Travel Sites Blog and Resources

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, travelers have vented their frustrations in countless pages of negative reviews. Many missed out on their vacations and lost money as well. As people start traveling again, should they use third-party travel sites to book flights, hotels, and other accommodations? Is it better to book directly with the airline or hotel? Travel experts weigh in on the pros and cons of online travel agencies. What are third-party travel sites or online travel agencies? Travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity are online travel agencies that give discount prices on airfare, hotels, and other amenities. Some sites specialize in airfare, like CheapOair, some in hotels like Booking.com, and others offer packages with many different accommodations.  Many travelers each year find cheap flight, hotel booking, and car rental deals on these sites, but how are the prices so low? Sometimes you may notice ads on the site that drive revenue, but most of the time these online travel agencies make money by helping you save money. How do travel sites make money? Names of prominent travel sites, like Expedia, hold a lot of weight in the travel industry. Many hotels and travel accommodation companies want to be associated with these brands because they know a lot of people search for travel on these sites. Small hotel chains and boutique hotels need the extra online traffic to get more bookings. It also helps that many people trust the travel sites they know and are willing to book with hotels they haven’t heard of. When travelers book a hotel room, they pay a standard rate based on the hotel’s prices. Travel sites, on the other hand, book a group of rooms, flights, or tours at a time and get a discounted rate. These sites then turn around and sell the travel accommodations at a discounted rate to the normal price, but above the discounted rate they bought it at. In this way, consumers save some money and the travel site makes money as well.  What are the difficulties of travel sites? Many travel sites became extremely popular in recent years for their great deals, but the disruption of the pandemic showed just how difficult to work with these sites can be. With future travel uncertain, Travel Expert Kendra Thornton shared some cautions to travelers looking at deals on travel sites.  Kendra Thornton TRAVEL Expert     Expert Tip I think these sites can sometimes offer compelling deals that are attractive to travelers, especially those on limited budgets. However, like everything ⁠— the better the price, the more restrictions they are that can make refunds, cancellations, or changes nearly impossible for travelers. Travelers need to weigh price versus flexibility when they book with these types of sites.   Another disadvantage of travel sites is how difficult it is to cancel. High call volume and inflexible policies are what many people experienced after the coronavirus pandemic hit. Kendra Thornton also said, “If the traveler isn’t having luck getting through to the customer service agent at the travel site, then they could try going directly to the hotel reservations for assistance. If they booked airfare with the third-party site, then they would have to handle any changes directly with the source that first booked the ticket ⁠— going directly to the airline would not help per airline rules.” Travelers should also be aware that some travel sites are owned by the same parent company, like how Expedia owns Travelocity and Booking.com, among others. Searching on those sites could yield different results, but it’s also possible that the deals will be the same.  Using a third-party site can also leave a larger margin of error in your vacation. Many travel sites seem to have a lack of transparency regarding where a traveler’s money goes and when a hotel or flight is actually booked. Using that third-party method can put a traveler at more risk of arriving without confirmed bookings.  What are the benefits of travel sites? Like mentioned above, travel sites book rooms and other accommodations in bulk, so their prices are often lower than booking directly with the travel company. This comes with whatever restrictions the site puts in place, but travelers will often pay less. Most sites have some sort of cancellation policy — it just might not be the most flexible. Some sites will allow free cancellation for 24 hours and others up until a few days before departure. This does allow for some wiggle room when finding the best vacation deals.  Another benefit of online travel agencies comes with vacation packages. Laura Mandala, CEO of Mandala Research, points out that a travel site might find a flight pattern that you may not have found yourself. Package deals with a hotel, flight, and rental car all included might also be much more expensive if you booked everything separately rather than in a vacation package. In this way a travel site deal might be worth it, but it depends on the traveler’s needs.  Travel sites also get their fame from easy use. Rather than searching every airline and hotel for prices, picking dates will show options from all those sites at once. Travel sites can be a great place to start looking at travel opportunities because of this search capacity.  Is it safe to use travel sites? If you do find a great deal on an online travel agency, how can you determine if it’s worth it? Utilizing reviews can make you aware of what travel sites might need more looking into. Things like cancellation policies, customer service, and value for your money are all great things to look up reviews about. Even though every customer’s trip and experience is unique, reviews can still be a good indicator of which companies are easy to work with and which are not.  Re:spondelligent has analyzed recent reviews of hotels, restaurants, and campgrounds and found that around 10 percent contain Coronavirus-related feedback. In many reviews, it seems like travelers want to share their experiences to help future travelers choose their vacation accommodations wisely. While you may have to filter through many critical reviews to find the ones with good advice, it might be worth taking note if a site has lots of unhappy customers writing about negative experiences. To find reliable reviews, look to unbiased, third-party review sites. Travel Sites Read travel site reviews from real customers. Learn More

After flight cancellations, hotel closures, and stay-home orders all over the world, will people want to travel again? The panic caused by the coronavirus pandemic has changed how we view the world, but the travel industry is largely using this pause in traffic as a time for improvement and adjustments. From flights to hotels to guided tours, every aspect of the industry is getting ready to accommodate travelers as soon as possible. Flights Given the uncertainty of how the pandemic will play out, airlines are going about business as cautiously but also as hopefully as possible. Each airline is implementing its own safety measures and the TSA has outlined a few as well. WIMCO Villas outlines some of these safety measures. They include spacing out passengers on the flight, recommended or mandatory masks in flight, temperature checks as part of security, and more. Some airlines are creating more stringent regulations, such as coronavirus testing before boarding, but this isn’t a widespread practice yet.  While passenger counts are at an all-time low, airlines are hopeful for an uptick in air travel and are offering incredibly cheap fares. Scott’s Cheap Flights, a travel site that offers a free subscription for cheap flight alerts, has noticed a 50 percent increase in deals for peak summer and holiday season, times when flights are usually the most expensive. Until flight traffic picks up substantially, airlines seem to be offering low fares to try to increase ridership. While low fares won’t last forever, it could last longer than expected. A survey by FinanceBuzz states that almost half of Americans don’t plan to fly for at least a year. If this holds true, airlines could be offering cheap flights all the way through next summer.  Hotels In the hospitality industry, hotels are seeing the biggest changes. From large chains to small boutique hotels, each hotel and resort is unveiling new and improved cleaning measures. These range from using UV technology to clean rooms between guest arrivals to intensive cleaning by hotel maids who then seal the room until guests arrive.  