Perhaps the best way to keep costs as low as possible is to choose the smallest, most economical car you and your family are comfortable with. Choosing a compact, subcompact or economy car makes sense on a number of levels. For one thing, such budget rental cars are generally less pricey to rent in the first place.

Another essential consideration is petrol mileage. You as the renter of the car will be responsible for keeping it gassed up, including topping off the tank before returning it. Buying a car that gets great mileage will definitely help your travel budget stretch farther.

In the event that you require a larger rental car or minivan, it is important to shop around for the best deal you can find. While it is important to shop around no matter what type of car you are considering, it is even more important when trying to budget rental cars for which there is a lot of demand, like convertibles, minivans or SUV’s.

Careful investigation via a number of travel-related web sites, as well as at the web sites of the budget rental car companies themselves, is usually the finest way to grab the best deal.

1. Minimum Seven Day Budget Rental Vehicles

How long you intend to rent the vehicle can have a huge impact on the cost as well. Weekly rentals are often far less costly than a comparable daily rate spread over a week. So if your vacation plans are for a week or more, be sure to inquire about special rates.

2. Membership of a Rent-a Car Club

Membership of a frequent renter club or using the same rental car company each time is a great way to get some special coupons and some very good deals. In addition, most budget rental car companies associate with at least one airline to provide frequent flyer miles or other types of rewards when you rent a budget rental car.

Plus, most airlines run bonus programs where you get extra miles or extra credit. So be sure to inquire about these bonuses when making your reservation.

3. Levels of Insurance Coverage

Here’s an excellentt way to save money and keep your budget, while taking rental car, low is not to buy things you do not need. In most cases, this means waiving the optional collision insurance coverage offered by the rental car company.

The majority of budget rental car companies really push insurance. However you should note that in most cases you are already covered and can decline the extras cover. For example, most automobile insurance policies already provide collision coverage for budget rental cars, so be sure to check with your car insurance company before starting to plan your vacation.

In the event your insurance company does not cover your rental car, chances are one of your credit card companies does. Many credit cards provide coverage for rental car paid for with the card, so be sure to check with your credit card company to see if they offer this coverage.

4. Used Rental Car Option

This is a further method to retain rental car costs to a minimum, and one that many people are unaware of, is renting a used budget rental car. There are a number of large national companies, and a number of smaller local companies as well, that rent used rental cars at a much lower price than comparable new cars. In most cases, these rental cars are only a few years old, and they provide the same protection, and the same transportation as more costly new budget rental cars.

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Have you ever been tempted by an enticing travel offer on the phone? How about  the following:

“Hi there (sucker)…you have been specially selected to receive our SPECTACULAR LUXURY DREAM VACATION offer! ”

Maybe you were tempted to sign up to win a “free” trip at a fair, trade show or restaurant? If so, you may get a phone call, letter, unsolicited fax, email or postcard telling you that you’ve won a vacation. Be careful. It may be a “trip trap.” The vacation that you’ve “won” likely isn’t free. And the “bargain-priced” travel package you’re offered over the telephone or Internet may not fit your idea of luxury.

Some travel offers marketed over the phone or offered through the mail, Internet or by fax are legitimate. However, many are scams that defraud consumers out of millions of dollars each month.

Note that  “offer” can be a clue to hidden charges. When you get the phone call, or place the call in response to a postcard, letter, fax or Internet ad, you also get a sales pitch for a supposedly luxurious trip – one that you could pay dearly for.

Sometimes the salesperson may ask for your credit card number to bill your account for the travel package. Once you pay, you receive the details of the “package,” which usually include instructions for making trip reservation requests. Your request often must be accompanied by yet another fee. In addition, many offers require you to pay upgrade costs to receive the actual destinations, accommodations, cruises or dates you were promised. Some offers may require you to pay more for port charges, hotel taxes or service fees.

Can you follow that a pattern  is developing? New charges are being added every step of the way. You may never get your “bargain” trip because your reservations may not be confirmed or because you must comply with hard-to-meet hidden or expensive “conditions.”

Undoubtedly telemarketing travel scams usually originate out of “boiler rooms.” Skilled salespeople, often with years of experience selling dubious products and services over the phone, pitch travel packages that may sound legitimate, but often are not. These pitches usually include:

Oral Misrepresentations. Particular schemes vary, but all fraudulent telemarketers promise you a “deal” they can’t possibly deliver. Unfortunately, you won’t know it until your money’s gone.

High Pressure/Time Pressure Tactics. Scam operators often say they need your commitment to buy immediately or that the offer won’t be available much longer. They typically brush aside questions or concerns with vague answers or assurances.

“Affordable” Offers. Unlike fraudulent telemarketers who try to persuade people to spend thousands of dollars on an investment scheme, fraudulent travel telemarketers usually pitch club membership or vacation offers in a lower price range. The offers sound reasonable and are designed to appeal to anyone who is looking for a getaway.

