Cheap Deals Secrets
Cheap International Travel Secrets
Summary:What is the real secret to cheap international travel? it's the same as the secret to doing anything for less. Learn to be an opportunist. Opportunistic travelers get to travel more, see more & do more. Of coursework, you can ignore this advice if you have unlimited currency.
What is the real secret to cheap international travel? it's the same as the secret to doing anything for less. Learn to be an opportunist. Opportunistic travelers get to travel more, see more & do more. Of coursework, you can ignore this advice if you have unlimited currency.
I went to Ecuador because it was cheap. Honestly, are not there plenty of interesting places in this world? Why not choose eight you can travel to inexpensively? The other places will be there in the future, & you may have an opportunity to go to those places cheaply at some point.
Ecuador is my favorite international location. You can still get a decent meal for eight dollars. U.S. dollars, by the way, since that is conveniently the official currency of Ecuador now. From the beautiful snow-capped Andes mountains, to the Galapagos Islands, you'll seldom run out of places to explore in Ecuador. Travel there is safe & inexpensive.
Cheap Countries
South America in general is inexpensive, & the most affordable countries are, in my opinion, the most beautiful. These are the countries along the Andes mountains; Ecuador, Peru, & Bolivia. Argentina, thanks to it's recent economic troubles, is once again a cheap place for travelers as well.
In Central America, it costs little to travel & holiday in both Nicaragua & Guatemala. Nicaragua, in particular, has become more stable & safe for travelers in recent years. Costa Rica is a wonderful , & though it's eight of more expensive counties of Central America, that probably still leaves it cheaper than Europe.
In Asia, India is still low-cost, if you stay in the numerous hostels & boarding houses. Thailand & Indonesia are also cheap. With all international destinations, the plane tickets will be your single biggest travel expense. This is true with the asian countries. Being there is cheap, but getting there may not be.
Cheap International Travel Tips
Wherever you go, there are things you can do to keep it cheap. Eat where locals eat, for example, instead of at the tourist restaurants. To keep it cheap, eat fruit from street markets (wash it well) & packaged snacks from grocery stores.Visit the free & cheap attractions first. It's possible you'll have so much fun that you'll seldom get around to doing the expensive things. A higher price means better quality with travel bags, but not with travel experiences.
For cheap accommodations find out where local visitors from within the country stay. Negotiating room charges is common in some areas. In Banos, Ecuador, we negotiated our room rate down from $12 to $6 per night, by paying for several nights in advance. Consider hostels, if you don't mind sharing a room. they are much more common overseas.
Busses are cheaper than taxis in any country, but be careful of crowded city busses, where pickpockets hang out. jogging is even cheaper, & it's a great way to learn about a city. ask the locals where the dangerous parts are before you wander far.
Cheap international travel is often only as cheap as your plane tickets. Use the techniques outlined on our site to save big on tickets, or search the fares to several interesting countries. If eight is $500 less than the others, consider going there. $500 can buy a few extra days, or an extra mini-vacation some other time.
Cheap International Airfare
Summary:How do you get cheap international airfare? Start online with a trick the author used to save over $1000.
Always looking for the cheapest way to do things, I searched several websites that claimed to have cheap international airfare. The cheapest from Traverse City, Michigan to Quito, Ecuador, was $1720. Out of curiosity, I checked Miami to Quito, and it was only $404. Airfare from Traverse City to Miami was $299. Book two separate flights and I could save more than $1000! The discount sites aren't set up to check in this way, so you have to do this on your own.
Of course, if your first flight is late and you miss the second, you may not get a refund, so plan some time between flights. In any case, it's still cheaper (every time I checked) to just book a flight to Miami and catch a flight to Quito without a reservation, thus avoiding this problem. This strategy is for those in towns without international airports. If you live in Miami, you already have cheap international airfare.
Buy Cheap Aifare Online
We've found that travel agencies just can't compete with the discount ticket websites. You can search Google ("cheap airfare Europe", for example), or go straight to one of the well-known sites, like Expedia, Travelocity, Cheap Tickets, Hotwire or Priceline.
Doing a quick search for the cheapest airfare from Tucson, Arizona, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, using the five sites mentioned, here's what I just found: They ranged from $1221 down to $873 for the lowest fares, with fares as high as $3728. Hotwire happened to be the cheapest, but they were the worst of the five when I searched for a domestic flight earlier. You cannot say which service will find the cheapest international airfare from week to week. My number one money-saving tip is to always check several websites when shopping for inexpensive flights.
