'Should you use a Travel Agent to book your vacation?

Summer is coming up fast and some of us are considering travel as an option. Some of us will book our own trips but others will consider using a travel agent. I am inclined to use a travel agent to book my travel. Travel agents are trained professionals who have extensive knowledge and experience in the travel industry. They can offer valuable advice and insights on destinations, flights, hotels, and activities that may not be easily accessible to the average traveller.

These folks can often get good deals, especially if you’re in the market for a vacation package or cruise. When you plan a vacation, see what you can do on your own, but before you book, see if a local agent can beat the deal, you found yourself. And even if they can only get close, you might be fine with that.

While the internet has made it easier for people to find travel deals and book their own travel, there are still several reasons why someone might want to use a travel agent. Here are some benefits of using a travel agent:

Planning a trip can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially for someone who is unfamiliar with the process. A travel agent can take care of all the details, such as booking flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities, saving the traveller time and hassle.

Travel agents can provide personalized service and tailor-made itineraries to meet the individual needs and preferences of their clients. They can also offer recommendations based on their client's interests and budgets.

Travel agents often have access to exclusive deals and amenities, such as upgrades, complimentary breakfast, and other perks that may not be available to the general public.

In case of an emergency, such as a flight cancellation or a medical issue, a travel agent can help and support, which can be invaluable, especially if the traveller is in a foreign country.

Overall, while booking travel online can be convenient, using a travel agent can provide many benefits, including expert advice, personalized service, and peace of mind.

Ideas on saving money when travelling

1.  Plan ahead and book your travel in advance to get the best deals.
2. Look for deals and discounts on travel websites, such as Expedia or Kayak.
3. Use travel rewards credit cards to earn points or miles that can be used for flights, hotels, or rental cars.
4. Use budget airlines to save money on flights.
5. Use public transportation or car rental instead of taking a taxi.
6. Stay in hostels or Airbnb instead of hotels.
7. Cook your own meals instead of eating out at restaurants.
8. Use discount apps and coupons when shopping for souvenirs.
9. Use a travel rewards program to earn points for future trips.
10. Use apps like Google Maps to find the cheapest gas stations.
11. Look for free activities and events in the area.
12. Travel during off-peak seasons to save money on airfare and accommodations.
13. Bring your own snacks and water bottle to save money on food and drinks.
14. Use a travel money card to avoid foreign transaction fees.
15. Compare prices and book travel insurance.
16. Use travel apps to find the cheapest exchange rates.
17. Use a VPN to access lower prices on hotel and flight bookings.
18. Look for discounts for seniors, students or military personnel.
19. Use a travel budgeting app to keep track of your expenses.
20. Search for deals on Groupon or LivingSocial for activities and attractions.
21. Consider off-season travel: You will find lower rates and fewer crowds during off-peak times.
22. Look for package deals: Look for package deals that include airfare, lodging, and rental cars.
23. Use home-sharing services: Consider using home-sharing services like Airbnb to save on lodging costs.
24. Book directly with hotels or airlines: Booking directly with hotels or airlines can save you money compared to booking through a travel agency.
25. Avoid peak travel times: Try to avoid peak travel times, such as holidays and summer, to save money.
26. Look for free activities: Look for free activities or cultural events to do while travelling.
27. Cook your own meals: Cooking your own meals can save money on dining out.
28. Take advantage of credit card rewards: Many credit card companies offer rewards or cash back for travel expenses. Use these to save money.
29. Travel with a group: Traveling with a group can save money on transportation, lodging, and activities.
30. Use a travel rewards program: Many airlines, hotels, and rental car companies offer rewards programs that can help you save money on future trips.
31. Look for free parking or shuttle service: Many hotels offer free parking or shuttle service, which can save you money.
32. Avoid renting cars: Renting a car can significantly add to your travel expenses. Consider using public transportation or walking instead.
33. Stay in vacation rentals: Vacation rentals can be more cost-effective than hotels and provide more space and amenities.
34. Use a budget-friendly airline: Low-cost airlines often offer cheaper fares than traditional airlines.
35. Use a travel agent: A travel agent can help you find the best deals and save money on your trip.
36. Use a local SIM card: Use a local SIM card when traveling internationally to avoid high roaming charges.
37. Avoid peak travel days: Look for flights or train tickets on less popular days, such as mid-week, to save money.
38. Take advantage of loyalty programs: Look for loyalty programs or frequent-flier programs that can help you save money on future trips.
39. Avoid baggage fees: Pack light and carry on your luggage to avoid baggage fees.
40. Choose budget-friendly destinations: Look for budget-friendly destinations, such as smaller towns or off-the-beaten-path locations, to save money on your trip.

