AIR
TRAVEL TIPS
Book at least a week in advance. For the best discount
airfares make a reservation one, two or three weeks before the
travel departure date.
Keep in mind that
Tuesday,
Wednesday
and
Thursday
flights are usually
less expensive.
Night
time
departure flights are usually cheaper.
Try to choose the same airline for the entire travel time. You can find
all major international airlines' toll-free phone numbers and web site
addresses on our
World Airlines
page. For ainternational airport codes visit our
Airport
Codes page.
Do not forget to
reconfirm
your flight times a day before your
departure. Inquire about the check-in procedure and the luggage
allowance.
Consider packing your travel items into transparent plastic zippered
bags for
easy
inspection. Plan to arrive to an airport at least two
hours prior to
flight time. Do not leave your luggage alone at any time. You may be
asked to turn on all of your electric and electronic appliances.
Purchase discount air tickets online at TravelMake,
check out our discount
Airfare Search Form.
BUDGET
FLIGHTS EXPLAINED
Budget airlines offer cheap fares for travel around the world. Reserve
your flight on the web or by phone, using your credit card to pay.
Most discount airlines' tickets are unchangeable and
nonrefundable, some offer changes on the return dates for an
extra fee. In the latter case you need to make changes at least 24
hours
before your departure.
Most budget airlines offer one-way flights without a cost increase or
penalty which provides an excellent way to connect cheap flights, to
link flights with ground transportation. Plan to leave some extra time
for the trip connection, the delay of one flight will cause you to miss
another linked flight.
Every budget airline has its own luggage restrictions, make sure you
learn them before booking. Many of them allow very limited check-in
luggage for free, sometimes only 15 or 20 kg (33 or 44 lbs)
charging up to $15 per kg (2.2 lbs) of extra weight.
Discount airlines quite often use obscure airports located
far away from from the city center. It can cost you extra money and
transfer time.
Below is a list of major
discount
European airlines with links to their web sites. For
low-cost airlines in
other
parts of the world check out this very extensive
list of budget air carriers
worldwide sorted by the country:
| AIRLINE |
DESTINATIONS |
| AER
LINGUS |
Mostly Central and Northern
Europe. |
| AIR
BERLIN |
From Manchester and Glasgow via
London to
destinations in Germany, Majorca, Spain and Portugal. |
| BRITISH
MIDLAND |
The UK, Ireland, Central
Europe, USA,
Caribbean, Saudi Arabia, India. |
| CENTRAL
WINGS |
London-Cracow, London-Warsaw,
Edinburg-Warsaw and other flights between Poland and the UK. |
| EASYJET |
Across the UK, France, Spain,
Switzerland,
the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Czech Republic, Greece, Germany, and
Portugal. |
| EUROPE BY AIR |
150 European destinations with
hundreds of
routes to choose from. The company is a partner of well-known European
airlines. |
| EXCEL
AIRWAYS |
From the UK and Northern
Ireland to
Southern Europe, Egypt, Orlando (USA) and Barbados. |
| FLYBE |
Covers the UK, Ireland, France,
Spain,
Portugal and Switzerland. |
| GERMAN
WINGS |
Many airports in the Western
and Eastern
Europe plus Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia. |
| HAPAG-LLOYD
EXPRESS |
Western and Eastern Europe,
Cairo (Egypt). |
| MONARCH |
Between 6 cities in the UK and
mainland
Spain, Portugal and Canary Islands. |
| PORTUGALIA
AIRLINES |
UK and mainland Western Europe. |
| RYAN
AIR |
Most of Western and Eastern
Europe. |
| SKY
EUROPE |
The UK, mainland Central and
Eastern Europe
mostly. |
| SMART
WINGS |
Central and Southern Europe. |
| SN
BRUSSELS AIRLINES |
Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Saudi
Arabia,
Canada, Morocco. |
| SNOWFLAKE |
Western and Eastern Europe,
Russia by
Scandinavian Airlines. |
| SPAN
AIR |
Major European destinations
(many in Spain)
and 11 cities in the US. |
| STERLING |
Western and Eastern mainland
Europe from
South to North plus the UK. |
| TRANSAVIA |
Mostly the UK, Southern Europe,
Canary
Islands and Marocco. |
| VLM |
Between 4 airports in the UK
and Belgium,
Holland, France, Germany. |
| WIZZ
AIR |
Central and Eastern Europe, the
UK. |
TRAIN
TRAVEL TIPS
Make sure you catch the right train at the right place. Cities often
have more than one train station, so pay attention. If confused, ask
for help.
Each car in a train is labeled separately, cars are usually
added and dropped here and there along the journey. Be sure that the
city on your car's label is your travel destination.
There is a thief on every train, so stay alert and observant while
traveling. Clip your backpack to the overhead rack for safety.
For overnight trips get a couchette — a sleeping berth in a
compartment. Reserve it at least a day in advance. Sheets, pillowa
and blankets will cost you extra money.
For an average independent traveler planning to see lots of Europe,
the best way to go is
Eurailpass.
