Friday, January 26, 2007

All-Inclusive is Not for All Travelers

Located throughout the Caribbean, all-inclusive resorts lure
visitors with affordable vacation packages. Encompassing
airfare, lodging and onsite activities, these Caribbean beach
resorts are enjoyed by families and couples hoping to relax in
the sunshine. Yet, many visitors have left such all-inclusive
resorts with a bitter taste in their mouths. If you - like many
of the travelers disappointed by the inflexibility of
all-inclusive resorts - want to establish your own itinerary,
sample traditional Caribbean dining options and explore many
different activities, these Caribbean beach resorts are simply
not for you. Here's why.



First, plenty of travelers have realized that many all-inclusive
vacations come with certain strings attached. When examining
all-inclusive packages on the internet, the fine print may
reveal a startling number of contracts and other binding
difficulties. Some all-inclusive resorts entice travelers with
low-priced vacation packages, only to bombard their customers
with sales pitches for timeshares.



It is often difficult to determine where an all-inclusive resort
is located if you are unfamiliar with the area. While it may
suit your fancy to spend your vacation outside of the Caribbean
hotel zones, many travelers have been disappointed by the lack
of activities available at many all-inclusive resorts. If you
choose to leave your all-inclusive resort, you will have to pay
for additional activities. When staying at smaller all-inclusive
resorts with limited access to other tourist opportunities, your
additional costs could very quickly surpass the money you saved
upfront.

Many travelers have also complained
about the lack of payment flexibility that comes with a stay at
an all-inclusive resort. In addition to requiring large upfront
payments, many all-inclusive resorts have tricky refund
policies, making it difficult to change plans when necessary.
This difficulty also applies to the charter flights that often
accompany all-inclusive packages. For many, these troubles are
compounded by the fact that travel days may be limited, forcing
you to alter your desired timeframe for your Caribbean
vacation.



Once you arrive at your Caribbean location, you might also be
responsible for your own luggage and transportation to the
resort. For the resorts that do offer shuttle service, the
included transportation will most likely be limited to airport
pickup and drop-off. For instance, if the resort is located in a
secluded area, transportation to other locations will not be
included in your package. Furthermore, consider the fact that
many all-inclusive resorts are located much farther away from
popular sites than average hotels and resorts. So, unless you
care to spend your entire Caribbean vacation basking beside the
same swimming pool, a nightly rental resort will put you much
closer to the action.

While many criticize
all-inclusive resorts for not contributing to local Caribbean
economies - due in part to their distance from major cities and
tourist areas - it can also be said that such packages prevent
you from experiencing the unique culture of your destination.
Since you decided to take a Caribbean vacation, you probably
want to get out of the hotel and see what the Caribbean has to
offer. Yet, all-inclusive resorts anticipate their guests
spending most of their time at the resorts, locations that are
often devoid of any local cuisine or custom.



Another important thing to consider regarding all-inclusive
resorts is that tipping is usually expected, even at some
resorts that advertise tipping as unnecessary. Many travelers
have found themselves in uncomfortable positions, receiving
sub-par service at all-inclusive resorts as a result of such
misunderstandings.



When planning your Caribbean vacation, think about what kind of
traveler you are and what you want to accomplish. Do you want to
set your own agenda, enjoy diverse Caribbean dining options and
engage in truly unique activities? Or would you rather relax at
a resort, forget your troubles and soak up the sun? While
families and couples on strict budgets might enjoy all-inclusive
resorts, any adventurous traveler will relish the freedom of
planning their own Caribbean vacation.

About the author:
This article was written by Justin Burch. Justin writes select
pieces about travel in the Caribbean and Mexico for the href="http://www.paradisebymarriott.com"
target="_blank">Paradise by Marriott

Friday, January 19, 2007

Avoid A Car Rental Nightmare

It won't take much effort to find car rental disaster stories.
Just a few online searches and you will see them. In fact,
research will show that some rental companies have a worse
reputation than others. Online searches will bring up stories of
people charged for insurance they didn't want or charged for
damage they didn't cause, of cars not be serviced when they are
due and even a bumper falling a car as it was being driven down
the road. While it is impossible to avoid a bad experience
completely, taking a few precautions will keep the chance of
having your very own car rental horror story to a minimum.

First Objective: Successfully book your car hire This should be
easy, but instead for many it is a confusing search of prices,
car types and fine print. These steps should help ease the
confusion.

Book well in advance Make sure to book well in advance, car
rental prices tend to go up the closer you get to the pick up
date, not down. Prices work on a simple supply and demand
system; they go up as availability goes down. If you are
travelling to Europe and require an automatic car you will need
to book months in advance in order to secure one, especially in
Italy where they are particularly rare. If you are travelling
during the holidays, Christmas and Easter in particular, making
a reservation around three months ahead is ideal. This way you
will have the best chance of getting a car at a normal price.
After this point the prices just start to go up. Most car rental
companies sell out for the holidays, resulting in many
travellers panicking in the last couple of weeks before a major
holiday as they struggle to secure a car. Those that are lucky
enough to find a car will be forced to pay very high prices,
three or four times a normal rate. Don't be one of these people.
The summer is also another peak period to prepare for. Many
locations have low or no availability during the summer so if
you are booking last minute you may have trouble finding a good
price and the car type you want.

