Most travelers agree that getting a low price hotel close to where you will be visiting is a good plan. Since you will be spending very little time in it, why pay a fortune for it? However, when you travel in the off season you can take advantage of deep discounts. You can get suite for the price of a regular room. You may be able to upgrade from a three star hotel to a five star hotel for the same price.

When you travel during the off season you will find that there are fewer other people around as well. This can make your vacation more enjoyable as you can get tables at the best restaurants, see shows that may usually be booked up, and not have to wait in line for attractions. You will likely find further discounts on the things you wish to take part in as well.

When you decide to take part in off season travel though, you do want to make sure the main attractions you are interested in will still be available. Some of them close down for certain times of the year. Others have shorter operating hours so finding out before you book your vacation will save you from disappointment when you arrive. Calling the location or checking online will allow you to easily find out such information.

There are many benefits to off season travel including saving you money and fewer people. This is a great option if you have a particular vacation in mind. You don’t want to pay more for it than you have to. This option can also allow you to take part in a vacation that would otherwise be out of your budget to realistically afford.

Most people use their credit cards at least a couple of times each month. Find out if any of yours offer a rewards program that includes flight miles. This way for each dollar you spend you will get points towards flying. You can cash them in to get a free flight or at least a discounted price when you are ready to travel. The guidelines for this type of money savings on air fare vary by offer so make sure you check into the details.

Checking around online for special offers and web fares is a great way to save money as well. You can check with different airlines, online travel sites, and even your travel agent to compare prices. Traveling on Tuesdays and Wednesdays seem to offer the lowest prices. You will also experience fewer people in the airports and fewer delays on those days of the week.

When you check online fares, click the box that allows you to check flexible dates. It may surprise you to learn that changing your travel plans by one day either direction may save you hundreds of dollars on the cost of the flight. If you come across great one way deals, you may find it is cheaper for you to book that way rather than a roundtrip ticket. You may need to use two different airlines in order to get the best prices this way.

The flexibility of your times can also save you money on air fares. If you are willing to travel early in the morning or late at night the cost can be 1/3 or ½ of what it would be for peak hours of travel. Since these airplanes often have fewer passengers you will also find more room to store your carry on items and to stretch out for the duration of your flight.

• Hawaii – This number one honeymoon destination has long been a favorite. With a tropical climate, breathtaking topography and waterfalls, and beautiful customs, it is no wonder married couples love Hawaii. The downside to taking a honeymoon in Hawaii is cost, which is relatively expensive. However, with numerous sandy beaches, hidden caves, top quality hotels, incredible food, tons of water sports, and the natural beauty of multiple islands, it is an investment worth making.

• New York – Niagara Falls in New York is also a great choice when it comes to honeymoon destinations. This part of the country is diverse and simply beautiful. Niagara Falls is extremely impressive, which also offers special boat tours, allowing people to get a closer look. In addition to the Falls, you could take time to visit a number of restaurants, theaters, museums, and shops.

• Florida – Another part of the United States with a tropical climate and beautiful scenery is Florida. Regardless of which coast you head to, you will find Florida to be warm, sunny, and invigorating. When it comes to honeymoon destinations, many couples flock to Florida just to spend time at the beach. However, additional and popular attractions are also great to visit to include Epcot Center, Disney World, and the Everglades.

• Nevada – Both Las Vegas and Reno are exceptional honeymoon destinations. In Las Vegas, couples usually spend a lot of time on the strip, going to shows, visiting various casinos, and just enjoying the lights and action of the city. Reno is also a beautiful destination with shows and gambling but a little more laid back. In either case, you would have an amazing adventure and romantic time!

• California – Napa Valley is beautiful wine country located in California where you will find many wonderful accommodations. This environment is almost surreal, providing you and your new spouse an opportunity to unwind, take tours of wineries, and just relax. Making up Napa Valley are six quaint towns with charming restaurants and shops, as well as spas for some much-needed downtime.

• New Jersey – A great option associated with honeymoon destinations is Atlantic City. With pristine beaches and a four-mile boardwalk, you can stroll along hand-in-hand in a romantic setting. Atlantic City also offers casinos but if you want to escape to a quieter venue, the area is dotted with small restaurants and adorable bed and breakfast inns.

