Doors Floors and More

Cited: ABC news

Continued from “Vacation Deals Tips Part 1“

does this isAccommodations, con’t.

Once you’ve chosen the type of place you want, look at the per-night price and what exactly it includes. Does the property have daily breakfast, parking, and Internet paid for with the nightly rate? Does it have amenities you’ll take advantage of, such as a pool, a fitness center, laundry facilities, and the like? Is it located close to the action (e.g., a downtown city hotel) or is it more secluded? Do the check-in and check-out times work with your schedule? Don’t necessarily jump at the lowest price–for just a few dollars more, you may find something that includes a host of extras that match your tastes.

Lastly, it’s always a good idea to read user reviews from fellow travelers before making a reservation. SmarterTravel’s sister site, TripAdvisor, has millions of traveler reviews and opinions to help you get a better sense of the property you’re considering. I always read a good sampling (at least three to five pages worth of reviews) to see a cross-section of traveler experiences, and typically, by a few reviews in, I can tell which types of travelers are similar to me. Use the same judgment when reading reviews for the properties you’re considering.

Rental Cars

Like airfare, rental car pricing is a bit more rigid. Your price will be subject to which models of cars are available, the demand for the model you want to book, and local taxes and fees.

When renting a car, consider whether it makes more sense to rent from an airport or off-airport location. Oftentimes you can snag a better price by going off-airport, but what you save in dollars may get spent in time, by foregoing the convenience of the airport pickup and drop-off. Consider factors such as fuel efficiency, vehicle roominess, and add-on possibilities (such as GPS devices, roadside assistance services, and more). Compare apples to apples (like same car class and amenities) across providers to ensure you’re getting the best price for the type of car you’re hoping to rent.

Finally, include opaque sites during your research. You may be able to find a great deal, including all the features you value, by checking the offerings on Hotwire or Priceline.

Vacation Packages

Use similar benchmarks to those suggested in the airfare and hotel sections when researching vacation package bundles. Airfare-and-hotel packages can be a great way to save, but always make sure the properties included fit what you’re looking for. Do a cost-analysis breakdown, checking the vacation package price and offerings to the same components (airfare, hotel, car, etc.) a la carte to see if you’ll get a better deal by bundling or by purchasing each trip item separately. While in many cases you’ll do better by going with a bundle, the only way to find out for sure is to deconstruct the package.

Cruises

Whether you’re a veteran cruiser or contemplating taking a cruise for the first time, there’s a lot to consider before booking your next vacation. Beyond price, there are the ports of call, trip duration, cabin styles, on-ship atmosphere, food options, and more to think about. Cruise Critic, another sister site of SmarterTravel, offers answers to these and questions you hadn’t even considered, and can help put you in touch with fellow cruisers and cruise experts to help you plan the best trip for your budget and interests.

Your Turn

How do you define value? What do you consider to be a great travel deal? Where are you going for your vacation?

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My Take: My dream vacation is a trip around the world to the countries that my ancestors are from, Scotland, England, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands and then to see the really interesting sites like the Colosseum in Rome or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I think I will have to win a very large lottery to all that. I wonder if you have where Greek clothing when you visit the Colosseum. I doubted that is usually considered fraternity clothing anyway and I do not belong to a fraternity.

If anything, I would belong to a sorority. Although, too many frat parties play techno music and I would not attend them. I have heard that DJ Michelangelo is hot! And this topic has got me off the subject of vacations.

The one thing you want to make sure that works when you go on vacation is your cell phone. If you need Blackberry repair work done, do it before you leave! You do not want to have to get iPhone repair work done when you’re a tourist, because they can cite a tourist in my way and will charge you an arm and leg.

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Other Resources

Easy Money

There is an easy way for you to make a little extra cash. Sell those damaged cars in your neighborhood. That is right; you can sell wrecked cars for cash. One company buys all wrecked, damaged or totaled cars. And today you can sell any car for cash. It is simple and the best way to get money you deserve for any car, truck or SUV.