Courier Flights
Courier companies ship things using the luggage space of an aircraft passenger. It can be quicker, cheaper, and more reliable than sending the shipment unaccompanied, since checked luggage bypasses many of the typical customs delays. The company purchases tickets, and then they resells them to you. In exchange for your luggage space, they give you a discount on the airfare.
I saved $160 on my plane tickets this way when I went to Ecuador the first time. I had several suitcases full of car parts, but there was a representative of the courier company on either end, and I looked inside the luggage, so I knew what I was carrying. I carried a plane propeller on the return trip, which wasn't much trouble, and made a good story.
It's easiest to be an air courier if you travel alone. Ocassionally, a courier company will have opportunities for flights on or near the same date. If not, your travel partner can pay full fare on the same flight. You also are usually allowed carry-on luggage, since the point is for the shipping company to use your checked luggage allowance.
Once in a while, air couriers fly internationally for free, and almost always very cheap. It's a matter of how badly the company needs you and how flexible you are (can you fly to London on Friday?). Air courier opportunities are becoming rarer, due to the recent heavier regulation of international flights, but there still are opportunities. Find out more at The Air Courier Association Website (http://www.aircourier.org/). The ACA can also help you get really cheap plane tickets by way of airline ticket wholesalers, discounters, last minute specials, and stand-by travel.
More Tips For Cheap International Airfare
When searching the discount websites, try several different departure and return dates if you can. The difference of a day or two can save you a lot. There's little logic to airfare pricing, so don't try too hard to figure it out. Just be aware that if you leave on Friday instead of Wednesday (or vice-versa), you may save $100.
Check the boxes that say "any time" for departure and "2 or more connecting flights". Even if you aren't sure that you want to leave at midnight, see what your options are. The savings might change your mind. When search criteria allow you choices, first take the ones that are the least restrictive for the airlines. If the savings aren't enough, you can always book first class, direct flights, or whatever you prefer.
Buying your plane tickets two weeks in advance is usually cheaper. There can be a dramatic difference (but not always) if your trip is over thirty days. You may want to cut it from 32 days to 30 to save hundreds of dollars on your fare. Play with the dates. You never know what you might discover.
When my wife and I went to Ecuador for six weeks, the cheapest discount plane tickets we could find were $3400. Instead, we took a bus to Miami ($352 round-trip for 2), then flew from there to Quito ($622 round-trip for 2). We saved $2400. I'm not recommending this, but for us, it was worth a couple days on a bus. (The whole six weeks cost $2400.)
Spend a few minutes or an hour to do some research, if you want really cheap international airfare.
Cheap Family Vacation Packages - Finding Good Ones Online
Summary:Finding cheap family vacation packages has never been easier with the information and speed of the internet. Family vacations can become expensive and even more so the larger the size of the family.
To search for cheap family vacation packages appropriate for you and your family, you can find results faster if you already know answers to questions like these:
1. What kind of trip do you want? Have you decided what city or destination you want? Will you travel to a single...
Article Body:
Finding cheap family vacation packages has never been easier with the information and speed of the internet. Family vacations can become expensive and even more so the larger the size of the family.
To search for cheap family vacation packages appropriate for you and your family, you can find results faster if you already know answers to questions like these:
1. What kind of trip do you want? Have you decided what city or destination you want? Will you travel to a single destination or will there be more than one city involved in your vacation? Do you wish to have a family theme park vacation or a specific activities-related vacation such as hiking, skiing or wind-surfing?
2. What type of cheap family vacation package do you want?
a. Flights, car and hotel
b. Flights and hotel only
c. Hotel and car only
3. Where will you be departing from and when will you leave?
4. How long will your vacation stay be?
5. How many adults, children and/or seniors will be traveling?
With answers to the above questions, you will be able to quickly begin serious online searching for the best cheap family vacation packages available.
Another type of the cheap family vacation packages becoming more and more popular are the "Road Trip" family vacations. You enter your zip code and number of hours maximum you want to drive by car, then search for popular destinations within your specified number of driving hours and the vacation packages that are available.
From mountains and beaches to national and state parks, theme parks and destination cities - there are so many possibilities available with internet search capability. Years ago, it took a lot of effort and time to search and compare vacation packages. Not any more!
Don't let finding a great vacation package price be the problem that keeps you from having that deserved vacation with your family.
Cheap Airline Tickets: Great Ways To Save
Summary:
A round-the-world trip remains the world's greatest journey. For two out of every three people, this is the ultimate travel experience, according to recent research. Needless to say, in a world obsessed by travel, travelers and travel agents are both looking for the cheapest tickets and airfares available.
