MAd Town 2009 – Find The Info About hotel and travel

The best time to travel is in the holidays, right? Not if you want to make big savings on your traveling costs it’s not. If you travel in off peak (or low season) periods, or even in the shoulder season, you’ll find traveling costs a lot less.

 

Where are you traveling? Do you know the peak travel times for this destination? Summer and spring, no matter where you are, are generally considered the peak seasons to travel, unless you are a winter sports enthusiast. In that case, ski resorts will be having their peak season in winter. And what hemisphere are you thinking of visiting? The seasons differ depending on whether you are north or south. For example, the North America summer months are June, July, August but in Australia the summer months are December, January and February. You will need to research your destination to find out the low season times to visit.

 

First of all, what type of savings can you expect to make if you travel in the off-peak season? 

1. Air fares are much cheaper. There are less people wanting to fly so air carriers drop their prices to attract customers. Take advantage of these great savings. If you are traveling in the high season, see if you can book a flight mid-week. These flights are generally cheaper too.

2. Accommodation is cheaper and more readily available. In high season it can be difficult to find a place to stay in popular tourist destinations and when you do find somewhere it can be up to twice as much as when traveling in the off peak.

3. Eating in restaurants can be cheaper too. Owners will be trying to attract patrons so see what sort of deals you can find when eating out.

 

There are some other positives to traveling in the off peak season, other than saving money. There are fewer tourists for one, so visiting any cultural sight will be much more enjoyable. You can get more of an idea of what a destination is really like without the thousands of extra people. Experiencing the true culture is a real bonus. Did you know that opera season is in full swing in Europe in winter? Or that winter in Australia is often the best time to visit places in the north when the humidity and heat are bearable. Or how about visiting the best holiday markets in Germany in December? Do some research to find out what your chosen destination can offer in off peak, ones that you won’t experience in high season travel times.

 

So what are the negatives of traveling in the off peak? Well there are a few, but if you plan well you can overcome most drawbacks. Off peak usually means traveling in colder weather and that also means less daylight hours. Pack wisely and remember to dress in layers for the cold weather. Some tourist places close earlier or do not open at all in the off peak, so check up before you go so you are not disappointed. You will also find that in some areas the public transport system does not run as often as in peak tourist season. Find out what options you have to get to places and don’t be caught out missing the last bus home in the middle of winter, in the middle of nowhere! Some hotels and museums close down for the winter to re-furbish and get ready for the next high season influx of tourists. You can gamble and bargain your way to a great accommodation deal once you get to your destination, but all your bartering skills will be of no use if the hotels are all closed. It’s best to check what’s open before you go.

 

If traveling in the off-peak doesn’t sound attractive to you, then you might like to try the shoulder season and still get some travel price reductions. The shoulder season is considered the period leading up to and away from the high season. Usually in this time you’ll get decent weather, less crowds and lower travel costs – not the great bargains you’ll get in off peak, but lower costs nonetheless.

 

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

www.stuartstravel.com

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Tags: Costs, Less, Right, Time, Traveling, Year

Traveling in a whole new country can be just as dangerous as it is exciting. Maybe you won’t know the local language(s); probably you won’t know the laws. For every monument or picturesque location you are looking forward to, there is an embarrassing faux pas or unpleasant situation to avoid. There are various travel options available to the modern traveler, so the important thing is to do some research and find out what combination or package suits you and your itinerary best.

The first and most obvious concern, of course, is how to reach your destination. Shopping for flights and airfare is easier than ever before, with user-friendly airline websites or through a vertical search engine like Kayak or SideStep, or even by consulting a good broker.

When your flights are priced out or already booked, it is then time to pay attention to the problem of lodging. The traditional solution is to reserve a room at a hotel; you can often find one online, maybe even within a package containing other travel-related services. That way you can save some money. But, especially if you are traveling as part of a small group, you may find a private hostel room a much better and more informal option. Such rooms usually have at least basic amenities like a private bathroom and lockers for individual travelers to store their valuables in. Just don’t expect the same array or sophistication of facilities as you would in a four- or five-star hotel. You get what you pay for, after all, if you are willing to give up on plush pillows, scented baths and room service.

That’s the basics covered. How do you move around the city? Some people prefer a car rental, while many others choose the more adventurous option of public transportation and walking. If you’re headed to Europe, you should definitely go for the latter, as most European cities are extremely well-connected by reliable public transportation. The one possible negative factor here is that you have to travel on a fairly rigid schedule. To go wherever you want to go and in your own sweet time? Sign up for the car rental. As with hotel rooms, a package deal may help you save on this.

Register with the US Consulate if you are going to stay in a foreign country for longer than a fortnight. They will be helpful if someone at home needs to contact you, and of course they will be very helpful in case of any emergency, personal or political.

For your own safety, try to blend into crowds rather than stick out like a sore thumb – or a gullible newcomer. Your attitude, clothing and accessories should not point you out as an ideal target on the street for a robbery or an assault. If you can’t help being the quintessential “American tourist”, at least try to travel without wads of money or jewelry on you. Pickpockets are to be found in any big city anywhere in the world, after all.

A handful of precautionary measures will enhance your experience of traveling abroad so that you can cherish entirely positive memories after you return home. A certain amount of reservation and attentiveness will also aid in mutual respect wherever you choose to travel, so that your travel experience is a wonderful and wholesome one.

Tags: Abroad, Handy, Tips, Traveling

Leah and I made this video for a contest with NETC. We are trying to win a free trip to travel abroad this summer with a group from our school. We need as many views as possible so please feel free to watch as much as you would like; you’ll learn some great ways to convince your parents to let you travel abroad! Thanks, Alison and Leah
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Hey! This is a project i’m doing to try to win a trip to Europe or Latin America. To learn more about NETC visit www.educationaltravel.com. It would mean so much to me if I won and I hope this video helps you convince your parents too! Good Luck!
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Tags: Abroad, Alison, Convince, Fluharty, Leah, NETC, parents, Starnes, Travel