Virtual Tours

We are travelling again, and I hear horror stories of waits in line, and missed or delayed planes. It seems the travel industry is having trouble keeping up with or meeting the pent-up demand. While travel came to a near standstill during the coronavirus pandemic, technology stepped in and allowed a person to visit almost any place on the planet in the blink of an eye. So, as we move back to travel and as prices skyrocket, there is an option that technology offered during the pandemic that is still available.  Virtual tours can help decrease isolation, and remove stress, improve your mood and your mental health, well-being, and memory. They allow us to revisit places we want to go back to or find new places to engage our imagination.

In 2021, according to Google Keyword Planner data, searches for the term “virtual tour” increased seven times—from 1,300 in February to almost 10,000 in March. Do you like to travel but find it too expensive or your health does not allow you to take the trips you want to take? You may have heard of virtual tours. One of the virtual tours that I use is called Heygo and it is here https://www.heygo.com/home  Another site that offers interesting tours is https://beeyonder.com/ and finally, Team building is another site that offers tours. Here is  their list of 69 top tours 

 https://teambuilding.com/blog/virtual-tours

A virtual tour is a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of videos or still images. It may also use other multimedia elements such as sound effects, music, narration, and text. It is distinguished from the use of live television to affect tele-tourism. 

Most virtual tours are not free, but they are cheaper than the actual travel costs. The guides are excellent and give value to the money you pay. Heygo runs its tours on a tip-supported basis to make them as accessible as possible. They are free to join, but you have the option to leave a tip during the tour. The majority of your tip goes directly to support the creator, while the rest helps Heygo continue to build a place that brings the world closer together. 

Do a search for the best virtual tours and you will come across tours such as the following all of which you can have from the comfort of your couch.

The Louvre

San Diego Zoo

Disney World: 

Great Wall of China: 

Guggenheim: 

Google Arts Project: Street Art

Here is a sampling of some of the tours that Heygo is offering in December in their Seasonal and Special category

Thu 15 Dec

Christmas Season in Perugia · Italy

Spectacular Illumination Park- Budapest’s Newest Winter Attraction Budapest · Hungary

Jack the Ripper & Victorian Times  London · United Kingdom

The Southwark Wife Poisoner London · United Kingdom

Fri 16 Dec

Gods of India  Delhi · India

Sat 17 Dec

Festival of Lights - Midosuji Illumination Osaka · Japan

Brighton’s Christmas Beach Hut Fun Brighton · United Kingdom

Christmas in Spain 🇪🇸: Valencia’s Christmas Market Valencia · Spain

Celebrate Christmas in London (Part 1) Somerset House · United Kingdom

Christmas Walk in Norwich feat. Tunnel of Light Norwich · United Kingdom

Festive lights at the Botanicas, Edinburgh · United Kingdom

Two Vienna Christmas Markets, Austria (Virtual Recap) Vienna · Austria

German Christmas Lights and Decorations Trier · Germany

Kelsey’s Christmas Opera Concert North Pole · Norway

A Cool Carnaby Christmas! Carnaby Street · United Kingdom

Smart Traveling for Senior Citizens

Travel is on the rise as the Pandemic, although not over is being controlled. One of the real joys of retirement and enjoying your senior years may come in the form of travel.  Travel is broadening and many senior citizens save for a lifetime to enjoy a lifestyle of travel once they are retired.  The image of becoming a world traveller in their senior years is one of those dreams that kept them going when life was tough in their working years so they certainly deserve to hit the road and enjoy the fruit of a lifetime of work.

If this is the kind of retirement fun that you have in mind, it pays to plan ahead so you travel smart.  Being prepared for a long trip makes sense for anybody but if these trips you will be taking care to be the dream trips you want them to be, you don’t want to see those vacations turn into travel nightmares.

A big part of smart travelling is knowing well in advance what you are going to need on the trip.  But it may be even more important to know what you are NOT going to need.  By packing light, you make the chore of pulling large pieces of luggage through the airport less difficult.  And if you are going to be staying in several places on the trip, packing light means less repacking as well.