Cheap airline tickets, in most cases, can be obtained from wholesale dealers and discounters.
If your requirements are simple - you want a round-trip ticket from one ...
A round-the-world trip remains the world's greatest journey. For two out of every three people, this is the ultimate travel experience, according to recent research. Needless to say, in a world obsessed by travel, travelers and travel agents are both looking for the cheapest tickets and airfares available.
Cheap airline tickets, in most cases, can be obtained from wholesale dealers and discounters.
If your requirements are simple - you want a round-trip ticket from one place to another, you have a particular airline on your mind and you have definite dates; then you can go directly to the source - to the ticket discount agency which buys cheap tickets in bulk from wholesalers and consolidators.
In real life most trips require more planning, and most people need a help from the agent to figure out what would be the best air ticket solution for their particular case. Cheap airfares to a particular region can often be found with local airlines that specialize in that country. Sometimes an agency that operates and retails tours to a particular country will have a discount agreement with the national carrier and will sell discount tickets on that airline.
With a bit of research through travel magazines aimed at the particular country of your choice, you can often find agencies dealing with national carriers for that country. For the cheapest possible airfare to many places the most affordable prices are often found in local travel agencies that deal with a particular destination selling round-trip discount airline flights - most likely to the capital of that country and a few main cities.
Sometimes you can find a really cheap air ticket with a discount retail agency that specializes in trips to a wider range of destinations or to multiple destinations. Through the sheer number of tickets that they sell they can command a reasonable discount. However, keep in mind that most advertised prices do not include taxes, luggage fee and airport tax, so the cheap airfare may end up being not so cheap. Best to read the small print to clarify exactly what you are getting before you purchase a ticket.
Another trick of the trade is for agencies to grab attention by indicating the lowest possible prices, which only apply on specific dates in low season. You’ll find that all agencies do this, even the most expensive ones so, don’t be surprised if you get a quote at double the price from what was displayed in the ad.
Airlines usually publish their scheduled flights and prices six months in advance. If you have decided on a destination it can be a good opportunity to get an ‘early bird’ discount by booking well in advance. Keep your eye on the travel press and also airline web-sites. There are often special discounts and incentives aimed at travelers who book online, as carrying out a booking online is cheaper for the company than through an intermediary who will take a commission.
However, although you can expect to get the cheapest air ticket if you start searching many months ahead, there are some exceptions. At times like Christmas or other periods of high demand the prices are usually inflated and planes fill up many months in advance. If you can be flexible and travel on actual holiday days such as Christmas day or New Years Eve you can find some pretty attractive discounts.
Cheap Discount Holiday Travel For Families
Summary:
Many people believe that it’s more difficult to get cheap holidays for families, but if you research, you can find some great money-saving deals.
Family holidays are inevitably expensive because of the number of people travelling. In addition, most families are bound by school holidays, which means that they have to travel during the year’s peak seasons – Christmas, Easter and the summer. Try these tips to help keep costs down.
1. Travel out of season
If you have chi...
Many people believe that it’s more difficult to get cheap holidays for families, but if you research, you can find some great money-saving deals.
Family holidays are inevitably expensive because of the number of people travelling. In addition, most families are bound by school holidays, which means that they have to travel during the year’s peak seasons – Christmas, Easter and the summer. Try these tips to help keep costs down.
1. Travel out of season
If you have children that are below school age, then travelling outside the school holidays is a good way to keep costs down. Flying just a week before or after the main holiday periods can make a big difference to the price. For short breaks, try mid-week instead of weekend.
2. Try different accommodation
Instead of hotels, look into renting a self-catering apartment or villa. These are usually much cheaper than hotel accommodation and although you have to buy your own food, you can still make good savings, and you get the additional benefit of flexibility – eat and come and go as you choose – which is ideal for a family holiday.
3. Book early
If you like to return to the same place each year, then think about booking early. The earlier you book, the cheaper it can be and you can always book your accommodation and then wait for cheap flights to be released later on in the year. Register with online sites to get notification of good deals so that you can make savings as soon as possible.
4. Special family deals
Look out for package holidays that offer free flights or accommodation for children. Check out the small print to make sure that you really are getting a deal, but these are often great ways of ensuring that you don’t have to spend a fortune on your family holiday.
By starting early and taking the time to look at special offers and family deals, you can take your family on a great holiday for a great price.
