Travel Tips

Archive for December, 2009

Tybee Island is a laid back resort town that offers a wide variety of activities for every member of the family. This Georgia community located outside of Savannah offers a relaxed environment of southern hospitality, sand, sun and fun.

The Tybee Island lighthouse and museum, commissioned by General James Oglethorpe, Governor of the 13th colony back in the early1700′s, is one of the oldest active lighthouses in Georgia and one of the most complete in the United States with all of its support buildings still intact. Visitors can climb the 178-step spiral staircase of the 154 foot light tower to see the 9-foot tall lens, 1000 watt bulb and incredible views. Take the kids and visit the gift shop, the museum and even become a volunteer for a day.

Fort Pulaski, now a national monument, was established during the Civil War. The fort was considered state of the art in defense at the time and was the test site for the new James Rifled Canon, which rendered brick fortification obsolete. Visitors to the fort can watch a historical video presentation before roaming the 5,600 acre property on self guided tours.

There’s also much to see and do at the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, located right on the beach. Here you can view aquariums full of marine species native to the area, touch underwater creatures in the open tank and learn of the environmental impact on fragile marine life in the pollution exhibit. The center offers guided beach walks, guest lectures and there is even a summer sea camp for children. A great way to start off your Tybee Island vacation would be to take a beach walk with one of the center’s educators to gain a better understanding of what goes on with the indigenous life of the area.

At the south end of the island, the Tybee Island Pier & Pavilion is one of the area’s most popular attractions. The pier is free and open to the public for family picnics, a morning cup of coffee or just gazing out at the beautiful ocean views. The pier extends out 700 feet into the ocean, making it an ideal place to drop a line and fish for an afternoon. Below the pier you will discover an entire ecosystem of clams, mussels and other marine life.

Tybee is very big on outdoor activities. Forget the car for a day and rent some bicycles for the family and explore the island; it’s a fun way to see the sights and a safe way to get around due to the low number of cars. Tybee also has a full service campground on the north end of the island, only three blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. For a very relaxed atmosphere that fosters fun for all age groups with the entire family in mind, Tybee Island is hard to beat.

Chad Rutt is the Director of Marketing for the online lodging site http://www.abetterstay.com and the Managing Editor of its accompanying Vacation Blog http://www.abetterstay.com/blog.

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As the economy continues to lag many Americans are discovering the (somewhat) new world of vacation rentals. Families in particular are finding that vacation rentals are a much cheaper way to enjoy first class accommodations at reasonable prices. Renters can visit exotic locations and expensive cities for half the cost and three times the space of a traditional hotel. However, despite the perks of vacation rentals, many people have yet to try them out. There are various reasons for this, but one common issue is that the would be first time vacation renter is simply nervous about (or doesn’t understand) the rental process. It’s true, that when someone books a hotel they basically know what they are buying, a level of stale predictability. With a little homework and due diligence, anyone can find a vacation home that far exceeds their expectations.

This list of tips and tricks will help you, the first time vacation renter, get the right place the first time so you too can start enjoying the wonderful world of vacation rentals.

Vacation Rental Listing Sites

Currently all of the vacation rental listing sites are basically the same. They each have their own color scheme and look but their search functions and features are almost identical. Simply by googling ‘vacation rentals’ you can find a myriad of listing sites, so, just find one you are comfortable with and you’re ready to start searching.

Finding Homes

The hardest part of the whole vacation rental process (and maybe the reason many people don’t rent them) is finding properties close to your destination. There are hundreds of vacation rentals in every major city, but if, for example, you searched ‘Disneyland CA’ on any of the major listing websites you would be given results from San Diego to Santa Barbara and everywhere in between. This search term on one of the larger sites brought back 540 listings. It would take long time to wade through all of these listings. Therefore, if you are traveling to a large metropolitan area like LA, it’s best to find the name of the actual city you want to stay in e.g. ‘Anaheim’ for Disneyland. Unless you are familiar with the area you should start with Google Maps. From there you will be able to see the surrounding cities, attractions, etc. To use our Disneyland example, maybe you want to stay at the beach rather than in Anaheim. By using Google Maps you can see that Newport Beach or Huntington Beach would be great places to start looking for a vacation rental. On the same listing site as above the search ‘Newport Beach CA’ brought back 111 listings, and ‘Huntington Beach CA’ brought back 33 results. This is a much smaller list to manage and you know that the properties are all in close proximity to your desired destination.