Hotels are also changing the services they offer to guests. Some have closed swimming pools and gyms while others have changed the layouts of these areas to allow social distancing to be possible. As far as room service goes, guests might not experience the same luxury they had before the pandemic. At Crane’s Beach House, a luxury boutique hotel in Florida, room service is reserved for before and after checkout. If guests need their trash taken out or any amenities brought to their room, they will have to call the front desk. The staff will drop off what’s needed at the door and take away the trash without any interaction with guests. Another change coming to the hotel industry is an extended waiting period between guest reservations. Hotels are starting to leave 24–72 hours between reservations for each room. This allows time for more extensive cleaning and greater chance that surfaces will be free of viruses.  Vacation rentals The popularity of vacation home rentals was on the rise before the pandemic hit. Sites like Airbnb and Vrbo can be a great resource for travelers who want to have the entire place to themselves, but cancellation policies are determined by each vacation rental owner. When the coronavirus hit, these platforms encouraged owners to allow guests to cancel their bookings, but that power still resides with the owner.  Going forward, vacation owners will be more concerned about flexible cancellation policies in order to attract guests. In addition, owners know that guests are concerned with the cleanliness of their rental. Airbnb is rolling out new cleaning guidelines that hosts can decide to implement. If a host follows the new, extensive cleaning measures, they earn a badge on their listing that shows customers the cleanliness of their home.  Tours Some cities have created initiatives to help citizens and tourists enjoy restaurants and activities while knowing they are safe. Columbus, Ohio has pioneered a program called Live Forward that is helping the city reopen in a safe way. Businesses can take a pledge to follow federal, state, and local health and safety guidelines. Once a business has pledged, it will receive a window sticker to show customers that the business is taking important health precautions.  Walking tours around cities, though outside in open air, will also be making changes to promote health and safety. ExperienceFirst offers tours in major cities and will be implementing social distancing and sanitizing measures where possible. Attractions that offer paper tickets will likely have to digitize to reduce contact and handling cash will be limited.  Destinations Although many travelers will want to visit big cities, it’s likely that most travelers will try to visit outdoor, remote places such as national parks. Lewis Krell at Inspirock, an online travel itinerary planner, said that trips centered on the outdoors, beaches, and wildlife have increased dramatically while trips based on relaxation and visiting historical sites have declined significantly. This isn’t to say that popular cities won’t see the same volume of tourists in the future as they did before the outbreak, but travelers may decide to diversify the vacations they choose with more outdoor sites. Another interesting phenomenon brought on by social distancing, Krell says, is that the average length of trips planned on his site has increased by 80 percent. Travelers seem to want longer trips rather than weekend getaways after being home for weeks. Overall Although the travel industry has been hard hit by the pandemic, it’s an industry that will bounce back to meet the needs of travelers. A recent Harris Poll showed that half of Americans are putting travel at the top of their list of big purchases after pandemic restrictions loosen. Whether Americans go abroad or domestic will likely depend on international restrictions and more Americans may decide to take road trips to local or in-state destinations. Wherever people decide to travel, it will feel a little different than they’re used to. With changes expected in every part of the industry, travelers should take extra time to prepare themselves before they go. It will be important to follow all health and safety precautions in whatever area they decide to travel to and be ready to adjust traveling mindsets to traveling safely and in a healthy way.  For more on this topic, read some advice about healthy travel.

Since the shutdown in travel caused by the coronavirus outbreak, consumers are more aware than ever about how easily germs spread. Rising positive case counts showed everyone that there are a lot of germs hiding on common surfaces and in all public places. In a world that is more self-aware, how can we travel in a healthy, safe way? Hydrate and eat healthy foods An important aspect to avoiding sickness and fatigue is making sure your body is in the best possible shape it can be. If flying on a plane, be sure to drink plenty of water. Flying is extremely dehydrating, and you may need more water than the bottle given to you before a long flight. Take a refillable bottle on your trip, that way you can fill it up after passing through security and be sipping it all the time.  When taking road trips, it may be inconvenient to stop several times for bathroom breaks, but staying hydrated outweighs the risk. It’s also a good idea to give yourself stretch breaks to walk around and get a little bit of walking in to help you feel better. It’s also important to have healthy travel snacks when going on vacation. Having nutrient dense foods will better equip your body with what it needs to fight off any virus or bacteria you come in contact with. Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, The Healthy Voyager, also recommends avoiding caffeine, alcohol, salt, and sugar before and during any flights. These foods and beverages contribute to dehydration and prevent getting restful sleep. Travelers should also be aware that alcohol also has 2.5 times the effect while flying. Buy travel insurance Booking vacations can already be expensive, so why pay more for travel insurance? Everyone who had a trip affected by the coronavirus will probably attest to the benefits of having a travel insurance policy. It may not cover everything, but having a good policy for the type of vacation you want to take will definitely be worth the extra cost, even if it just gives peace of mind.  The price of each travel insurance policy depends on what it covers. The cheapest plans will only cover the basics while more expensive plans can cover more. According to VisaGuide, most basic plans will cover medical expenses, trip cancellation, stolen items, and missed flights through no fault of your own. More expensive plans can cover rental cars, natural disasters, and cancellation for any reason. Cancellation coverage will definitely give you some peace of mind when dealing with things like COVID-19.  It’s important to keep in mind that travel insurance usually will not cover pre-existing medical conditions, expenses related to pregnancy, and any harm or injury brought on by your own actions. Travelers should also check for travel advisories and make sure their insurance plan covers the country or destination they want to visit. Have a health emergency plan In addition to having travel insurance coverage, travelers should also have a plan in case a health emergency arises. Whether it be pre-existing conditions or a new sickness that develops, vacation planners should take into account what healthcare is available in the areas they’ll be traveling to.  It may also be helpful to research the medical facilities around to know what to expect. Domestic travel might not have health care much different than what a traveler is used to, but going outside the country could yield different results. Every country’s healthcare system is different. Travelers can check the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers website for information on healthcare around the world. Some important things to consider when looking at a country’s healthcare system include the availability of facilities in the cities you’ll be visiting, including hospitals, emergency rooms, and pharmacies.  You should also know how hospitals take payment in the country you’re visiting. Some countries will require upfront payment, even if a traveler has health insurance. If you get sick on your trip, call your travel insurance provider first and the provider can assist you on protocols for the country you’re in. Travelers may have to pay the bill and receive a reimbursement later.  