Eurailpasses offer you unlimited first-class
travel on all public railways in
17
European countries. Most passes can
be purchased from six months in advance to one week
ahead. After you buy a railpass, you have
six months to validate it
in Europe. You can validate your railpass at any European train station
by presenting your railpass and passport to a railway official at a
ticket window, who will write in the first and last dates of your
travel period.
Railpasses sold in the U.S. cannot be used by residents of
Europe. Citizens of European countries are required to provide
proof of official non-European residence (and non Russian Federation,
Turkish, or North African residence) when validating a Eurail, Select,
Austria-Czech, France, France combo, Germany, Germany combo,
Greece-Italy, Romania-Hungary, Slovenia-Croatia, Spain, Spain-Portugal,
or Switzerland-Austria pass in Europe. Other passes require proof of
non-residence in the countries covered by that pass. If you do not live
in your country of citizenship, a residence permit valid for at least
the preceding six months defines your country of residence.
Choose between the
consecutive-day
pass (from 15 days to three
months) or the cheaper
Flexipass
(any 10 or 15 individual days in two
months). Travel partners (from 2 to 5 companions) save 15 percent with
Eurail
Saverpasses, available in consecutive-day and flexipass
versions. Youths under 26 travel cheaper with second-class passes.
Country
passes focus
on a single country, every European country has its own pass. These are
especially important in Britain, which does not participate in the
Eurail or Selectpass program.
Point-to-point
tickets is a good budget option. They are often the best
bet in cheaper countries
(Italy, Spain, Eastern Europe) or for short travel distances.
Refunds:
Most unvalidated passes are refundable (minus a penalty of 15% or more)
if returned to the place of purchase within six months or one
year (depends on the type of pass). If you do not complete
your trip, partially used passes are not
refundable.
Exchanges:
Most unvalidated passes can be exchanged for
equal or greater value passes for a small fee.
To learn more about available options visit
RailPass - the best
place to buy rail passes and train tickets, the winner of the
Eurail
Award "The World's Leading Authority on British and
European Train Travel".
Train tickets are easy and cheaper to buy locally, at the place of your
destination. You can buy tickets in train stations or, more
comfortably, in the travel agency near your hotel.
Check out these links to the
World's
Intercity Train schedules, prices
and other information:
CRUISE TIPS
Save big on cruises! Check out our
Cruise Search Form.
We recommend you to
book
a cruise
early,
at least a month prior to the sail
date.
Try to be flexible about your travel plans,
off-season cruises
are
almost always cheaper.
By getting a four-day cruise in the middle of
the week instead of the popular three-day weekend cruise you might get
that
extra day at
a good rate.
Choosing
the
right cruise. It is totally up to your taste. The most
populat destinations among first-time cruisers are the Caribbean or
Mexican Riviera, where
you float from one island paradise to the next. More
experienced travelers choose Alaska or Canada where you’ll
experience
calving glaciers and magnificent whales. Cruises to Europe
with a few days of trans-Atlantic voyage, culture shock and
information-rich shore excursions are recommended for the most
experienced cruisers.
Cruise
length.
Three-day weekend, four-day midweek, week and two-week cruises are the
most popular.
Cabins
are listed as inside (no windows) or outside
(with windows, higher priced).
If you plan to spend most of the time in your cabin, choose
the biggest room you can afford. Standard cabins have twin beds, which
can usually be converted into a queen-sized bed, while bunk beds in
other rooms cannot be converted.
Hurricane
season lasts from June through November in the
Caribbean. Cruise prices are lower during this time. If you
plan a cruise during the hurricane season, keep track of the weather
in the area you are planning to sail. If it begins to turn bad, keep
in touch with your travel agent for updates and advice. If a bad
weather is on the ship's way, your ship
will simply change course. If your itinerary is set for the eastern
Caribbean, then your captain will switch over to the western Caribbean
port schedule, remain a few days longer at sea enjoying the calm waters
or simply change the order in which the ports are visited.
The price of your ticket includes: your cabin, on-board
entertainment and food.
Extra
expenses: taxes, various fees and port charges,
alcoholic
beverages, bottled water and soft drinks, cost of reaching
the ship, airline tickets not booked as part of the package, shuttle
service or in-port parking fees, if not included, cost of staying at
port before or after the cruise, such as hotel, transportation and
meals, shopping purchases made both on and off the ship, on board
extras, such as gambling, spas, massages and ship-to-shore calls,
tipping. Each cruise line
will provide its own guide to tipping.
They will take an imprint of your credit card and set up a tab for the
cruise, presenting you with the total bill at the end. Keep all the
little receipts you sign to verify the tab’s total.
Cruising
Etiquette. Each ship has a dress code for each
day, learn it before you go. Dress properly, according to the
rules.
Learn the
ship’s
language – your vessel is called a ship, and the
ship
is always of a female gender, a she or her. Left side of the ship is
port, right is starboard. Aft means
rear or stern, while the bow is the front of the ship. The bridge is
where the captain and his crew control the ship.