Cheap Annual Travel Insurance
Summary:
Annual travel insurance at your rates, convenient and most suitable for your multi trip cover.
Annual Travel Insurance, a cheap one? Planning a ski trip or golfing holiday? Maybe you’re going to explore the world with nothing but a rucksack and a two-man tent on your back? Whatever break or holiday you’ve got planned, you’ll need travel insurance. Get cheap annual travel insurance for individual, couple and family holiday insurance at competitive prices.
Your benefits with online annual travel insurance!
• Automatically include winter sports cover for free
• No limits on the number of trips taken each year
• Choice of policies with trip duration limits of between 45 and 90 days
You can choose to insure a short trip or you insure your annual holiday on the whole, if you travel abroad more frequently. You can travel alone, as a single parent, a same sex couple, a family or a group. No matter what the mix, there are a wide range of travel insurance options and cheap holiday insurance specialists, you would expect nothing less.
Get benefited from the best priced travel insurance with excellent cover, provide by travel insurance specialists who take customer service as seriously as you do. With single trip travel insurance, insurers can protect you for anything up to a year away from home and with a maximum age of 79, and can insure most people’s holidays.
Breathe easy if you have pre- existing medical conditions too. You can still be insured under the same cover.
The activities that you can indulge in while you are on your trip:
• Winter Sporting breaks
• Annual travel cover
• Single Trip cover
• Business Trip
• Backpacking treks
• Over 65s travel insurance
Cheap Annual Travel Insurance covers an emergency cash transfer, if your wallet or purse is lost or stolen, you can get an emergency fund (cash loss only up to £100). Up to £250 total valuables limit to replace your stolen or damaged items. Avail a long stay backpacker policy too.
With students and gap year customers embarking on a backpacking adventure holiday, online travel insurance can cover medical and emergency cover for single trip or long term covering up to 18 months in length.
Get instant quotes and travel insurance documentation online, experts at desk can help you get answers for your questions and help decide the right insurance cover you require. If you plan to take more than two trips per year it some times is cheaper to buy an annual holiday insurance policy than buy two separate single trip travel insurance available. The choice is yours, make a right decision.
Booking Holidays Online - Cheaper than Travel Agents?
Summary:
The way in which many of us book holidays has changed dramatically in recent years. Ten years ago many of us would have relied on our local travel agents to find us a good deal. What impact has the internet had on the way we consider holiday destinations?
The way in which many of us book holidays has changed dramatically in recent years. Ten years ago many of us would have relied on our local travel agents to find us a good deal.
When we came to think about our next trip away, we'd simply wander down the high street and nip into a few travel agents shops, picking up a number of different holiday brochures to compare prices offered by different tour operators.
Comparing prices sometimes involved taking into account certain special offers that might be available, or any additional costs caused by the time of year (school holidays, for example) or number of people travelling.
When thinking about destinations, resorts or particular hotels, our opinions might largely be shaped by what friends and family had told us, what we'd read in magazines, or maybe what we'd seen in holiday-related television programmes.
The arrival of the internet and its increasing availability to many of us has undoubtedly changed the goalposts. We now have the ability to research our chosen destinations online - we even have access to the thoughts of previous visitors to the hotels that we may be planning to stay at.
We can compare prices relatively quickly and also have more options in terms of how we structure our holidays. We're no longer limited by the narrow boundaries of the package holiday market - we can now book our flights and accommodation independently, with far less hassle.
So everything has got better. Or has it?
The internet has brought us a lot of information but how much of that information is really reliable? When I read reviews of places that I've visited, I often find that other people's experiences are very different from my own.
It's clear that we all have different expectations of what is involved in having a good holiday.
It seems to me that, while holiday prices may well have come down, many of us are left looking to trawl through masses of information, much of which may be considerably less reliable than that once provided by the good old-fashioned travel agent.
Maybe we should take the "progress" provided by the internet with a small pinch of salt.
How To Get A Really Cheap Ticket When Flying
Summary:
Almost all people feel that flying is very costly. You end up spending heaps when you take into consideration the flight, insurance, taxes, accommodation, hotel services and car hire etc. etc. You can save a lot of money without compromising the quality and comfort.
Remove the Middleman.
Some people prefer to go to a travel agent and let them do all the work. But this costs you for this service. The best way to do this is to go online. Sure, it's a little more work on y...
Almost all people feel that flying is very costly. You end up spending heaps when you take into consideration the flight, insurance, taxes, accommodation, hotel services and car hire etc. etc. You can save a lot of money without compromising the quality and comfort.