Bring your own travel essentials These days, bringing your own disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer is always a good idea. When it comes to hotel rooms, rental cars, restaurants, and other locations throughout your vacation, you can never really know how clean any surface is. It’s best to keep some disinfecting wipes with you in a carry-on or personal item. On an airplane or in a rental car, a quick wipe down of any touch screens, arm rests, trays, or other common surfaces could prevent coming into contact with a lot of germs.  Hotels should be stepping up their cleaning game, but you can never be too sure how clean your room will be. In the case of an Airbnb or Vrbo rental, you can’t really request new sheets. If you want to be sure your sheets are clean, Raymond, The Travelling Foodie, recommends bringing your own set of sheets. This might seem inconvenient when it comes to luggage space, but having a dedicated set of clean travel sheets, even if you’re in a hotel, could protect you from contact with all sorts of germs.  If you prefer a certain type of sheet or pillow over another, bringing your favorites could also help you get a better night’s sleep! Get enough sleep Similar to staying hydrated, getting enough sleep is another measure to take when trying to prevent disease and sickness. Traveling often disrupts our sleep cycles, leaving us fatigued and our immune system compromised.  search Highlight: Sleep can help your immune system. "Many body systems don't function very well on low sleep; among other things, the restorative nature of sleep is necessary to keep pain management, cognitive functioning, and the immune system running. This is why adequate sleep is beneficial to boost the immune system to fight off infections. Studies show that getting more than seven hours of sleep makes people four times less likely to catch a cold compared to people sleeping less than six hours. While poor sleep leads to a weakened immune system, being well-rested enhances the response of the microscopic cells that are vital to fighting viruses, bacteria, and other sources of disease," says Dr. Patricia Celan, M.D. Working around your sleep schedule can be difficult when you’re traveling, but it’s definitely worth it. If you’re changing time zones on your trip, start adjusting your sleep schedule a few days prior to leaving. This will help adjust your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that tells our body when to sleep.  The Sleep Foundation studies the effects of sleep on our bodies and notes that our circadian rhythms crave consistency. Starting to adjust your internal clock before you leave will help you better adjust to the new time zone and get good, quality sleep while you’re traveling. Stay healthy It’s not easy to avoid germs and sickness while traveling, but there are a few things you can do. Keeping your body in the best shape possible will maximize your chances of fighting off any disease or sickness you encounter. It’s important to hydrate, watch what you eat, and get enough good sleep. You can also be prepared by bringing your own sheets, blankets, and pillows when you travel to give you peace of mind about the surfaces you’re touching.  As always, disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer are travel musts in any carry-on or personal bag and can be used to clean common surfaces. Travel insurance is also a great investment and can give peace of mind to any traveler and be a great part of an emergency health plan while abroad.

Guest Post by Hunter Van Ry Traveling to a foreign country is an exciting experience. Visiting a new place that is so different than what you’re used to is unforgettable for most people. One thing that often comes with traveling to a foreign country is being faced with an entirely new language that you may not speak. Most tourists neglect to learn the language of the country they are traveling to before their trip, opting instead to get by with phrase books or simply with English as a common language. Learning the language of the country you’re visiting, however, will certainly enhance your experience and ultimately make your vacation more enjoyable. Let’s take a look at six reasons why learning a foreign language will improve your foreign vacation: 1. It helps you appreciate the country you’re visiting The culture of any given country is heavily rooted in its language. Because of this, a foreigner simply cannot understand certain aspects of the culture without having at least some knowledge of the language. When you visit somewhere new without knowing the language, you only get a surface-level understanding of the culture which can leave you unfulfilled and feeling like you never really visited the country at all. Having even a basic understanding of the language can give you a lot more insight into the country you’re visiting than what most tourists receive. 2. You can visit spots where other tourists don’t go Every country has their hot tourist spots that everybody loves to visit. Although there is nothing wrong with visiting these places, it can certainly be compelling to visit places in the country that only the locals know about. The issue that arises, however, is that if the lesser-known spots don’t receive a lot of tourists then it is much less likely that there will be someone there who speaks English. In France, for example, the main tourist destinations all have staff who speak English, whereas the ones that don’t receive tourists typically don’t. So if you are looking to travel to France then learning to speak French is highly recommended. If you’re traveling to a foreign country for an extended period of time or just going back for a second visit, then taking the time to see the less-popular attractions may be something you would enjoy. 3. Locals will appreciate you more We’ve already established that most tourists fail to learn any amount of a country’s language before visiting. Many locals expect this and will naturally assume that they can’t use their mother tongue to communicate with you. However, if you set yourself apart from the pack and give their language a try, you’re certain to receive a much warmer welcome than those who don’t. After all, learning someone else’s language is a big commitment and shows appreciation for the country and culture. By putting in the effort, you may just get special privileges among locals that others only wish they could receive. 4. You have the opportunity to meet new people Most citizens of a given country do not work in the tourism industry or live in areas that receive a lot of international visitors. Because of this, they may or may not be proficient in English (or whatever your native language may be). This makes it hard to have any sort of meaningful conversation with people should you come across the opportunity. If you are proficient in the language of the country you’re traveling to, you open up the possibility of making new friends that you can not only communicate with, but who can also help you to explore the country. 5. You’ll be prepared to handle situations that other tourists can’t Many countries that receive a fair number of tourists are prepared to help guests with the usual tourist-related activities such as sightseeing, checking into a hotel, or asking for directions. However, you may find yourself in a situation that falls outside the realm of what most tourists encounter such as a visit to the doctor or an unfortunate car accident. Should you be involved in such a situation, knowing even just a bit of the language can go a long way. 6. It can help prevent embarrassing situations Because many embarrassing situations stem from miscommunication, it only makes sense that these sort of situations would arise much more often when different languages are involved. Learning even just the basics of a foreign language can help prevent awkward situations of receiving the wrong meal at a restaurant or having a store clerk get the wrong item for you. This can help your vacation be more relaxing and take away some of the social anxiety that people often experience from being outside of their own country. Vacationing to a foreign country is something that everyone should do at some point in their life. Learning a foreign language before going can make an already exhilarating experience all the better. Put in just a little bit of time and you’ll be thankful you did. Hunter Van Ry is the owner of Frenchplanations, a French-learning website dedicated to those looking to improve their French-language skills. After having spent significant time in both France and Canada, he devotes much of his time teaching others everything he knows about the French language.