• Colorado – One of the premier honeymoon destinations for people that love the outdoors, and those who prefer more time of seclusion, consider Aspen. Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, you could travel to Aspen in the winter to enjoy incredible skiing or take your honeymoon any time of year to appreciate the magnificent natural beauty. While there, some of the favorite things to do include white water rafting, hot air balloon rides, horseback riding in the mountains, or simply retreating to your hotel for a couples massage.

Warning: Thinking of buying a package deal? Make sure you price out the individual components at the source to make sure you are really getting the best travel deal possible.

Be sure to visit the big travel sites first. The more popular sites that publish travel deals weekly include Smarter Travel (smart ertravel.com), Travelzoo (travelzoo.com), Independent Traveler (independenttraveler.com), BookingBuddy.com (bookingbuddy.com) and Sherman’s Travel (shermanstravel.com).

Each one offers a weekly newsletter you can join for free.
Look into cruise discounters for more savings on cruise vacations. Cruise lines like to manage their inventories closely, which means it can be tough to find big discounts from third-party brokers.

Although, more discounters are getting creative by adding little extras, such as free shore excursions, shipboard credits and bottles of wine. Check out smallshipcruises.com for smaller lines.

Speak with a travel agent if you might want an air-and-hotel package or if you’re thinking about a popular resort during the busy season. Companies such as Liberty Travel (libertytravel.com), American Express Travel (americanexpress.com/travel) and Carlson Wagonlit (carlsontravel.com) are known to offer some good deals.

Try renting a vacation lodge straight from the owner. The costs are usually much better than at hotels, and normally the lodges have large kitchens, which means you save money on meals.

Some great resources to use are CyberRentals (cyberrentals.com) and Vacation Rentals by Owner (vrbo.com). Asking a lot of questions before you sign on the dotted line is always a smart thing to do. Be sure to ask for references.

Travel sites like airfarewatchdog.com and kayak.com will let you plug in an originating city, and then a list of the best travel deals is displayed.

You can read any article, or register & Log In to Post Information, Reviews, Questions, and more on the very informative St. John Travel Forum etc.

Large Selection of St. John Villa Rentals. From $800/week eco-cottages to an incredible $30,000/week luxury villa, with everything imaginable in between.

You can also view Photos, Descriptions of All St. John Beaches on the st.john travel forum.

A listing of all the St. John beaches, with photos, descriptions, advice, directions, etc. Info about the following beaches.

Salomon Bay, Honeymoon Bay, Caneel Bay, Scott Beach, Turtle Bay, Hawksnest, Gibney Beach, Denis Bay, Jumbie Bay, Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Maho Bay, Little Maho, Francis Bay, Leinster Bay & Waterlemon Cay, Salt Pond (Blue Cobblestone Beach), Frank Bay, Brown Bay, Kiddle Bay.

Write about your experiences on the st.john. What interesting things happened during your trip to St. John? What advice do you have for other travelers?

stjohntravelforum.com

1. After you complete your bottle water, keep the container and check with the flight attendant about filling your bottle with a mixture of tap water and hot water from the coffee maker.

After a couple refills you will get the combination just right, and what do you know: an instant disposable hot-water bottle.

It can be used as lumbar support, a sore-muscle reliever, or, if you think like me, as a wonderful foot friend that will keep you warm the whole flight.

2. Dress in a couple layers of clothing, preferably made from wool, cotton or synthetic fleece. As you move to the cabin, remove one layer at a time.

This will keep you from sweating, and if you need more warmth, you’ll have a layer to put back on.

Speak with a human being. Sometimes airline and travel agents can find routings and fares that aren’t placed into the computer. Often the front-desk clerk at a hotel can tell you about vacancies that aren’t listed online or with the 800 reservations number.

Match up dates against a calendar before you reserve travel.

Triple cross check names on your booking, including spellings. Names must match the passport.

The devil is always in the details. Go over the fine print carefully.

Verify policies even on stuff you think you are sure about – like room-cancellation fees at hotels and baggage allowances on airlines.

