Archive for November, 2008

A Vacation With No Surprises

When planning a vacation it is always a good idea to know just how much it's going to cost – before you go. Not just the vacation itself but things you might have to do prior to getting on that silver bird, like boarding Fido, transfers to and from the airport (get a friend to take you to and from). Use hotels that provide free shuttle service to avoid the taxi fees. If you do need a cab try to find others to share the ride (cost). Then, once those things are factored in (we are talking hard numbers here folks), you can start adding up all the other little costs involved; hotel taxes can be a big expense if you are staying for a week or more at anywhere between 12 and 18%.

Just What Is Included In That All-Inclusive Vacation

Watch out for built-in gratuities where you can find yourself tipping twice for the same service. If you are an American traveling in Europe and you spend money there you will run into the V.A.T. tax which is 15% of the purchase price of whatever you are buying. This tax is refundable when you get back home if you know the procedure. What activities or tours are included in the vacation package price and which ones are not. What meals are not included, etc? All-inclusive may not be exactly all-inclusive. A cruise can be all-inclusive and break you with the liquor and soda tab!

It is my opinion that vacations have become a necessity, rather than a luxury, due primarily to stress in the workplace and a world full of bad news. I have met so many Europeans on vacation (holiday) that take a whole month every year religiously, planning their year around their vacation. Us Americans are not so lucky. We tend to take our vacations in small doses no matter how many weeks we have available to us because the company just couldn't manage without us for a whole month! What utter nonsense! I, for one, would like to bring an end to that madness. The company will manage, the longer your vacation the lower the stress levels are when you return to the salt mine. And if a vacation is not about you, just who is it about?

So who needs stress on a vacation? If you do your homework, ask more questions, talk to someone who has been where you want to go and consult a travel professional, you can drastically reduce the chances of encountering just the kinds of things you don't need when you travel; mis-placed reservations, transfers that don't happen, construction noise no one told you about, hidden fees and taxes that are seriously annoying – the list is endless. And by being more prepared you can save yourself significant money on your next vacation. See if any of our favorite money-saving strategies would apply to a vacation you plan to take or that might have worked for you on your last vacation.