Do your thoughts about taking your family on vacation automatically trigger feelings about your current debt status? Do you want to treat your family to a quality getaway without risking putting yourself further in debt? If so, you are not alone. Consumer debt reached approximately $4 trillion at the end of 2018, with the average debt being roughly $12,000 per capita. This means that mounting debt is a factor for many American families. The cost of taking the family on vacation can add a considerable amount to the debt level of American families. According to NYU, 30 percent of families spend an average of $2,000 to $5,000 on family travel. This statistic shows that the fear of family vacations adding to the debt is genuine for many Americans. Here are ten tips to help you plan a budget-friendly family vacation. 1. Decide on a family-friendly destination When deciding on a vacation experience for your family, begin by narrowing down your vacation to a specific destination. This process begins by compiling a list of potential destinations that would be ideal for family travel. Do your research on the family-friendliness of the destination and discuss each option with your loved ones. 2. Avoid peak travel seasons When you book a vacation during the peak travel seasons (spring break, summer vacation, winter break), you can expect to pay the premium across the board for everything from car rentals to lodging. Avoiding these times will yield significant savings on your family vacation. 3. Establish a vacation budget Plan ahead by establishing budget goals for your trip. Decide how much you need to save and how long it will take. Create a weekly or monthly saving plan to cover your trip expenses. 4. Save by planning short trips You can save a ton of money by planning short trips that are packed with fun and excitement. Spending an action-packed weekend can be just as entertaining as spending a full week if you properly plan all aspects of your trip. 5. Look for great deals Hunt for the best deals you can find on luxury destinations, and take your family on a dream vacation for less than you thought you could. You can get a cheap package on a vacation to an exotic destination by looking for a great deal. 6. Get group discounts There is strength in numbers. You can increase the power of your dollar by planning a group vacation with other families. Travel agencies, resorts, and cruise lines often offer discounts for groups. 7. Get creative with lodging options Thinking outside of the box can yield tremendous benefits when planning for your lodging accommodations. Resorts, bed-and-breakfast locations, and the like, may give the enriching, yet cost-efficient options for the lodging you seek. 8. Manage your family’s expectations When traveling, family members can be quite demanding. If you are not careful, meeting the numerous minor demands and requests of your family can end up sending you way over your proposed budget. Avoid this by discussing exactly what is in the plan before leaving for your trip. 9. Plan your activities ahead of your trip Plan plenty of fun activities and get your family’s input during the planning process. This will help create a dynamic experience without the need for excessive spending. This will also help to manage your family's expectations. By planning, you can make sure your family gets a chance to see the best that the destination has to offer. 10. Be flexible Deals will often come in unexpected ways. You may be able to secure tickets at an unbelievably low price or pay half off on some other aspect of your vacation if you are willing to be a bit flexible. Flexibility may mean that you are willing to take your trip on a specific date determined by the deal provider. Many deals are not frequently offered to the public, but with a little inquiring, you may be surprised what you can secure with a few friendly questions. Find out if there are any special time-sensitive rates when planning your trip. The bottom line Don’t let the fear of mounting debt keep your family from enjoying a luxurious vacation in the destination of your choice. Careful budgeting and creative planning can provide the perfect opportunity for your family to set sail on the vacation you all deserve.