Reviewing

Once you get your search narrowed to 4 or 5 houses that look good from their locations and pictures its time to start comparing. First, You need to contact the owners directly (this will save you a lot of time!). DON’T bother reading the pages and pages of features, amenities, things to do, etc. With one phone call to the owner you will have all the info you need without reading 400 lines of text. Remember, this is the property owner’s business, so they are more then happy to talk to you. Also, you will get a good idea just through your conversation whether or not you want to rent from this person. While you have them on the phone ask them about the amenities, condition of the house, recent upgrades or renovations, if their family stays at the house often, etc. These questions will give you a good idea of the true condition of the house. If the family is there often then most likely the owners keep a close watch on repairs, upkeep, etc. If they rarely use the place then it may need new paint, the yard might need attention, or there may be some other issue associated with an absent owner. A short written list of questions will prevent you from forgetting a question or leaving something important unanswered. Most owners are very upfront so don’t feel like you need to quiz them or pry answers out of them, but its helpful to have specific questions that you would like answered.

If you don’t see them, ask for pictures of bathrooms and the kitchen. These rooms, more than others, will show you the condition of the home. Look for little details like age of furnishings and bedding. After your phone calls if there are still 2 or 3 houses that look good it simply comes down to the details. Do you want the pool and spa with 2 bathrooms, or the house that only has a spa but 3 bathrooms? These details differ for the party, but the hard work is done and you are ready to book!

Contracts, Fees, Credit Cards, etc

Here is another place the first time renter gets scared. Have no fear, this is the easy stuff! Owners have rented their properties many times and even though its new to you they know what they’re doing. Some owners have simple contracts, others have more complicated ones. You should read it through and ask any questions you have. However, a contract will protect you as much as the owner. The owner of a property is in business-they want to rent their home and they want return business. They are trying to provide the best possible experience for you as their guest and will answer any questions you may have. If you are nervous about giving your credit card information know that you are actually safer using a credit card for payment. If you call your credit card company to contest a charge with a merchant, the credit card will support you as their customer, unless a merchant can show total fraud and use of the property on your part.

Security deposits and cleaning fees protect the property, the owner, and you. Generally the cleaning staff are the eyes and ears for the owner. Just follow the outlined rules for the home and you will receive your security deposit back. Be honest if something does break, let the owner know and they will usually be very understanding. Owners are people too and do understand accidents. Although you will be responsible for replacement, it is much easier to deal with it upfront than fight over it later when the property owner does discover the broken item. Again, owners are looking for good customers who love their home, they are not looking to “rip you off”, take security deposit money for no reason, or steal your credit card.

If you do find a home is not as advertised, immediately contact the vacation listing site where you found the property, as well as the property owner. Listing sites are also in business and do not want owners listing with them that create a bad name for their site or for the vacation rental industry. They will remove the listing and very well may help in getting your money back. Overall vacation rentals are a very positive experience. Every once in awhile there are small discrepancies but these are few and far between. This is one reason vacation rental use grows each year.

Enjoy

Okay, you’ve booked your first vacation rental and now its time to go enjoy it! Each year more people are discovering that vacation rentals are the best way to travel, they enjoy privacy, space, and a unique experience every time. With a little work you can find the perfect place for your party and have more fun and relaxation then a hotel could ever provide. So, for your next excursion, remember to book a vacation rental. Happy vacationing!

Stewart Christensen and his family have been in the vacation rental industry for over 8 years. He is currently the vice president of marketing at http://www.trekadoo.com. Trekadoo (beta) is the new way to find and list vacation rentals with easy to use management tools for property owners and a simple search function for renters. To learn more about trekadoo’s features or to participate in the beta test visit http://www.trekadoo.com or email stewart@trekadoo.com

No one in their right mind would want to miss their cruise ship. So one of the best tips around is to plan to arrive at the port where your cruise is scheduled to begin at least 1 day in advance.

The problem is that many people forget to consider the weather, traffic and other random events. Hotels in Dalhousie Spring and fall in the Great Lakes area means the possibility of thunderstorms, which may delay air flights. Early spring and late fall can add icing and other hazards to air travel, which can also slow flights.

Driving is a common way to reach the port from which the cruise ship will depart, but many things can delay that drive. The period from about May 1st to November 1st is also noted for a lot of road construction in the Great Lakes area. Sometimes these “orange-cone-zones” can extend for several miles and tie-up traffic for 30 minutes or more. Link several of these work areas together over a long drive and you can enjoy a delay of a couple of hours or more.

When driving, weather, traffic and car problems can all cause just enough delay to force missing a Great Lakes cruise liner’s scheduled sailing. Allowing a 1 day advance arrival allows at least some protection on missing out on the trip of a lifetime.

