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Travel Blog
You can see Ireland, Scotland and Britain and save. 2/23/2006 12:08:35 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment Save $200 per couple on select Globus 2006 Ireland and Britain vacations. The best part is that it is easy to do. You can book it yourself on our website (we still provide you with support) or call us and we can do it for you.
You must hurry though, this offer from Globus expires February 28, 2006.
Phone: 888-627-7157
Email: info@travelerstrails.com
Web: http://www.travelerstrails.com | See Norway and Save 2/22/2006 5:02:11 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment Norway is a gorgeous country and should not be missed. The best way to see Norway is from along the coast. Norwegian Coastal Voyages is now offering up to $515 PER PERSON off their normal rates for selected voyages if booked before March 1, 2006. Other savings are available up to April 1.
Because Norway is not on the way to anyplace else, many people miss this jewel, but believe me it is worth making the effort. The coastal vistas are nothing short of spectacular. The people are beautiful and friendly, most speak very good English.
Call or email and we will be glad to answer any questions you may have.
Phone: 888-627-7157
email: info@travelerstrails.com | Book It Yourself and Have Expert Backup 2/21/2006 5:32:08 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment Travelers Trails is now adding more links where you can look and book your vacation yourself. Big deal you say, I can do that elsewhere. Well the deal here is that you have the experts at Travelers Trails there to help you all along the way. You can call us at 888-627-7157 or email us at info@travelerstrails.com, and we will be there for you.
You will love our service. Add that to your freedom to look and book on your own and that's as good as it gets! | What is Included? 2/16/2006 3:33:37 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment When you are booking a package that includes the airfare in addition to your land and/or cruise arrangements you should make sure you are comparing like for like when you are comparing airfare prices through the tour/cruise company and your internet price.
Almost always the tour/cruise company includes with their airfare the transfers to and from the airport at the destination. This could be a significant amount of money, so it is worth your time to ask a few questions to make sure your airfare "bargain" isn't going to end up costing you money.
Also, if you will be going to a country whose language you don't speak, you could end up paying more for taxi or shuttle fares locally. The reason being that most other countries are used to bargaining and their first offered price may be as much as twice what you could pay if you bargained. So if you are not fluent in the language or if you are uncomfortable negotiating for prices, you may be better off buying that packaged airfare even though it may look more expensive at the outset. | Greed in Alaska 2/14/2006 6:22:26 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment One of the most popular cruises in the world is the Alaska cruise. It is a beautiful and majestic part of the world. Due to their popularity, their cost is high and these cruises don't offer the last minute "bargains" typically found for Caribbean cruises. A bad thing has been happening in Alaska though and that is they are considering a head tax on all passengers on cruise ships, plus an income tax on the cruise lines that do business there.
Where will that money come from? It will come from the tourists who go to see Alaska of course. Do they have the right to do this? Of course they do, but I would hope that they would see the folly of doing this.
Here is a copy of a report on this from a weekly travel trade publication.
"AN ALASKA JUDGE upheld an initiative last week that will allow voters to decide whether to impose a $50 per-person head tax on foreign-flagged cruise ships. If approved, cruise ships visiting Alaska will incur a $50 per-person head tax and a tax on onboard gambling profits; it also would require ships to obtain discharge permits and would reinstate an income tax on the lines' Alaska marine operations. In January 2005 the North West CruiseShip Assn. and 14 other groups sued the state and its division of elections, claiming Alaska's lieutenant governor unlawfully certified the initiative. The initiative is scheduled to appear on the primary election ballot in August."
Hopefully the Alaska voters will realize that just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should do it.
| Come to New Zealand 2/13/2006 6:18:34 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment New Zealand is a beautiful country with very friendly people. I was there in 1999 and promised myself that I would return.
I am going to do that in October. Join me as we at Travelers Trails take a group to New Zealand. . October is spring and the country is just ablaze with flowering trees and shrubs.
This will be a trip you will remember and cherish for a lifetime. If you
have any friends that have been there, just ask them about their experience and
they will convince you to go. | Save $100 per Stateroom on Royal Caribbean. 2/12/2006 6:01:08 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment Book an Ocean View or above stateroom on select Caribbean or European cruises and receive USD $100 (CAD $123) off per stateroom. The booking must be made by March 1, so call now for details. | What is a Vacation Vignettes 2/11/2006 11:00:20 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment A Vacation Vignette is an exclusive vacation package created by Vacation.com and sold ony through its' members. It cannot be found online or at a competitors agency. These are very special and are just the ticket for those travelers who want the extra service and special treatment. Each Vignette features:
* Service of Concierge Host
* Bon Voyage Cocktail Reception
* Exclusive Shore Event
* Pre and Post Gifts
Are you ready to be treated special? If so, just log on to www.travelerstrails.com and click on the Vacation Vignettes logo to see the options available to you. | NEW OFFER – Save $1,000 per couple on Castles Along the Rhine 2/10/2006 11:04:42 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment I have talked about how river cruising is a wonderful and relaxing experience. Now Uniworld is heavily discounting their Castles Along the Rhine cruise for selected sailings.
