as possible, the fact is that Christmas on a cruise ship is just not a traditional experience. Particularly in the Caribbean, the warm weather, palm trees, and pristine beaches just don’t seem to match the mood of the season. For that reason, cruise passengers for the holidays should make certain mental as well as physical preparations.

First, be flexible. If you have a Christmas card holiday in mind, a cruise vacation may make you feel like you’re missing Christmas. You need to have a sense of adventure and a desire to create new traditions and seek new experiences.

Second, take some Christmas with you. Whether you’re traveling with one person or a group, take along some gift-wrapped presents to exchange on the big day. If your family always had certain holiday traditions (such as a midnight snack on Christmas eve or chocolate candy on Christmas day or opening stockings stuffed with presents early in the morning) you might be able to figure out a way to “import” that to the cruise. This will help you merge the traditional Christmas with the cruise Christmas.

Third, you need to ponder for a moment the real meaning of the holidays for you. Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year’s Eve, holidays are holidays for a reason. Think about what they mean to you and allow the cruise to complement that.

For example, New Year’s Eve may be a time when you enjoy getting dressed up for big parties and when you like to relax and reflect on the year gone by. Great, you can do that (and more) on a cruise ship.

Get in the party mood. The crew on your ship is working this holiday and that can be hard thing. Many crew members have long-term contracts and don’t see their families or native countries for months at a time. They are tasked with creating a festive mood for you; do them a favor, reciprocate. Be generous with your tips and your thank-yous.

Holiday cruises work out well in situations where you can cruise with your family (like a combination reunion-Christmas cruise) or in situations where you feel like you can’t face a traditional holiday. If you’re recently divorced or widowed or find yourself in a situation where you can get some time off but can’t (or don’t want to) go home, a cruise is a great solution.

Talk to your cruise line about what sorts of activities are planned and if you might need special attire. Many cruises offer formal or lavish holiday type events, so you may need to bring evening clothes (or perhaps more than one set of formal wear).

If you’ve grown up in a cold climate and plan on spending Christmas or New Year’s in the Carribean or other warm-water destinations, be prepared for a jolt. Even if you know it’s going to be warm, even if you think you’ll love the fact that it’s warm, even if you think you don’t care that it’s warm.

Even people who grow up in warm climates will tell you that it is an odd experience to watch an 80-degree breeze ripple the tinsel on the Christmas tree and how odd it feels to hum along to carols in your bathing suit. Sunbathing on Christmas Day may sound delightful, but you will get a sort of weird sensation if it actually happens.

Be prepared for this by making sure you do get some familiar holiday traditions worked into your cruise vacation.

While last-minute cruising is a bit of an art form (and can be a good way to save a few bucks on a great cruise), it hardly ever applies to holiday cruising. It really is a good time right now to plan a cruise for next year’s holiday.

Why so early? Well, for one thing, holiday cruises book up early. Some people have literally made a Christmas or New Year’s cruise a tradition. And cruises are getting increasingly popular in general, so holiday cruising is only going to see increasing demand.

The other reason is that you will save money but have lots of choices. Most cruise lines are willing to discount fares to two types of passengers: those who book early and those who book very, very late. The late-comers are really just filling up space that would have gone empty otherwise. Late-comers can get deals, but they never get a choice. You pretty much have to take what you can get.

On the other hand, most cruise lines are very generous to early birds. It’s good business. The theory is that if the cruise ship can sell out far in advance, the cruise company will not have to scramble to sell fares at the last minute … less advertising, less promotion, less last-minute discounting frenzy. It helps them to encourage passengers to book early, so they encourage you the best way they know. They offer discounts.

Don’t expect massive discounts by booking early. But you can probably land a pretty good deal. One thing that most cruise lines will do for people who book cruises months ahead of time–they will work in some upgrades. You may be able to upgrade your stateroom or get some on-board credits as well as a less-than-rack-rate passage.

Think it’s really too early to start planning next year’s holiday cruise? Go online and look at the cruise companies. They all have announced their schedules for 2008, some far beyond that.

Maybe next year you can get a suntan for Christmas!

Mandy Karlik asked:


Cruising is fun, convenient, a good value … and easy. Right? Well, cruising is meant to be relaxing, but there are certain things passengers can do to get the very most out of their cruise vacation experience. Here are seven proven tips to maximize your cruise experience (and they don’t cost a thing!)

First - Travel with a like-minded partner or friends. Most cruise ships are like Noah’s Ark: people get on in pairs or in groups. While cruise lines will gladly allow you to cruise solo, it is not the best way to enjoy a cruise. Not only will you sometimes feel awkward during dining or cruise ship activities, you also get slapped with a surcharge since all cruising is based on double (or more) occupancy rates.

