Lodging Options on Your Next Vacation

January 13, 2009 – 12:25 pm

If you are taking a vacation in the near future you may consider different lodging options so you can save money and have an amazing trip.  Hotels are outrageously expensive, especially if you have a large family.  There are also many disadvantages of a hotel that you might consider also.

If you want to avoid the hotel and lodging planning altogether then you should consider planning a cruise for your next vacation.  This way everything is included in one package.  The holidays are the best time to go and you will appreciate the way the cruise ship decorates with the artificial Christmas trees throughout the ship.  You can even put up your own small artificial Christmas tree in your cabin on Christmas day if you want to.  Once you get to the port you are going to you will enjoy the prelit Christmas trees throughout town.  There are no lodging issues on a cruise ship.

When you take a vacation with a large family and plan on staying in a hotel room you might want to reconsider.  Chances are good you have to get two hotel rooms that may not be connected together.  As a matter of fact, they may be placed on different sides of the hotel.  This makes for a vacation that is not family based.  A hotel doesn’t give you much comfort and in most cases you have to purchase three meals a day for each person.  This can be very expensive and cause you to shorten your trip because of budgeting issues.

One of the best things you can do is rent a house at the destination of your vacation.  There are always home rentals in tourist destinations that allow you to rent the house for a week or even two weeks.  This way, you can pay for a big enough space for you and the entire family and have the intimacy also.  Everyone can be together and a house allows for the comfort that you cannot get in a hotel room.  You can save money on your vacation by going to the grocery store and cooking meals rather than eating out every day.  This will allow for more souvenir shopping and fun on excursions too.  Always look into home rentals when you are taking a vacation.  You can save hundreds of dollars when you rent a home.

Another option for housing on a vacation is to rent a cheaper motel.  This is not always a good option if you are looking for safety and in a bad side of town.  However, it is the cheapest option when a rental home is not available.  Motels are usually sold out quickly so be sure you plan your trip early.  Be sure that the room you purchase has a kitchenette in it so you can do some light cooking in the room also.

There are many different options for lodging you might consider if you are taking a vacation in the near future.  Many people like cruises during the holidays because of the entire package deal.  A rental home is the next best option because you have the comfort of home and the ability to enjoy your vacation much more.

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Transportation Options for Your Next Vacation

December 12, 2008 – 6:21 pm

If you are planning a vacation there are many options you might consider for transportation when you reach your destination.  The different types of transportation include the city buses, taxis, rental cars, and even walking.

City buses are always very uncomfortable when you are on vacation.  It is common to get on a bus that is packed with people and forced to split up your party as you travel from destination to destination.  You are forced to travel next to passengers that may have poor hygiene and sometimes mentally unbalanced.  A bus also makes it difficult to see the sites throughout the city if you are located on the wrong side of the bus.  This is one of the cheapest forms of transportation but not the most favored.

Taxis can be quite expensive if you have many places you want to go listed on your itinerary. If you have a large party or family traveling with you then you also may be split up in two different taxi cabs.  Keep in mind that when you call for a taxi you have to wait for one to arrive and if you are traveling during a busy time of year during the holidays you may be waiting for a while for the cab to arrive.

Rental cars are very cost effective and the big benefit is that you have the freedom to travel throughout the destination when and where you want to go.  You are not limited to a bus schedule and you can stay as long as you like.  You can plan your trip and take scenic routes recommended by the locals.  A rental car is one flat rate for a week and all you have to pay for is gas.  During the holidays, rental cars are hard to come by so reserve your car early. This way you can take advantage of driving through the town looking at the artificial Christmas trees.

Walking is another option.  If you are not planning on purchasing transportation then you better consider a hotel room that is centrally located throughout the destination so you can walk to everything you need.  This includes shopping, cafes and restaurants, and any entertainment that you want to experience.  The hotel will have plenty of decorations and Christmas trees but you want to be central.  This way you can walk through the town and see all of the lights and every artificial Christmas tree that you can.

The next time you plan a vacation; don’t forget the transportation for your trip.  Many people forget about transportation and then they are stranded at the hotel or they have to pay a taxi which uses up all of the financial resources for fun.  You can walk when you get there if your hotel is centrally located.  There are usually city buses in most tourist locations.  Another option, which is usually the best option, is to rent a car for the entire family.  If you plan on renting a car then be sure you reserve it in plenty of time.  Also, confirm your car insurance will cover you at the destination you travel to.

