Been There Done That Too... » Tip Sheets

Travel Tips 101

admin — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:20:47 +0000

You really did learn all you needed to know in kindergarten: Treat others how you want to be treated.
All the world is NOT England – or America – or Germany – or wherever you might be from. Respect the locals!
When in Rome… (part 2 of #2) – follow the local laws, rules, and customs, again RESPECT THE LOCALS!
If you don’t know the local language – make the effort to learn 14 words: Yes, No, Thank You, Please, and the numbers 1 – 10. Just making an effort and smiling does wonders, again RESPECT THE LOCALS!
Don’t be stupid – sure you’re on holiday, but that doesn’t mean you left your common sense at home. Don’t set yourself up to be a victim: leave the flashy jewelry and any thing that screams “Rob Me” at home. Don’t go into an area if your “sixth” sense tells you it’s “creepy”, or the hotel concierge looks at you like you’re crazy when you ask how to get there. Know your surroundings.
Try the local food, but remember (outside the US & Europe) – if it’s not cooked and you can’t boil it or peel it, don’t eat it. And DO try the small food peddlers – just try the one all the locals are eating at.
Always take a couple of plastic bags, shipping tape, and a marker with you in your luggage.
The 4 things you should always have with you at all times when exploring your destination: a COPY of your passport (leave the original in the hotel safe), LOCAL currency, the WRITTEN name and address of your hotel (or cruise ship) in the local language, and a map (know on the map where your hotel/ship is!).
If you’re visiting a country where they use an alphabet you can’t read or understand – get a guide.
Buy a lot of stuff? Find the local post office and ship it home.
Always get to the airport or port a little early. You don’t want to get stuck.

Cruise Tips 101

admin — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:11:48 +0000

Choose a cruise that suits you. ie. If you’re looking for a “party” and need constant entertainment, don’t go on a “traditional” ship; if you want a true cruise experience and are there to visit the places the cruise is going to, don’t go on a “party” ship. Decide what you need in the ship before you book it.
You really did learn all you needed to know in kindergarten: Treat others how you want to be treated.
If you have a problem – talk to the right person. ie. the Purser’s desk (ship’s hotel desk) can’t do anything about changing your table in the dining room or getting you a refund in the shop.
Avoid the shore excursions the ship sells if you can. They’re usually extremely overpriced (it’s where the ship makes all it’s money) and you’ll be doing everything with 100 to 500 other fellow cruisers. Look around on the internet for local tour companies or guides in the areas you are going to, or get a good guide book and rent a car or walk. A good place to look for guides is cruisecritic.com
Bring your own soda on board (ie. coke, pepsi, etc…) it’s a lot cheaper. Most ships don’t allow you to bring alcohol on board. They confiscate it and give it back to you at the end of the cruise.
Shop around for the best deal on your cruise – don’t buy it directly from the cruise line. A good place to start is vacationstogo.com
Do your own airfare. You can almost always beat the cruise line’s air, and you aren’t at their mercy for routings.
If you’re on a traditional ship, observer the rules for dinner – time and dress code.
Tip what the cruise line recommends. That’s pretty much all the money the crew makes!
If you want something, it never hurts to ask (nicely).
Respect the Captain. He really is the boss and you are his responsibility.

