Travel in Budget

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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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



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