Contradictory Follow-up Material. Some companies may agree to send you written confirmation of your deal. However, it usually bears little resemblance to the offer you accepted over the phone. The written materials often disclose additional terms, conditions and costs.

Tips To Protect Yourself

Nasty surprises can ruin a vacation, especially when they cost money. That’s why it pays to investigate a travel package before you buy. But it can be difficult to tell a legitimate sales pitch from a fraudulent one. Consider these travelers’ advisories:
Be wary of “great deals” and low-priced offers. Few legitimate businesses can afford to give away products and services of real value or substantially undercut other companies’ prices.

Never allow yourself to be pressured into buying. A good offer today usually will be a good offer tomorrow. Legitimate businesses don’t expect you to make snap decisions.
Ask detailed questions. Find out exactly what the price covers and what it doesn’t. Ask about additional charges. Get the names of the hotel, airports, airlines and restaurants included in your package. Consider contacting these businesses directly to verify arrangements. Ask about cancellation policies and refunds. If the salesperson can’t give you detailed answers, hang up.

Now in the event you decide to buy, find out the name of the travel provider – the company that is getting your reservations and tickets. This company usually is not the telemarketer.
Get all information in writing before you agree to buy. Once you receive the written information, make sure it reflects what you were told over the phone and the terms you agreed to.

Never purchase a part of the package – the air fare or hotel stay – separately from the rest. If the deal is not what you expected, it may be difficult to get your money back for the part of the package you purchased.

Never...never… give your credit card number or bank information over the phone unless you know the company. One easy way for a scam operator to close a deal is to get your credit card number and charge your account. Sometimes fraudulent telemarketers say they need the number for verification purposes only. Don’t believe them.

Never forward money by messenger or overnight mail. Some scam artists may ask you to send them a check or money order immediately. Others may offer to send a messenger to pick up your payment. If you pay with cash or a check, rather than a credit card, you lose your right to dispute fraudulent charges under the Fair Credit Billing Act. If you charged your trip to a credit card, you may dispute the charges by writing to your credit card issuer at the address provided for billing disputes. If possible, do this as soon as you receive your statement. In any case, the law gives you up to 60 days after the bill’s statement date to dispute the charge.

Investigate the travel company before you buy. Contact the Attorney General in your state or where the company is located to see if any complaints have been lodged against the travel firm or the travel provider. Be aware that fraudulent businesses often change their names to avoid detection.

And always, if in doubt, say “no.” Trust your instincts. It’s less risky to turn down the offer and hang up the phone.

Ripped Off ? Then Who Do You Complain To

There are a number of organizations that will provide additional information and help you with complaints.

Your state Attorney General or the Attorney General in the state where the company is located probably has a division that deals with consumer protection issues.

The American Society of Travel Agents, Consumer Affairs, at 1101 King Street, Alexandria,VA 22314, may be able to mediate your dispute with an ASTA member.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

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• Tip # 1. The Hideous Ring Around the Collar – Dirty neck rings around shirt or blouse collars can be removed by putting shampoo on them. Rub the shampoo in as if you were washing your hair. Shampoo is specifically made to remove body oils the “ingredient” of neck rings.

• Tip # 2.  Gum Removal – We all know we can pick up just about anything on the soles of your shoes. Removing gum can seem like one of the most difficult things to do. The solution? Rub ice on the gum to harden it and then use a dull knife to remove the gum. The gum will come right off without damaging your soles.

• Tip # 3. – Ways to Kill Those  Flies -  How annoying those flying insects in your hotel room can be. Hair spray will kill flies and most other insects.

• Tip # 4.  - How to Dry Your Wet Magazines and Books -  On both sides of a wet page, position paper towels to absorb the moisture and prevent wrinkling.

• Tip # 5.  -  How to Eliminate Onion or Fish Smells on Hands -  If you cannot get rid of onion or fish smells on your hands try this.  Wet them, sprinkle them generously with salt, and rinse.

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Tip # 1.  Perhaps this is obvious. Many people don’t bother to find out the most basic things about the country they will travel to. You should do this to avoid surprise or disappointment.

Tip # 2. Study the kind of weather you will find where you are going. If you live in Florida and travel to northern Greenland, you will be in for a shock unless you know that much colder weather is normal there.

Tip # 3. Ensure the medical and general insurance coverage you have (you do have, don’t you?) is adequate for your destination.

Tip # 4. Make sure you have all the paperwork and documentation required for your trip? If not, get it!

Tip # 5. Ensure you are immunized against against diseases where you are going? Check and find out before getting exposed.

Tip # 6. In the event you plan on driving in the place you intend to travel to, check that you have an acceptable licence. You may need an international driving licence, for example. And are you familiar with the local driving laws where you are going? If not, become familiar, fast.

