Easy Travel Tips

This 8:40 minutes video includes easy-to-follow travel tips, covering security, airline tickets, passports, currency and packing.

This video is available freely at YouTube. To get even more tips, you can visit www.secrettips4u2u.com.

Save Money When Travelling

Do you know you can go on a 7-day cruise for half the price? Or visit Europe for 15 days for only $2,000 per person including airfare, hotels, car rental and meals? If you follow these steps, you can save more up to 50% in travel expenses.

Travel during low season. Choosing to go on vacation during low season, will save you a great deal of money on airfare, hotels, cruises, car rental and more. The best dates to travel are between February until May, September (the week before Thanksgiving), and December 1-15.

For example, a 7-day cruise in the Caribbean can cost around $1,000 during summer and winter but it can cost $495 in November. A ticket to Europe can cost between $800-$1,200 during peak season but you can buy it at $395 roundtrip during low season.

Hotels. The same applies to hotel rates. When it comes to hotels, you should look for 3-star hotels that will offer most amenities you need at a lower price than 4 or more star hotels. You should keep in mind, that 3-star hotels are smaller, but you can find very good hotels for a great price.

Keep in mind that hotels that are very near local attractions will be more expensive than hotels located 2 or 3 blocks away.

Attractions and places to visit. Make a list of the places and attractions you want to visit and do some research. Find out about the schedules, locations, special events, etc. You'll find out that there are certain dates during the year that they will have discounts and even free admission.

Restaurants. Don't visit tourist-oriented restaurants. Instead, ask locals to recommend family-owned or small restaurants. Not only will you pay less but the food, quality and service will be much better.

Public transport. In most places, there is a metro or train system which will be a lot cheaper than traveling by taxi. All you need to do is get a map and trace the route you're going to visit and find out the train or metro numbers you need to get on to.

By planning your vacation in advance, choosing the best dates to travel (low season), doing research about places and attractions to visit, going to local restaurants versus tourist-oriented ones, and using the metro or train system instead of taxis, will save you a great deal of money and allow you to go on vacation at least twice a year.

This article is originally written by Maria Estarellas with some changes. To get even more tips, you can visit www.secrettips4u2u.com.

Flying With Kids

Flying this holiday with the kids? Parents TV's New Mom Expert, Erin Shirey will show you what you need to pack for the plane.

This video is available freely at YouTube. To get even more tips, you can visit www.secrettips4u2u.com.

Picking a Travel Agency

The trip of a lifetime can take a lifetime to plan unless you know how to pick a travel agency. A common misconception is that travel agencies add to the cost of your trip. In truth, finding and using a good travel agency to plan your trip usually saves you time, money, and frustration. So how do you pick a travel agency?

Ask around!

The best way to find a good travel agency is through word of mouth. Ask your family and friends who they’ve used and then ask them about their trip. How did they travel? Where did they stay? Was their trip enjoyable? Getting a few referrals from friends helps you to know in ahead of time what to expect from a particular travel agent and helps you weed out the good from the not-so-good as well.

Are you a member?

Many clubs and organizations offer travel services for their members and many corporations have established relationships with travel agencies that their employees can use. “Members only” travel plans frequently offer the best values.

Compare

Shop a couple of experienced firms. Travel agencies come and go like any other businesses. The ones that stay in business add experience and know-how to each trip they plan. Make your first inquiry with a travel agency a listening experience; judge how well the agent listens to you and how comfortable they make you feel.

A good travel agent will ask you to outline your trip. They’ll ask where you’re going and why, how you’d prefer to travel, how long you plan to stay, and what your travel budget is. Be open and honest with your answers. A good agent will readily put together a sample itinerary that describes availabilities in transportation, accommodations, and estimated costs.

If you feel like you are getting the "hard sell" or the travel agency tells you there is only one package available, keep shopping. You can always go back if you find that they are right!

In addition to finding the best rates in lodgings and transportation, an experienced travel agent can also give you some helpful tips about your destination and here’s the bonus. Generally, it costs nothing to use a travel agency! Because they can buy in volume, travel agencies get discounts on prices for both tickets and lodgings!

For travel made easy, use the services of a travel agency to make your outing a time to remember well!

This article is originally written by Nathan Lynch with some changes. To get even more tips, you can visit www.secrettips4u2u.com.

Happy Independence Day!

In this 4th of July, let us wish Happy Independence Day for you and your family. We hope that you'll have an enormous weekend celebrating this glorious day.

God bless America!

Travel Insurance

There are many vendors who would try and convince you that going abroad without traveler's insurance is downright foolish. However, most people going on vacation have already invested enough in their travel costs that they generally overlook extra costs they consider frivolous, at best. And there are arguments on both sides of the fence. If you have never encountered a flight or cruise cancellation, loss of personal property, or a serious medical malady outside of the United State's borders, you perhaps have never seriously considered a travel insurance plan. But for those travelers who have had experience with the above, many experts agree that a well researched insurance plan may have helped.

Do you need travel insurance?

Before you decide in favor of or against purchasing travel insurance there are some factors to consider. First, are you planning that amazing, once-in-a-lifetime vacation you've had on your To-Do list for the last decade? This type of trip might require some forethought when it comes to considering protecting yourself and your long awaited investment. Perhaps a little extra investment in flight cancellations, medical insurance, and luggage loss might pay off should something befall you on your travels.

How about medical travel insurance?

Traveling outside of U.S. borders? Make sure, especially if you are going for a long stay that your medical insurance will apply should a medical malady occur while you are in Tanzania, for example. You may be surprised to find when you actually ask your insurance provider how little coverage you have when traveling beyond the U.S. Many insurance plans only cover physicians and care within certain network areas. And a big reminder for seniors: Medicare does not apply outside of the United States. Also, make sure your vaccinations are up to date before you travel. And depending on where in the world you may be traveling, know what types of inoculations you may require above and beyond those you already have.

Most travel experts agree that travel insurance is not necessary for all travelers, but that for some it is definitely a wise idea. Long term stays outside of the United States would suggest some type of medical coverage. In the event of a medical emergency, you would want to secure some transportation back to The States. Your health insurance plan may cover the emergency medical care, but it most likely will not pay for your transportation back home for continued care.

Plans and coverage

There are scads of companies just waiting to sell you all kinds of travel insurance packages, including insurance for terrorist events and accidental death. What you need to consider is exactly what could most likely go awry and plan best for that situation.

This article is originally written by Sara Chambers with some changes. To get even more tips, you can visit www.secrettips4u2u.com.