Remove the Middleman.
Some people prefer to go to a travel agent and let them do all the work. But this costs you for this service. The best way to do this is to go online. Sure, it's a little more work on your part but once you get used to it you can save stacks of dollars with cheap tickets, accommodation, hotels and car hire. Any business worth their salt has a web site giving all the details that you would be looking for.
Another source of a cheap ticket is through wholesalers. Airlines, once it get close to departure dates, offer cheap tickets to wholesalers at a fraction of the cost that you can buy them for. If you find these agencies you may get cheap tickets from them. Be aware, you won't be able to get these cheap tickets at the same price all the time as these cheap tickets are seasonal and vary from time to time.
Cheap Tickets With Deals
With the number of online agencies you should be able to find a cheap ticket for almost any destination. But don't leave it too late or try or book too early. Remember, the airlines are in the business of making a profit, so when it's getting within 14 days of departure they will start offering a cheap ticket to fill seats. If it's really close to departure the price of a cheap ticket will rise because some people will have to catch that flight no matter what.
Further things to try
Many specific websites offer cheap tickets to members who sign up at the site. You would have to check these sites regularly. It's said that you save up to 50% on normal fares in certain cases.
Last Minute Ticket Purchases
Summary:
About the only way to find "Last Minute Tickets" at a fair price is over the internet, so you will need a computer with an internet connection or have access to one. This is imperative as you will need to be able to do a number of searches in a relative short time.
Some things you should know before you start, the comments are restricted to internal flight, within the US and Canada. International flights have a different set of rules.
* 90+% of all sold airline tickets ...
About the only way to find "Last Minute Tickets" at a fair price is over the internet, so you will need a computer with an internet connection or have access to one. This is imperative as you will need to be able to do a number of searches in a relative short time.
Some things you should know before you start, the comments are restricted to internal flight, within the US and Canada. International flights have a different set of rules.
* 90+% of all sold airline tickets are distributed from a clearing house call ATCPO (Airline Tariff Publishing Company) which is owned, in partnership, by dozens of airline companies. It's now the distribution hub for over 60 million tickets worldwide. Each airline files their fares continuously all day and then distributed to "subscribers" ie. agencies at specific times during the day. These fares are then loaded into the agencies booking systems.
Now the next thing to be aware of when you are hunting for a last minute ticket is that when tickets are put on the system the same seat will have a range of prices and there could be a difference of up to a $1000 between high and low and of course you are going to be sold the highest first.
As there are many rules controlling the price of the ticket a particular seat can be sold at dozens of different prices meaning prices can change at any time of the day.
* Also be aware that flight schedules that change have an effect on last minute ticket prices, this could include cancellations, mechanical breakdowns etc.
* Another thing that can have an effect on last minute ticket prices is "Aircraft Seat Inventory". Airline use some very sophisticated tools based on historical and real-time sales data to ascertain how many seats will be sold at a articular time and for what price. This why people get so frustrated when shopping online for last minute tickets and why you should be checking 3-5 sites at a time. Let's use this scenario - It costs the airline 15 cents per-mile per-seat to run the aircraft, they will calculate how many seats will have to be sold at that price before they can make a profit. Once they have this figure they will allocate so many seat at, say, 5 cents per mile and many more at a $1 per mile. So, obviously, it smart to buy when the cost of the last minute ticket is at the low end of the scale. One more thing to be aware of is that airlines mange their domestic revenue 4-5 months in advance, so if you are going to purchase a ticket 4-5 months in advance they will happily sell you a ticket at 20-30 cents per mile. Definitely not a good time to buy to get a good price.
So what are the tips for getting the best "Last Minute Ticket Prices"
* Know what a good price is
* Subscribe to a few email alert lists from different companies * Check the volatility of the market of the market place. If ticket prices are jumping aroud and you quick on "The Buy Now" button you will get bargain last minute ticket prices.
* Companies like Farecompare.com will give you ticket price history so check when the last minute ticket prices were at their best LAST YEAR. It doen'st always mean it will happen this year but, again it might. A good trick to have up your sleeve when hunting for the best last minute ticket price.
* Get to know the prices of your city pairs and if they are trending up because of outside forces, like fuel prices, it may be astute to buy as soon as possible even if it not at an all time low.
* The people who can pick up and leave at a moments notice will have a better chance of getting a better last minute price. I would be a little more cautious if you have to be a certain place at a certain time. Give yourself a little more leeway.
* The business and leisure break point is normally 14 days in advance, sometimes 21 days. You are not likely to get a good price on your last minute ticket.