Make a car rental reservation To get started make a list of the
basics: where and when you want to pick up the car and where and
when you want to bring it back, what size car you need and do
you want an automatic or manual gear box. These details are
especially important if you are contacting various rental
companies by email to get quotes. Make sure you provide them to
avoid unnecessary emailing. Also do a little research on the
various rental companies and avoid the worst offenders even if
they are offering the cheapest price. No rental company is
perfect so you will just have to narrow down your options.

Next you will want to research prices. When you do this make
sure you are taking the full offer into account. Do the rates
offered include taxes, location fees, mandatory insurances,
break down cover and unlimited mileage? You will discover that
most of the rates offered for car rentals in Europe are
inclusive of all mandatory charges. But make sure you know this
for certain, because if they are not included in the rate
offered and they will be added when you pick up your car, making
for an unpleasant surprise. If you are unsure about anything
email the rental company, sometimes this is better than the
telephone as you will get a response in writing. Which might
solve any problems that may occur down the line. The rental
company will have a hard time arguing written correspondence but
they could deny any thing they said on the phone.

Once you are satisfied with a price make your reservation. If
you book online you should get a confirmation voucher within a
certain time period, this can range from instantly to a couple
of days. If you do not receive your confirmation voucher within
a couple of days don't hesitate to email the rental company.
Maybe there is some kind of problem confirming your reservation
or your voucher was sent but it was blocked by your email spam
guard and it is necessary to find another way of getting your
booking information to you.

Second Objective: Pick up your car without a hitch It is
important to have your wits about you on arrival at the rental
desk, you may be tired and have the urge to breeze through the
paper work, grab your keys and go. But it is best to resist this
urge at all costs, you won't regret it. When you speak to the
rental desk clerk you will be asked if you want any optional
insurances, such as a Super Damage Waiver. The SDW reduces your
liability to zero or an amount much less than you would be
charged in the event of damage to the car. To take this extra
insurance is a personal choice, however it is not usually
mandatory and it is one of the major ways car rental companies
make money. If you are only renting for a couple of days then
the expense of this insurance may make it worth getting for your
own peace of mind, but for longer rentals think carefully. The
cost of the SDW may end up being close to the excess liability
amount so do really get much benefit from it.

Read your contract carefully The most important thing you need
to do at the rental desk is to read your rental contract and
receipt very carefully, this is where many people get stung.
What happens is that extra insurances get charged to your credit
card even if you specifically say you do not want them. This
seems to be a common "mistake" made by rental clerks. Make sure
you are also clear about the fuel policy, most rental companies
require you to bring the car back with a full tank or else they
charge you an inflated rate for fuel. Before you sign anything
ensure that every charge and policy you are unsure of is
explained to you. Don't be afraid to ask about everything, it is
your wallet that ends up worse off if there are errors. Once the
rental company has your signature there is little you can do to
get refunded for any charges you were unaware of.

Third Objective: Drive away and enjoy your trip Once you find
your car in the parking lot it is very important to give it a
good going over. If you see any dents, dirt or scratches make
sure that the rental company takes note of them before you drive
away. Otherwise you could be blamed and end up being charged the
full excess amount, which is usually in the hundreds of dollars.
If you want to be really cautious check the oil and make sure
that it is not due to be changed.

Fourth Objective: Return the Car In most cases you will need to
return you car rental with a full tank of fuel. There is usually
a gas(petrol) station near to the car rental drop off location.
It is best to use the closest possible option and to fill the
car as much as possible so it cannot be claimed that the tank
isn't quite a full. Return the car keys and agree any extra
charges with the rental company.

Quick Summary

- Plan what you need

- Do some research

- Make sure you understand the rate and terms

- Book well in advance

- Check your contract and receipt carefully before you sign

- Check you car carefully for any damage before you drive away

- Return the car with a full tank (make sure you are clear on
this policy at the rental desk)



About the author:
Griff writes articles for travelwand.com a new fun travel
website where you can make hotel reservations and share your
hotel and travel reviews. Check it out: href="http://www.travelwand.com/">Hotels and Travel Guides

Friday, January 12, 2007

Travel Insurance Tips

Travel Insurance Tips - Understand the limits, excesses and
exclusions to avoid huge bills and get the best price

Travel insurance is a 'must' for anyone going away whether on
holiday or for business so it is wise to check that the
insurance you take out is relevant to the type of cover you
need. The last thing you want is a huge bill after your trip,
medical or otherwise, because your policy did not cover you for
what you thought. There are many different areas to take into
consideration when you buy travel insurance. If you don't make
sure the travel insurance is right for you, you may not be
covered, so follow these simple tips to help ensure you get the
right travel insurance for your needs, what to look out for, and
how to compare travel insurance prices for when you buy travel
insurance.

