WAYS TO BOOK TRAVEL
We like Booking.com or Expedia for hotels. You will enjoy the simplicity of the booking process and how easy it is to find different room options. Check them both for your final choice, as rates are always changing. Read the choices carefully and you will find that many reservations can be cancelled up to 48 hours before arrival at no charge. Use this feature to make a first cut at all your hotels for an entire trip. Then fine tune and cancel if needed when your route changes as you plan. Times change though, so it’s always worth checking Air BnB and Vrbo, especially for longer stays or larger groups.
Exodus, G Adventures, Intrepid and Viator are all great for booking tours. For Viator, it’s best to travel with a phone, so that you receive their reconfirmation call the day before the tour starts. They pick up at most hotels in most cities around the world. The Viator web site is a great way to get an idea of things to see in any destination.
Shore excursions can be an expensive proposition for cruisers. Shore Excursion Group solves this by offering substantial savings and the best guarantee in the industry. Their independently operated tours are never late back to the ship, but they guarantee to cover all your expenses and make all arrangements to catch the ship if you were to miss it. They always wait patiently at the pier with a sign displaying your name.
The internet has virtually eliminated the involvement of travel agents in booking non-business air fares. Major airlines often only pay a few dollars of commission on bookings. Although there are options like Kayak to search competitive pricing, Google Flights is a good place to start. Booking directly with airlines is better than using Expedia for flights because Expedia can’t solve booking issues as readily as the actual airlines. Spend the time during your search to find alternate routes that include overnights. The longer you search, the more often you find an interesting route that also saves you money.