If your are diligent enough you will, more than likely, stumble on some very good last minute ticket prices, but you will have to work at it.
Cheap Airline Tickets: Great Ways To Save
Summary:
A round-the-world trip remains the world's greatest journey. For two out of every three people, this is the ultimate travel experience, according to recent research. Needless to say, in a world obsessed by travel, travelers and travel agents are both looking for the cheapest tickets and airfares available.
Cheap airline tickets, in most cases, can be obtained from wholesale dealers and discounters.
If your requirements are simple - you want a round-trip ticket from one ...
Cheap airline tickets, in most cases, can be obtained from wholesale dealers and discounters.
If your requirements are simple - you want a round-trip ticket from one place to another, you have a particular airline on your mind and you have definite dates; then you can go directly to the source - to the ticket discount agency which buys cheap tickets in bulk from wholesalers and consolidators.
In real life most trips require more planning, and most people need a help from the agent to figure out what would be the best air ticket solution for their particular case. Cheap airfares to a particular region can often be found with local airlines that specialize in that country. Sometimes an agency that operates and retails tours to a particular country will have a discount agreement with the national carrier and will sell discount tickets on that airline.
With a bit of research through travel magazines aimed at the particular country of your choice, you can often find agencies dealing with national carriers for that country. For the cheapest possible airfare to many places the most affordable prices are often found in local travel agencies that deal with a particular destination selling round-trip discount airline flights - most likely to the capital of that country and a few main cities.
Sometimes you can find a really cheap air ticket with a discount retail agency that specializes in trips to a wider range of destinations or to multiple destinations. Through the sheer number of tickets that they sell they can command a reasonable discount. However, keep in mind that most advertised prices do not include taxes, luggage fee and airport tax, so the cheap airfare may end up being not so cheap. Best to read the small print to clarify exactly what you are getting before you purchase a ticket.
Another trick of the trade is for agencies to grab attention by indicating the lowest possible prices, which only apply on specific dates in low season. You’ll find that all agencies do this, even the most expensive ones so, don’t be surprised if you get a quote at double the price from what was displayed in the ad.
Airlines usually publish their scheduled flights and prices six months in advance. If you have decided on a destination it can be a good opportunity to get an ‘early bird’ discount by booking well in advance. Keep your eye on the travel press and also airline web-sites. There are often special discounts and incentives aimed at travelers who book online, as carrying out a booking online is cheaper for the company than through an intermediary who will take a commission.
However, although you can expect to get the cheapest air ticket if you start searching many months ahead, there are some exceptions. At times like Christmas or other periods of high demand the prices are usually inflated and planes fill up many months in advance. If you can be flexible and travel on actual holiday days such as Christmas day or New Years Eve you can find some pretty attractive discounts.
Summary:
The way in which many of us book holidays has changed dramatically in recent years. Ten years ago many of us would have relied on our local travel agents to find us a good deal. What impact has the internet had on the way we consider holiday destinations?
The way in which many of us book holidays has changed dramatically in recent years. Ten years ago many of us would have relied on our local travel agents to find us a good deal.
When we came to think about our next trip away, we'd simply wander down the high street and nip into a few travel agents shops, picking up a number of different holiday brochures to compare prices offered by different tour operators.
Comparing prices sometimes involved taking into account certain special offers that might be available, or any additional costs caused by the time of year (school holidays, for example) or number of people travelling.
When thinking about destinations, resorts or particular hotels, our opinions might largely be shaped by what friends and family had told us, what we'd read in magazines, or maybe what we'd seen in holiday-related television program mes.
The arrival of the internet and its increasing availability to many of us has undoubtedly changed the goalposts. We now have the ability to research our chosen destinations online - we even have access to the thoughts of previous visitors to the hotels that we may be planning to stay at.
We can compare prices relatively quickly and also have more options in terms of how we structure our holidays. We're no longer limited by the narrow boundaries of the package holiday market - we can now book our flights and accommodation independently, with far less hassle.
So everything has got better. Or has it?
The internet has brought us a lot of information but how much of that information is really reliable? When I read reviews of places that I've visited, I often find that other people's experiences are very different from my own.
It's clear that we all have different expectations of what is involved in having a good holiday.
It seems to me that, while holiday prices may well have come down, many of us are left looking to trawl through masses of information, much of which may be considerably less reliable than that once provided by the good old-fashioned travel agent.
Maybe we should take the "progress" provided by the internet with a small pinch of salt.
No comments:
Post a Comment