If you're a road warrior, these travel tips will help reduce the stress of
your journeys.
Choose how you Travel Wisely
Planes, trains or car: ? While air
may be your only choice for a long journey, shorter destinations of
a couple of hundred miles might be faster via car, train, or bus.
Remember to consider time spent traveling to and from airports, plus time spent
lining up for check in, security and departure.
Consider Alternative Airports
If you're flying, consider alternative airports that are outside the city
you're going to visit. There can be some advantages, these airports have fewer
flights, less
overbooking and less delays than their larger counterparts, however check to see
if your flight is direct or not. www.allure-hotels.com has a flight booking
feature that allows you not only to compare and be flexible with your dates but
also surrounding airports that are available.
In choosing a hotel you may have a favorite brand or maybe somewhere you have
been before and enjoyed. When I am going somewhere new and need to be by a local
landmark or event location I will search for hotels by area or postal code.
there are some great hotel search engines out there such has
www.allure-hotels.com
Research your location and print Maps Before You Leave Home
Travel is less stressful if you know how to get around, I bought a portable GPS
that I take with me on all my trips, it helps me find restaurants and shopping
areas as well.I Usually put my papers and maps in order of use for my
trip. -
Map to the Airport, Air Ticket document, car rental, from Airport to Hotel, from
Hotel to destination and back then back to airport, air ticket documentation.
Find Hotels that Cater to Business Travelers
Hotels that cater to business travelers will have Internet capabilities
and offer access to business machines such as faxes and
photocopiers.
Use Calling Cards
When you're staying at a hotel, the phone bill can be a major
expense. The cost of calling your family, checking your voice mail
and checking your email is best handled by using a telephone calling
card or a corporate credit card.
Protect Yourself Against Theft
Before leaving home, make copies of your travel documents
(passport, airline tickets, travel insurance, credit cards and itinerary).
Selecting your Hotel from a No-Nonsense
Traveler
• Shop for
hotels. Not many
bargains this time of year, but it still pays to
shop around. Most hotels don't include taxes in their
initial rate quotes, so be sure you're getting the
bottom-line price. In
Whistler, Vancouver and
Victoria, taxes add another $16 per night onto the
price of a $100 room.
Consider budget hotels, but make sure you're familiar
with the location, and find out what other travelers
have to say before booking.
Check out Hotels that include breakfast or free
telephone or internet access included in your Hotel
rate.
• Avoid weekend travel. Not only will you wait less
crossing the border, you might snag midweek discounts on
hotels and transportation.
• Use public transportation or ask at the hotel front
desk many will provide a courtesy shuttle. Avoid high
gas prices and hotel parking fees.
If you are staying in a Hotel in Downtown Vancouver most
attractions, Restaurants, theatres and Tours are all
within easy walking distance.
In Vancouver, B.C., for example, get around town with a
day pass ($7.50 U.S.) for the Skytrain light-rail system
(which has a stop right across the street from the train
station), buses and the Sea Bus to Lonsdale Quay and
Vancouver's north shore. See
www.translink.bc.ca.
• Head to ski areas. The best defence against higher
prices is to travel off-season. October through April is
generally the best time to find deals, but seasonal
bargains right now are in
Whistler, B.C.'s premier ski resort.
Hundreds of luxury hotel rooms go begging in summer, and
there are plenty of warm-weather activities such as
glacier skiing and hiking, mountain biking, golfing,
rock climbing or just relaxing by one of the pools.
•
Canadian Border Crossing Canada road-border crossings may be
more congested than ever this summer with higher
security and more Canadians coming to the United States
in search of bargains.
Peace Arch
Border
Pacific Highway Crossing (Truck Border)
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