Quebec Travel

Archive for March, 2009

Just about every vacationer is interesting in keeping the cost of his or her adventures low. Most people work all year just to be able to enjoy a one or two week vacation from the cares of the world.

Unless you are independently wealthy and money is no object, chances are you will be interested in the following tips for squeezing the most value out of your limited vacation dollars.

- When planning for a particular destination, especially a popular one like Orlando, Europe or the Caribbean, it pays to plan ahead.

- Be sure to spend some time researching the local attractions, and comparing various lodging options. Be sure to look for discounts that are available, and see if it is possible to buy things like theme park tickets or museum admissions prior to arrival. Doing so can save you both time and money.

- Try taking your holiday in the off season or shoulder season. Avoiding the high season can provide many benefits, including lower prices and fewer crowds.

- Prices on airline tickets, car rentals, hates and cruises often drop significantly after the high season has gone.

- If you have friends or relatives near your chosen destination, consider asking them for a place to say. It can be fun for many people to show visitors around their town, and they may enjoy having the company.

- When taking this approach, however, be sure to chip in by doing chores, paying for groceries, filling the gas tank on the family car, etc.

- Try to plan flying vacations for the times of year when airfares are generally the cheapest. For most destinations, this period runs from February through May and September through December.

- The one exception to this rule is the week before Thanksgiving and the two weeks leading up to Christmas, when prices shoot back up. If you must fly during the high season, be sure to research the fares on low cost airlines.

- When traveling by car, be sure to pack lots of ready to eat food in the car to avoid expensive restaurant meals.

- When eating in restaurants, try to avoid those that obviously cater to the tourist crowd. Eating where the locals do will allow you to enjoy better food at lower prices.

- When planning your hotel stays, try to strike a balance between a convenient location and a low price. Hotels closer to a given attraction are generally more expensive, while those in suburbs and outlying areas tend to be less costly.

- Compare the amenities of the hotels carefully. Decide what is important to you, and use those priorities as a guide when choosing from among comparably priced hotels.

- For a low cost alternative to expensive hotels, consider renting an RV for your next vacation. There are a number of rental agencies that offer rentals, and an RV can often be a low cost alternative.RV campgrounds are generally much less expensive than traditional hotel rooms.

- When renting a car, choose the smallest, most fuel efficient vehicle you can find.

- Not only are compact and subcompact cars cheaper to rent, but they are cheaper to operate as well.

- If traveling in your own car, be sure it is up for the trip. A good pre vacation checkup or tune-up can save a lot of problems. Car repairs on the road can be both inconvenient and expensive.

- If the destination you are traveling to has good public transportation options, you may not need your own car, or a rental car, at all.

- Many large cities in the United States and Europe have such good bus, subway and train systems that a personal car is unnecessary.

- Camping can be an excellent, and very low cost vacation for nature lovers of all ages and interests. Campgrounds are easy to find and inexpensive.

- In addition, many campgrounds offer great amenities, such as swimming pools, sports and every movie nights.

- Planning activities that do not need a lot of money to enjoy, such as hiking and swimming, is a good way to maximize value and minimize vacation spending.

- In addition, museums and historical sites generally have very low priced admissions and can be fun

Planning your first RV road trip might seem easy at first. You bought your motorhome, you have it all outfitted and ready to go, you know where you’re headed and you have all of your maps. What else do you need?

You want to be sure that you plan carefully for every contingency. Even the best dealerships do not have a service station in every city or every state. You will not have family or friends surrounding you everywhere you go, and you need to be prepared, just in case.

As with any travel trip, you want to be sure that you have your identification, insurance cards, prescriptions, and physician information in a safe place. But there are many other lists you need to make as well. Get online or talk to your local RV dealer to obtain a list of RV service stations along your route and at your destination. Write down the name of the service location or dealership, the phone number, and the address. You may even want to mark these on your map ahead of time. This way you know just who to call if you break down or have an accident.

Have the phone number and paperwork for your warranty, as well as the name and phone number of your dealer handy, also. Make sure that you have the call center or customer service number for the dealership, not just the guy that sold you your camper. You want to be sure that you get the right person on the first try if you need to order parts in a hurry. Your RV dealer should have the ability to order parts for you and have them shipped anywhere, including campgrounds.