Furthermore, travel with compatible people. If you like to party, don’t decide to go on a cruise with a tee-totaler or a recovering drinker. Whether you are a sun bather or a casino denizen, you are going to have your best time if you travel with people who share your interests and values.

Second - Board your ship as early as you can and take any tours of the vessel or facilities that are offered. Most ships allow you to board many hours before the ship sets sail and during that time you may be offered free tours of the ship, the spa, and so on. Although they aren’t going to be the highlight of your vacation, these tours help you get oriented and can give you a glimpse of facilities on-board that you may have not known about.

If you can’t get an official tour, try to walk through the ship systematically. This will help you get your bearings plus you may find out about lounges, snack bars, clubs, meeting rooms, or other areas that you might not have known about.

On a recent cruise, I found out on the tour that the cruise ship had a guarantee program for purchases made in port. If you bought merchandise from certain recognized stores, the cruise line would guarantee them providing you filled out certain paperwork and turned it in to the onboard shopper. It was a great tip, and I never would have known about it had I not taken the pre-sailing tour of the ship.

Third - Do everything. This may sound counterintuitive to most cruise fanatics, who seek unstructured time and the opportunity to just lounge around and do nothing. Actually, most cruise directors will tell you the best cruises are those in which you really attempt to try and do everything offered.

This means you should extend yourself a bit. Sample the dancing, casinos, the pools, on-board games, art auctions, spa services, bingo, shows, and fine dining. Even if you don’t normally do those things, the more you try to take advantage of all that is offered, the more fun you’ll have.

Fourth - Don’t overeat. While some people do take cruises to gorge themselves, this is usually a rookie mistake. It may sound counter-intuitive to avoid overindulging on a cruise ship, since most cruises really emphasize the wonderful food they offer. But here’s how to handle it.

Do enjoy yourself. Order what you love. Chances are that cruise ships will offer it, whether it’s steak or lobster, ice cream or pizza, eggs benedict at sunrise, or chocolate decadence at midnight. Do, by all means, eat the foods you love.

But don’t stuff yourself. You’ll wind up feeling miserable during the cruise and fat after you get off the boat.

When in doubt, pass on food. Why? Because on a cruise ship, you’re never more than a few minutes away from the next opportunity to eat. Do try to sample what strikes your fancy, but don’t overeat and don’t be afraid to say no to many of the things that are offered to you to eat or drink. You really won’t be able to eat and drink everything on board, so don’t even try.

You’ll wind up feeling fitter and stronger and you’ll really enjoy what you do eat.

Fifth - Drink water. That’s good advice anywhere, but most of us forget about it on vacation, particularly on a cruise. Furthermore, if you drink alcohol or spend a lot of time in a hot climate, your need for water increases so you need even more water to avoid dehydration.

Even mild dehydration can cause headaches, aches and pains, and digestive disturbances. Why ruin your vacation? Drink lots and lots of water. It’s available just about anywhere beverages are offered on a cruise ship and bottled water is typically brought every morning to your cabin.

Sixth - Protect your skin. Even if you cruise to Antarctica, you will still need sunscreen. The sun’s intensity is amplified by the water’s reflection, so ramp up your sunscreen protection for a cruise. Put on sunscreen when you go to the pool or beach or even if you’re just sitting on deck in the shade.

If you do get burned, use some of the after-burn products on the market. They should be available on board ship if you don’t bring your own. Whatever you do, protect any burned skin from further sun exposure. If you get a burn on top of an existing sunburn, you can do serious damage to your skin and may even require medical intervention.

Seventh - Don’t be cruise-stupid. That’s a term I made up for a behavior I frequently observe on cruise ships. For some reason, being on a cruise makes some people act foolishly or recklessly and do things they would never normally do. Maybe it’s the unreal experience of being on a cruise ship.

On a cruise ship, people wait on you. Everything is nice and clean. You don’t have to do any work at all. Everybody seems happy. You never have to worry about pulling out your wallet, cooking a meal, or even picking up after yourself. It doesn’t take long before the cruise experience literally becomes “another world.”

Some folks take that as a cue to start behaving irresponsibly and sometimes they get hurt. While I do not want to trivialize bad experiences or say that all bad events are deserved, we should also recognize the fact. People who start acting recklessly sometimes get hurt.

If you decide to pretend you’re a gymnast and balance on the guard rail, you just might fall off. If you leave your purse or wallet unattended in a public area, you can get robbed. If you decide to get roaring drunk in some foreign port of call and act like an idiot, you can wind up in a mess of trouble.

