Travel Tips
With the advent of the internet virtually anyone can book a holiday, but not everyone can plan an ultimate adventure that’s affordable, accommodating, and fun for everyone in your group.
Prior to Covid many people thought the best way to buy a flight or holiday was just to go on the holiday comparison websites and find the cheapest option, but when Covid hit, and it was impossible to reach many of these internet companies there was widespread panic by people trying to reclaim their money and often finding out that they were not in fact covered by insurance. As a result, many people lost their money or generally had a very bad experience and now people are more cautious about who they deal with.
Always ensure that you are dealing with a human being not just an online website as this will alleviate a lot of stress if you need to speak to someone.
Also be aware that your travel agent has access to all the cheap deals advertised on the internet but also will have access to travel agent “Specials” which are only available to travel agents who have large buying power. For example, the agency we represent have a large onsite staff at their headquarters, are ABTA, ATOL and IATA registered which means your holiday is fully protected and because they sell almost fifty million pounds worth of holidays a year, they get special holiday deals which we are able to offer to our customers. We publish a daily newsletter on our face book page with our best and most exclusive offers so sign up here. Or complete our questionnaire telling us where you want to go, and we will send you some offers many of which are price matched guaranteed.
There are so many travel tips we could share with you based on our own experience and the experience of our agency and we have tried to choose some of the more important ones here.
Before booking your accommodation check the location of your hotel on a Map if you want to stay in a specific place or area.
It is not uncommon for hotels to slightly exaggerate their proximity to attractions and amenities around town. If being close to a particular airport or landmark is important for your trip, verify the distances on Google Maps before you book a hotel or tell your travel agent what you want to be close to. Where we live on the Costa Del Sol is a prime example of “location exaggeration” as we often see holiday accommodation advertised as being “next to the beach” and we know personally it is at least a 10 minute walk!!!
Check what is included in Package Deals
To entice new guests, some hotels will offer themed package deals that sound exciting but may not be worth it. Just know that sometimes these packages include things you don’t even want or need and that the special rate could be higher than the regular rate. Think carefully about what it is you want. When we went to Abu Dhabi, we booked a half board package but also had access to the club floor. We soon realised that we were doubling up on food because the club lounge served breakfast, afternoon tea and cocktails and canapes in the evening. As we are not big eaters the half board package on top of this was more than we could eat!
Don’t just Pay for the Mini Bar
Mini bar charges are frequently disputed because the mini bar is stocked by hand and as a result often miscalculated. Always check your hotel’s bill and if you see any mini bar charges that aren’t right, dispute them. Most front desk staff won’t hesitate to void the charges.
You can ask but a room preference is never guaranteed.
Hotel bookings usually ask for your preferences like bed size and the number of beds. But in the small print many hotels will make I clear that these preferences are not guaranteed. So, if the room or bed type is important to you, use a personal travel agent because they can check with the hotel beforehand to save disappointment.