Travel Reservations

Your Weekend Getaway Reservations

• Once you reach the desired hotel’s website, look for their Deals or Packages tab to discover seasonal, last-minute, romantic, family, and other types of offers.
• Many attractions that we write about offer tours that you can book ahead of time.
• If you prefer to rent a house so that you can have the whole place to yourself, it will take some digging, but with so many options out there, you are bound to find the perfect place.

Airline Reservations

• Using online tools such as Google Flights can save you time when booking flights.
• Be sure to play around with dates—sometimes a day or two can make a significant difference in price.
• Check your rewards miles and points to see if you have enough for a free airline ticket.
• If you are fortunate to have a generous relative who travels a lot for work, they can gift you the miles as well.
• Be sure to sign up for frequent flier miles and add them to your reservation.

Vacation Budgeting Tips

Before you start booking your trip, be sure to add up the cost of:

• transportation (airline tickets and car rental)
• accommodations (hotel room or home rental)
• meals
• tours and activities
• hotel occupancy taxes
• resort fees
• parking fees
• baggage fees
• miscellaneous costs
• and insurance.

If it turns out that you are over your budget, don't give up on your dream trip just yet. Instead, look for alternate dates, cheaper destinations that will provide a similar set of activities, or more affordable accommodations nearby.

Some ways to save include off-season travel, last minute deals and discounted package options. Preparing some of your own meals on vacation can provide considerable savings as well.

Honeymoon Planning and Booking Tips

Planning a once in a lifetime trip to a far away destination can be fun but also tiring because there is so much to consider. Couples overwhelmed by wedding preparations can hire an experienced Travel Agent, also known as a Travel Advisor, to take care of the details. This is a good place to start.

Consider setting up a honeymoon registry to pay for your honeymoon.

Should You Use an Online Travel Agency (OTA)

• We've often used an OTA especially when booking more complex itineraries with multiple flights, hotels, car rentals, and activities.
• It's worth shopping around because OTAs sometimes secure lower prices on hotel rooms and flights.
• OTAs let you shorten research time, keep all the reservations in one place, and get an alert about flight changes.
• You also earn points to use toward future travel and a higher level of service.

Travel Insurance - Is it Worth It

Travel insurance can save the day if something unexpected happens. It's easy to get a quick quote online.

However, be sure to read the fine print to see exactly what is covered and what isn't. That way you can avoid paying a premium for something that you might not need.

Can You Use AI Tools to Book Your Trip

While you can't book your travel that way yet, AI tools like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini can be a valuable research and travel planning tool.

It can be fun to brainstorm ideas with an AI tool which may lead to unexpected itinerary options.

Often AI answers include links to hotels, restaurants and attractions where you can book directly.

If You Are Still Overwhelmed

• It is our hope that our content and tips will make you feel empowered and confident to choose a great vacation idea and book using one of the above methods.
• However, we understand that everyone is different and that planning the perfect trip can get overwhelming.
• If you tried the above tips/research tools and still feel overwhelmed, you can book a 1-hour consulting call with us.
• Please note that this is a luxury service and that travel booking is NOT included.
• The fee is for a 1-hour phone call consultation.
• We reserve the right to refund you and cancel this PayPal payment for any reason.
• Several of our team members lived on the road in vacation rentals for years at a time in places like New Zealand, Austria, Scotland, New York, Texas, and many more.
• We have an extensive knowledge of many destinations, airlines, hotel chains, and various booking tools.