Summer is vacation season, and Best Company Finance (@BestCoFinance) has been sharing tips for savvy travelers all June, including ways to prevent identity theft, find the best flight deals, and secure wallet-friendly travel packages. We’ve compiled the gist of the advice in this article for your information — if you save wisely for your next trip, you could have money left over for another! Plan with the mission to save money If you want to save while you travel, the key is always planning ahead. You should budget for a vacation like you budget for your everyday and monthly expenses: Sean Fox, Freedom Debt Relief“Start by deciding what not to do: go into debt. While it’s important to take a break, it’s more important to avoid taking a trip you cannot afford.”Acquania Escarne, The Purpose of Money“Have a vacation fund and each paycheck deposit money into this separate bank account for your next vacation. This ensures you always have money set aside for traveling. When a good flight or hotel deal comes along, you have the money to pay for it. I would set an amount that you know you can afford. If your monthly income is limited, start small will $25–50 per paycheck. Then increase the amount you save as your income increases or you get bonuses.”Devon Nagle, Priceline“Research destinations that are beginning to capture the imagination of savvy travelers, but have not reached peak popularity. Establish the criteria that matter most, then research destinations that are on the rise. Rates often fall below those found in the most popular destinations, and the experience of being in-the-know — and avoiding crowds — is its own luxury.” Ben Watson, Dollar Sprout“Instead of just giving yourself a lump sum for the whole trip, break the funds into manageable pieces for travel, lodging, eating, excursions, and unexpected items. From the larger categories, consider dividing it up into daily spending limits so that you have money left over for the end of the trip instead of having to scrape pennies or go into debt just to get home.” Tweak your travel timing You may be limited by your professional and social obligations, but flexibility offers the best travel deals. Choosing off-season, off-day, and off-hour agendas will lower your costs:Alexandra Demosthenes, Investment Advisory Professionals, LLC“Traveling on shoulder months, months just before and after peak season months, is a great way to get more value out of your vacation plans.”Andrew D’Amours, FlyTrippers“Either you're flexible on the dates or you're flexible on the destination. If you don't prioritize finding a cheap flight, you won't find a cheap flight. I keep a list of a couple destinations I'm interested in instead of just one like most people do, so I am exponentially more likely to find a deal.”Sean Fox, Freedom Debt Relief“Make lunch the main dining-out experience. Lunches are often less expensive than dinners at restaurants, so take advantage of that.Look at online calendars of zoos, museums and botanic gardens to see if they offer free days while you are visiting. Also check the websites of local libraries where you’ll be visiting. Many offer free or discounted tickets to attractions when you sign up in advance.”Devon Nagle, Priceline“If your schedule allows, try to plan a vacation for a mid-week stay, rather than one that spans a weekend. The rates should be more reasonable.” Research transportation options To get a deal on flights, cars, and taxis, you need to know what the transportation typically costs and whether it will be worthwhile: Danielle Desir, The Thought Card“I recommend establishing a flight price baseline. . . . do some research to figure out how much on average it costs to go to a destination. After determining the average, aim to beat that price. Bonus points if you turn it into a game!” Acquania Escarne, The Purpose of Money “I recently visited Panama and decided to rent a vehicle to get to the beach but took local transportation in Panama City. The train was only a quarter per passenger and taxis were a couple of dollars. It was much cheaper taking local transportation in the city than renting a car. However, to get to our beach hotel it was going to cost about $100 to get to the beach, one way. We spent $100 to rent a car for the entire time. So in that case, it made sense to rent a car and then use it to get to all the tourist activities, restaurants, and hiking sites near our beach hotel.” Bundle your travel costs On a vacation, you want to live a stress-free, luxury lifestyle anyway. Take out the hassle and added costs by bundling: Devon Nagle, Priceline“‘Bundled’ or ‘packaged’ bookings — securing a flight, hotel and/or a car simultaneously, versus separately — can yield hundreds of dollars in savings. Exclusive rates can often only be secured when used in a bundled transaction. On Priceline, the average traveler saves $240 per transaction when booking a bundle. The savings can be applied to experiences, such as restaurants, day trips and other attractions, that elevate its ‘luxury’ feel.” Work with your credit cards A credit card can be your best friend or your worst enemy on the road. This will largely depend on the type of card you use: Alex Tran, WeLoveEatTravel.com“Want to save even more money? Book the discounted fare through your travel/rewards portal on your travel credit cards. I have CSR (Chase Sapphire reserve), which gives me 30 percent off points when I book travel through their portal. So instead of paying $213 for my flight, I actually only paid $138 using points!” Alexandra Demosthenes, Investment Advisory Professionals, LLC“If you are travelling abroad make sure to use a credit or debit card that has no foreign transaction fees. There are many cards on the market now that offer this benefit with no annual fee.” Ivan Chong, Lazy Finances“Pay for everything with a credit card. Here’s why: Fraudulent charges are easier to resolve on a credit card than a debit card; . . . easier to track spending against your budget; some credit cards have trip insurance; get cash back!” Keep your bank in the know You don’t want your card to get locked when you’re abroad, particularly if you don’t have access to your phone internationally: Erica James, EricaJamesTravel.com“Prior to departure, I contact my bank and my credit card company and notify them of my travel destination and travel dates to avoid banking issues while traveling. One time I did not do this and tried to use my credit card in Mexico and my bank declined me and cut off my card. I had to call to get it turned back on. I never made that mistake again.” Protect your money and your person While a lot of your financial security is now done digitally, you also need to remember to protect your physical cards, documents, and cash: Carrie Pasquarello, Global Secure Resources“Make sure to understand local scams and crime trends. One of the most common techniques used by criminals in tourist spots around the world is the ‘distraction method.’ Be alert to anyone trying to distract your attention. Blend in with the local population, avoid looking like a tourist and leave your USA T-shirts at home. Purchase an under-clothing money belt to keep your passports and money safe and secure. ” Secure your Wi-Fi connection While you’re wary of getting pickpocketed on the street in another place, you also need to be wary of open virtual spaces: Justin Lavelle, BeenVerified.com“It’s likely that while traveling, you’ll use free Wi-Fi to access the internet, possibly at the airport, hotel, coffee shops and other public places. If you are using free Wi-Fi, be sure to log out of all personal accounts and never make transactions or pay bills while on public Wi-Fi. A better option is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).“ If you want to travel more often, find ways to reign in your spending with each trip. Protect your assets, be creative, and follow the experts for more advice on planning your dream vacation.

