7 Tips To Avoid Costly Surprises When Travelling Abroad
Try to buy your vacation travel package from a business you know.
If possible, deal with businesses that belong to professional associations such as the American Society of Travel Agents, the National Tour Association or the United States Tour Operators Association.
If you're not familiar with a company, get its complete name, address and local telephone number.
==> Be cautious if the names of the seller and travel provider differ.
You may be dealing with a telemarketer who has no responsibility to you after the sale. And be wary of ads in the newspaper, on the Internet or that you receive by unsolicited fax that offer deeply discounted vacations. These "deals" often contain hidden costs or don't tell you that you may have to attend a sales presentation to qualify for the discount or the travel. Avoid buying from a firm that wants to send a courier for your payment or asks you to send your payment by overnight delivery. The business may be trying to avoid detection and charges of mail or wire fraud.
==> Verify arrangements with your travel agent before you pay.
Get the details of your vacation in writing and a copy of the cancellation and refund policies. Ask if the business has insurance and whether you should buy cancellation insurance. Get the names, addresses and telephone numbers for the lodgings, airlines and cruise ships you'll be using. Don't accept vague terms such as "major hotels" or "luxury cruise ships." Call to verify specific reservations, too.
==> Use a credit card to make your purchase.
If you don't get what you paid for, you may be able to dispute the charges with your credit card company. Some telemarketers may claim they need your account information for identification or verification. They don't. Your account number should be used only to bill you for goods and services.
==> Be wary of prepaying for long-term arrangements.
Timeshares, campgrounds or travel clubs may offer to sell membership vacation accommodations for five years or more, or until you resell your interest. Unless you're certain you'll stay healthy, both physically and financially, and that the company selling the memberships will stay in business, prepaid vacations may not be right for you. In addition, annual membership and maintenance fees may rise. If the seller claims the fees will stay the same, beware. Beautiful properties today may be run-down in five or 10 years without sufficient maintenance. If you decide to buy a timeshare or membership in a vacation club, be aware that resales are difficult, if not impossible, because there's no secondary market. As for timeshares as investments: they rarely appreciate in value.
==> Learn the vocabulary.
"You have been specially selected to receive our SPECTACULAR LUXURY DREAM VACATION offer" doesn't mean you'll get a free vacation. It means you'll be offered an opportunity to pay for a trip that may fit your idea of luxury - or not. "Subject to availability" means you may not get the accommodations you want when you want them. "Blackout periods" are blocks of dates, usually around holidays or peak season, when no discount travel is available.
==> Watch out for "instant travel agent" offers.
Companies may offer to sell you identification that will "guarantee" you discounted rates. These companies have no control over discounts. Only suppliers of travel - cruise lines, hotel companies, car rental companies, or airlines - can decide to extend professional courtesies, and to whom.
For more information and resources related to travel check out our web sites at http://www.Finest-Cruises.com and http://www.Greatest-Travel-Resources.com.
Family Travel information Recommended Products
Thomson Holidays Price Blitz Thomson
holidays offers access to great value holidays, direct from the UK's No1
supplier of air inclusive package holidays. With the widest range of
holidays available, all linked to the most punctual charter airline, your
users are bound to find the perfect holiday. More satisfied holidaymakers
come back to Thomson than any other holiday company - why choose anybody
else?
Save £'s with Thomson Holidays
Online travel agents
Thomas Cook offer flights, sun
holidays, faraway holidays to exotic destinations, late deals, city
breaks, UK breaks, snow holidays, hotel booking and foreign
exchange.
Thomas Cook Deal
Opodo is a new online travel service
that addresses the real needs of today’s traveller.RomanceShoppingArt and
CultureOffering an unbiased and competitively priced online
travel service for world travel, Opodo have access to
flights from over 400 airlines, as well as an extensive
range of worldwide hotel properties and car rental
companies, as well as Opodo travel insurance.
lastminute encourages spontaneous, romantic and sometimes adventurous
behaviour by offering people the chance to live their dreams at unbeatable prices
easyCar a leading car
rental broker we are able to select from the best car rental companies
around the world, both international and regional, with a wide range of
quality vehicles. easyCar – the low cost, online car hire specialist. It
currently provides car rental in over 60 countries including the UK,
Ireland, the USA, Canada, Spain, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Italy,
Greece, Cyprus, South Africa, Germany, Jersey, Guernsey and Australia.
Expedia sell everything for
Travel. Find special deals
on airfares, accommodation, holidays, car hire, insurance as well as in-depth
travel information and world guides at Expedia.
OutdoorGear UK offering a wide range of equipment for campers,
walkers and outdoor lovers with very competitive prices.
Over 50,000 Real Package Holiday Reviews of
airtours cosmos first choice jmc my travel mytravel portland direct
skytours thomas cook thomson tui unijet and more from Holidays Uncovered
- Real truths and reports about package holidays from holidays
uncovered. Holiday uncovered. Guide and Guides
Kids Travel News
Deepti Bhatnagar to take kids on a travel tour - Oneindia
Deepti Bhatnagar to take kids on a travel tour Oneindia Currently, I am bringing a travel show for kids named 'Humsafar', which was initially done for Zoom but now the next series, I am thinking to launch on some ...
Springs Senior All-Stars make history, advance to state - MiamiHerald.com
Springs Senior All-Stars make history, advance to state MiamiHerald.com The win made the locals the first-ever Miami Springs baseball all-star team to win a sectional title and advance to state where they will travel to Cocoa ...
Rural Kids and Elite Colleges - The Atlantic (blog)
Rural Kids and Elite Colleges The Atlantic (blog) Travel to airline hub cities means we will meet more kids, more heavily concentrated in fewer schools or areas where we may hold events. ...
Child Passenger Safety Law About to Change - KKTV 11 News
Child Passenger Safety Law About to Change KKTV 11 News A state law aimed at making car-travel safer for our kids is about to change. It's Colorado's Child Passenger Safety law, and the new regulations go into ...
Kindergarten kids learn lessons at Safety Town - NorthJersey.com
Kindergarten kids learn lessons at Safety Town NorthJersey.com Students are given the opportunity to travel through a makeshift model town set up in the school's parking lot, which includes familiar buildings and ...