A standard travel insurance package should normally provide
compensation for a range of holiday and travel mishaps such as:

* Cancellation or curtailment of your trip * Medical emergencies
and repatriation * Loss or damage to personal possessions * Loss
or theft of money * Personal liability * Compensation for
permanent disability or death

Often these areas of cover can be subject to limits, excesses
and exclusions so do check your policy carefully so you know
what you may or may not be covered for. If you are the energetic
or adventurous type, check that dangerous activities such as
snowboarding, skiing, white water rafting or journeys to remote
areas are included in your insurance policy - you may need a
special type of insurance or an endorsement to cover your needs.
Expenses caused by a terrorism event may be excluded or an
expensive item of luggage or equipment may need to be insured
separately. Some insurers do not cover people over the age of 65
or 70, and if you have any existing medical conditions, these
also may not be covered.

It is true that your household insurance will offer cover for
personal items and you may be able to remove these from your
travel insurance cover to save you money. Also your credit card
providers may offer some limited cover. A European Health
Insurance Card will entitle you to reduced-cost or sometimes
free medical treatment in the European Economic Area countries,
but will not normally cover rescue costs or repatriation. If you
are travelling for business your employer may offer some travel
insurance cover. So where do you go to find the most suitable
travel insurance for you? You can buy travel insurance from many
different sources, travel agents, tour operators, banks, the
post office, credit card providers or direct from insurance
companies. The easiest and quickest method is online and
Heathrow travel insurance offers a comprehensive service which
is easily accessible.

In short, if you follow these steps, you can be sure that you
have the right cover for you and that you have not paid over the
odds for this peace of mind.

* Consider what cover you need * Consider where you are going
and what you are going to do * Take into account the cover you
may already have * Tell your insurer all the relevant facts i.e.
your age and any existing medical conditions * Shop around and
compare travel insurance prices * Check your policy carefully

When you go to buy travel insurance, you want to make sure you
have got the right price for the cover you need. One way to do
this is to use an online travel insurance Heathrow Airport price
checker, where you can compare travel insurance prices online.
The best travel insurance Heathrow airport price checker that I
have found to href="http://www.heathrowinformation.co.uk/heathrow-airport-BYL-t
ravel-insurance.html">compare travel insurance prices is
www.heathrowinformation.co.uk. This website also provides lots
more information and suggestions as to where to buy travel
insurance.

Finally, before you go away on your trip, make sure you take a
copy of your policy and a note of the telephone number in a safe
place, and of course, take good care of yourself and your
belongings whilst you are away. You can now look forward to your
trip safe in the knowledge that you have done everything
necessary, and that if anything were to go wrong, you would be
fully covered. But of course we all hope it won't and thankfully
the majority of the time it doesn't - but you should always be
prepared! This article is free for republishing.

About the author:
Bethanie Ashley is a frequent traveller keen to pass on time and
money saving advice to others. Further useful information such
as how to get to the airport, public transport, travel insurance
and foreign currency, can be found on the href="http://www.heathrowinformation.co.uk/he


Travel Insurance:

Friday, January 05, 2007

How to Survive a Family Vacation

Vacation Man


So you are ready to go on a family vacation, at least that is
what you think. Now I'm not talking about the little romantic
getaway with your significant other, I'm talking about the full
fledged family outing that includes some extended family that
you aren't usually around. This can be an extremely enjoyable
time for most of us but sometimes tension runs a bit high and
personalities clash, so what is it that can help you to survive
the rough spots on a family vacation?

1. Have some Me Time - Sure it's great to get away with people
that you love, but sometimes you just need some time to
yourself. When you find yourself in this situation then you need
to have an escape route in place, one that will make it easy for
you to get away from the potentially volatile situation from
which you are trying to escape. Perhaps you could always keep a
deficit of some sort in place and then offer to go fill that
void when the time is right. I like to do this with things that
are readily available, especially since we don't really need it,
it's just convenient for you to go get it.

2. Sleep, the ultimate mediator - When you sense that tensions
might be running a bit high, or perhaps you have some
personalities clashing then it may be time for you to take a
little nap. You will probably find that after your nap whatever
it was that was bothering you will be a thing of the long past.

3. Subject Swappers - You should always be ready to switch
subjects to something that they like. If you feel as if the
conversation is going badly then try to get them to talk a bit
about a hobby that they enjoy or perhaps something that is going
on in their lives. This will generally help to take off the
pressure.

By doing these few things you will be better able to
successfully go through a family vacation unscathed. Most of all
enjoy the time that you have with your family and try not to be
overly concerned if things are not always going your way.

About the author:
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