Observe the same good, common sense tactics you use on land or in your everyday life.

Personal Travel asked:


I did some research on this and found out that the Online Travel industry is growing fast and the best part is that it is generating numerous jobs and many people around the world are setting up their own online travel companies.

How do they do that? I did that assignment too and I wanted to share the information I learned from those who have succeeded and who have been earning way more than the average income from their previous jobs.

There are sites that are currently providing all the stuff needed to start a new career in this industry and they are termed as Online Travel Consultant or Online Travel Booking Agent. One site I saw provided me some hints on how to do this even in your own home. One company that really got my attention is The Personal Travel Group. Here is what they told me:-

First, you must watch their informative video which explains the business opportunity to you. After this you complete an online registration application on their web site. You will then be invited to one of their information centres for a full explanation. Once accepted and signed up, they will provide you with access to their system, your own web site and a password.

Once they have issued you this, you can access their booking engine through your site. You are then able to search, place a booking on hold for 24hrs or book and pay immediately. Once you start making bookings, you will start receiving commission from your own pre-set margins!! (interesting…….).

I did a search on their site and they are an accommodation supplier and even other services such as to make transfers, car hire, golf and insurance and these products are exclusively available online.

They even have a full team of professional, experienced support agents who are standing by for any queries or questions. Bookings can be made either on line or over the telephone and you can ask your support team any questions or doubts you have. I think this is very important for self-starters.

The most interesting part is how you can earn money from this. They take online bookings in real-time and payments are made through their web site. They even offer different payment methods that will suit your business and that can be stated in the contract given to you by their company.

To cut things short, they handle everything and everything is automated. Your task is to expand your clientele and let all the tasks be handled by them. Take note, once it is set up, the running costs are very low. It is a really great idea. No need for customers to go to a travel agency, everything is online. That is the power of The Personal Travel Group technology today.

But be also aware that there are other companies or sites that offer similar start up packages, but I found that there were some details that were not quite clear, unlike the one I have discussed above, and the commissions seemed to be much less.

The important thing here is that a career as an Online Travel Agent or Consultant is one of the best alternatives to increase your income. This could be the best year to get started in the Travel Industry and it is one of the best options to generate a first or second income. With a small investment and your TIME and EFFORT, you could make a great success of this type of business. The objective here is to share this information so that it will be helpful to my readers.

 

Stuart S. Travel asked:


 

Well you won’t be traveling to Monaco and staying at a five star resort on a budget, will you? Maybe so!  Mostly, traveling on a budget means finding the cheapest price for the experience you want.

 

When traveling on a budget it’s best to keep in mind the following points:

1. Travel in the off-peak seasons. You can save up to as much as fifty per cent off air flights and accommodation costs if you plan to travel in low season times.

2. Stay away from popular tourist spots (unless they are on your ‘must-see’ list). If you can go off the beaten track with your destinations, things can be cheaper to see and do and your cultural experiences will be richer.

3. Try camping. Not only is it the cheapest form of accommodation it’s a great way to get up close and personal to nature. It’s the best way to see National Parks and Heritage listed areas. 

4. Look for special travel offers (or packages). But make sure you check everything that they include - and don’t include.

5. Invest in a travel pass where you are able. Most developed countries have a rail or bus transport system where you can obtain day, week or monthly passes that will get you around cheaply.

6. Get a work permit if you aim to gain employment while traveling overseas. Working can help subsidize places that aren’t so cheap, such as Europe and Australia.

7. Look for good exchange rates on the dollar. This may help you decide which country to travel to.

8. Think about shortening your visit to destinations that are expensive and increasing your length of stay in cheaper places.

9. Where possible use your credit card. The exchange rate is better.

10. When staying in a hotel, avoid paying for ‘extras’. Don’t touch anything from the honor bar. Don’t watch the in-house movies and don’t use the hotel phone. And try not to use room service too much!

 

On the world scene there are some great places to travel on a budget for under thirty dollars a day. In Asia you can try India, Laos, China, Cambodia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Thailand, Sumatra and Burma. In Central and South America you can visit El Salvador, Bolivia and Ecuador. If you are after a budget experience in the Pacific, try Fiji or New Zealand. Over in Africa there are some great budget destinations such as Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Ghana. Don’t forget the Middle East where places like Iran, Syria and Turkey provide excellent value for money and wonderful experiences for the budget traveler.

 

There is no ‘best place’ to travel on a budget. Just be prepared to look around, avoid the pitfalls of unwanted costs in package deals or hotel bookings. If you want to travel and your budget doesn’t meet your expectations, be flexible and see if there is somewhere cheaper you might like to experience. You could be pleasantly surprised with your stay in India or Iran, when you thought you wanted to go to Tahiti.