Sail by the many Rhine River Valley castles — more than in any other river valley in the world. Visit charming old-world cities—Brussels, Antwerp, Dusseldorf, Strasbourg— to name just a few. Save $1,000 per couple ($500 per person) on April 26, May 6 & 27, and May 31 sailings.
This is definitely the way to see Europe. Please call or email Travelers Trails to get more details. 509-845-1217 or john@travelerstrails.com | A Rail Bargain in Britain 2/8/2006 10:59:29 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment Right now there is a great bargain for British citizens who want to travel with their US visitors. They can get BritRail passes for 50% off their normal price if the tickets are purchased for them in the US by the friends who are coming to visit.
To encourage more rail travel this offer is being made available to British citizens. For US travelers who want to travel in Britain, or in fact anywhere in Europe, tickets purchased in the US before departure are significantly less expensive then they would be if purchased in Europe. Normally, the visitors British friends would have to purchase their tickets at full price. Now for a limited time, BritRail is offering the US discount for British citizens to encourage greater rail travel.
Call your travel agent, or better yet Travelers Trails to get more details. | Trip Protection Insurance - Should I Have It? 2/7/2006 11:54:15 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment Today in my local newspaper, I found an article written in our “Your Money†section about trip insurance. Since this is a regular feature that gives pointers on how to wisely spend your money, I was very interested in their take on what is commonly called Trip Insurance. I always recommend travel protection insurance to my clients because I have seen many instances where it saved them both stress and money, and unfortunately other cases where it could have if only I had been more persuasive.
The article quotes Tim Jarrell, the publisher of Fodor’s, the guidebook company, on insurance. “I think the longer you book in advance and the more expensive your trip, the more you should consider buying travel insurance,†said Mr. Jarrell.
He also said you should consider coverage for a medical crisis, especially if you are traveling outside of the country.
The different policies available provide various types of coverage and allow you to cancel and get coverage for different reasons. You should look at your situation and ask enough questions to be sure you are getting the coverage you need.
For instance, you should be sure you have trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage. If you have started the trip it could cost you more than your original trip cost to get home quickly. Some policies cover up to 150% of the trip cost for trip interruption.
Many policies cover you if you must cancel due to an illness or death of a family member, even if they are not in the traveling party. Ask about a pre-existing condition waiver. If you have a pre-existing medical condition that ends up as the reason you must cancel, some policies will cover this.
Most policies do not provide coverage if you just decide you don’t want to go, or must cancel due to a business reason. Be sure to ask, so you know why you can cancel and be covered.
Travel “waivers†offered typically by cruise lines may exempt families from cancellation penalties up to within 72 hours before departure, but these may carry many restrictions. Generally, you would not get your money back, but instead would get a voucher for future travel, with them, of course.
As I said at the start, I always recommend travel protection insurance. Mostly I recommend purchasing the insurance from a third party. For instance, if the travel company goes bankrupt, buying insurance from them will not get your money back.
As always, be a smart consumer. Buy travel insurance for your big trips, but be sure to ask enough questions to understand what you are buying and that it provides the coverage that you want.
| Have It Your Way Ten years ago when I was asked to put together a European vacation, almost all requests were for escorted tours. Now however, much of what I am doing in Europe is for independent travel. Sometimes folks put together a trip that mixes an escorted tour with some independent travel.
I'm not sure why the shift, although I suspect that the internet has something to do with this. Almost everyone can get more information and make better informed decisions on where they want to go and what they want to do, because so much information is available on the internet.
What is the best vacation for you? To determine that you need to ask yourself some questions.
How much research am I willing to do before traveling? If you want and like to do the research, independent travel may be your best choice. However, if you are the "I'll just wing it" kind of traveler, you may want to consider an escorted tour. The escorted tours come with knowlegeable guides who will give you an in-depth perspective of the area you are visiting. Also, the guide will point out the various points of interest. Some of these you just might drive right on by on your own. The tour will also take you to the highlights of the area and often you get to go to the front of the line when you arrive. However, if there is some "hidden" gem that you know about and just must see, the tour, which appeals to the mass taste, may not have that included.
Who will do the driving? This is a big issue as the driver will miss much of the surrounding countryside during the trip. His/her attention will be on strange road signs in an unfamiliar language and they cannot sight see while driving. Also, the driver is generally much more tired at the end of the day. If the driving is shared, this is not as big an issue.
Related to who is driving is the question, how much will you be driving? If you are going to cover a lot of ground on your trip, an escorted tour can be the better choice. If you are going to just a couple of places and staying put for a while, then independent travel offers the advantage.
Do you know the area? Any vacation can be ruined are at least have the pleasure diminished if you end up staying in dumps that looked so good in the pictures on their website. Escorted tours almost completely avoid this pitfall. However, even if you don't know the area, by working with an experienced travel agent, you can improve your odds greatly of staying in fairly priced, pleasant accommodations. They have resources not available to the average person. Take advantage of this knowlege and let them book your accommodations for you.
There are more questions you can ask yourself, but I think these cover the important ground. Neither way is best. Sometimes escorted may be the best for you and independent travel will be best on your next trip.
Bon Voyage! | |
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