Do not forget to call your RV insurance agent, let them know you are preparing to leave town, and make sure you are covered under every possible issue or accident. Know what your policy covers, and have your insurance cards and contact information in the motorhome with you at all times. If there is a national call center for your insurance company you should have that too, as well as the address and phone number of any locations available on your route. You never know when you might need this information.

If you are on a schedule, you may want to consider RV Rentals as well. Prepare a list of dealerships on your route that will rent motorhomes. This way you will be prepared to not only repair your own vehicle, but to continue on your trip as scheduled in any event.

In the end, preparing for your first RV road trip could be a bit daunting. But once you get through the first steps and have all of the information in place, you will find that the planning gets easier for each trip. And, if you are ever in an accident, find yourself stranded on the side of the road, or simply need the pump to your bathroom repaired; you will be prepared and know just where to go!

Forget those boring New Year’s resolutions like “lose weight” or “save more”, add FUN to your year by pledging to use your Road Trip Planner at least once a month to explore your world near and far.

Before you object by declaring, “There’s no way I can afford a monthly road trip!”, bear in mind that many itineraries can be filled with free activities. A road trip can be for as little as one day; whether you’re packing the car with a picnic basket, a backpack or a 5-piece luggage set, if you’re hitting the road, you’re on a road trip!

Your 12 road trip itineraries might look something like this:

JANUARY & MARCH: Imagine a perfect day trip within two hours of your home to an area you’ve always wanted to explore more thoroughly but usually just pass by it to and from your “real” vacations. Sometimes it’s simply that city across the bay or in a neighboring county. If you live on the West Coast, you could experience Day Tripping in Seattle or Exploring La Jolla Cove. If you’re in the East, then consider By Car, Cape Cod or Touring nature’s green spaces, Niagara Falls – New York. And for those you living in between, try the Scenic tour from Dinosaur Ridge to Red Rocks Park, Denver or Walking Tour of Downtown, Memphis. Even though the weather might be chilly, as long as you dress accordingly, the fun factor’s equal to the task. Walking along the beach in the winter is invigorating! Grabbing the kids for some ice-skating is a blast! Just do a bit of road trip planning so you’ll have the addresses and directions on hand then fill your itinerary with some activities in the area. Add in a restaurant and some shops and you’ve successfully gotten yourself out from under the pile of household chores and into an all-day adventure, definitely more fun in anyone’s book.

FEBRUARY & APRIL: An overnight stay is just enough time to give you a taste of escape. Here, your road trip planner might include an overnight stay in an 1860 Antebellum mansion B & B in New Orleans (especially around Valentine’s Day). Strolling along a park under an umbrella big enough for two is romantic. Finding your gal a filigree necklace in an antique shop earns you major points. Or you might find yourself in the Tioga State Forest in Pennsylvania, staying Black Bear Log Cabin with your kids just to get everyone outside and hiking along the trails.

MAY & JUNE: Now the weather’s warming up and you’re digging in the closet for your t-shirts and shorts. This might be where you go on a couple of 3-Day Weekend Getaways as teaser vacations. Now your road trip planner might easily include 200 driving miles before reaching your destination but when you have 3 or 4 days set aside, 4 hours driving time isn’t bad at all, especially if your route is scenic.

JULY & AUGUST: This is the Prime Time of vacations if you’re north of the equator. This is where you do your best road trip planning because you’ve got a 7-10 day itinerary to fill. Choose a National Park for an outdoor vacation in July and then a cultural city like Boston or San Francisco for August. At some point during this vacation, you come to the realization that while you may have to work for a living, the living’s easy when you’re on vacation.

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER: You can still enjoy some Dog Days of Summer in September but for October, it’s recommended to pack some extra clothes to allow for weather changes. Dress in layers and make sure you have that extra jacket or sweater in the trunk of the car, maybe an extra pair of shoes. Your road trip planner might include checking out the Fall Colors in the East, the desert in the mid-west, or the warm waters surrounding the Florida Keys. Stretch your vacation out as wide as you can because the remaining two months will most likely be filled with holiday travel. Campground choices range family oriented ones like Martha’s Vineyard Family Campground to luxury cabins in the Smoky Mountains in Gaitlinburg, Tennessee.

NOVEMBER & DECEMBER: Try grabbing an overnight getaway before mid-November. Once the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays grab a hold of your time, it won’t let go until January. So sneak away to a lodge with a fireplace, or get away for a golf and spa weekend.

There you have it…a year’s worth of adventure to keep any road trip planner humming along the highways and byways. Enjoy the rides!