It will take some experience as to what works for you in a travel situation to know how to pack.  You may wish to build a special travel wardrobe of garments that wear well under stress, don’t wrinkle and can be rinsed out and used again on the road thus extending their usefulness and cutting down on excess clothing.  Another way you can cut down on the bulk en route is to not take very much with you that can be bought when you get there.  By not taking a lot of toiletries, you cut down on the problems with airport security and the chance of toiletries leaking into your bags.

Smart travelling for senior citizens also means having your prescriptions all up to date and well documented.  You should get good copies of all prescription drugs, eyeglass prescriptions and other documents that you may need to get refills on the road should you lose or run through your medicines.  Alert your local pharmacy so if they need to consult with a pharmacy where you are going, that phone call won’t catch them by surprise.  And file copies of all of your travel documents with a loved one so even if you lose everything, you can still get your documents sent to you by email or fax.  These kinds of precautions eliminate panic in the event of a problem while travelling.

Similarly, make sure your itinerary and copies of your passport and credit card numbers are kept in secure places and on file with a loved one.  Go through your wallet and think about each card and important document you have and how you would handle having those cards cancelled and replaced should you lose your wallet or purse.  By keeping those important numbers where you can get to them quickly, you can move fast to cancel credit cards and get replacements virtually immediately from your hotel should you get robbed or lose your valuables while travelling. By thinking ahead like this and staging in your mind every possible problem and planning how to respond, you eliminate the chance that your trip could be stopped, and your fun brought to an end because of difficulty.  Then when things do go wrong, you just shift to plan A-B-C or D and you are right back in business.

Virtual Travel ideas

We are in lockdown in my area, and we are practising physical distancing, but if you have an imagination virtual vacations are open to everyone with an internet connection. Whether you need an antidote to cabin fever or are pining for the flavours of a favourite destination, here are eight ways to travel without leaving home. 

1. Get an up-close view of the world

With Google Street View, you can visit famous sites and monuments while lounging in your pyjamas. Immerse yourself in history at Rome’s Colosseum, admire the view of the Kohala Coast in Hawaii or stroll through the opulent interiors at the Palace of Versailles in France. For more adventure, check out Google Maps' virtual treks. You can go from climbing to Everest Base Camp in Nepal to diving in the Galapagos Islands of Peru to searching for polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba — in just a matter of clicks.

2. Take a virtual museum tour

The world’s best galleries and museums are just a few clicks away with Google Arts & Culture, a platform that allows you to take digital tours of legendary places from the Guggenheim in New York City to the Louvre in Paris.  We also love the free online tours at the British Museum, The Louvre, The Smithsonian and The Vatican, Closer to home, The Virtual Museum of Canada bills itself as the largest digital source of stories and experiences shared by Canada’s museums and heritage organizations. You can even see iconic art pieces up close. The best part? It's all free. 

3. Cook meals from your favourite destinations

Travel and eating are one of life's greatest matches, so what better way to satisfy your wanderlust than by feasting on food from a place you're longing to return to or to see for the first time? Explore the globe from your kitchen by sourcing recipes from the corner of the world you're craving. You can also take online cooking classes such as Nonna Live, where you'll learn to make classics from an Italian grandma. Free lessons have cropped up during this downtime, including daily Delish.com cooking videos for parents and children, and Kitchen Quarantine, Instagram lessons from Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura.

4. Learn a new language — or research your mother tongue

Duolingo allows you to spend just a few minutes a day learning a foreign language, in a fun game style. It’s free and there’s even an app for kids. You could also have a go at a new hobby. Maybe it’s time for you to get started on your family tree: Ancestry has a free trial, giving you access to billions of family records. Who knows, your next trip could be to the land of your ancestors.

5. Explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites

It’s not quite the same as being there, but you can visit some of the world’s most celebrated heritage sites without leaving home. The UNESCO website has a list of 1,121 sites that are considered to have “outstanding universal value.” Many of these cultural sites, such as India's Taj Mahal, England's Stonehenge and Peru's Machu Picchu, have their own virtual tours that enable you to see detailed panoramic images while reading all about these fascinating places to appreciate why they are so important.

6. Visit a virtual zoo or aquarium

Hippos, monkeys and penguins can be viewed through webcams, virtual tours and “home safaris.” Visit Ripley's Aquarium of Canada in Toronto to keep an eye on the sharks. The San Diego Zoo is live-streaming a number of animals on its website, including koalas, pandas, giraffes and polar bears. You can also bring exotic animals like snow leopards into your living room with a selection of live video streams from Australian zoos. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is live-streaming a "home safari show" on its Facebook page each weekday at 3 p.m. ET. Each episode will feature a different animal and an accompanying educational kids activity that can be done from home.