 

 

This article was provided by:

Stuart S. Travel / Your All World Travel Guru

http://www.stuartstravel.com

Stuart S. Travel asked:


Of course you can travel just about anywhere with your kids on a budget. Like any travel experience on a budget you need to research and plan well to make the most of your travel dollar. Many places, however, are family or kid friendly and will throw in added extras for the children. So whether you intend traveling at home or abroad, look for places that will cater to your family’s needs.

 

RV trips are a great way to travel on a budget. In fact, traveling with a car is almost essential for families. It is usually cheaper than buying rail passes or catching taxis everywhere. But more importantly, it gives you that ‘door to door’ freedom that is necessary when traveling with kids.

 

If you are traveling overseas, have you considered staying in a hostel with your family? This is a much cheaper option than staying in hotels and many hostels are family friendly and have no age limit (except in Bavaria where you can’t be older than twenty six). You can request a room with enough bunk beds to accommodate your family and you can cook your meals in the communal kitchen. Huge savings to be made!

 

In the USA there are many places to travel with your family on a budget. Consider these options:

1. Camping. The cheapest option around for any travel adventure. Many campsites have activities for kids and if you don’t like the idea of staying in a tent, many places have cabins to rent that are still cheaper than a hotel room. Camping gets you up close and personal with nature and gets the kids outside and running around.

2. What about spending some time at a Working Farm or Dude Ranch? Look around for reasonably priced holidays at these destinations and you will find plenty of activities and atmosphere for kids and adults alike.

3. Head to Disneyland in off peak season for big savings.

4. The same can be said for traveling to Hawaii. Check the packages available in low season and see how affordable it is.

5. You’ll also find some excellent deals in traveling to Mexico. Go for all-inclusive resorts, especially in the low season.

 

What about if you want to travel overseas? Where are some good places to take the kids on a budget?

* Although Australia is a long way away and can be a bit pricey to get there, it is a very child-friendly place with lots of cost saving adventures to be had for the kids. Australian off peak is different from North America so do some research. 

* Europe can be done on a budget with kids. Pick your destinations with the kids in mind. Get them involved in your itinerary. Stay in hostels and travel by car. You’ll be amazed at how much you save and how much you see.

* Some island resorts are very child friendly. In Fiji there are resorts where children under twelve stay and eat for free. Do your research!

* How about a family cruise? Cruises are great because they are all-inclusive, cater for families and you get to explore lots of places. There are some good family package deals to be found with most cruise companies.

 

So get planning and get packed. Plan your family vacation and check out the deals available. Going off peak is the best way to save money. If you are going to take the kids out of school buy them a journal so they can record their experiences. It’s amazing how much they’ll learn by traveling with their family.

 

This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru

www.stuartstravel.com

Stuart S. Travel asked:


You’ve got to eat while traveling and most tourists will tell you that the best part of the whole trip is experiencing the food while in foreign places. If you are a fussy eater or have special dietary needs, you can still be accommodated while traveling, just plan ahead.

 

What better way to immerse yourself in the local culture than by visiting the local markets. Not only will you get to see and try the local cuisine, but you’ll probably save a lot of money. Eating in restaurants, especially those geared towards the tourist trade, can get very expensive. Try buying your food fresh from the markets and preparing it yourself. Or buy already prepared food from the market vendor.

 

In Bangkok you can visit the floating markets and buy anything from fresh fruit and vegetables, to ready prepared noodle soup. In Jerusalem the outdoor market or ‘shuk’ not only sells fruits and vegetables, but meat, poultry, fish, bread, nuts, cheese, spices and so on. As in most markets, you have to bargain at a shuk to get a good deal as prices vary markedly. African markets sell souvenirs as well as food. 

 

Bargaining is welcomed at most markets, especially for keepsakes. Knowing how to bargain will save any traveler money. Here are a few points to follow when attempting to bargain for an item:

1. Always be polite and enjoy the experience

2. Ask for the price and then halve it. Start your bargaining at that number.

3. If the price is too high, walk away. You’ll be surprised how quickly the price comes down when you are disinterested!

4. Work out how much you are paying for in your own currency. Don’t haggle over a couple of cents. Remember this is how the market vendors make a living.

5. Don’t pay more than your think the item is worth.

6. You can also barter in some places. Brand name items (jeans, hats, shoes) are sought after items in some countries so barter with what you can afford to part with.

 

Other tips for saving money on a daily basis include:

* Avoid tourist-type restaurants. Find out where the locals eat and you’ll usually find authentic (better) cuisine at a lower price.