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When Traveling, Pack For Your Hotel Room

July 4, 2008 – 10:23 am

On most vacations, hotel rooms present a very special sort of challenge. Although you may be paying hundreds of dollars a night for your hotel room, most hotel rooms are quite small and impersonal. Worse, some have very tacky 60s and 70s décor, while others are musty or filled with the previous guest’s cigarette smoke. It can be hard for you to relax and unwind in a hotel room that isn’t pleasant or that doesn’t have the sort of décor that you find attractive. While it can be hard to figure out which hotel room is the best when you’re traveling, and while hotel surprises are inevitable, there are several things that you can do in order to make sure that your hotel room doesn’t ruin your vacation:

1) Plan for odors. Even in a hotel that is very well taken care of, ventilated, recycled air and previous tenants can create some odors. Plus, for security reasons, many hotels do not have windows that easily open. If you can open your windows, make sure that you leave them open as long as possible in order to air out the room. If you are unable to have open windows, consider bringing some scented candles, especially high-quality candles such as Trapp candles, with you on your vacation. Lighting a few of these create a wonderful ambience in a room and also creates very pleasant fragrances well. You can also bring potpourri and linen sprays to keep your room fresh. Some travelers even bring small humidifiers or air purifiers to keep air quality fresh.

2) Plan for different temperatures. If you’re traveling in an area that is quite warm, make sure to bring along a few sweaters in case your hotel room is very well air-conditioned. If you’re traveling somewhere cold, bring along some lighter clothing just in case the hotel room is heavily heated.

3) Call ahead to find out what the hotel provides as complementary. For example, if your hotel room has bathrooms, you don’t have to pack your bulky terrycloth bathrobe. Knowing what will be provided and what you need to bring helps ensure that your hotel stay is pleasant. Many hotels provide extra amenities – including hair dryers and irons – to guests who ask, so be sure to ask.

4) Pick your hotel’s carefully. I have a friend works for a web design company and travels a lot as part of business. She selects hotels very carefully, going online to read reviews and asking colleagues for hotel recommendations. Often, she’s able to get a great deal and is able to avoid a bad hotel experience simply by asking for information.

5) Bring personal effects. Small pictures in frames, a nice blanket and some fresh cut flowers can do wonders for a hotel room. Even the nicest accommodations are impersonal, so being able to add your own touches is important. Another great tip is to bring along throws or pieces of pretty fabric so that you can drape the nice fabric over any unattractive pieces of furniture or art in the hotel room. A bit of extra fabric can save you from having to live with an ugly chair or a tacky painting for days on end.

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Why Travel Excursions Can Leave You Tired – And What You can Do About It

June 27, 2008 – 3:40 pm

The ideal of any vacation is to arrive home relaxed, comfortable, and happy — ready to take on the world. In reality, though, many travelers find that vacations and special trips leave them more exhausted than before they left home. The reason, very often, is that vacationers try to pack so much into their trips that they leave out fun. The other major problem with travel is that in many cases your hotel accommodations will not help you unwind. Here are a few ways that you can ensure that you get the best vacation possible:

1) Don’t leave everything to an itinerary. Sure, it’s important to note when that play you want to see is on, or plan ahead to get into the theme park you want. However, each day of your vacation you should leave some free time — preferably several hours — where you can do whatever you like. You can use this time to relax, take a nap, lounge on a beach, or do something else that is unplanned and spontaneous. Adding a little spontaneity to your vacation will help ensure that you have fun and that you learn to unwind.

2) Bring a few personal items and scented candles with you. Some hotel rooms tend to be rather impersonal, and some have stale air that has been recycled through ventilators. Candles of high quality, such as scented Votivo candles can help add some scented, fresh air to your hotel room. Small personal items such as framed photographs, a favorite quilt, or some pretty scarves that you can drape over unattractive hotel decorations are also a good idea. It will be a lot easier for you to unwind after day of sightseeing if your hotel is cozy comfortable and nice smelling. Just make sure that you speak with hotel staff to ensure that the quilt doesn’t get dropped into the hotel laundry.

3) Have fewer rules. If you have lots of rules about what it will take for you to have a good vacation — for example, if you must see every tourist attraction or every museum in a specific area – you are setting yourself up for a very stressful trip. Instead, promise yourself that you will see one or two major attractions, and allow yourself to relax and unwind as much as possible. I have a friend works as an online marketing consultant who swears by this tip, and she always comes back from her vacations radiant.

4) Do something childish on your vacation. On your vacation, don’t just try to do the “cultural” things that you think you should experience. Use your vacation to be a kid again. Go on a water slide, see a comedy show that will make you laugh or sign up for a scavenger hunt or water fight. Acting like a kid or doing something that you know will make you laugh is a sure-fire way to have fun.

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