7. Walk in the park — virtually

We may not be able to visit Canada's national and provincial parks in person, but you can still get back to nature (from a distance) with virtual tours and videos. Discover the beaches of Pacific Rim National Park and the magnificent peaks of Banff National Park via Google Earth, watch a live view of Algonquin Provincial Park and let a guide take you on a video tour of Gros Morne National Park. For even more park inspiration, we put together a roundup of our favourite videos and virtual park tours in Canada and the U.S.

My thanks to the folks at Travelzoo for the ideas

Australia

We left for Australia and arrived two days later I love the idea of travelling forward in time but the 14 hours on the plane were not pleasant. Not bad, but still if one was claustrophobic the trip would have been hell. When we arrived, we had little trouble getting our car.

My son had advised me that when I rented a car, I should choose the most popular and cheapest model on the list. I did that and by the time we arrived at the rental agency, all of those cars had been rented out, so we were offered an upgrade for free, which we accepted. So we got a slightly bigger car, with more seats and more luggage room.

The tactic may not work every time, but the last four times we have done this, at popular, national car rental agencies we have received an upgrade. It has not worked when we went with local car rental companies.

The last time we were in Melbourne with my son, we did not have google maps and we had to rely on my ability to navigate, needless to say, we got lost and took three hours to find our way out of Melbourne and on the Hume Highway on our way to Mansfield. This time thanks to Apple and Google Maps we had no problems. This time we went through the backcountry for about an hour before we connected to the Hume highway. 

The scenery on the way reminded me of Kamloops area of BC. We stopped at a town called Yea for a pit stop and some food. Yea, like all small towns in Australia, has public toilets that are accessible and free for locals and tourists to use. I have never found a dirty public toilet in any of the small towns I visited in Australia. Canadian towns should take note.  

On the way to Yea, we drove along the Whittlesea road through a small town called Flowerdale which is in the foothills of The Great Dividing Range, and in the upper catchment of the Goulburn River system. We passed through some beautiful farmland and rolling hills as we travelled.

After resting in Yea, we drove on through more beautiful scenery as we moved into the high country past Mansfield to Sawmill Settlement.  Sawmill Settlement is a very small community of fewer than 90 people so everyone knew we were coming and as we entered the community there was a sign that welcomed us to the community.

We entered Sawmill Settlement to see and we stopped to read our warm welcome,  and then we drove to my daughter and her family home and arrived at about three o’clock after a very pleasant drive. 

I will talk about the rest of the trip and the fire situation that faced many of the areas we were in a subsequent post. Right now I am trying to get over my Jet lag.

Car rental woes

Over the past months, we have been planning our trip to Australia for Christmas, while we were planning, my daughter let me know that a friend of hers had a car that we could use. She said she would pick us up at the airport and we would have the use of the car for our time in Australia. I thought it was a generous offer and so we agreed.

The car belonged to one of their best friends father who had suffered a stroke and could no longer drive. The man suffered his stroke about three years ago and the car had been off the road since that time. So, when my daughter's friend went to get the car insured he ran into a roadblock. If a car has not been on the road and insured then by Australian law (Victoria State) the car must be inspected by a mechanic to see if it is roadworthy. The car went in for an inspection a few days ago, just about a week before we were to arrive. It failed.

I have found that renting a car for a trip is similar to buying a plane ticket, if you purchase far enough in advance you can get a good deal if you book at the last minute you pay more. In the past, I have used a number of good car rental companies in Australia. I have used Spendless Car Rental, Cut Price Car Rentals, and Rental Cars.com, Kayak, Enterprise and Alamo to name a few. These are well run, the staff are helpful and the prices are low if you book far enough in advance. We have never had any problem with any of these companies and I would recommend them highly.

This time I checked out the prices at each of the above and I also use Trip Advisor, Car Rental8, Lbcarental.com and Expedia to see if I could get a deal. I found one at Rental Cars.com that beat the others by about $50 and they quoted the price in Canadian dollars. I found some lower prices but they were priced in American dollars and after the exchange, they were about 20% higher.

