Basic Travel Tips

(c) 2005 by Cheryl Williams Levey, http://www.cherylsweb.com

Road Trips

I just love a road trip. One of the cool things about a road trip is that you can (within reason) take pretty much anything you want - you are not confined to an airline's "2 bags only" maximum, just to the space your vehicle has. Things that are really nice to have but usually can't take on a flight are:

• Your own pillow and/or blanket.
• Extra cold weather stuff, or extra beach stuff - chairs, rafts, etc.
• A whole lotta toys and books for the kids - especially ones that make noise!

Overpacking is also not nearly as much of a problem as when flying because you can always leave stuff in the vehicle and you don't usually have to haul your suitcase very far - and certainly not through a busy airport.

So, for me, travel bliss is a road trip.

Flights

Search for the best fares using a search engine like Mobissimo
Then call the airlines directly to see if you can get a better deal

Frequent flier credit cards:
If you can't keep a zero balance, don't bother. The interest you pay will outweigh the reward.
If you want to rack up miles, charge everything from gas to computers - but pay off the balance at the end of the month.

Utilize email services to be informed about travel deals - Google's news alerts, Travelocity's Fare Watcher, Orbitz's DealWatcher, etc.

Keep in mind that the day of week you travel makes a difference in the cost of the tickets, so if your travel dates are at all flexible, try searching on different departure and arrival dates to compare fare prices.

Hotels

For hotel rooms, call the hotel directly to negotiate the lowest rates. Even if long-distance, it's worth it if you get a great deal. Most 800 number agents aren't authorized to negotiate.

If a hotel that is a chain says it's sold out, check on travel sites like Travelocity, Expedia, Hotels.com, etc. Websites buy blocks of rooms and may even be able to offer a better rate than the front-desk quote.

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