Tips For Working With A Travel Agent

When you set out to work with a travel agent, you are going to want to have everything as clear as possible. The first thing you need to realize is that while the travel agent is working for you, he or she is not a mind reader. In order for you to get all of the services that you want, you’re going to have to spell them out very clearly.

The first thing you need to do is get everything in writing. Promised services should not be verbally delivered; you want written confirmation of all of the arrangements that you’re making so that everyone’s on the same page.

If you get a good travel agent, they will act as your advocate and resolve any complaints that you might occur between you and any third parties that you might be dealing with. If something is not to your liking, you can get a good travel agent who could negotiate the situation for you or get your money back for any bad experience you might have. This is all possible only if you get all promised services delivered in written form so that you can refer back to it, and there’s no misunderstanding.

Be sure and read the fine print also called the terms and conditions. Now, we all know that this isn’t the most exciting thing to read, and that the slick, pretty, glossy pictures in the brochure are a lot more fun to look at.

However, if you don’t read the fine print, you going to miss any potential headaches. The time to find out there is something you don’t like is before you go on the trip, and not when the deposit and payment are due.

The fine print includes things like payment due dates, penalties for cancellation, and the way the travel orders are going to be processed, if there are any gratuities or additional fees that will be tacked onto your trip costs. There will also be a listing of procedures that you can go through if you have a complaint or you need a refund. If there’s any vacation protection insurance, the options will be listed in this section, too.

If travel protection insurance is not part of your vacation package, you go to want to buy a policy from an insurance company.

These policies are also available through airline, cruise companies or tour operations, but these can be chancy as they may go out of business before you ever go on your trip. If you don’t want to be left holding the bag, make sure your trip insurance is airtight.

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Travel Tips to European Countries: Belgium

The capital of Belgium is Brussels. Antwerp is another one of the larger cities of Belgium and was once know as the diamond capital of the world due to the craftsmanship of diamond cutting there in historical times.  Due to the damp nature of Belgium, it is recommended that you always bring wet weather clothing as it is almost guaranteed that you will get wet unless you go in the spring or summer.  The landscape is coastal plains and forest.  The main languages spoken here are Dutch, Flemish, French and German with Dutch and French being the most common.

Culture

Most all Belgians speak English so if that is you native language you will not have any problems in being understood.  If you are having problems reading the street signs and such, all you need to do is ask directions and you will get help.  If you have an opportunity to get an invitation to a dinner or party at a locals home, make sure to bring a gift, flowers are customary, and dress as the invitation states, it is a breach of etiquette to not dress appropriately.

Dining

For those who have never traveled to Belgium before, you may be surprised to find that the main specialty of the country is horse meat and rabbit.  This may be a little off putting to any who have never tried this before but it is a favorite of locals.  There are many other dishes to choose from for even those with the most discerning palate and there are more culinary options available than just horse and rabbit.  Of course all restaurants will have meals for the vegetarian if you so choose.  It is practice to add a gratuity when dining out.  If you attend a movie, it is also the norm to give the attendant a small gratuity as well in the wash room.

How to get around the country

If you want to travel through the country, taking the train is your best bet.  You can get many connecting trains to other destinations in Europe from Belgium.  You must book your train in advance so make sure you have a good itinerary before you get to Belgium so that you will not be disappointed.  You can purchase an Inter-Rail pass that will allow you to travel on pass to most destinations in Europe.  This option, however, is only available for travelers from Europe that have established residency for at least six months.

Budget Tips For Your Vacation

Before you go anywhere, you want to know exactly how much the total trip is going to cost. You need to plan your budget before you book the first airline reservation. In order to be successful and have a worry free experience, you need to build a comprehensive budget covering every aspect of your trip from local and long-distance transportation, hotel accommodations, food, beverages and entertainment to odd incidentals and things local to the vacation destination. You’re also going to want to add extra money for any shopping, and if you want to bring back souvenirs. After you’ve made up a budget ads another $100-$200 to your approximate budget for odds and ends.

Take the time to buy a current guidebook about the place that you’re headed. Having a good travel guidebook should give you a better idea about the price of local transportation, what it costs to buy coffee or beer, how much it should cost you for concert ticket and the like. You also want to call the local tourist office for the place that you’re going to get local information. Buy a local magazine and go to a website that specializes in your destination to do research so that you are prepared prior to arrival.

