Do Not Use 800 Numbers When Booking Trips

September 24, 2008 at 11:01 am · Filed under Travel_Trip

The theme of modern society seems to be give me convenience or give me death. In the case of booking trips, this convenience will really cost you.

Do Not Use 800 Numbers When Booking Trips

Toll free numbers are touted as a service offered to make our life easier. If I need to call a business, the toll free number allows me to do so without spending a dime. The real question, however, is just how much money are we saving? In fact, are we saving any when it comes to vacations?

When booking a trip, there is an inherent desire to get everything done as easily as possible. This makes sense since who wants to call airlines, car rentals, hotels and so on? In each instance, however, using the toll free number can really cost you.

Here is some breaking news. When you call a toll free number, you are getting a national call center who more or less has a set list of prices. In many instances, these prices are actually higher than if you just walked into the business at your destination. In exchange for the convenience of a toll free number, you are paying a premium! Let’s take a closer look.

Car rentals are the most obvious area where you get killed using the national toll free line. They may give you a slight upgrade, but nothing compared to the local office. The best approach is to contact the lot the morning you are flying in to simply see if they expect to have extra cars. Don’t reserve one unless they are going to be tight. Upon arrival, just stroll over and ask for a deal. They will always give you upgrades and tremendous pricing. Even better, take a cab into town to a local car rental. You will save anywhere from thirty to fifty percent on the pricing.

Hotels and toll free numbers are also a bad mix. The call centers are concerned about overall sales across the entire chain. The desk clerk of a hotel, however, is only concerned about his bookings. This gives you an opportunity to score a deal. Instead of calling the toll free national number, find the local number and see what you can score. Unless there is a convention in town, you can usually do very well.

Face the facts. Using a toll free number doesn’t save you much on calls. It can, however, cost you a bundle in your travels.

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of travel accessories.

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Tips for Enjoying a Road Trip

August 15, 2008 at 7:02 am · Filed under Travel_Trip

Whenever I’m about to leave on a road trip there is always someone that groans and feels sorry for me. Well, I’m here to tell you they don’t have to be torture. I happen to love them and I’m about to share with you a few of my personal survival tactics.

1.Your travel companion must and I repeat must be easy going. I am fortunate enough to have a most awesome husband. He, (unlike my father growing up) has the patience of Job and absolutely no problem pacing our trip. My experience growing up was quite the opposite. You stopped only for gas, bathroom stops must be timed with such. Hotel stops if you were lucky enough to get one was long after dark and too late to swim. Food was packed at the beginning and better last the trip!

2.It’s good to have a hobby. Some of my personal favorite car ride pastimes include Sudoku, rag mags and scrap booking. That’s right I even manage to scrap book in the car!

3.Know your route. Because my husband and I frequently visit family in Pennsylvania we are well familiar with the trip. ( Sixteen times this past year) We have made our own travel information log of our favorite stops along the way. For example we know that at exit 6 in Georgia, gas in very cheap, exit 8 in South Carolina is a good overnight stopping point. (outlet mall included). Exit 95 wonderful outlet mall and perfect timing for a car nap for the driver while the passenger(s) shop. Last but not least exit 33 in Virginia has the much needed Starbucks! So you see, by having points of interest along the way, you always have something to look forward to. These can be tailored to your own personal likes.

Do you see how just applying these few points a car trip can actually be fun!

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Tibet, A Trip Inside Yourself

July 18, 2008 at 5:02 am · Filed under Travel_Trip

If the perspective of lying on the beach all day long doesn’t appeal to you, and the contemplation of the European tourist attractions seems not very exciting, if a trip is a way of self-knowledge for you, then Tibet is the right place for your next voyage.

Tibet, also called “Shangri-La” or “the roof of the world” has always been the mystery and the magnet for the West. For a long time it was the most closed territory on the Earth, but in 1984 it opened its doors to the foreigners. For visiting Tibet you need a special permit, but usually it makes no difficulties.

Tibet is one of the Chinese provinces now, but it’s historically connected with India and Nepal too. Tibet lies high in The Himalayas but it’s not a very cold and snowy place. In fact, it’s the land of sun - there it shines bight and almost uninterruptedly.

Geographically Tibet can be divided into 3 parts - East, North and South. The East is the land covered with forests; the North is the place of plains. Here the nomads graze their sheep and yaks. The South, with its ancient cities and temples is considered to be the cultural centre of Tibet.

It’s in Tibet where 4 great Asian rivers take their beginning - Gang, Ind, Sutledge and Brahmaputra.

When you plan you visit to Tibet you usually have two opportunities - to include in your tour Nepal or China. The trip usually last about 2 weeks. The most appropriate time for visiting Tibet is April-June and September-November. The weather is smooth then - about +15

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