I was happy with the process, and the price I was able to get with only six days before I travelled so I went on Trip Advisor to give Rental cars.com a good rating and I commented on the service I received. The rating and the comment were removed by Trip Advisor because they said it was a paid endorsement.  I also had a few people making the same comment within minutes of my posting. I don't do paid endorsements, I am at a stage in my life where I can call it as I see it, and if people don't like what I say, so be it. 

The removal of my post did surprise me although it should not have as Trip Advisor most likely has its own agreement with car rental places and does not want customers to be directed to other company's sites. Business is business, but just be careful what you read on Trip Advisor or any other site as full information may be blocked to benefit the site. By the way, Trip Advisor had the same car and from the same dealership as Rental Cars but Rental Cars beat their price by about $50.00. My advice is you have to book a car at the last minute shop around you may get a good deal.

Musings on a Sunday in April

As tax time approaches many of us may think that it might be an option to live outside of Canada. My friends and I were talking about that recently. By moving to another country the idea is that you could instantly increase your retirement spending power. My neighbour lives in Costa Rica for a time every year and claims it is far cheaper than living in Canada. 

In Canada, we have many seniors, who we call Snowbirds, who travel south for the winter. Canadian law allows us to stay out of the country for up to almost 6 months without losing our health benefits. Mexico, Costa Rica, Malaysia and Panama all enjoy far better climate than we do, and much lower costs of living. 

According to International Living Magazine, you can live on one-half to one-third what you could in any Canadian city and have a good lifestyle in any one of their top places to retire to in the world. Here is a partial list of places they recommend Peru, Spain, Nicaragua, Portugal and the number one place in the world to retire is Costa Rica. For the full list go here

The federal government offers primers on retiring abroad (https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/living-abroad  and find the link “Retirement Abroad”). This government site also offers many other great sources of information about living and retiring abroad. For example, they have some interesting information about coping with Culture Shock and paying taxes.

Another source of information is The Canadian Snowbird Guide by Douglas Gray. As we talked about the idea of retiring in another cheaper country, a friend suggested that it may be a good idea, but until you have lived in another country for a while, it might not be a good idea to pack up and leave permanently. His suggestion is to try out a destination before making any permanent decisions. Rent a home for a year and see what daily life is like. If it matches or exceeds your expectations, you may be able to afford the retirement of your dreams on far less money than you expected.

On the Road

“On the Road Again” is a well-known song by Willie Nelson released in 1980 one of many songs that embraced the idea that baby boomers love to travel. In 1969 Canned Heat released a song called Going Up The Country, which is one of the first songs that gave me the travel itch. There was a famous novel by Jack Kerouac that represented the generation before the time of the boomers, but that novel very much became a bible for us during the 1960s.  As a result, there is wanderlust and a yearning to get away from it all and travel that is deeply ingrained in our mentality and way of viewing the world.

It isn’t surprising then that as adults we have created a leisure and travel industry that has reached new levels of popularity in the last three decades.  So nobody would be surprised either when in our early retirement years begin to look into becoming the ultimate wanderers by hitting the road in their RVs and staying on the go virtually nonstop.

The spirit of adventure and desire not only to see and be part of the expanse of our glorious country has a lot to do with the yearning to travel that is so common my generation. It is more than just wanting to see great sights and enjoy the huge variety of climate and landscapes that Canada has to offer that lures us out of our rocking chairs and out onto the highways.  I am sure this idea also appeals to boomers, no matter where they live. It is also the allure of meeting new people, becoming “citizens” not just of their local community but of the world and packing their retirement years with fun and new adventures that have a genuine appeal.

We have always been people of adventure.  This can be seen in the great literature that has been made popular by my generation.  The Lord of the Rings is a great example of how we see the world. As ordinary creatures, the Hobbits, go on the road to do some great thing to save their world.  No wonder that trilogy became an anthem of the boomers who have always seen themselves as adventurers with a mission in life to do good for all mankind.

Hitting the road in an RV, as tame as that may seem, also appeals to a sense of unrestrained life that helps us combat the feeling that the world is closing in around us.  Another song, “Born to be Wild” was more than a catchy tune.  It expressed a self-image enhanced by the movie Easy Rider had us believe that we were only somewhat civilized and that there is a part of our nature that could never be tamed.  The freedom of travel and the lack of restrictions is liberating to those who may have been boxed in by life’s responsibilities, jobs and families for much of their adult lives. 

In this way, we don’t see retirement as a time to cut back on the adventure of living.  Quite the opposite, we see the chance to live on the road in our RVs as a chance to release that inner bohemian wanderer, that Jack Kerouac and Neil Cassidy that lives in us and give the free spirits amongst us the chance to redefine the world in their own terms.