Before you leave, double-check everything including your hotel accommodations, airline reservations and any event reservations that you’ve made. You don’t want to wind up at your vacation destination only to find out that your hotel no longer exists or that some event that you paid for is no longer happening.

Before you leave home, make a call to the hotel just to make sure that the reservation time, and the amount of money quoted per night is still in effect. Call the hotel directly and not the 1-800 reservation line, because sometimes there’s a difference between what you will learn on the 800 line and what the hotel actually tells you.

Check out incidental things before you leave, like surcharges on phone calls, any local taxes, if you need visas, departure or entry fees, hidden gratuities and the like. All of these things add up, and you want to make sure that you have enough money to cover everything so that you can have a fun and stress-free time.

If you have booked an all-inclusive hotel stay at a resort, make sure you find out what that covers. For example, wine may come with dinner, but you may have to pay for hard liquor. You want to determine what prices are going to be beforehand, so that you don’t arrive with too little money to have a good time.

Travel Tips to European Countries: Austria

One of the gems of Europe is Austria. Austria is famous for many things including the Alps, the Salzburg Festival, the Lipizzaner Horses and is most known as being the birth place of Mozart. Vienna, not only the capital of Austria, but also is the hub of music in Europe.

Site seeing

One of the best ways to site see in Austria is to take a taxi, custom indicates that you tip the driver ten percent for all fares. If you wish to travel the country side, there are many castles that will make any one feel like they have gone back in time. The castles take their architectural styling from the romantic period and are just a spectacle for any castle lover. As stated previously, the Lipizzaner Horse show is a must see, to ensure you get to enjoy a show, book your tickets in advance as this is required.

Culture

Some local customs to be aware of are shaking hands upon meeting, using a proper last name when speaking to someone unless you have become familiar with them. If you got to visit a home, bring flowers as this is customary. When dining in a restaurant, make sure you leave a tip of at least five percent when paying your bill. The main languages of Austria are German, Hungarian, Slovene and Croatian.

How to get around the country

A great to see the whole country of Austria is by train. You can purchase a Eurail pass that will give you the opportunity to see the entire country for one great price with out having to drive unfamiliar roads. You may also use Eurail to travel in other parts of Europe as there are connections to nearly every country in the European Union. This makes Austria a hub for international travelers. You may also choose to travel by bus to get around and there are city buses and coaches as well.

If you prefer to drive so that you can take your time and explore as you go, you can rent a car at any of the airports and train stations easily enough. Of course you will need your driving license issued from you country of origin or an international license. If you plan on taking the Eurotunnel, you must book in advance for this as well. Make sure you carry a fair amount of coin with you as there are many toll roads in Austria. It is the law to always have your lights on, seat belts must be worn and absolutely no drinking and driving is tolerated.

Tips To Beat Jet Lag

If you travel internationally or even if you only travel coast-to-coast, you know that jet lag can affect you for days after you land. If you don’t want to be subject to jet lag, here are some quick tips to help you out.

If you find yourself on a red eye flight or you’re flying international overnight, one of the first things you might want to consider is something to put you to sleep. If you can sleep on the flight, you will wake up and feel fresh and full of energy, and jet leg won’t have such a firm hold on psyche. You should definitely invest in one of those airline pillows. You know, the ones that are made to go around your neck. This will be one of the best investments you make for flying.

Next. get yourself an MP3 player like an iPod and put some really relaxing music which you can listen to as you fly. Invest in some good earbuds like Bose, so that you can drown out the sounds around you. The last thing you want to have happen is to be kept up all night by a screaming baby, people shuffling by to and from the bathroom or flight attendants walking up and down talking.

Get yourself one of those block-out masks, you know, the ones that celebrities wear and movie stars used to wake up in bed with. You want to darken your environment as much as possible, and try and simulate being at home in bed. You also want to block out all of the night owls on the plane who were probably up reading with their lights on.

Set your watch to the time zone that you’re visiting, before you get on the plane, and keep a close eye on the time. Go to sleep at your bedtime in the new time zone and not the old one. Take a bottle of melatonin, which helps some people or whatever sleep aid you have that you know will put you to sleep. Avoid drinking alcohol while flying, because it will only dehydrate you and keep you awake. Instead, drink a lot of water. Make sure you set an alarm so that it wakes you at the proper time in your new time zone.

If you follow all of these tips, you will minimize the amount of time that you suffer jet lag, and maximize the fun that you’re going to have it your destination.