Need some tips on how to make your vacation more enjoyable and on how to stretch out your travel budget? With a little planning ahead of time, you can take advantage of wisdom garnered by experienced travelers over the years.
How to Find Low Fares
One of the biggest expenses for many vacations is the cost of airfare. One way to find lower prices is to check budget travel websites regularly. Note that airlines are constantly offering new deals to attract customers and to undercut their competition.
Look for travel consolidators for the lowest-priced tickets. If you do not mind extra stops and longer travel times, you can really save money by choosing multi-stop routes.
The time that you travel can also have a major impact on costs. Choose the off-season when possible to find lower fares. Additionally, choose days around midweek when prices are lower. If you are traveling internationally, the cheapest travel days can vary, so a little research will help you in choosing the right travel time.
Driving or Taking The Train Can Save Money
If you can spare the time, you can save significant money by driving or taking the train. Airline travel is not as luxurious as was in a previous age. There are often delays at the airport especially for international travel.
If you can drive or take the train, you may actually end up enjoying your travel more while at the same time saving money. Most travel websites allow you to book car rentals online. Make sure that you have an acceptable driver’s license for foreign countries and study the local driving rules before your trip.
Staying Safe Online
If you plan to bring a laptop or mobile device with you on your trip, take some precautions to keep your data and communications secure and private. One good plan is to use special travel passwords during your trip.
Change these passwords frequently, keeping the list together with your passport and other important papers. Remember that the Wi-Fi in a hotel is not secure. Do not access bank or other important accounts unless necessary.
If it is necessary for you to access critical accounts during your travel, think about signing up for a virtual private network (VPN) service. These networks keep your online activity encrypted at both ends of the transmission. Some websites and social media platforms have special security protocols for traveling, including two factor authentication, so check to see if your sites offer such services.
Keeping Healthy While Traveling
The website WebMD has some useful tips for keeping healthy during your trip at http://www.webmd.com/vaccines/tc/travel-health-health-tools.
For travel abroad, you may want to consider vaccination or other preventative measures. For example, if you are planning a safari in an area known for malaria, you should take anti-malarial drugs designed to prevent the disease.
One common cause of illness during travel is failure to maintain a healthy diet. Make sure that you eat regularly with a good balance of fresh healthy foods. Avoid depending on packaged “junk” food, which tends to be high in sodium and fat.
Pay attention to drinking water and other liquids regularly in order to prevent dehydration, which occurs commonly during travel. The environment in airplanes, cars, buses and trains tends to sap the body of moisture. The stress of travel and lack of sleep can also contribute to dehydration.
Improper diet and dehydration can lower you immune system response leaving you vulnerable to illness. Proper sanitation is also important in avoiding disease. Avoid drinking the local water even if it is safe until you become accustomed to the environment. Be careful about swimming at natural freshwater sites even when the water is running.
Washing your hands frequently and using antimicrobial towelettes and hand cleaners can help guard against colds and the flu.
Avoid Crowds
If you are the type that wants to avoid the tourist crush, then plan your trip accordingly. If possible, go during the off-season.
Otherwise, check for days and times when crowd levels are at their lowest. Often this can offer cost savings as well. A good travel book or a little research on the Internet can provide information for almost any tourist site. Otherwise, you can ask local people while you are traveling for tips on avoiding tourist congestion.
Schedule travel times at night when possible to avoid traffic jams and big crowds. In some cases, you can include sleeping times with night travel. For example, you could reserve a sleeping compartment on a train.
In addition to the tips mentioned above, be sure to compare travel insurance quotes online at Kanetix’s Travel Medical Insurance comparison service so you can save time and money. Kanetix compares real-time travel insurance quotes from the top insurance companies in Canada. If you are flying for a business trip, be sure to read First class savings: 12 tips for business travellers so you can make even more savings and gain some insight.
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