We can be an inspiration to generations to come that they can live a life of responsibility and maturity and still retain a little of that inner beatnik or hippy that truly was born to be wild.

Budget Travel

March is coming to an end, and Spring break is coming up or is upon you as are the summer holidays. It is time to think about planning to travel this year. In today’s world traveling on a budget is becoming more and more of a necessity.  Keeping costs low while traveling is important, whether you are a solo traveler seeing the world for the first time or a family with a carload full of kids heading to the beach or the theme park.

When it comes to coming up with a travel budget, the first step should be to decide what is important to you and where you can cut back a bit.  For instance, some travelers are comfortable spending a bit more for a better class of hotel, while others prefer to save money by using budget accommodations and spend the money they saved on sightseeing or a special meal for the family.

As with other aspects of finance, it is a good idea to create a travel budget.  Determine a budget for the various aspects of your vacation, such as hotel, airfare, rental cars, sightseeing, gasoline, etc.  Once you have a good idea of what each element of the vacation should cost, it is time to start shopping around for the best deals.

Once you have determined what is most important to you, it is time to start determining how to get the best deals.  Often, admission deals on area attractions are the easiest to come by, since many theme parks, museums, and other destinations run specials to attract out of town guests.

To score big discounts on area attractions, the best place to start is the website of the attraction itself.  Be sure to check the website for any specials, such as two for one deal, free admission for children, special reduced admission days, etc. 

If you are a member of the military, a senior citizen or a member of an organization such as AAA, there are often additional discounts available.  Most AAA offices sell discount admission tickets to theme parks, museums and other popular attractions within driving distance, and most AAA offices sell discounted admissions to popular attractions like Walt Disney World as well.  The key to making your travel budget stretch farther is to ask about and take advantage of, all discounts that may be available.

If you are driving to your destination, one great way to make your travel budget go further is to make sure your car is in tip-top shape before embarking on your trip.  Small details, such as under-inflated tires or worn spark plugs can really eat into your gas mileage and end up costing you a bundle, especially on a long road trip.

A good map can also be a money saver since it will keep you from driving around in circles and wasting gas.  Finding your way easily to and from the hotel and the surrounding area will make your vacation more pleasant and less costly.

No matter how you save money on your next vacation, having a budget and sticking to it will help you enjoy your vacation more, and worry less about paying for it. 

Avoid Conflicts when you Travel for the Holidays

It can be great fun to spend the holidays with your family and friends, but there always seems to be a few people that you wish to avoid as well. Planning ahead can help you to avoid conflicts when you travel for the holidays. Remember that each person is entitled to their own thoughts and opinions. Agree to disagree on issues that pertain to politics and various types of controversial issues.

Everyone should take care of their own children during a gathering for the holidays. This is to prevent issues that arise when different parenting styles are in play. Make sure your children understand before you travel for the holidays that you expect them to follow the same rules they have at home regardless of what other children there will be allowed to do. This will help to prevent confusion and frustration for everyone involved in the gathering for the holidays.

In order to ensure everyone has a great time let those that will be in attendance help to place the events. Make sure someone is in charge of activities for the children to enjoy too. Take a look at the span of age groups that will be present at the event and either come up with activities for all of them to enjoy together or break them up into groups based on age. 

Make sure everyone gets to take on a role for the holiday gathering that they will enjoy. This way the overall event will be a success and everyone will look forward to attending. Don’t leave certain people to clean up from the dinner or the activities just because you assume that is what they want to do. Knowing what your role is before you travel for the holidays allows you to be prepared for it.

Food is a common part of any holiday gathering but it can be a problem for some people. Before you travel for the holidays make sure the host is aware of any special foods you will need to have or to avoid. They can even offer dishes without meat for those that are on a vegetarian diet. Some people have an allergy to peanut oil or other foods though that need to be taken into consideration. Don’t wait until you arrive to tell them as it can mean foods they spent time preparing will have to be thrown out. 

If you have an unresolved issue with someone that will be at the family gathering you should attempt to contact them prior to the event. This will help both of you to relieve the tension and anxiety over the situation. If it is something that can’t be resolved then ask them to agree to put your differences aside for the sake of everyone else that will be in attendance. 