Polling data from Branded Research found that about 50 percent of U.S. consumers have been on a romantic getaway, while 34 percent have not, but would like to go. Five out of ten people prefer to go to the beach for a romantic time with that special someone. From there, 18 percent would prefer a trip to the countryside, 12 percent would find a trip to a special city romantic, while 11 percent think that a snowy mountain trip would be the best. What makes a trip romantic? It depends on who you are asking. If you are looking to plan for a romantic anniversary, engagement, or holiday trip, where should you start?We asked travel experts and romantics alike for some advice to turn your trip into a special, romantic getaway. Location: Where should you go or stay? “Nothing screams romantic more than having a gorgeous backdrop. We are suckers for beach getaways so having a place where we can soak up the sunset in complete bliss wins for us both every day.” — Jessica Armstrong, Glamping Hub“That you actually "get away" ! While staycations can be great every now and then, true romantic getaways are best when you're able to disconnect from everything and everyone in your life and just spend time with each other.” — Kylie, Leaving Kyliefornia“Location is key for a perfect romantic getaway, as is the resort you choose to stay in. In fact, your surroundings are everything when it comes to being romantic, whether it's a stay in Paris to watch the Eiffel Tower light up together, or a trip to Venice to admire the scenic views on a gondola.   Booking a surprise getaway is the most romantic element of all; receiving a holiday that you didn’t need to plan or book means you can enjoy a break away with complete ease and shows thoughtfulness and sentiment. To plan an anniversary or Valentine's trip, make a list of places your partner has previously mentioned they want to visit in the past, and note down the features of a holiday that you would both enjoy. Connecting on a holiday away can be done in so many ways, from booking secluded resorts for you to both simply enjoy each other’s company, to booking specialized programs that benefit you as a couple. Alternatively, enjoy excursions which spark memories from your time together, or create new ones.” — Frances Geoghegan, Managing Director at Healing Holidays“Key ingredients for the perfect romantic getaway should include a destination that has a combination of being both quiet and remote, while also having a special experience to share.  One of our favorite romantic getaways is going to California's central coast. We stay in Cambria, a charming small town on the coast with just enough restaurants and shops to fulfill a couple easy hours. Our main activity is visiting the Hearst Castle, which is fascinating and romantic in itself. We might do a little wine tasting and squeeze in a walk by the beach, but there's still plenty of time to relax in the room together with just the two of us. Beyond the castle, the agenda is light and easy, making the overall weekend relaxing, and the drive there is beautiful too.    When I think big city, there's so many sites to see, places to go, and things to do. While this might be a fun trip, if you want a romantic trip, you should remove a lot of the distractions so that you can focus on your partner.” — Zack Taylor, Life Insurance 420“Go somewhere that’s cold so you can cuddle up to your loved one. Sure a tropical getaway sounds exciting, but nothing is as romantic as being able to keep warm together whether it’s in front of the fire or lounging in a jacuzzi. Bring on the snow to really see sparks fly.” — Susanna Williams, The Inn At Patrick Square“The key ingredient is to leave all the worries and work behind. The positive mindset is the key to the perfect romantic getaway. The other important factor is choosing the right place to stay. Boutique hotels, small resorts are so much better than big hotel chains. It's always good to travel off the beaten path, to be able to discover unknown places with your partner.Even if you choose to take a romantic city break to the big city, there is always something interesting to see there that is not so popular. Avoid tourist places, go to the outskirts of the city, visit local restaurants.” — Karolina Klesta, Lazy Travel Food and drink: Where should you eat? Everyone enjoys trying a new restaurant. One of my personal favorites in town is a replica of one of the most romantic structures in the world — the Eiffel Tower. Not only is the restaurant top-rated, but it's high above the strip, and it's located across the street from the Bellagio fountains. I highly suggest going during the evening so couples can take in the water show at the same time. — Jenna Phillips, Independent VIP Host, Vegas Primer“At the Marble Bar tasting rooms in Aspen and Carbondale, guests can imbibe on chocolate and spirit pairings with flavor profiles complementing a vodka-chocolate flight and a whiskey-chocolate flight.” — Lea Tucker, Aspen Skiing Company Activities: What should you plan to do on a romantic trip? “Include opportunities to connect on a personal level...perhaps some fun board or card games, shared activities like a two person jetted tub in a spa-like environment, couple's massage, cuddling up by a fire, and enjoying a favorite movie.” — Stephen Fofanoff, Innkeeper at Domaine Madeleine“My favorite romantic trip is when we’re exploring an entirely new country together and going on an adventure. Trying new foods for the first time and listening to new music can bring us closer than I ever thought. When you’re getting lost in city streets, you’ll find new and exciting areas you’ve never experienced before. This has brought me closer to my significant other than any other vacation.” — Susanna Williams, The Inn At Patrick Square“Private activities for two, especially something you both have never experienced before. This can be anywhere from horseback riding on the beach at sunset to ziplining through the jungle. We love having new experiences for the first time. Glamping is a big one couples tend to choose in order to have an adventure with added comforts and luxury from a unique place.” — Jessica Armstrong, Glamping Hub“Midweek retreats are a great way for couples to reconnect, and it's also nice because it's always a little quieter since most kids are in school. RiverWalk Resort at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire is the perfect winter getaway with many romantic experiences for couples to take advantage of, like ice skating, wine tasting, couple’s massage or spa treatments, an outdoor heated pool, snowshoeing and snowmobiling.” — Sharyn Frankel, RiverWalk Resort “Go on an Adrenaline Adventure: Scientific studies suggest that whenever you're in anxiety or adrenaline-producing situations with your significant other, sexual attraction increases. For my couples, I recommend racing exotic cars on a speedway, a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, or an off-roading experience.” — Jenna Phillips, Independent VIP Host, Vegas Primer“Here, locals believe that the key ingredient to a perfect romantic getaway is authenticity, which helps couples bond.  