Anytime you book overseas travel, it’s always wise to check what currency the price is in.

If you don’t notice a confirmation page or get an e-mail confirmation, call before you try to book again. Your reservation may have been completed – and if you make a double booking, you’re in trouble.

Go over your confirmation – right away. When there’s an issue, you often can change it within the first 24 hours, but not later.
When you use an online agency to book hotels, put in a call or e-mail directly to the hotel to be sure they’ve got your reservation.

They should have your booking within 72 hours.

Don’t forget about travel insurance. Compare policies at www.insuremytrip.com. And you can call the company for advice before you buy.

But even though most lost airline luggage is successfully returned to its owner, the remainder, more often than not, finds its way to a far more improbable location — a small town in Alabama.

Hidden in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Scottsboro is the location of Unclaimed Baggage Center, a large warehouse mall where items that cannot be returned back to their owner are sold off at discount prices.

Unclaimedbaggage.com
“Airlines spend a lot of time tracking down the owners of lost luggage, they have software and staff assigned to it,” the Center’s Brenda Cantrell told CNN.

“This is not only because they have to reimburse customers for the lost baggage, but because there is a huge amount of goodwill involved.”

On average, an airline hangs on to baggage for 90 days while it tries to locate the owners.

After 100 days they will usually pay passengers for their loss. Despite this attempt, about one million items a year arrive in Scottsboro, ranging from the mundane — clothing, luggage and cameras — to the strange.

Among the strangest finds have been a case containing a full suit of armor, a Jim Henson puppet, a trunk of Egyptian artifacts including a mummified eagle, a rare 1770 violin, a sparkling 5.8 carat solitaire diamond ring and an original painting valued at $20,000.

Clothing, jewelry, digital cameras and luggage round out the list of big sellers at the Unclaimed Baggage Center, which was founded by Bryan Owens, a Scotsboro native who helped create airline baggage-tracking software.

A handful of merchandise is simply given away. The Center has donated many crutches war veterans organizations, clothes to the poor and baby strollers to a teen pregnancy center.

While many customers walk away with a steal, some score more than they bargained for.

“One man from Georgia was going through and bought a pair of ski boots for $35 for his wife to replace ones she had lost on an airline and been reimbursed for,” said Cantrell.

“He had no clue until he arrived home that these actually were in fact his wife’s lost boots — they still contained her initials inside.”

Costly travel mistakes

1. If you plan to travel on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, you’ll probably find space, but nothing at great bargains.

2. Getting flights back on the weekend of Jan 5-6 will be difficult—it’s the busiest weekend in the season. If you can return after Jan. 5–6, it opens a lot more possibilities.

3. Broaden your horizons. Destinations like Argentina are sold out completely, but Chile is not as popular, so the chances are better to get space down to Santiago than to Buenos Aires.

4. Try to find travel companies that offer daily departures on their packages (versus ones that only have weekly flights). This gives you a better shot at finding a good airfare.

As a courier, you give up a portion of your check-on luggage allowance, which the company uses for its cargo. When you arrive, you deliver the package to the shipping agent’s representative and your job is done.

Courier arrangements are most worthwhile for international flights. With nearly 40,000 courier flights each year, destination choices are extensive. Flying from New York to Bangkok, for example, might cost you only $300 round-trip.

A standard commercial flight to Bangkok typically costs more than $1,000. It’s best to book at the last minute — the closer your desired departure date, the bigger your discount.

There are times when a courier will be able to fly for free with just a few hours’ notice.

Tickets typically are nonrefundable and must be paid for in cash and picked up in person, often on the day of the flight. Most tickets are round-trip, and the return flights typically are open-ended. You can return anytime after your stint as a courier ends.

Courier flights depart from major cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami. Some courier firms charge a registration fee — $35 to $50 — which gives you access to a wider range of ticket options and prices.

Where to book courier flights…

Air Courier Association/Cheap Trips. $49 for annual membership. 800-211-5119, www.aircourier.org.

International Association of Air Travel Couriers. $45 for annual domestic membership ($50 for international). 515-292-2458, www.courier.org.

source: bottomlinesecrets.com