It doesn’t mean you have to become best friends at the event but don’t waste your energy being in conflict with the individual. Focus on the good memories that you can create for your family during the holidays instead. Too many families end up with parties missing from the gathering because they don’t want to attend if someone else is. Taking the high road so that everyone can enjoy their holiday more is an amazing gift you can give to them. 

Ways to Save Money for Holiday Travel

Many people want to travel for the holidays but they don’t feel like they can because their budget doesn’t allow for it. Yet there are plenty of ways you can raise money to be able to do so. The sooner you start making a plan and determining how much money you will need the more successful you will be. Come up with as accurate of an amount as you can so you won't’ fall short. If you overestimate the amount of money you need for holiday travel then you can enjoy it later on.

Make a commitment not to touch the money you save for holiday travel under any circumstances. Place it in the bank or in a piggy bank that you have to break to get into. This way you won’t be tempted to remove any of the money for another purpose. The money you save for holiday travel will safely continue to grow until you are ready to travel. 

Everyone needs to remove clutter from their home now and then so get it done and have a yard sale. Price the items cheap so that you won’t have to haul it all back into your home again. Making some money off the items you no longer need is better than not making any at all. You may want to place some of the items on the various online auctions so that you can get a better price for them. Do your research to see what is selling on these sites so you can have a good chance of selling yours.

Take a close look at your income and think about how much of it you can reasonably put away for holiday travel. Even if it is only $10 a week you can start putting it away and it will add up quickly. If you get paid every two weeks there will be months when you get three paychecks. Make a plan to save at least ½ of those paychecks for your holiday travel plans.

You may find making some adjustments to your family’s budget can help you to save enough money for holiday travel as well. Instead of paying for a cup of coffee on the way to work each day make your own. Rather than going out to dinner and to a movie consider ordering a pizza and renting a movie. All the extra money that you save needs to go towards your holiday travel plans. 

Ask your boss about any additional shifts or overtime hours you can have in order to save money for holiday travel. This means you may have to give up some of your free time but it will be a worthwhile sacrifice. Let other people know you are for hire too so they can pay you to babysit, clean their house, or paint their garage. These little projects can be very fun and add up to some nice cash for the holiday travel plans you have. 

If you are travelling for the holidays to see your family or friends ask them about a no gift rule if you want to go for Christmas. Explain to them that you will be saving all your money towards coming to see them for the holidays. The amount of money you will save on gifts quickly adds up, and being able to spend time with your family and friends will be a gift you can’t put a price on. 

Look for excellent deals on holiday travel as well. It will be wonderful if you find a cheap flight or a discount on the train or bus. This means you will have less money to save up for your holiday travel. It may take some effort and some sacrifices but it will be well worth it when the holiday of your choice rolls around and you are able to go where you want to go. 

Save Money on Holiday Travel

The first day of February, and it may not be too early to think about travel for the Spring Break or the summer. So many people travel for important holidays that you may be quite disappointed with the cost of it. There are great ways you can save money though whether you are travelling by plane, train, or bus to get to your destination for the holidays. It is essential that you book your travel arrangements early. You don’t want to be stuck without a way to get where you want to be for the holidays due to everything being sold out. You also want to take your time to compare prices.

You will find some travel dates should simply be avoided around the holidays. This will allow you to avoid crowds which often equal substantial delays. You will also be able to get the same travel arrangements at a lower price just by carefully calculating the best times to travel. 

You may not think that Valentine’s Day is a top travel holiday but it is. It is very important for people to be able to spend this holiday together. Since Presidents Day is very close to Valentine’s Day many people are able to take a long weekend. Avoid travelling during this Monday holiday and you will save money. Instead fly out in the next few days and then stay for a couple of days after Valentine’s Day instead of before. 

Spring break takes place for about three weeks in March depending on which schools people are attending. If you plan to travel for spring break you need to plan it very carefully to maximize your time and to get good prices. Many colleges allow people to complete their final exams early. Try to do this and travel on a Wednesday or Thursday. Avoid peak days such as Friday and Saturday. You also want to come back on weekdays as they will be lower volume dates for travel. 

Many people fly to see their parents for Mother’s Day and for Father’s Day. These are important holidays that take place on a Sunday in May and then on a Sunday in June. Traveling on the actual day will save you money over flying out on the Friday or Saturday before. This way you can arrive on their special day and hang out for several days. Your return trip should be for one of the weekdays following the holiday instead of on the weekend. 