Cited: ABC news

Any travel agent or travel writer can tell you about the rock-bottom prices that are available. However, it is smarter to do a little bit of investigation before planning a vacation. You are the all-in-one that can determine whether a price is a good view or great value and there are universal benchmarks to go by.

There are a few questions you should ask yourself before planning your trip. When you start to do your research, always consider the following:

How active of a vacation do you want to have? Are you the type who wants to plop on a beach, enjoy a variety of different activities, or some blend of the two?

Consider your traveling companions. What are their interests, preferences, and energy levels? Do their vacation expectations match up with yours?

How much do you want to spend? In what areas do you want to splurge, and which components are you willing to cut back on?

Will you be spending most of your time outdoors? How important is it to you to have ideal weather?

How long do you want to be away? Are you able to tailor your budget and interests to fit your time requirement?

Once you have answers to these questions, you should have a good idea of what type of vacation you’re planning, from which accommodations type is right for you to how light or active your itinerary should be. Let your answers inform how you plan the rest of your trip, particularly in determining the best value for each travel component.

Airfare

Airfare is the most rigid travel area, as far as measuring value goes. You’ll be subject to factors beyond your control, such as seasonality, supply and demand, and airline fees; but there are a few areas you can tweak to get the best value for your travel dollars.

Always start tracking flights early to get the best sense of prices, number of daily flights, and airlines that offer routes to your destination. If your travel dates aren’t set in stone, take advantage of the many flexible-date search tools out there to see when prices are lowest.

Decide if you want a direct flight (if available) or are willing to connect. Often, connecting flights are cheaper, although you will add more time to your journey and risk the chance of getting waylaid if there are any delays or cancellations.

Once you’ve zeroed in on a few flight possibilities, determine the true cost of your ticket by calculating all applicable baggage, meal, and other fees. SmarterTravel’s will mean regularly updated Airline Fees: The Ultimate Guide can help you figure out what your final ticket cost will be, as well as compare true costs across competitor airlines to find the best value for your trip.

Accommodations

So many choices here–all-inclusive resorts, no-frills motels, multi-star hotel properties, bed and breakfasts, inns, vacation rentals, home exchanges–which is right for you? Accommodations tend to take up a big chunk of your budget, so focus first on the style of property you’d like. If you like solitude, you may gravitate more toward hotels or vacation rentals. If you like a social atmosphere, an all-inclusive resort particularly those with group activities and entertainment options or a B & B might be a good fit.

Continued in “Vacation Deals Tips Part 2“

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My Take: I think these are very good suggestions and ideas. If I ever do get the money to take a vacation again, I will probably take advantage of these. If I wasn’t going to take a plane, train or bus on vacation, I would definitely want to make sure my idol insurance was up-to-date. I would check auto insurance quotes online because it’s much easier. In fact, a car insurance quote would be what I would be looking for.

Now that the Florida coast is “clean” I am sure that many people will be taken advantage of a Key West Florida fishing charter. I love to go fishing but I’m not sure I’d want to go ocean fishing.Are a lot bigger than the kind you find in the lake or stream. We understand Key West Florida deep Sea fishing can be exciting and fun. Just make sure you do your research on the charters before picking one.

Then again, there are those people who don’t go anywhere on vacation, instead they work on their house like doing a Denver Colorado basement remodeling job. I lived in Denver for a while and I didn’t know that there were Denver basements. The people will remodel them with handling, putting in new lightbulbs and turn it into a game room or maybe even home theater room. If refinish her basement and turn it into a home theater, you definitely would want to make sure you have the right light bulbs in the right places.

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Other Resources

Getting Ready for Vacation Time

Even though summer is almost over, many people are still going to take a long deserved vacation. That means they need to get ready for it. Choosing the right clothing, making sure the car is in good running condition, their hair looks just right, they picked a great location and their body looks good. That means that they will dive into their Pilates exercise to lose belly fat. Nobody wants a fat belly when on vacation! Their 1st thought is to lose fat stomach as quickly as possible. They will be getting a good Pilates workout every day until vacation starts just to make sure they have a flat stomach.