Newswise — Tips on Booking Holiday Travel
1. Use websites to comparison shop for vacation deals.
2. Beware that popular travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity promote what is profitable for them, not what is the best value for travellers. Dig deeper than sites you’ve seen advertised on TV. Try:•www.sidestep.com•www.kayak.com•www.travelzoo.com•www.orbitz.com
3. If you know exactly what you want: the dates when you want to depart and return plus you have a destination in mind (e.g. Varadero, Cuba), then your options are limited and it makes sense to book early. The earlier you book, the better the chances of securing availability.
4. Try to be flexible. If your dates are somewhat flexible and you could do any one-week period in let's say January, you may want to hold out till one or two weeks before your preferred period to see what discounts are available. Most resorts, cruise lines and vacation hotels understand the usual booking window for vacation (several weeks or even months ahead) and they may be motivated to offer distressed inventory (unsold capacity) at reduced rates close to the actual dates.
5. The holiday season is peak travel season all around the world. If you can, try to plan your trip for a week or two before or after the holiday season.
6. If you can, book one of your travel dates on Christmas Day or even New Year’s Day. Flights and trains will be less busy and wait times should be shorter.
Tips on Packing for Holiday Travel
1. If you’re travelling with gifts leave them unwrapped. Christmas gifts may be opened and checked by security.
2. Try to pack lightly especially when travelling with gifts to avoid excess baggage charges, which could push the envelope on your holiday budget.
3. Consider shipping your gifts ahead of time to make travelling easier and to avoid your loved ones’ gifts ending up in the lost baggage abyss. You might not want to send everything all in one box though, since you’ll also want to avoid the lost mail abyss.
4. If you are travelling with someone, pack some necessities in each other’s bag. This way you’ll be covered in case your luggage gets misplaced during the Christmas rush. Travel with ChildrenTravelling with children is often stressful for parents. Holiday travel is no less so, and may involve long winter drives on busier than normal highways, or long waits in airports for delayed flights. Plan in advance; when driving, drive sober and rested and schedule in stops and breaks. On all trips, pack toys, activities and snacks for the children.
When travelling with children during the holidays it’s especially important to be prepared before you leave the house. There is a greater possibility that stores and restaurants en route or at your destination will be closed, so you’ll need to have all the toys and snacks packed and accessible before you leave.
Try to Remember the Spirit of the SeasonChristmas travel can be full of delays and cancellations. Fellow travellers may be impatient and cranky, as will their exhausted children. Take a deep breath and search deeply for your own patience. It will help you make better decisions and will make everyone around you happier and more helpful.
RSS