Thanksgiving is a common holiday that people travel for. Since it always falls on a Thursday, most people get an extended weekend so they can go visit for a few days or take a vacation. The peak of this vacation for travel takes place on the day before Thanksgiving. However, if you are willing to travel on Thanksgiving Day you can avoid the crowds. You will also find you save up to 50% of the price of getting there just by waiting less than 24 hours.

Most people return from their Thanksgiving vacation on the Sunday following the holiday. Try to avoid this day as well and return on the following Monday. Most employers want some people to be in the office on the Wednesday before so offer to do it in exchange for having the following Monday off. 

Christmas is another peak holiday travel occasion, and you will find the fares get much higher the closer it gets to the 25th of December. Try to travel before the 19th in order to take advantage of the best possible fares. If you won’t be able to stay through New Year’s that choose a day in the middle of the week after Christmas. These are often slower days than the weekends and you will get better prices.

Avoid travel on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day as they are two of the most popular travel dates of the year. Fares are often double what they normally would be so you will save yourself plenty of money and delays if you work around them when you travel for the holidays. 

12 ideas for Post Christmas travel

Christmas means enjoying time with loved ones and, hopefully, getting a break from your everyday live for a while. This list is courtesy of the great folks at travelalerts.ca

12 Island Inspired Cocktail Recipes

Here are 12 cocktail recipes perfect for kicking back on a sunny summer’s day, wishing you were dipping your toes into the Caribbean Sea. (If you like rum, you will like this list. Given that the majority of the world’s rum comes from the Caribbean islands, most of the signature drinks that you will find there derive from this sugar-cane-based bevy.)

11 Travel Songs for Your Next Vacation Playlist

Every great adventure should have an equally great soundtrack, even if it is just a simple list of tunes to inspire you before you get going. Here is a list of many popular travel songs and a few suggestions to add to the typical staples of Leavin’ on a Jet Plane, On the Road Again, and Born to Be Wild.

10 Ways to Kill Time in an Airport

Have you ever spent many hours in airports well here are useful tips for staving off boredom, since not all airports offer a butterfly garden and a rooftop pool (like Singapore’s Changi International Airport) or a movie theatre, ice rink and extensive gardens (like Korea’s Incheon International Airport).

9 Destinations that Make the World’s Best Chocolate

You might think the Swiss and Belgians have the chocolate market covered. Even the likes of New York and Italy know how to play the cacao game, but the worlds’ best chocolate is a global affair and we’ve tracked down a few underrated places every chocolate fiend should have on their radar.

8 Reasons to Give the Gift of Travel

Do you know a travel Junkie, someone who loves to travel, or someone you want to hook into the idea that travelling is fun? Here are just a few of the reasons why giving someone the gift of travel is one of the best things you can do

7 Little-Known Paradise Islands

Who doesn’t love to dream of turquoise waters lapping at their feet, and the absolute tranquility afforded by palms swaying slowly in the ocean breeze? Often when on vacation we find ourselves sharing our small corner of paradise with hundreds of other people who search, like us, for a little rest and relaxation. Here is a list of seven little-known paradise islands that we think provide the perfect escape for those in search of a little solitude.

6 Romantic Spots for Honeymoons or Vow Renewals

Take your significant other to a romantic spot to start or renew your relationship and fall in love all over again.

5 Long Weekend Trip Ideas

Bored, looking for a different escape for the next long weekend this winter, here are a few ideas that should add some spice and excitement to your life.

4 Free Things to Do in Bermuda

Bermuda is one of the ideas for a long weekend trip, when you are there here are a few ideas of what to do when in this island paradise.

3 Days in Paradise: Romantic Nassau Itinerary

This serene string of islands has earned its romantic reputation by offering true and accessible seclusion in the heart of the Caribbean. Nearly 300 days of guaranteed sunshine married with warm waters, exquisite dining and ample outdoor activities make this the perfect destination to consider for a Valentine’s Day escape.

2 Sides of the Same Island: Things to Do in St. Maarten

St. Maarten is an ideal destination for families, athletes, adventurers, shopaholics or those simply looking for a little relaxation. The island offers a multitude of activities for all tastes, and each rich and varied activity or destination is as wonderful as the next.

1 A One-Day Walking Tour of London

London can be an intimidating city. Maybe it is because there is a lot of pressure when you are exploring one of the top-rated cities in the world, and there are a lot of places and things that feel like must-dos. London seems like a giant city, and in some ways, it is, but you can actually explore many of its major sites in one day (by foot if you are up for it). Check out our one-day walking tour