Include some exhilarating outdoor activities like zip lining or paddle boarding. Take a romantic stroll around a historic downtown and top everything off with a fresh, home-cooked meal.” — Susan Smith, Visit Bastrop Relax: How can you de-stress and enjoy your vacation? “Don't bring work with you. Find ways to unplug and de-stress together. Enjoy the surroundings and be pampered. Spend the day in robes and slippers, or go out for a bike ride together in the nearby countryside.” — Stephen Fofanoff, Innkeeper at Domaine Madeleine “To be in a romantic mood, it helps to be relaxed. And, in my opinion, there's nothing better to elicit feelings of relaxation than spending time outdoors. To get away from the casinos, I suggest a trip to Red Rock Canyon. It's a fantastic day trip because you can drive the 13-mile scenic loop with points of interest stops along the way. Or you can park and go hiking along one of the many trails. The scenery is phenomenal.” — Jenna Phillips, Independent VIP Host, Vegas Primer“The key ingredient for a perfect romantic getaway is solitude and an escape from electronic devices. Nothing is romantic when you’re screaming over a crowd. And when you’re glued to your cell phone or computer, you might as well be back at the house. Instead, book a cabin in a secluded mountain and disconnect from your devices. Spend time getting to know your loved one again and you’ll feel as if you’re on your first date.” — Susanna Williams, The Inn At Patrick Square“Go somewhere tropical, order a piña colada, and leave your phone in the room. By living in the present a truly spending time with your significant other, you'll remember why you two fell in love in the first place.” — Kylie, Leaving Kyliefornia Be flexible: What happens if things don’t go to plan? “Be flexible. Your flight may be canceled or you may have noisy neighbours. No matter what will happen, try to be flexible and have fun.My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The first week was amazing: we were sunbathing, trying local food and having lots of fun. Then, we both got terrible food poisoning. We both spent the next week either in bed or on a toilet. Surprisingly, it hasn't ruined our honeymoon. We've been talking a lot, especially about the things that we would have done if we weren't sick! This week had really strengthened our relationship, we've been more like best friends than lovers.” — Karolina Klesta, Lazy Travel

When it comes to new technology companies, it's easy to get swept up in the novelty. One favorite object of gushing from the media and online hipsters alike has been booking site Airbnb, which (for the uninitiated out there) allows normal folks ("hosts" per the company's own jargon) to rent out their homes, private rooms, boats, castles, treehouses, and more for short-term use by travelers ("guests"). Hosts can put their digs up on the site and which dates the property is available, and then guests can search the site and get matched with a slew of properties that match their criteria. Photos, descriptions, and reviews from past guests help them pick the right one for their travel plans. Since its inception in 2008, Airbnb has been hailed as a disruptor to the sometimes deceptive and ineffective online hotel booking marketing. It's been listed as one of the next generation of multibillion-dollar startups buy the New York Times. And it has been credited with single-handedly bringing $56 million in tourism dollars to the San Francisco area. They even helped provide free housing to people left homeless by Hurricane Sandy. So with all this praise being bestowed upon Airbnb, what's not to like? With so much going right, there are some things that still go wrong for their customers, hosts and guests alike. Read online review sites about Airbnb and you quickly come across some recurring themes, bad customer experiences that seem to happen again and again. In our research of Airbnb reviews across the Web, these are the seven Airbnb horror stories we noticed were most frightening and most common: 1. Last-Minute "Verification" For the protection of hosts and their property, Airbnb verifies the identities of guest prior to their stays in others' lodgings. Unfortunately, the timing of these verification procedures is often cut uncomfortably close-and sometimes it completely ruins someone's travel plans. One Airbnb review on SiteJabber recalls a situation where this verification came as a complete surprise, and to a guest who had already paid for his stay well in advance: "At the last minute, practically on the eve of my departure, they suspended my account and canceled my paid reservation without explanation. I only found out through a private message from my chosen host as I was packing to leave. When I tried to correct Airbnb over the matter, they demanded a copy of my passport, access to my Facebook and Google accounts, and reconfirmation of my cell number. I didn't want a last-minute derailment of my plans so I unwisely complied. After all that, they wrote that my already 30 days ahead paid reservation was illegitimate and that my account was suspended." To make matters worse, Airbnb's customer service team was less than responsive, and the guest was unable to get a refund from the company for his or her trouble. Sadly, this situation is all too common in Airbnb reviews. Other stories tell of guests, uncomfortable giving up so much of their personal information during the verification process, finally just giving up and booking a hotel to save themselves the trouble and inconvenience. In the end, guests and hosts find the Airbnb verification process to be too much of a burden. 2. Bad Houseguests Airbnb problems don't happen only to guests. Hosts have complained about the lack of protection for their properties from rowdy guests. This review on TrustPilot tells an all-too-common tale: "I rented my cabin through Airbnb last month. My cleaning lady went there to clean it. She texted me right away to alert that the guests smoked weed/marijuana inside the property and the whole house is in a bad condition. We could not rent the place for a few weeks as a result of weed smoking of Airbnb guests who were absolutely disrespectful. I contacted Airbnb to compensate for the damages. Airbnb do not require deposit and guests literally can do what they want." While this does not seem to be the norm with Airbnb, the story was common enough to catch our attention. Other similar stories involve guests who claim to be quiet suburban families but then turn out to be dozens of party-goers who leave meth pipes, trashed houses, and missing items in their wake as evidence of their debauchery. It's worth noting here that Airbnb does offer insurance coverage for this type of craziness, according to their "Host Protection Insurance" page: "If a guest suffers bodily injury or damages property at your building during a stay, Airbnb's Host Protection Insurance program is designed to protect you for covered claims up to $1 million per occurrence." Although this insurance is there to clean up the aftermath, it is clear that many hosts have been miffed by the inability of Airbnb to prevent bad guest behavior in the first place. And it's unclear how easy or difficult it is to qualify for this coverage. 