Children
on
board. Please keep your kids under
control, especially around pools and while passing through more
adult-centered areas such as the casino. Keep them close at all times.
Read more on choosing the
best cruise trip for families with children.
Shore
Excursions. You will have three options: stay on board,
explore by yourself or take a
ship excursion. Ship-sponsored shore excursions are valuable if you
want to visit the attractions far from the pier, have easy access to
historic monuments, forts, and castles and learn about the
country. They also provide the best ways to experience a large city
port like Barcelona or Rome, and the safest way to visit a
third-world country with unfamiliar language and customs. Another
option- self-exploration- will let you get away from
the crowd and immerse yourself in a new culture, but it can also be
challenging.
Safety
drills are practiced within the first 24 hours of
sailing, where
you will be taught how to put on your life jacket and locate your
assigned lifeboat.
Save
big on cruises! Check out our
Cruise Search Form.
RENTAL CAR TIPS
Save money by booking a
Rental Car with TravelMake!
There are four
types
of
car rental rates: a daily
rate with a mileage charge; a daily rate with a limited number of free
miles per day; a daily rate with unlimited mileage; and a rate that has
free mileage over an extended period.
Vehicles are economical when rented by the
week with unlimited mileage. Daily rates are usually quite
high, but there are some good 3-day deals. Rates vary from company to
company, month to
month, and country to country.
Your
age
may affect the rate. Younger renters (below 25 years of age)
can get charged extra money, like being required to
buymore expensive insurance. Some companies will not rent a car to a
person
under 21. There are also maximum age limits which vary from
company to company. If you are beyond the lower and upper age
limits, look into leasing a vehicle, which
has less age restrictions.
Leasing
a car gets around
many tax and insurance costs and is a great deal for people needing a
car for three weeks or more. The
Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy are popular
places to lease cars.
All car rental companies require a
valid
drivers license. Some car
rental companies check the driver's record and will deny a car to a
customer with a poor driving record. In some foreign countries, an
international drivers license may be required.
Most rental companies require a major credit card to guarantee
payment. If a credit card is being used for payment, be
aware of your credit card limit.
Travelers should always receive a
voucher
or confirmation which should have a confirmation
number, the car rental company name, type of car requested, flight
information and date. If the car rental firm is located outside the
airport, a telephone number for the courtesy car pick-up should be
provided.
Do not forget to notify the rental company of any
cancellations
so that they can rent that car to another customer.
Buy a detailed
road map
and plan your route
before leaving the car rental lot to minimize the need to ask for
directions.
It is usually 10-20%
more
expensive to pick up a rental car at an airport than
in the city center. Ask if the rental company has a cheaper,
downtown-pickup price. Some companies deliver the car to your hotel for
free.
When picking up your car, read your car rental agreement before you
sign it to
familiarize yourself with your liability and to ensure that you know
exactly what you will be paying for when you return the car. Also always
check the entire vehicle
for
scratches, dents and the gas level, inspect it for the correct mileage
information. Make sure the rental car's condition is correctly
described in the
rental agreement. When you
drop off the car, walk around the car again with the agent to be
sure there are no new problems.
You can normally pick up and drop off a car at any of
the rental company’s offices in one country. There is usually
a fee (a few hundred dollars) to
drop in another country.
Do not forget to fasten your seat belt at all times it's the law in
most countries. If you take your children with you in the rental car,
be aware that in many countries it is required by the law to have
special car seats for children
under four years old. Let your rental company know in advance that you
need such a seat.
Insurance
options.
Collision
Damage Waiver (CDW) also called
Loss Damage Waiver
(LDW). If a rental car is damaged, the renter is responsible for the
first
several hundred dollars of damage (the deductible) up to the full price
of the car. By purchasing CDW or
LDW, the renter is released from responsibility of any loss or damage
to a vehicle up to the full value of the car. However, if the renter is
in violation of the rental agreement (for example, if you have an
accident
while under the influence of alcohol or drugs), the waiver is void.
CDW/LDW is usually an optional feature, however, a few companies
require renters to purchase this waiver. In some cases, you may find a
special rate for a larger car which
already includes CDW/LDW. In the long run, the larger car may be less
expensive than the economy car with extra CDW/LDW costs.
Personal
Accident Insurance (PAI) provides accidental death and
medical
coverage for the renter and additional passengers during the time they
are riding or driving with you. Check your personal car insurance
policy to see if it covers car rentals. If your policy covers car
rentals, you may not need PAI. This insurance is usually optional.
Personal
Effects Coverage (PEC) provides protection against loss or
theft of personal
belongings from the rental car. Once again, check your own auto
insurance policy to determine whether your coverage includes rental
cars.
Additional
Liability Insurance (ALI) is an optional insurance that
protects the renter and other
authorized operators against claims made by third parties for bodily
injury/death and property damage caused by the use or operation of the
rental vehicle. Check with your own auto insurance policy to determine
whether additional excess coverage is already provided.
Save money by booking a
Rental Car with TravelMake!
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