Travel in Budget

Paul Hata asked:


For many travelers dealing with a tight budget, one of the first decisions to be made is whether to book their own travel deals or take advantage of one of the many all inclusive packages that are available.

In most cases, the decision to go with an all inclusive resort will depend on the particular deal being offered. For instance, there are a great many excellent all inclusive resorts that provide considerable discounts in the off season and the shoulder season, so it is definitely worth checking out these options if you get the opportunity.

One of the best ways to decide if an all inclusive resort is really the best deal going is to create a spreadsheet listing all the various costs of a do it yourself vacation.

Be sure to include both obvious things like airfare, hotel, rental car, meals and sightseeing excursions, as well as incidentals like tips and gratuities.

Then start shopping for the best deal on all these things in the resort location you have chosen. Add it all up, and keep that number in mind as you start searching for all inclusive travel packages.

It is often possible to find all inclusive travel packages that match or beat the costs of a do it yourself vacation. That is because all inclusive tour operators are able to strike deals for substantial discounts with airlines and hotels by guaranteeing them a certain amount of business.

Of course, when booking an all inclusive vacation package, it is important to find out exactly what is and is not included in that all inclusive package.For instance, most all inclusive packages do not include alcoholic drinks, while some do include them.

If this is a concern, you may want to compare the prices of these two kinds of all inclusive and make the decision appropriate for your needs and lifestyle.

In addition, some all inclusive travel packages do not include airfare, so be sure to determine if airfare is included in order to make an intelligent and informed decision.

Sightseeing excursions are another thing that are often not included in an all inclusive travel package, so be sure to get a list of included and optional sightseeing excursions, along with a price guide for those that are not included in the basic price.

If you are traveling alone, it is also important to consider the dreaded single supplement. The single supplement for all inclusive resorts can vary quite a bit, to as little as $100 to as much as doubling the advertised price of the vacation.

If you are traveling on your own, it is vital to understand how much the single supplement is before booking the trip.

The decision of all inclusive versus do it yourself is rarely an easy one to make. It is important to compare packages carefully in order to make sure you are truly getting the best value for your money.



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Paul Hata asked:


Adventure travel is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry, but it is often difficult to find good bargains when booking adventure travel.

With so many people itching to go on the adventure of a lifetime, the prices in those travel brochures can lead you to believe that adventure travel is beyond your means.

That does not have to be the case, however. The key to affordable adventure travel is to book directly from the providers of the adventure, instead of going through multiple layers of travel agents, tour operators and tour guides.

Booking a tour directly has many benefits besides monetary ones, including meeting wonderful local people and enjoying the local culture.

Often the best way to enjoy a vacation on a budget is to book low cost airfare to the destination of your choice, take the local bus into town, and start asking around about the best adventure guides in town.

Local tour operators know the area, they know how to please their clientele, and best of all they are inexpensive. U.S. currency goes quite a long way in many exotic locations in Africa, Asia and elsewhere, so dealing with local tour guides is the best way to make your adventure travel dollar stretch even further.

Many inexperienced adventure travelers are unsure how they can possibly book an adventure tour on their own. For one thing, there is often a language barrier in far off locations, and you may be many thousands of miles from home in an unfamiliar location.

What these first time travelers often don’t realize, however, is that finding a tour operator is often the easiest part of the journey.

In many cases, the tour operators will find you as soon as you land, without you having to seek them out. And in most places, especially those frequented by American tourists, the guides will speak at least a little bit of English.

Listed below are some of the best tips for booking your own budget travel adventure.

- Be sure to ask around before you leave. Get opinions from other travelers who have done the adventure you plan on.

- Refer to your guidebook for references. Guidebook writers are often quite knowledgeable about which tour operators are good and which are more questionable.

- Check on the message boards, both virtual and real. Real message boards are available at hostels and local guest houses, and they can provide excellent information on local tours and tour operators.

- The staff at local hostels can also provide excellent information about adventure travel. And internet message boards devoted to travel can be great sources of information, both before you leave home and after you arrive in your far off location.

- Interview your potential trip leaders carefully. Ask lots of open ended and probing questions about the equipment used, the experience level of the guides, the lodging the food, and what is and is not included. Be sure to negotiate everything in advance, since you will have little leverage once the adventure trip has begun.

- Finally, if your crew did a great job, be sure to tip them generously after the tour has come to an end. Good tour operators rely on these tips to supplement their often meager wages, and this helps to keep the best tour guides in business and the best tour operators in operation.



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Paul Hata asked:


Many budget travelers assume that a multi-city European vacation is beyond their means, but that is often not the case. The large number of budget airlines that have sprung up in Europe in recent years have dropped the average cost of airfare between many major European cities.

In some cases, the cost of coach airfare between major European hubs like London and Amsterdam is lower than a comparable first or even second class train ticket.

And of course flying between cities is far less time consuming than taking the train or driving yourself, and that means more time to explore the places you’ve always wanted to see, as well as more money to spend once you get there.

The key to getting the best airfares, both from the United States to destinations in Europe, and between European destinations, is to shop around and compare carefully.

Most major American air carriers have partnerships with one or more European airlines, and therefore it is often possible to shop airfares between European cities from the web sites of these airlines.

In addition, the major European only airlines all have their own web sites, and most provide for online booking and confirmation as well. This makes it easy to line up all your airfare before you leave the United States.

This is an important consideration, since it is often more difficult, and more expensive, to book airline tickets or train tickets after you have arrived in Europe.

The choice of European cities you plan to visit can also have a major impact on airfare between destinations. Many of the low cost European air carriers are based in London, so it is often considerably less costly to fly from London than to fly from many other major European cities.

Therefore, many budget travelers choose to make London their primary destination, and to take two and three day trips from there to the places they have always wanted to see.

While it is possible to get great deals from other European gateways, it is often more difficult than flying to and from London.

Just as American airlines have their own major gateways, such as New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta, so too do budget European airlines.

Planning your visit around these hub cites is often the best way to get the lowest possible airfares between European cities.

Flying within Europe is surprisingly affordable for way for many budget travelers to get around.

Many first time travelers to Europe, and some seasoned travelers as well, are shocked to find just how affordable it is to fly around Europe.



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