Also, if last minute purchases will be necessary, early arrival will leaves enough free time to shop. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to find a way through a strange city or town, hunt out a store, buy the things needed for a trip and then still have to hunt for the port, parking space, and the cruise ship all while fearing that the ship will sail without you.

So, when planning a Great Lakes Cruise, be sure to plan to arrive extra early. At least 1 full day for longer cruises and several hours for short cruises. Many of the 2 hour day cruises can be taken later if you miss the first one (unless the next cruise is booked!) But, if you miss one of the longer cruises, a week or two week wait might waste an entire vacation. Whether you can catch the ship at another port will depend on the cruise line, and in the Great Lakes region, on the ports of call the ship will be stopping at. Some of these ports are small enough to have no or only limited airports. Of course, if you need to fly between Toronto and Detroit, it’s an easy proposition, but it you need to get to Manitoulin or Mackinac Island, you might be more limited on choices. New Zealand Luxury Homes Des. AmazingAccom is complete online holiday homes & accommodation solutions company. We specialize in rental accommodations in New Zealand for your best vacations. car rentals lisbon

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Even if you have a tight budget, it is still possible to go on that much needed vacation. Since most of the cost of a vacation is spent on getting there, it is important to find the best deals on airfare. The more you save on airfare, the more you’ll have to spend on your hotel, site-seeing, tours, shows, etc. and enjoying your vacation.

If you’ve never had to plan a vacation on a limited budget, here are some tips to help you get the most out of every penny you have to spend and make your vacation worthwhile.

Check Out Travel Packages

There is a lot of competition in the tourist industry and that can work in your favor. You can often find great deals by looking for travel packages that include airfare, hotel accommodations, and rental car or transportation once you get to your destination.

Combining all of these together instead of paying for each one individually allows travel companies to offer them at a discounted price. This can also make planning easier by only having to deal with one company and getting everything you will need at once.

Don’t Use Up Your First-Class Class Vacation Getting There

A great vacation is about enjoying the destination and your time there, not how you get there. Flying economy or standard class instead of first-class will always get you a lower rate. Of course, you won’t get the luxury of first-class such as spacious seating and better meal choices, but it will be worth it to have a little extra to spend later.

Book in Advance For Fixed Rates

A great tip for getting the best airfare deals for your vacation is to make your flight arrangements well in advance, especially if you are planning your vacation around a busy season such as a holiday. It is important to remember that holidays or times around special events cause prices to be much higher. Scheduling your airfare arrangements, at least a few months in advance can save you a lot and may even come with additional discounts.

Search The Web For Cheap Airfare Deals

These days there are numerous travel related sites that offer extremely low rates on airfare tickets. A major advantage of using these services is that often they allow you to compare prices across many of the major airlines. This gives you the opportunity to compare and find the best deal that works with your vacation schedule.

Depending on the quality of the site, you might be able to play around with different flight schedules to really get the lowest rate possible. Leaving late in the evening or early in the morning tends to be cheaper than regular hours during the day. If you take a little time and do some research, you will be sure to find a great deal on airfare that fits your budget.

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Business travel is mainly to connect with clients and partners to build up a relationship or to close an essential deal.Business travel is very important and it costs more. Traveling abroad helps to find and cultivate new customers, to improve good relationships with foreign representatives. International clients and customers prefer to conduct business meetings in person before concluding a transaction. Business travel is not like a usual travel, a successful business trip requires months of planning. It is necessary to make your business travel comfortable.

A successful business trip is possible only by staying healthy and alert. It helps to enjoy every moment of journey. It is important to take care of your health when you plan to go for business travel. It is easy to fall ill during a travel for various reasons, ranging from stress to poor nutrition. When we go for business travel, it is good to avoid overindulging and avoid eating anything that could make you sick. We can also surf on the internet to find restaurants, health food stores, supermarkets and other food places that can provide you with food you like eating usually. It is wise to take energy bars for long sessions which can be eaten quickly, without mess and without people noticing too much. Dress codes are very important during business trip. It usually varies from one place to another, so never assume anything, especially when u go for international travel. Hotels are the second home for business traveler. It is must to choose a good hotel which is good in safety. Make sure that you carry signed and valid passport.

It is smart to take vaccinations in advance; Take care of your baggage and belonging in a public area. You should not accept a package from a person whom you do not know. If you only intend to be away for a couple of days, a normal charge for a cell phone and other electronic equipment may be enough but if the trip is longer you may need to take chargers with you. It is wise to have online storage for your important presentations.

Things will not always go as per your plan when you travel. So plan the trip carefully, it is possible to reduce the stress of delayed and cancelled transport. These simple considerations can go long way to make the trip less stressful.

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