Tip # 7. And lastly, and the most important tip one of all: is your passport up to date? And if not, do you have enough time to renew it before you set off? You’d be surprised, amazed even, at how many people get this one wrong.

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So, as the saying goes, if you have champagne taste on a beer budget, let’s get going.
We’ll explore a few techniques on how you can enjoy luxury travel on a budget.

A laid out plan will be the most important aspect of obtaining luxury deals and accommodations without spending any more money than a lower rated resort.  Travel in style with the following strategies.

Top Tip #1.   Affinity And Loyalty Programs.

Capitalize on the flexibility and leverage you have in the competitive travel industry.  Many companies want your business and offer lots of incentives to compete for your travel funds and to keep you as a customer.

For example, if you provide a service, you typically look out for your best customers and give extra perks to keep them coming back. These companies reward travelers who remain loyal to them with unadvertised specials and extras.  This is the general idea behind frequent traveler programs and such.

Top Tip #2. Locate The Best Travel Specialists To Work With.

As you’re researching destinations and comparing pricing online, note that all online travel companies aren’t equal.  Lots of agencies have preferred status with suppliers who can in turn pass on these deals to you.

Again, this is just like we talked about earlier, only this time, the companies and suppliers are getting the great deals to pass on to you.

Top Tip #3. Change Problems Into Opportunities.

Choose a few top-notch companies that you would like to use over and over again so that you can obtain loyalty bonuses and discounts.  If they make an error, take advantage of the situation in a professional manner, but don’t take advantage of the situation.

These companies desire to maintain consistent levels of quality and rely on their customers to provide constructive feedback and satisfaction/dissatisfaction.   If a representative is not willing to work with you, ask around to find someone who will.

Top Tip  #4. Dont Forget To Ask.

One of the easiest and simplest techniques you can do is to just ask.  All they can say is no.  Sometimes a special occasion may be enough to get you an unexpected surprise.  Simply do it and don’t be afraid to ask.

You can simply ask for an upgraded vehicle, accommodation, or airline seat.  It doesn’t hurt and you’re no worse off than you were before you asked.  In other words, you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Top Tip #5. Success is in the Timing

Keep this in mind that travel is at it’s most expensive during holidays and other peak times of the year. However, if the time of year to travel is important to you, such as a special event you’ll be attending, traveling during major holidays or school vacations, and if you desire to get luxury travel for the best value you want, try to book as far in advance as possible.

Don’t forget the power of the internet.  It can be one of your most effective tools in researching destinations, while getting luxury travel at bargain prices.

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1. Red Hot Deals

You can do your own booking, but you won’t necessarily get a low far or the best deal. Airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and cruise ships count on people to make their own reservations and charge higher rates to those who do. Yet they don’t really make a profit until they’re completely booked.

Think of hotel rooms, airplane seats, and cruise ship cabins as perishable commodities. Just like an expired carton of milk has to be pulled off the grocery store shelf, on any given night, an empty hotel room is lost revenue that will never be regained. Similarly, an airplane is going to fly and a cruise ship will embark whether or not the seats and cabins are full. It’s in the best interest of hotels, airlines, and cruise ships to be fully booked. That’s why they offer discounted fares to an online travel agent, who can then pass along the savings to you.

2. Complete Packages

A full service online travel agent can put together package vacations to destinations and hotel properties to which you might not otherwise have access. Perhaps you’re a golfer, and want a dream golf vacation. Maybe a Caribbean vacation is on the horizon. Or maybe you are looking for the perfect cruise package. Although it’s sometimes possible to book travel packages with the destination, you often don’t get the options that best meet your needs. An online travel agent can put together packages that work best for you and your family.

3. Top of the Line Service

When you go the do-it-yourself route, it’s often difficult to coordinate all aspects of your travel. Making sure that your flights depart and arrive at optimal times, that your hotel reservation is in order, that your car rental will be available, and that you’ll have everything in order to board a cruise ship is no walk in the park. An online travel agent can do all the legwork for you so you can concentrate on preparing for your trip. And, if you have a change in plans, the great service that an online travel agent provides can make the transition a smooth one.

4. Family and Group Travel

Extended families often travel together, and businesses have group travel requirements from time to time. In either case, a full service online travel agent can easily book trips for people who have the same destination but who are traveling from different places. Having a group travel coordinator gives everyone peace of mind and ensures that the group’s needs are met.

5. Exciting Honeymoon Registry

If you’re planning your honeymoon, an online travel agent can provide you with the latest trend in wedding gifts: the honeymoon registry. When you register with a full service online travel agent, your guests can contribute funds to your honeymoon, or they can buy specific services (such as a spa treatment or a romantic breakfast in bed) that you have on your wish list.

Without question it’s possible to book travel yourself. However why take all that responsibilty ? The advantages in using a full service online travel agent are limitless.

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