* Take note of what the farmers in the area eat. It’ll be cheap and healthy.

* Always pack snacks and fruit when going on a day trip. You’ll save money when you don’t have to buy from the tourist stops and street vendors along the way.

* Pack a picnic and go exploring. Use produce from the local market. You’ll save a bundle and eat well.

* Shop where the locals shop, not where the tourists go.

* Book into hotels that have breakfast as part of the package.

* Avoid airport food as it is usually expensive and not particularly healthy.

* Always ask if there are any discount offers available. If you don’t ask you won’t know and you won’t save.

* Walk when you can. It’s cheaper and a good healthy alternative, as well as giving you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture of the country you are in.

* Avoid Laundromats. Wash your own clothes in the bathroom sink if you are able.

* Look for free entertainment. 

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This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru

www.stuartstravel.com

Stuart S. Travel asked:


There are literally hundreds of guides on budget travel to be found on the Internet and in bookstores. Some are useful, some are not. It really depends on what you want and where you are going. Many web sites offer email subscriptions and regular updates on where the best deals are. So how do you decide which ones are the most useful? A lot of the sites are confusing, so how do you find the ones that are going to give you the information you need?

 

Online bookstores have sections on travel guides. Try Amazon or specialty travel book stores like the Globe Corner Bookstores. They have an amazing array of guide books for the traveler on a budget. The most important thing to keep in mind about published guidebooks is that once the information is printed, it is probably out of date. Although most of them are updated annually, you cannot take what is written as set in stone. Internet guides are preferable in this area because their information is updated sometimes on a daily basis so all the deals on offer are available when you see them.

 

The best guides seem to be the ones that give you specific information on either your choice of destination or the type of holiday you will be taking (family vacation, backpacking, students, seniors, etc). There are the well known guide books/web sites like The Lonely Planet that will give you information on just about every destination you can think of. Or you can contact the embassy of the place you want to visit or go to the library to find out more about your choice of destination.  Most web sites will also have links to travel deals that are from the site sponsors. Some of the deals look great but research them. Compare to other sites to get the best deal for you.

 

Some guides worth having a look at for the budget traveler are:

* ‘The World’s Cheapest Destinations’ by Tim Leffel

* ‘Europe on $70 a Day’ by Arthur Frommer

*  Any guidebook from the Lonely Planet ‘Shoestring’ series

*  Any guidebook from the ‘Cheap Eats and Sleeps’ series

 

If you are backpacking, getting a guide on hostels in the area you are traveling to is a good idea. There are many sites dedicated to finding hostels. You will be able to get prices and make bookings in advance.

 

Once you know where you are traveling you’ll be able to find a guide on just about anything. How to get there, where to sleep, where to eat, what to visit and how to travel around are all going to be available in a travel guide. And once you get to your destination go to the local tourist information stand and look at what other helpful guides are available.

 

This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru

www.stuartstravel.com

 

 

 

Travel Guru asked:


No matter where you go or where your trip takes you there is and always will be a need for safety tips and rules. So to travel safely while on your city break you should use some if not all of the following tips:

Know Your Area

It doesn’t matter if you are in Rome or Greece you need to have a good idea of the town’s layout and important features. Some of the important places to know are where you are staying, where the local hospital is, where the police are located and at least one apothecary. Now this may seem hard, but if you have a map and mark them on it then find the center most location you have a start. Once you know what the center of town is find something unique or that will stand out, even a local business will work. Now that you know spot you chose and its local name you will be able to start back there time and time again, and by knowing which important item is in which direction you can get help when needed.

Keep Your Valuables Locked Up

Do not carry everything with you when you travel and what you do carry ensure it. Once you get to your destination many of the local banks and hotels have safety boxes you can rent and store your personal valuables in. You can also keep most of your belongings in your room as well, only place items that cannot be replaced in the safes.

Dress Accordingly

While you are out and about notice how others are dressed and try for the same casual look. Not only will you be able to blend in more and make targeting tourist harder but also you can experience the local country so much more.

Medical Needs

Keep all medicines with you at all times with extra locked away safely, have a list of instructions incase something does happen and make sure to have a list of phone numbers as well. By caring medicine in its prescribed bottle with you, if something happens the local doctor will already know some about you and how to treat you. Also having at the hotel helps to ensure you have a supply if you need it. When preparing for your trip you need to tell your doctor where you are going and for how long also that you want two bottles for your medicines one to carry and one to store.

Being safe and keeping safe while traveling in different countries is no different that when you are traveling to another state. By being prepared and paying attention to what is around you, you will find yourself having a better and healthier time abroad.