Saturday, December 31, 2016

a 2017 of travel dilemmas – *part 2



NOTE:     This blog has no ads and I'm not beholden to hotels, cruise lines, tour companies or airlines, and that's why I can offer my readers the truth about all of the above + offer the many ways to enjoy comfort traveling for less

The usual individual choices about adventure, relaxation, a mix of both, or whatever else moves a traveler to want to travel on their vacation, exists well with safety, but often the prices are higher.

Travel to Machu Picchu, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, and be very safe, but there are no tour bargains, hotel prices are not cheap, airfare is high too. 

Booking Macchu Picchu may be less expensive for the do-it-yourself traveler, for Machu Picchu http://wikitravel.org/en/Machu_Picchu will give the necessary information to assemble the components of the tours offered.

As for the other destinations the do-it-yourselfers use the online tourism offices of each country to assemble the tour components: for instance, hotels with concierge services for the schedule of daily city tour buses that stop at the hotel to pick up pre-booked passengers who pay in advance, ground operators with airport pickup in their lineup of products, and airfares could be cheaper at certain times of year and adjusting the number of days.

Where safety is not a problem, there is always a cruise to the Caribbean with prices to suit those who are looking for bargains during off season, or a trip to Ireland that can be a tour travel bargain depending on the time of year, but try to take a direct flight there, safety could be a problem going through the UK.

As well, with no safety worries, there are the American based and registered cruise companies, American Queen Steamboat Company and American Cruise Lines operating in the United States, offering scenic routes along navigable rivers of states with historic ports of call, the shore excursions allow day touring in-between cruising days, providing uniquely American dining and entertainment, prices vary according to season, booking well in advance is recommended, however, for the traveler willing to wait less than a month before sailing there could be last minute discounts for space cancellations.

Currently, for Americans, Canada is a bargain destination due to the rise of the US Dollar versus the lower Canadian Dollar—train travel in Canada can also be a low-cost way to see the country’s wilderness that would be more difficult if not impossible by car, also safety is not a huge worry, for the adventure inclined tours exploring the Tobeatic Wildness in Nova Scotia, Niagara Falls unusual tours, canoeing  Toronto’s Stratford’s Avon river, consult the Canadian tourism site for details. 

Finally, although safety could be an issue, travel to a major US city with a do-it-yourself assembling the tour, rent an apartment or rent a room using one of the innovative services could save some money—then assemble the airfare plus ground components by using the online city tourism offices for site access information, plus checking Orbitz, Expedia, or the online sites like Trivago to access cheapest prices for airline plus hotel components, however, to travel with a sleeping accommodation by train is expensive yet for some this avoids the airport hassle.  

*part 3 will cover the innovations of social media on travel in 2017



Friday, December 30, 2016

a 2017 of travel dilemmas – *part 1



NOTE:     This blog has no ads and I'm not beholden to hotels, cruise lines, tour companies or airlines, and that's why I can offer my readers the truth about all of the above + offer the many ways to enjoy comfort traveling for less

Especially in 2017 travelers must decide whether they are concerned about safety, price, in addition to the usual individual choices about adventure, relaxation, a mix of both, or whatever else moves a traveler to want to travel on their vacation.

The worst of the problems about safety came from refugee migration in 2016, mainly when refugee migrants were welcomed to Germany by Angela Merkel without restraint in late 2015, and the numbers increased as economic migrants from North Africa, as well as migrant refugees from wars and economic failures have touched every country in the Western world, including the USA.

If safety is important, don’t book in advance—I recommend last minute bookings within a month or less of travel, especially if there has been a terror related incident in a particular country, you know hotels will lower prices, also airlines will have cancellations because tour companies have booked space they can’t use, tour operators will be flooded with cancellations and will want to offer a great discount, that’s when safety versus price will be a big consideration.

The question of travelers safety in 2017 will greatly affect price—in fact, bargains are to be had if a traveler decides price is more important than safety.

I recommend keeping in mind the headlines and latest terror warnings when booking a trip, however, the biggest bargains exist for traveling overseas to countries in Western Europe now beset by migration away from the war torn middle east plus from wars as well as poverty in North Africa.

Expect discounts galore in the prosperous Western world where terrorists mix with the refugees in a lethal mix, also expect neighboring countries to be afflicted with migrants who refuse to take a closed border as a deterrent to their entry into Germany, regardless of the obstacles.

The best way to find those travel bargains comes via some initial research starting with the tourism bureaus of each country you may want to visit—look up hotel packages to find the average price, and any alternative accommodations that can fulfill the requirements for a memorable experience.   

For those travelers who need to secure travel arrangements specifically on certain vacation days, I recommend booking tours only with a tour operator who is a member of USTOA (United States Tour Operators Association)—this organization mandates that each tour operator maintains an insurance policy to protect client deposits, therefore in case a terror threat or some other catastrophe cancels the tour every client gets a full deposit refund.

*part 2 explores travel choices where safety is no problem but prices are higher