3. Meaningless Reviews When it comes to picking a place to stay in a strange, new place, pretty photos and polished descriptions from a host only mean so much. With guest reviews, on the other hand, the rubber really meets the road. Unfortunately, since guests and hosts can review each other on Airbnb, these reviews tend to be overly positive, to the point of being both unbelievable and frustrating, as explained by Forbes contributor Seth Porges in his article "The Strange Game Theory of Airbnb Reviews": "[I]f one person leaves a negative review on the other, the subject of the review could be annoyed or offended enough to strike back with a negative review of their own. When this system was in place on Airbnb, I would rush to leave a (usually positive, at worst neutral) review as quickly as I could. If I felt that the guest expressed anything other than enthusiastic joy with their experience, I would make doubly sure to leave a review first. The idea being that they would be more likely to deliver a positive review to somebody who had just showered them with praise in a public forum. After all, just as it's tempting to retaliate against somebody who has hurt you, it's human to want to reciprocate niceties." So imagine you're a guest reading reviews to determine the quality of an apartment in New Orleans. Instead of getting the honest reviews you need to make sure you're not signing up for a complete hole, you get a bunch of rosy reviews designed to not incur the wrath of the host. Unless you learn how to read between the lines, you could very well end up in the hole you sought to avoid. Hosts trying to assess the trustworthiness of a guest could similarly find themselves deceived by deceptively favorable reviews. Next thing they know, they're missing a flatscreen television, their drywall has a bunch of holes, and meth pipes are everywhere. 4. No Protection Against Fraud Although Airbnb does offer some protection against bad guests and guest damage, the same can't be said for fraudulent activity against their customers. An alarming number of Airbnb reviews told of email scammers using the company's name to trick customers into giving away critical personal and financial information. According to one such story from the site (I kid you not) AirbnbHell.com, an Airbnb customer received an email with information about an available apartment and inviting him or her to reply if interested. The scammer then walked the customer through a fake process, including convincing him or her to send money to a bank account in Poland. When the customer didn't receive any further information from the fake host, he or she contacted Airbnb customer service and was informed that the email was a fake and that there was little they could do recoup the money lost. It goes without saying here that customers of any online business need to know the warning signs of email fraud. Take note also that Airbnb, like most online businesses, can do little to protect its customers from or prevent this kind of email fraud. The responsibility rests on consumers to be smart about the emails they respond to. 5. Can't Review We've already discussed the Airbnb review system, and how it keeps hosts and guests sort-of honest, but what if a host bails on you at the last minute, leaving you to scramble to find lodging elsewhere? According to Airbnb's system, even though you've just been shafted by a host and your review could be very insightful to future guests, you can't leave a review about the host. Consider this experience from one such unlucky guest, as submitted on AirbnbHell.com: "The host cancelled as we were standing outside trying to check in. My phone pinged with the alert, the host chose to ignore my repeated phone calls and attempts to contact her. Her explanation was a single email stating that she could only accommodate one person and not two but we were renting her whole apartment that is advertised for couples or small families... Airbnb has no legitimate system in place to help travelers when a host doesn't honor their commitment. And they don't allow you to review the host if you didn't actually stay at their place, so their star rating and reviews mean nothing. Never rent from Phoebe Fleming at 63 Melcher St., Boston, MA, and probably don't ever book a trip with Airbnb that you aren't prepared to have go totally awry!" 6. Trouble Getting Refunds You'd think that, with such a high propensity for cancelled stays on the part of hosts and guests, Airbnb would have a pretty streamlined system for issuing refunds. If reviews are to be believed, alas, such is not the case. Review after review complains about difficulty getting refunds after a failed stay. The lucky ones seem to be those who can at least secure a partial refund. One horror story told of a couple who found their host AWOL, the apartment they'd rented occupied inexplicably by two students, and the apartment in poor shape (think no electricity in some rooms and bad odors), all of which was enough to drive the couple out after one night when they'd paid for four: "We tried to get a refund from Alan (the host) but no joy. Airbnb got involved - still no refund though Airbnb gave us a token £27 refund (we paid £217 in total). This was the worst night we have ever had anywhere and our advice is not to touch Airbnb." 7. Shabby Safety Features When it comes to safety, staying in a hotel or resort is one thing. These forms of lodging usually come equipped with smoke detectors, security staff, etc. But what about when you're essentially just crashing at someone's house? To be fair, Airbnb does strongly encourage their hosts to make their abodes as safe as possible for their guests. A message on their "Responsible Hosting" page reads: "We encourage hosts to think carefully about their responsibilities. Hosting offers rich experiences, but it comes with a certain level of commitment." The page goes onto to offer a toll-free hotline for neighbors of hosts and recommend providing emergency numbers, first aid kits, smoke detectors, etc. But these are just that: recommendations. Not requirements. This can result in some dicey situations for guests. One review submitted with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) told of guests awoken in the middle of the night to find a fire consuming the third floor of the apartment building they were staying in: "At no point did a fire alarm or any sort of smoke detector alert us. It was only by the simple grace that one of my family members happened to be awake at 3am and noticed something." Especially when booking through Airbnb in other countries, guests should understand the risks involved. Their lodging might have few to no safety features. Is Airbnb worth it? Lower cost is usually what draws travelers to Airbnb, as opposed to Expedia or Travelocity. With that lower cost, however, seems to come a higher level of risk. It's not that can't have a terrible experience booking through Hotels.com-my own personal experience with a Tempe extended stay and a crack pipe proves as much. But Airbnb, for all its innovation and ingenuity, seems to be behind the game when it comes to customer service and contingencies. To be absolutely fair, Airbnb has an A+ rating with the BBB. They are loved by most of their customers and media folks alike. A relatively small number of online reviews don't necessarily reflect the experiences of all customers. But any customers or potential Airbnb customers need to understand what exactly comes with their Airbnb reservation, the good, the annoying, and the potentially hazardous. See how we, here at bestcompany.com, and our users rated Airbnb here!