Getting the Best Deal 101

admin — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:56:45 +0000

Sign up for Travelzoo’s and Sherman’s Travel’s weekly newsletters. They gather up the best deals from all over the internet and send them to your inbox.
Never believe a cruise line or airline when they tell you “You’re getting the best price by booking directly with them.” There are consolidators and travel agents with group deals that will beat them almost everytime.
ALWAYS SHOP AROUND. Just because you booked your last HAL cruise with Travel Agency X and they were the cheapest, doesn’t mean that they’ll be the cheapest for your next Celebrity cruise… A good place to start is vacationstogo.com’s 90 day ticker.
“Included Airfare” is usually NOT a good deal. Check what you can do the flights for yourself, and then find out what the “rebate” is if you don’t take the cruise ship (or land tour) airfare. With one exception (Cunard’s $199 Concorde flight), I’ve been able to save a few hundred everytime.
Don’t believe the big “travel” sites like Expedia and Travelocity either, there are almost always better deals elsewhere. After all, they have to pay for their advertising somehow…
Get creative when booking long distance plane travel. ie. Sometimes it’s cheaper to get to Bangkok by flying to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, and then on a completely seperate ticket, with a completely different airline, fly on to Bangkok. The same holds true for cities in Europe, Africa, and South America.
If you’re flying international Business or First, try pricing it as both a roundtrip AND two individual one way fares. Sometimes the one ways add up cheaper.
If you’re doing one way hops – almost anywhere in the world except for the US, always check the business/first class fare. It may only be a few dollars more, and worth a lot more in miles and comfort. Another option, is check the roundtrip price, sometimes the roundtrip ticket is a lot less than the one way ticket.
When looking for airfare – find out who ALL the carriers are for a given location, not everyone shows up on the major travel sites. Go to individual airline sites for those that don’t show up at Expedia or Travelocity. The OAG is a great place to start. You’ll sometimes find them at places like airgorilla.com or bargaintravel.com too.
If you’re going to be flying a lot, check out the best deals and then pick a frequent flyer program that works with your flights and rack up the miles. (ie. LAN and AA might fly the exact same plane on the exact same route – and the LAN codeshare ticket is half the AA price, you still get the same miles with AA).
Don’t be afraid to use a travel site you haven’t heard of before – just check them out first! Oh, and always pay with a credit card/debit card (with a Visa/MC logo).

12 Things To Do In London

admin — Thu, 10 May 2007 19:52:46 +0000

There are a million things to do in London, here are my top 12:

1) Visit the Tower of London – for a truly unique experience become part of a 700 year old tradition of locking up the Tower and attend the Ceremony of the Keys. You’ll get to see the Tower the way most people don’t, at night. It’s FREE, but you have to request tickets ahead of time. Oh, don’t be late! Click Here for more info

2) Spend a Sunday shopping, eating, and cruising the canals in Camden Lock. After you’ve shopped and eaten along High Street, take a cruise along London’s Canals and see a London most people don’t even know about. For more info click here.

3) Have lunch or dinner at the Marlborough Head Pub, 24 North Audley Street, London W1K 6WB (Tube Station Bond Street or Marble Arch). The perfect place to land after a hard day shopping Oxford Street. Great food, and this place oozes gothic charm. Hint: Be sure and sit downstairs and watch the uninitiated try to find the hidden doors to the bathrooms… It’s Halloween all year at the Marlboroughead!

4) See the Changing of the Guard – The most classic is of course Buckingham Palace, but if you’re there when the Horseguards are doing their thing – that’s really a show! For more information click here

5) If you’ve got kids, or are just a child at heart – check out the London Dungeon. A little cheesey, but always fun. More info click here

6) Visit Hampton Court Palace. Fan of the “Tudors”? Visit the Palace Henry the VIII killed Cardinal Woolsey to get. It’s well worth the trek to the outskirts of London to visit. Beautiful gardens. For more info click here. For a truly unique experience – stay at the Palace, for more information you can contact the Landmark Trust, click here

7) Have lunch, dinner, or take-a-way from the London institution, Sea Shell (49-51 Lisson Grove, London NW1 6UH). A short walk from the Marleybone Tube/Rail station it has both great take-a-way and a very nice restaurant. Click Here to visit their website.

Not in the mood for Fish and Chips? How about some ribs? Adams Ribs (23 Shaftesbury Avenue,
London, W1D 7EF) at Picadilly Circus will have you coming back to London just for the Ribs. You can catch a movie, or do some shopping before or after you feast.

9) Visit Harrods. Even if you manage to go to London and not shop – you need to see the Department Stores of All Department Stores at least once. Don’t want to buy anything? Then have lunch in one of the many restaurants available, or get take out from the food court.

10) Take a cruise on the Thames. See London from the river.

11) Take a day trip on the train – anywhere. You can go to Dover, Southampton, Brighton, York, Cardiff, or a dozen other places on a daytrip on the train from London. It’s a great, relaxing way to explore the English Countryside.

12) Spend a day visiting a museum. Like the classics? Go to the British Museum. Modern more your style? Visit the Tate Gallery.