TravelDuties

As someone who worked in the hotel industry for a few years, I gave out some of the best deals to people calling our hotel directly. The major websites such as Orbitz and Expedia charged 15% more on average than the general hotel rack rates. Rack rates at the rock bottom profit price that hotels charge. The allotments given by a certain hotel to the online travel websites are the rooms they plan to sell outside of the general hotel reservations system and are given to theses websites at a rack rate, then the websites up the price for these rooms.

To negotiate the prices, simply call the hotel. Ask for a reservations agent or possibly the reservations manager and simply tell them you have the rates of the major websites and would like to see if they have a lower price available. Explain to the hotel agent that you have been looking at the less expensive prices of some hotels in their area and some of their main competitors. You can expect to see some discounts of over 30-50% if you ask enough times about certain special VIP or Repeat Guest discounts.

There’s a booming accommodation industry in Amsterdam growing around the concept of short stay apartments. A short stay apartment is essentially a low cost, but high value, living situation available to travelers seeking an alternative to a hotel. While the costs of a short stay apartment are lower than those of a hotel, the spaces are usually larger and more comfortable by comparison.

Short Stay Amsterdam is one of the better online resources for short stay apartments. The site lists a large collection of rental apartments in Amsterdam for expected visitors to check out and reserve. Most of the short stay apartments listed on the site are located in the heart of Amsterdam and will put you very close to wonderful views of the city and give you almost direct access to local attractions and restaurants. The close proximity to tourist activities and the home-like atmosphere are the biggest draws to renting a short stay apartment.

Anyone seeking an alternative experience to the standard hotel accommodations while visiting or traveling through Amsterdam should strongly consider renting a short stay apartment. The number of benefits far outweigh what you typically receive at a traditional hotel and thanks to sites like Short Stay Amsterdam, finding a rental is easier than ever before.

The Orlando Dolphin Resort is just A+. Bordering its fellow sister Starwood resort, the Swan, both of these two hotels tower over the Orlando skyline and have massive sculptures fixated in top of their hotel. The hotel has a grand lobby with a grand waterfall in the middle and is quite relaxing. Around the lobby are shops, restaurants, and elevators. Todd English hosts his famous restaurant, Bluezoo that features some of the state’s best surf and turf. The Shops have something for everyone. They offer items from Candy to Rolex Watches.

The Restaurants are some of the finest. Shulas Steakhouse has a very nice dining room. The Corral Cafe’ has a cool breakfast buffet with the Characters. The Dolphin Fountain offers quick snacks as well as nice dinner meals. Ice cream is also server at the Dolphin Fountain. Their transportation from the Swan and Dolphin to MGM Studios and EPCOT is great. They offer boat transportation. The rooms are huge. You can see the swan resort, as well at Epcot center, and many Disney MGM Studios attractions from your room view.

What is a Fastpass? The Fastpass was created by Disney so that its park guests do not have to wait forever in line for a specific ride. Not all rides have the Fastpass available but the more popular thrill rides accommodate. The only way you can get a Fastpass is when you go to a Fastpass Station by the ride entrance and use your park entrance ticket. You enter your ticket and you get a small pass and it will times on it like – “Enter Between 3:00 and 5:00pm”- Then you come back to the ride during those times and go to the Fastpass Return Entrance. You show the Cast Member the Fastpass and you walk to the front of the time with little or no wait.

If you don’t feel like waiting for the Fastpass, Universal Orlando offers something exactly like the Fastpass named the Universal Express Pass. The only difference of these two passes is that instead of standing in line like usual for both, you can purchase the Express pass booklet for $50 which includes all of the rides for the park and two tickets for each ride.

Photo by: A Syed

If you’re planning a trip to Florida you might want to find a good Miami travel guide online to help you plan your trip. These kinds of guides are available for cities in Florida other Miami of course. You can find guides online for Jacksonville, Orlando and many more locales in the state.

A good travel guide will show you not only things to do in the area of Florida you’re in, but also give you tips on the variety of travel options you have for once you’re in the area. One of the most popular methods of transporting is renting a car. Car rental in Miami and Orlando, in particular, can be pretty daunting so a good guide offering you tips on getting low rates on newer vehicles can be a very valuable resource.

A vacation tip that budget travelers should be aware of when planning a Mexican vacation is if their destination is a cruise ship port. If this is the case you are going to want to avoid shopping and major tourist spots on cruise ship days because prices are very likely to increase during these days. If you are dead set on visiting a cruise ship port destination for your vacation then you should plan a low cost activity to do during the day that a cruise ship will be docked.

Before you set off for your vacation you should educate yourself with the exchange rates so that you will be able to properly budget your money. Normally you can plan on one American dollar equaling 10 Mexican pesos but you should be sure to double check those figures before you begin your vacation. You should get yourself a small calculator and convert money on it a few times while you are in your hotel room before you venture out into the marketplace and go out to see other attractions. This way you will be absolutely what you are paying for everything.

You will also want to want to familiarize yourself with Mexican tipping customs. This way you will know whom you should be tipping and who you should not be tipping. For instance cab drivers generally do not expect to be tipped however you should tip grocery store baggers. Knowing the tipping customs will be a big help to staying within your budget.

Always be sure to check travel websites when you are planning your trip, as you never know what kind of great deals you will be able to find. Many times when you make reservations for hotel rooms and airfare you can get a package deal and a nice discount.

Mexican vacations can be a lot of fun without you needing to spend a large amount of money. All you need to do is take the time to plan properly and enjoy your getaway.

Photo by: Jeinny Solis S.